P2CON@xxxxxxx wrote:
> So if the
> viewfinder meter is off by one-stop, I can only be sure of a correction if I
> shoot in manual with the ASA dial adjusted for the error, or by simply
> changing the manual speed or aperture to account for the error. And
> conversely, if the ASA dial is changed to accomodate the error and I shoot in
> Auto, the exposure may, or may not be correct. Olympus did not do us any
> favors with that design feature. It makes it very confusing with multiple
> bodies and varying amounts of viewfinder error.
If the meter in the finder or the OTF exposure control system aren't
working properly you're supposed to _get_it_fixed_! (How else are John
and I gonna make a living?! ;^)
That having been said, this is actually the premium feature of the OM-2
and 2n, if you think about it. The meter in the finder is an indicator
ONLY -- it actually controls NOTHING in Auto mode! It indicates the
_approximate_ shutter speed the camera will use assuming there's film in
the camera and a lens is attached (since the actual shutter speed in
Auto and Off Modes are step-less, you're not limited to just fixed
speeds).
It's the light coming "Through The Lens", reflecting "Off The Film" (and
at higher speeds, the pattern on the curtain, but that's another
discussion) that controls the exposure, _after_ the shutter is released
-- if the meter needle somehow controlled things, the 2 and 2n would
have been like all the other cameras of their era, using some sort of
memory system (trap needle, etc.) to pre-set the exposure _before_ the
shutter was released.
This also means that even if the meter does fail or malfunction, the 2
and 2n still work properly in Auto mode -- not a bad feature, if you ask
me! And, if you allow light into the eyepiece (which will deflect the
meter needle), it doesn't affect your Auto mode exposures. These are
minor concerns, of course, compared to the TTL/OTF exposure control that
Olympus made "famous", but still they should be mentioned....
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