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[OM] Re: Trip to the big city - looking at cameras

Subject: [OM] Re: Trip to the big city - looking at cameras
From: Gary Edwards <zuikowarriors@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 19:25:58 -0700 (PDT)
One could argue that today's camera designers are not photographers - and that 
it shows.  We miss you, Mr. Maitani.
 
Gary Edwards

AG Schnozz <agschnozz@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Yes, there is OM content somewhere in here.

After the conference I needed to attend, I paid a visit to one
of the camera stores in town and spent some time looking at the
Canons.

In a way, I guess I was hoping to be convinced.

The two cameras I looked at in depth were the 10D and DRebel. I
briefly looked at the 20D, but it was walking out the door so no
quality time was possible. It was noticably lighter than the
10D but I didn't like the grip. As bad as the 10D was, the 20D
was worse! Why? The grip isn't tall enough. I felt like I was
holding onto the camera with three fingers instead of my whole
hand--it wasn't using the shape of the palm to stabilize the
grip.

Anyway, other than grip and a quick once over, I didn't see
anything there that screamed "buy me". Too bad--it's got a
sweet sensor.

The 10D and the DRebel then captured my attention. The DRebel's
viewfinder is a pathetic excuse for an optical anything. Does
anybody realize what utter trash the manufacturers are heaving
upon us these days? Twenty years ago, any camera with a
viewfinder that bad would have been panned by every magazine,
dealer and customer. The company responsible would have been
driven into bankrupcy. The worse of the worse didn't compare to
this pure junk! I'm getting angry just thinking about it. 
There is no excuse for a garbagepit viewfinder like the
DRebel's. So it has a nice sensor. So what. If I can't focus
the lens because of the poor viewfinder, it doesn't really
matter. I did like the weight of the body and the controls
weren't bad, but the eye-interface is horrid.

Did I mention that the viewfinder was bad?

Ok, to the 10D. The viewfinder is rank. It is only marginally
better than the DRebel's. About the same brightness and
slightly larger. I tried, really I tried, to manual focus on
both cameras. I couldn't. It is so hard to figure out what's
in focus. The 20D is supposed to be an improvement in these
regards. I just couldn't get comfortable with the viewfinder,
no matter what. It's small and distant. If the OM viewfinder
is focused about 1.5 - 2.0 meters distance, the 10D felt about
3-4 meters distance.

I would rank both viewfinders as being "framing only"
viewfinders. I couldn't tell anything about sharpness or subject
activity through the viewfinders.

Ok, to the controls. The DRebel didn't do anything for me at
all, and it sounds/feels rough when firing the shutter, so I
moved my attention to the 10D. I did like the mode dial's
recessed position and stiffness. I also liked the DoF preview,
various modes and capabilities. Oh, the autofocus is downright
snappy. No sluggishness or trouble tracking an escargo on the
move. Other than a few controls being in awkward positions and
a few other menu-driven wierdo things, the camera is quite
usable.

How do these camera compare to my A1? With a few exceptions,
the A1 has a much more thought out user-interface. I went back
to it and instantly recognized the genius behind several design
decisions. Without removing my hand from the grip, or using my
left hand at all I can shoot, adjust aperture and shutter speed,
modes, set spot-metering, review/delete, access the full menu,
change display settings, exposure/flash compensation, and even
the focus point selection. Oh, I can also turn the camera
on/off, enter movie mode and turn antishake on/off with my thumb
too.

And you know what, as raunchy as the EVF is, I'm convinced that
it's not as bad as the optical viewfinder in either the Drebel
or 10D. At least I can continue to wear my glasses with the
A1--couldn't with the Canons.

Well, my mood was getting pretty foul. I REALLY DID want to
like the Canons. Alas, it wasn't to be. My wrist went numb. 

Looking around store, I saw a lowly OM-2N (chrome, very nice
condition, $180 including 50/1.8) sitting on the shelf. I asked
to look at it, tried it out a little and stared longingly
through the viewfinder. I handed it to the salesperson and
asked her if she ever looked through the viewfinder. "No" was
her response and she did try it out. "Now, look through this"
and I had her look through the 10D.

The look on her face was priceless. She immediately started
checking out all the controls, rotating the shutter speed ring
and winding and clicking the shutter.

"The viewfinder is so BIG!" she exclaimed. "And the camera is
so light and tiny."

Uh huh.

As good as the OM-2N is, and as perfect as it was in its day,
the OM-2n is barely viable anymore. But it is an example of a
camera designed at the pinnicle of SLR development. There will
never be another camera like it again.

It's a shame that today's camera designers have lost that
connection with those things that truely made a camera great.

Really, it's a shame.

AG



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