"Can't someone express their dissatisfaction with an Olympus product
around here? I do think he was pushing it a bit suggesting that these
features were what lost Olympus its SLR market, however he's entitled to
his opinion."
I really hate the old saw that "everyone is entitled to their opinion."
Since when?
There are many subjects I know little or nothing about. My opinions on
them are pretty much worthless. So where does that leave my
"entitlement"? Nowhere.
This poster needs to learn that there is a big difference between making
an effort to understand a product so that you can rationally critique
it, and playing with it for few minutes and deciding you don't like it.
I reviewed hi-fi equipment for over a decade, and I assure you that your
first reaction to a product (either pro or con) can be dead wrong.
More important, he needs to learn that his opinion is _his_ opinion. He
has no right to force his views on others -- to insist that he knows
what is "right" for all users.
"While I'm at it, I'd also like to know why multi-spot metering is so
good, especially in auto mode."
Good point. This is a decidedly "Japanese" feature -- something you'd
probably never see on an American or European camera.
Remember when "bias fine" controls started appering on cassette decks?
It was a good idea -- it let you trim the frequency response for
different tapes, without having to recalibrate the deck.
But that _isn't_ why the Japanese added this feature. They wanted a
simple way to alter the _sound_ of the tape. Do you feel like a bright,
sharp sound? Lower the bias. Does the music suggest a mellow,
rounded-off sound? Increase the bias. Who cares about "accuracy"?
"Feeling" is all.
Multi-spot metering serves exactly the same purpose, allowing the
photographer to indicate which way he or she wishes to bias the
exposure. This is done by aiming the camera at the point of interest and
pressing the Spot button a second, third, or fourth time -- _not_ by
turning the compensation dial. The former method emphasizes the
"aesthetic" side of photography, the latter the "technical."
In all honesty, I've never used multi-spot metering. I tend to see it as
something that has to be studied to be mastered, rather than as a
feature to be used as the mood strikes me.
Multi-spot metering can also be used to average the brightest and
darkest areas of a picture. You have to be careful when doing this -- if
the brightness range of the scene is wider than the film can record,
there cannot be a "correct" exposure. (There are Canon ads claiming
their exposure system will always give the right exposure, regardless of
the nature of the scene. This is untrue, of course.)
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