At 01:45 PM 8/28/01 +0200, P�l wrote:
>Mark wrote:
> > 1. Set flash to desired compensation (usually -1 to -1.5 stops.)
>
>What you forget is that doing this alone is more work than the whole
>procedure on the MZ-S. It involves two different wheels, a button that
>needs to be pressed down while turing another wheel, scrolling through
>various values and reading the whole thing off at another LCD panel.
>Theres absolutely nothing simple in this method. Not only is there several
>steps involved but a study of the manual is mandatory before even trying
>it. It may well be that some people prefer this method. Thats fine. But
>saying its simpler just isn't true.
You're making a mountain out of a molehill. All you do to set the flash
comp is depress the button and turn a wheel with your thumb. You do have
to set the control wheel to flash comp in advance, but that's no biggie.
Part of my pre-shooting setup.
> > 2. With camera in manual, set shutter and aperture speeds to the metered
> > ambient exposure.
>
>To get the Z-1p in manual involves turning a dial to a specific position,
>then pressing a button while turning another dial and scrolling through
>different modes while reading off an LCD panel (unless you you have set
>the camera in shutter priority mode but to do that yoiu have to go through
>the procedure above). Do you again realize that setting almost anything on
>the Z-1p is the same work as setting custom functions on the MZ-S; those
>deliberately "buried" functions? On the MZ-S you go into manual with a
>twist of the thumb. Theres no way that I can change mode on my Z-1p in the
>heat of the action while shooting birds whereas on the MZ-S I have manual
>and auto simultaneously available. The MZ-S yields huge progress in this
>regard.
I don't need to change modes on the fly for this kind of work, and yes, the
Mz-S is faster for changing modes. For dialing in compensation, it's not.
> >As you know from shooting birds yourself, this involves
> > judging the correct compromise between DOF and shutter speed sufficient to
> > capture a moving subject while simultaneously adjusting the exposure for
> > subject tonality and lighting conditions.
>
>I do. See above.
>And how do you take care about DOF when you are using the camera in away
>that it only display DOF at F:22?
This is a weakness on the Pz-1p without a doubt.
> >When shooting macros I set flash exposure to anything from 0
> > to -3 stops. Juggling those elements while stalking a flitty little
> > subject and trying to get a good composition is difficult enough. Having
> > to adjust for the exposure compensation when determining the basic ambient
> > exposure, especially when the flash needs variable compensation, adds a
> > useless layer of complexit
>
>
>This simply is not true. The simple solution is to figure out the ambient
>exposure, then set whatever flash compensation. This is how you do it on
>the Z-1p as well. However, on the MZ-S you set the compensation directly
>with one wheel. No need to go through the whole process you have to do on
>the Z-1p in order to change the flash comp value.
If I understand you, you are saying set the ambient exposure and basically
leave it there. That's OK for some forms of shooting, but with telephoto
and macro work you move from light to shadow over and over again. The
ambient exposure needs constant adjustment as does the flash level.
My basic point: trying to adjust two setting with one control does not work
well, especially when the setting of one impacts the readout of the
other. This is not a criticism of the Mz-S. Pentax engineered this camera
to have compensation built into the flash. Using the AF360FTZ will address
all of my concerns.
>It almost meaningless to talk about exposure modes on the MZ-S; rather
>talk about locking exposure. Also, exposure compensation is almost
>unecessary on the MZ-S except in program mode. If you, say, want to
>bracket 0.5 stop around zero its faster to just dial in that exposure with
>the main dial than activating exp. comp. or auto bracketing.
I'm not sure that I follow your comments here. You need to compensate for
exposure on any camera. Shooting manual and just letting the setting ride
high or low is the easiest way to do it, and as such you are not using an
exposure compensation feature. But once you use the exposure compensation
dial to adjust the flash exposure, you have to mentally adjust your manual
exposure settings to compensate. That, in essence, is why I don;t find
your methodology to be practical for dynamic shooting situations. I want
to know that when the exposure bar is one stop down, I'm really exposing
one stop down from the metered reading, not two stops down like I would be
if the comepsnation dial was set to -1.
> >For the kinds of macro work I do, where TTL flash is essential, the
> > Mz-S can't cut it.
>
>This is not the case. I lots of insect flash photography with the MZ-S.
>Its fast interface including flexible flash/ambient exposure compensation
>and AF is a revelation compared to the Z-1p.
I have yet to be converted.
An automotive allegory: I could remove the speedometer from my car, and
just watch the tachometer to see how fast I'm going. If I know what gear
I'm in, it's accurate. So just keep and eye on the RPM's and keep the gear
you've selected in mind. This actually fosters more control of the
vehicle, because it creates more awareness of what gear you are operating
in. And gosh, it's simpler - you just have one dial to watch instead of two.
It's an imperfect example (obviously inclines, wheel spinning, etc have an
effect) but close to your argument, IMO.
>Of course the flash exp. comp. on the flash unit is the best method but in
>my opinion the MZ-S interface provides the second best.
I will agree that I'm looking forward to getting an AF360, and I expect
that it's functionality will fully address my concerns.
- MCC
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Mark Cassino
Kalamazoo, MI
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Photos:
http://www.markcassino.com
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