> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Neil K.
> Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2001 11:51 PM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: EOS Decided against an Elan 7e - a/f assist light
> (plusflashassist)
>
>
> At 8:01 AM -0700 8/29/01, Ken Durling wrote:
> >Somehow I never thought it was *people* you were shooting in EV -1
> >conditions. I mean they won't sit still for those kinds of exposure
> >times! Why not just go back to albumen prints?
> >
> >I'm starting to think we're inventing problems here.
>
> Not at all. Most of the low-light photography I do is of people at
> various events.
I don't remember whether I wrote in reply to the above, but I find it to be
very true myself. Whether I am doing available light photography with high
speed film in dim light or actually using flash, I often find myself in such
situations where there are people, either indoors or outdoors. And whether
it is a/f assist or red-eye reduction, the flickering of a light is very
disturbing and irritating to people and calls unwanted attention to the
photographer. I will find myself moving among a group of people, just
focusing and setting up a possible shot, and the light starts to flash as
the camera tries to focus. This is really unacceptable. If there is going
to be a bright light, it should only come at the instant of taking the
picture. This people are used to (and in any case, they don't have time to
scowl until after the picture is taken :)
The problem is especially difficult with an a/f slr like the Elan, because
of the poorer manual focusing capability of the viewfinder, especially with
slower lenses.
I really think there is room for improvement in all a/f SLRs by way of
building a really good infrared a/f system that is completely independent of
the flash, is not obscured by the larger lenses, and which extends the
focusing capability down to very low light circumstances. Such a system
should also work hand in glove with an easy to use manual focus system and
the ability to switch back and forth without a lot of fiddling (the USM ring
system goes a long way towards this). Likewise, improved viewfinders and
split image rangefinders like those in the older manual focus cameras would
be valuable too.
----------------------------------------------
Gerry Palo
Denver, Colorado
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