Doug wrote:
> I think I may be failing to grasp a key concept here. You said the mechanical
> speeds of the LX are only good in case of battery failure. Are you implying
> that the FM3A is designed to be usable as a full time manual? If so, why would
> they build it as an EM? Wouldn't the whole idea behind an EM shutter be the
> ability to keep shooting if the batteries fail?
Well, you could buy several of the old pre-1953 screwmount Leicas without
slow speeds below 1/30th as an economizing feature, and they're not exactly
sought after even today. A camera needs slow speeds as a practical matter. I
don't know what the FM3A was "designed" for, nor do I particularly give a
hoot, but it seems self-evident that if you haven't lost any capability when
the batteries die, then you don't need to use batteries unless you want to.
This is probably more of a marketing gambit than we're admitting. A certain
customer mindset seems to set great store in the vaunted ability of cameras
to function without batteries. It's a bit like the appeal of SUVs--people
somehow envision themselves climbing buttes in Montana in them, when in
actual practice they'll avoid hopping the curb as much in an SUV as they
would in any other car. I don't know if camera buyers picture themselves
lost in outer Mongolia or deep in the jungles of the amazon, but for some
reason the idea of full mechanical capability is strongly appealing to some
buyers. My feeling has always been that if you go photographing, you take
spare batteries, and if your batteries die, you replace them. As for not
"remembering" to take the spares, you have to remember to bring film, no?
It's not like this "all-mechancal" capability is some sort of great
practical advantage. It's just that it appeals to some folks.
Anyway I'm not saying that the FM3A shutter is the best shutter ever made,
or that it makes the FM3A into some kind of paragon of cameradom. In fact I
said rather the opposite, that the ideal manual, mechanical, metal
"retro-classic" SLR has not yet been made. I didn't compare the FM3A to the
LX or claim that the Nikon was better than the LX.
So stop picking on me <g>.
(Just kidding.)
--Mike
-
This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe,
go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to
visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
