--- Moose wrote:
> LOL Boy I'll bet you had fun writing this!
I figured my post would get you going.
> What in heaven's name do you do to it to make it creak? I
> guess I'm just too gentle.
That is part of the problem. I'm not overly gentle with my
equipment. I don't throw it around, but I don't kid-glove it
either. My OM-2S has over 100,000 exposures on it and still
chugging away, so obviously I don't super-abuse my stuff. But I
believe in "no excuses" construction. The creaking was the
typical "flex the body and hear the plastic bits creak type of
thing. I'm sure it's plenty tough, though. I remember in the
early days of the EOS line I worked in photo retail and the
plastic bodied cameras were beginning to show merrit. When
dropped, the plastic would shatter at the point of impact but
would protect most of the innards. A metal frame camera was
internally bent beyond repair. The weight difference also was a
major benefit as the kinetic energy that must be dealt with
during impact was much lower. Depending on the design, plastic
cameras are just fine. My IS-3 is plastic and it creaks like no
tomorrow.
> Must be a Princess and the pea thing. You are the Princess, by
> the way, and I'm just an insensitive scullery girl...
LOL. Ok, fine. I'm a little picky about shutter vibration. Guess
I've done too many pictures in the 1/4 to 1/15 range. This is
the OM system weakness too. On the other hand, I'm horribly
spoiled by my A1, E-1, XA, and Crown Graphic.
> >3. The grip shape is for martians.
> Been around this one before. Different grips for different
> hands.
Um, this time I wasn't referring to the 300, but the 350. The
grip is reeaaaaallly different. The 300 was *almost*
comfortable in comparison. The grip is more like the ones found
on these new micromini DSLR shaped cameras.
> Well, I haven't looked through a D350, but I assume it's much
> like a D300. Again, different eyes, or something.
The 350 has a redesigned viewfinder. The "postage stamp" shrunk.
There are a few improvements, but overall, the viewfinder is
another step south. In my "stare and compare" the difference
between the 350 and 300 is about the same as the 300 and 20D.
> I recently spent 3 days of
> fairly intensive photograhpy with D300 and OM-4 side by side.
> When I switched, things would look odd for a moment,
> then it didn't make any difference. I could see what I was
> aiming to shoot and did so.
> Diopter on the D300 works fine fot me.
Everybody is a little different. My jeep with a broken rear
suspension works just fine for me on my daily commute but would
drive most people nuts. My BOSE speakers in my home sound
system are garbage compared to what half you guys use, but I'm
very happy, however I can't stand the sound of an MP3 or
satellite television whereas you might be tickled pink.
> >5. Loud. Quaaak! Ok, maybe it isn't very loud, but the
> >sound is definitely not pleasing.
> Oh, come on, combine this with #2.
I'm spoiled by the E-1. It's kinda like the difference between
shutting the door of a Mercedes and a Fiat. Sound level might
be the same, but the type of sound is completely different.
> >8. Menu system is a total disaster.
> See #7
It's been redesigned. This is also a grouse I have with the
E-1, though. I'm very spoiled by the menu system in the
M*nolta. Some companies get it right--M*nolta is one of those.
I get very irritated with the menu system of the E-1.
> >Monitor also looks smaller than it is.
> Huh? What does that mean?
I've been thinking about this and I think it's an optical
illusion thing. For example, the monitor on the E-1 looks larger
than the one on my A1. Both are about the same size. In the
case of the 350, it may have to do with the location of the LCD
info display.
> >Other than image quality...
> Oh my, and here I thought that was the most important
> thing.........
Not really. It's only one factor. For example, let's talk about
shutter-delay. If a camera takes 2-seconds to finally take the
picture after you press the shutter release any "image quality"
gains from that camera are more than offset by the loss of
pictures due to incorrect timing. BTW, the 350 was responsive
enough.
> I assume here you refer to event shooting and such pro
> activities. I
> don't do those and find the D300 rather easy to use. Perfect?
> No way. Perfectly usable, sure.
Ok, you've got me there. My requirements are a little
different. I need a camera that is inuitive, unobtrusive, gets
the job done and works flawlessly in almost any working
condition. But amazingly enough, I still use the A1 as much (if
not more) than the E-1 when it comes to non-portrait/event
photography.
> there I am back down with the masses again, and you
> waving from up on the battlements, while quietly wanting
> to hold you nose. That's fine, I like it down here.
Except I'm probably waiving the white flag. Maybe the masses
know something I don't. But the masses did reelect "W".
> As to infatuation, how about discrimination and an
> understanding of what they will use it for? The D300 makes
> fabulous images for peanuts and works with full
> finctionality with lenses that many already have...
You are absolutely correct. C*non isn't "creating" the demand,
it's just responding to it with a nicely priced, full-featured
camera that meets and exceeds the requirements for the bulk of
the users that'll never use any setting beyond the P.
> Your burn rate is mich higher than that.
> Did you say something around 8,000 with the A1 when you
> bought the E-1? My 300D will be technologically really
> obsolete before it reaches that number.
First year of ownership was just over 10,000. During that same
period of time I shot another 1,000 or so on film. I think I'm
over 3000 on the E-1 already. Granted a large percentage of
shots are testing and practice.
> ...and if Oly doesn't make an E
> system camera that meets my needs by then, it can become
> second body to the succesor to the 20D or 1D. You get to
> write off your equipment and actually pay for it with cash
> it generates in your hands.
Somehow I question Oly's desire or ability to deliver a
competitive higher-end camera. Unless, of course, they are just
quietly building the entire system up and once the pixel wars
settle down they'll introduce something that specs out like the
D2X. They'll then run it for 14 years like they did with the
OM-4T.
I am blessed that I've got the ability to earn money with the
cameras.
AG
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