The MZ-S is pretty simple to my mind: Change the aperture - twist the aperture ring Change the shutter speed - spin the control wheel Set the camera back to Program - press the green button on the front Lock everything - press the Hold button Check the focus - press the AF button Check DOF - pull the on-off switch back Select the focus point - slide left middle finger around the lens mount and press up on the switch - spin the control wheel and watch the selected point in the viewfinder.
and you have not had to remove your camera from your face to see the effects! The other side of the camera looks complex, until you actually look at the symbols - bracketing either way, under/over expose either way, set the functions with the wheel set to the red PF setting. I read the PZ1's specification looked at the interface, and decided I didn't have the time to work it all out, whereas with the MZ-S I sat down for an hour and played with it: by the end of that, I had pretty well everything sorted out that I needed for everyday use. Then I took the manual and found out about the other stuff. This camera is so well-designed, and, in my view so well built, that it should be taking the photo world by storm: if only the distributors would get behind it and push it a bit! John Coyle Brisbane, Australia On Friday, August 09, 2002 12:14 PM, Alan Chan [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] wrote: > >" Designed for advanced photographers, the Z-1p's digital system > >offered > >such sophisticated features as a centralized display system and the > >"Hyper" > >exposure modes, but its state-of-the-art control system was a little > >too > >complicated for some users to get accustomed to in a short period. > > On the > >other hand, the MZ-3 and MZ-5N's analog-type direct-access dial > >control > >system was easy to understand and operate even for beginners, but > >some of > >the features did not function as flawlessly as the digital system's. > > > >Frankly speaking as camera designers, we thought it would be much > >easier to > >standardize the entire control system one way or another. > > I have felt the same on Z-1p and MZ-3/5 too. It tooks me many months > before > I could alter the setting on Z-1p efficently. But still, it still took > > longer to set than my simple MX (except when shooting in full program > mode > of course). > > >For the optimum benefit of our users, however, we decided to > >harmonize the > >best of both worlds to develop a totally new hybrid control system > >for the > >new MZ-S." > >So it's clear that the MZ-S interface was designed to be simpler to > >operate > >than the Z-1p's. > > I think their goal was to combine the design of Z-1p and MZ-3/5 > together. > That does not necessaily actually mean better or simpler interface. > Coming > from manual focus era, I have found nothing work faster for me than > tradition shutter speed dial (all speeds printed clearly on the dial) > and a > seperate self-timer switch. Now, since I don't own the MZ-S (only try > them > in store), I don't know how well design it supposed to be. But at > least I > had no idea how to switch anything when I tried the MZ-S. Just plain > confusing (without any help from the manual or the salesclerk). > > regards, > Alan Chan > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com > - > 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 . - 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 .
