It would only take a simple firmware change to make the camera work
this way though...
j
I suggested that to Pentax in one of my many "customer feedback"
and "support" inquiries. It could be done in at least two ways:
- Allow manual setting of the aperture when in Av. It's the user's
responsibility to make the number match what the lens is actuall set to.
Since the camera doesn't know what the max aperture (and thus what it's
metering), you'd probably have to either specify it along with the max
aperture, OR in terms of "stops-from-full-open." That's more or less what
you suggest, but +-3 wouldn't be enough.
- The relative aperture could be computed somewhat automatically as with
the "green button"/AE trick. Keep the camera steady in Av, and hit the
button. It could measure the *difference* from full open to stopped and
compute the difference. In fact, in this mode, dialing up the max
aperture with the thumbwheel (e.g. 1.4 for 50mm/1.4) could allow for
absolue display/computation. Even matrix metering and P-TTL could be used
once the absolute aperture was known.
Likely too fiddly for many, but #2 would allow quite a bit more
flexibility on auto modes. Basically:
1: Switch to non-A lens
2: Switch to Av mode
3: Dial in max aperture on the wheel (1.4/2/2.8/3.5, whatever)
4: Rotate aperture ring
5: Keep camera pointed at something consistently and hit "green button"/AE
... then you could fire at will until you changed the aperture
ring. If you did, just repeat step 5 with the new aperture. Maybe even
have the max aperture blinky-blinky (1.4...1.4...1.4) until you set it the
first time. Then you could see what you're *actually* at (5.6), and
double-check to make sure it matches the actual ring setting.
Anyway... enough dreaming... it'll never happen. An interfact
only an engineer could love... :)
-Cory
--
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* Cory Papenfuss *
* Electrical Engineering candidate Ph.D. graduate student *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
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