Hi Ed, I was the original poster, and, although I never said I wanted manual advance, it's generally my preference. Why? Because it's quieter. The camera doesn't automatically advance after each exposure, and I can choose when to advance it. Because, in most instances, I can rewind the film to whatever degree I desire, whether it's just a few frames, all the way with the leader into the cassette, or with the leader out (to any length I want it). Further, with manual rewind the film can be rewound silently, which comes in handy at times, just as advancing the film silently can be an advantage. Some cameras with auto wind automatically rewind the film at the end of the roll, with "thumb advance" I can chose to rewind the film later. IOW, with manual advance I have absolute control of the film transport in all situations. And, if I want a winder, I can use an accessory winder - again, 100% control.
Then there are the stories I've heard about the film getting stuck for one reason or another in these cameras with built-in winders. That problem may be eliminated or minimized with thumb advance. For me it's somewhat akin to the difference between a semi-auto pistol and a revolver. The wheel gun doesn't jam or hang up, and it's always ready to shoot. Sometimes a pistol jams or hangs up. Admittedly the newer semi-autos jam less frequently, but unless you need the rapid fire action and the fire capacity of the semi-auto, the revolver does a better, neater job. I like the feel of a smoothly operating manual advance. There's something very satisfying about the advance of a well tuned LX or Leica compared to the click-whirr tug on the film that goes with an automatic camera. There's something very special about the the way a nicely built advance lever feels against the thumb, and the way the advance feels when adjusted to my preference by a good technician. Thumb advance is, IMO, a simpler, more elegant solution to moving the film. Finally, It's about the camera responding to me - to my thoughts, my preferences - rather than me adapting to what the camera is programmed to do. Ed asked: > > Out of curiosity, why is it you want manual advance? -- Shel Belinkoff mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - 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 .
