On Fri, 15 Jul 2005, Shel Belinkoff wrote:
From your comments, and those of others, it seems that the 5n is not a camera I'd buy except for photographing in some specific situations.
I was thinking about you and your loan earlier today. I was quite happy to let others bash it, but can't resist: my feeling is that if you see past the plastic shell, you are going to love it; it was designed with the Shels of this world in mind.
I'd sure hope newer cameras behave better - after all, what's the point of autofocus if you're continually having to adapt to its limitations.
Many AF cameras pre and post the -5n have a continuous AF (Servo) switch position. On the one hand this allows you to take a picture even if it thinks it's not in focus. On the other hand when you focus-then-compose, you will need to press an extra button to keep the focus locked (because this is continuous AF, so if you move the composition it will refocus). Of course in yet other cameras you can move the focus point from the centre and, if the selectable sensors match your taste for the composition, you are ace. And finally, there is the newer lens clutch, supported by the -D models and the MZ-S, where some lenses allow you to re-touch the AF without moving the AF switch.
I personally don't care for the servo mode; never used it on the SFXn, nor on the Z-1p. The problem Jaume mentioned is of the same type as triggering a shutter, only it happens *so* less frequently than triggering the shutter. And boy, do I change lenses when I shoot...
My corollary: no camera will ever in my lifetime pick my brainwaves, and that's the only bulletproof way. I like automation, but it has as many problems as the lack thereof, only different. In particular, I like the AF of the Pentax cameras, I have momentarily compared it with other cameras in the league and found it better. YMMV.
I wonder if the MZ-3 is any better
It is the same camera with a faster shutter. Kostas
