But the LED display in the viewfinder shows what it's picking, so one can always override it. Generally when I'm toward the bottom of that table I'm using another mode anyway. And besides, with the 50mm f/1.4 and "more youthful self" 1/30 was a an acceptable speed!In few words, A-1's Program mode takes wrong decisions, at least in respect to what I consider a good photography practice, and these wrong decisions are taken in a range in which some intelligent help would be most welcomed. I later resold the A-1 for various reasons, and sometimes I miss it as it was a good camera. But what I have never, really *never* missed is its Program mode!
But so far all cameras with program mode has it in a linear fashion. New cameras allow you to shift it to another combination for shutter speed/aperture but still not much has changed. And this is exactly while P is only for professional. If you don't know how it does it you may let it lead you astrayIt's funny how this 7-years old thread has been revived without any apparent reason. Oh well, anyway.
Coincidentally, I also used to own a Canon A-1. Excepting the fact that it was only available in black and had some horrible plastic part here and there, it was a terrific camera, with manual, aperture priority, time priority, programmed, and stopped-down exposure meter. Wow. It's still one of the most complete ever made in this respect.
However, although I thought I had struck gold at first, I had to scale back my expectations very quickly. First I realised that shutter priority is a dangerous tool, as it drags you in dangerous zones when the light is low. It works well when light is abundant, but who really needs any artificial intelligence help when light is abundant? However, the Program mode was what really turned me off.
The way in which the Program mode was... well... "programmed" by Canon engineers is illustrated in the user's manual in form of a diagram, and with my highest surprise it was absolutely linear. For simplicity, these are the shutter/aperture couplings that it will provide with a f:1,4 lens under progressively decreasing light:
1/1000 f:16
1/500 f:11
1/250 f:8
1/125 f:5,6
1/60 f:4
1/30 f:2,8
1/15 f:2
1/8 f:1,4
1/4 f:1,4
1/2 f:1,4
.
.
.
and so on. All is quite reasonable from 1/1000th down to 1/125th. We could argue wether 1/60th at f:4 is a good choice or not, but let's say it's tolerable anyway. But, below that, and exactly when the light becomes hard to handle and one would really need a help, the Program mode makes a huge huge mess. Why should anyone want to take a picture at 1/30th f:2,8, which will be almost certainly blurred, when it could be taken it at 1/60th f:2, or even better at 1/125th f:1,4? I would *never*, under no circumstances, do that. And why should anyone want to take a 100% likely blurred picture at 1/15th f:2, when there's still room to try it at 1/30th f:1,4 and have some chance to get perhaps a decent, sharp picture with some luck?
In few words, A-1's Program mode takes wrong decisions, at least in respect to what I consider a good photography practice, and these wrong decisions are taken in a range in which some intelligent help would be most welcomed. I later resold the A-1 for various reasons, and sometimes I miss it as it was a good camera. But what I have never, really *never* missed is its Program mode!
You must have been a fairly young child at the time.I remember, back in the late 1800's, on the Left Bank, all us painters would gather and make fun of all the Pussies with their cameras.
They were too lazy to learn how to paint, and probably had no talent or aptitude for "The Real Thing" anyway.
Sounds more complicated than just setting exposure manually.My Pentax PZ1p allows me to adjust how the Program Mode works. I can set it for Normal (Linear), Action (shutter speed change is preferred), Depth of Field (aperture change is preferred) or MTF where the program defaults to the lens best MTF where that information is available in the lens. Likewise, when the Program Mode is faced with a combination that will not work it allows me to instantly change shutter or aperture without selecting another mode.
Sounds more complicated than just setting exposure manually.
It makes some sort of sense if you change one word in the title:
"Real Photographers don't have to use Program ...."
I use the program -mode because, I believe P stands for professional! Also letting the camera handle the technical side give the photographer more opportunity to be creative. Being overly concerned with technical issues is a creativity killer.
Isn't aperture priority a "program" mode?
If one knows his/her equipment like the back of his/her hand then manual is more accurate.
My Pentax PZ1p allows me to adjust how the Program Mode works. I can set it for Normal (Linear), Action (shutter speed change is preferred), Depth of Field (aperture change is preferred) or MTF where the program defaults to the lens best MTF where that information is available in the lens. Likewise, when the Program Mode is faced with a combination that will not work it allows me to instantly change shutter or aperture without selecting another mode.
Think the old Canon T70 had something of the sort, for wide and tele lenses. It's a while since I used it, so my memory may be shaky.My Pentax PZ1p allows me to adjust how the Program Mode works.
I'm disappointed that program mode on cameras isn't more programmable. ...
There is no Program Mode on the Hasselblads ...
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