I guess it's time for me to weigh in. These whole long threads have been about removing backward compatibility. My general opinion is that Pentax chose to remove full support of K/M lenses. The reasons are all speculation on our part. Personally I would have preferred to have that support, much like a PZ-1p. And yes, I would pay a little more to have that compatibility.
Now for my current real situation - I own 2 pre-A lenses, a K 300/4 and a K 200/2.5. Of the two, the 200/2.5 gets used regularly. The cost to pick up a comparable new lens is quite high and I don't anticipate doing that anytime soon. My general usage of camera modes is thus: I use HyperManual predominantly with Center Weighted metering and manual focus. This means that I have set the *istD body so that when pressing the green button, it leaves my current aperture and just matches the shutter speed. That means that whether I use a new FA lens, or the old K lenses, my usage of the camera is identical. It basically involves picking my aperture, picking where I want to meter (usually not exactly where I compose the scene) and pressing the green button. Then I move on to compose and lastly to focus based on the composition. So for most practical purposes, using a K/M or FA lens doesn't really bother me much. If I am taking advantage of automation, then I am more in a mode of wanting to use AF, matrix metering and full program with program line bias (can be set on the *istD to MTF, high shutter and large DOF) and letting the automation do it's thing. In this scenario, Aperture Priority would not be my choice. So I would be using an FA type lens in this case. Aperture priority support of K/M lenses would not be enough in this case, because I couldn't auto focus, I would still have to deal with setting the aperture and I couldn't use matrix metering which would cause the metering to be less useful when I am relying directly on the composed scene to be proper for center weighted (backlight type issues, etc). So in summary, even though I think it would have been nicer to have full K/M support, the green button kludge/hyper manual method of using K/M is good enough for me because that is how I work anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if quite a few others feel as I do. -- Best regards, Bruce Friday, September 23, 2005, 5:45:48 AM, you wrote: JCOC> Second request. Please reply Jim because I think JCOC> I may be overlooking something here if what you JCOC> say is true.. JCOC> jco JCOC> -----Original Message----- JCOC> From: J. C. O'Connell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] JCOC> Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 12:52 AM JCOC> To: [email protected] JCOC> Subject: RE: Camera engineering (was Re: Rename request) JCOC> JCO ASKS: JCOC> UMM excuse me sir, but why cant they support BOTH old and new customers? Is JCOC> that some earth shattering concept?. They don't have to remove K/M AE to JCOC> fully support newer photograhers. I don't get why you say that. Please JCOC> explain further... jco JCOC> -----Original Message----- JCOC> From: Jim Apilado [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] JCOC> Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 12:19 AM JCOC> To: [email protected] JCOC> Subject: Re: Camera engineering (was Re: Rename request) JCOC> Amen to JCO's remarks. Your explanations are to the point. Unfortunately, JCOC> Pentax will never come out with a dslr with full K/M compatibility. I JCOC> believe the company wants to go after newer photographers who have never JCOC> experienced Pentax film cameras. These buyers of Pentax dslr's will eagerly JCOC> buy the newer lenses that the camera body will support. Should they buy an JCOC> older K/M prime lens, they might not like having to manually focus the lens JCOC> which you don't have to do with the newer lenses. I know a photographer who JCOC> owns a 20D Canon. He can't believe that photographers like myself had to JCOC> manually focus a lens. Even more, he can't believe that there were cameras JCOC> that you had to manually set shutter speed and lens aperture to get a good JCOC> exposure. Light meter? What the heck is that used for. Again, Amen to JCOC> JCO's remarks. JCOC> Jim A. JCOC> ============================================================================ JCOC> === >> From: "J. C. O'Connell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Reply-To: [email protected] >> Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2005 23:40:38 -0400 >> To: <[email protected]> >> Subject: RE: Camera engineering (was Re: Rename request) >> Resent-From: [email protected] >> Resent-Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2005 23:40:33 -0400 >> >> ====================================================================== >> === >> WILLIAM ROB WROTE: >> I will try to clarify: >> >> Precisely which camera you are talking about that is difficult to use? >> ====================================================================== >> = >> JCO Writes now: >> >> Its not the "degree of difficulty" its >> the annoying stupid tedium of doing something >> manually that I got done for me automatically >> in the past. this would apply to >> ANY pentax camera that doesn't support >> K/M AE and forces you to use GREEN BUTTON >> mode instead.. >> >> Doing some new extra step to get a photo that I didn't have to do in >> the past is WORSE- That's the opposite of progress. >> >> The camera is supposed to SERVE ME serve me - with green button YOU >> SERVE the camera. Duh.... >> >> ====================================================================== >> == >> WILLIAM ROBB WROTE: >> >> Why do you find it difficult to use? >> ====================================================================== >> == >> JCO writes now: >> >> See this copy of my last post explaining why >> its tedious and stupid: >> >> JCO WROTE: >> >> >> In review, I see I missed something here >> that still needs stating. If you and some >> of your "smart" photographer friends don't >> see the "gofer" part that makes it even >> funnier so once again I will explain >> it in more simpler terms for you. Because >> the joke is over so you should know >> the absurdity of it all if you still >> havent recognized why its dumb slavery... >> >> If this camera BODY had K/M AE support you >> wouldn't need to being doing ANY >> of this dumb button pushing. The camera >> wouldn't be burdening you with these >> dumb stop down meter requests. >> It not only slows you down if you >> need to change fast, it's another >> possible source of operator error >> (humans make mistakes) for you to >> have to remember to "SERVICE" the >> cameras dumb requests. Cant you see >> that having do something, like even >> pressing a button, OVER AND OVER >> and OVER again is really annoying and >> degrading when NONE of it would have >> been necessary at all if he cheap K/M >> cam sensor had been maintained? >> >> I don't want to do something like >> pushing green buttons every time I take >> a picture with the camera IF ITS >> NOT NECESSARY- and with K/M AE >> support its not. I also don't want >> to have to remember if I pushed >> buttons or not or end up pushing >> them twice to be sure the dumb >> camera is informed. What you are >> doing by pushing this button is >> MANUALLY doing what the cam sensor >> part did for you automatically In >> the past. Why in the world would >> any of your so called "smart" >> photographer friends not see this >> as a problem? Probably because >> they think its necessary with >> K/M lenses , well its not. Its >> necessary only with this dumb >> camera design... and I bet would they all >> would gladly trade back to K/M AE >> if given a real choice of >> having to push buttons at >> all or having to push them >> forever needlessly.... >> CASE CLOSED >> >> - now think about >> that every time you push the green >> button for PENTAX like a monkey boy >> slave who doesn't deserve basic exposure automation >> that you used to have for 30 years..... >> JCO >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: William Robb [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 10:38 PM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Re: Camera engineering (was Re: Rename request) >> >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "J. C. O'Connell" >> Subject: RE: Camera engineering (was Re: Rename request) >> >> >>> I will clarify for you. >>> >>> Ask any question you want but be specific >>> You really cant ask me to quote the entire >>> thread again for you. That's out of this >>> world. >> >> Please note, these questions are brought up because you wrote: >> >> " > So William are you now trying to say >>> that no one cares whether a camera >>> is smart and user friedly or dumb >>> and a pain in the ass to use?" >> >> >> I will try to clarify: >> >> Precisely which camera you are talking about that is difficult to use? >> >> Why do you find it difficult to use? >> >> >> Please give one one example of when you have missed an important >> picture because of the camera's lack user friendliness to give some >> credibility to the complaint? >> >>> >>> Are you saying that just because you >>> bought and use the GREEN BUTTON that you >>> know its better or as good as K/M AE? >>> >> >> Please read the thread regarding my usage of K/M lenses. >> I can only speak for myself in this instance. >> >> William Robb >> >>
