Which SLR would you use most?

blockend · Apr 9, 2011

Use each in turn. They'll all deliver sharp photographs - if sharpness is what you're about - and the novelty of a different camera might inspire you to keep taking pictures. I'm hard pressed to see any difference in resolution between my lenses of similar focal lengths from different manufacturers - film stock, lighting, etc are much more noticeable.

If you need to shoot quickly (sports excepted) an aperture priority camera with easy override takes some beating. Or full auto and an exposure lock button. Or manual if you don't allow metering to inhibit you. Doesn't matter.

Les Sarile · Apr 9, 2011

TomMessenger said:
I never know which SLR to take out with me.
Pentax S1a with Asahi Pentax 55 1.2 (lack of meter puts me off for general use)

To be sure, the lens is a 55mm f2 as there was never a 55mm f1.2 lens made.

The S1A was a budget model of the SV and the shutter speed markings only show 1/500 but you could set it to the unmarked spot where the 1/1000 would have been and that speed is available.

There was an addon meter made for it that you can put on top of it. Or, this is a great time to practice Sunny 16 and shoot without

TomMessenger · Apr 9, 2011

Les Sarile said:
To be sure, the lens is a 55mm f2 as there was never a 55mm f1.2 lens made.

The S1A was a budget model of the SV and the shutter speed markings only show 1/500 but you could set it to the unmarked spot where the 1/1000 would have been and that speed is available.

There was an addon meter made for it that you can put on top of it. Or, this is a great time to practice Sunny 16 and shoot without

You're right, it's the F2 - Mistype, sorry!

Steve Smith · Apr 9, 2011

2F/2F said:
I'd keep that one, sell the rest, and use the money to buy a light meter and a book that sez how to use it, and maybe you'd even have enough left over for some more lenses.

Or perhaps, some film!

Steve.

Bill Burk · Apr 9, 2011

No problem it's not a 1.2 and all the benefits of super-bright lenses are out the window.

Still I would choose the screw-mount Pentax.

I didn't get to see 2F/2F's post just before my last one but that's what I was thinking.

Until you pick up a light meter, you could use another one of the cameras to get meter readings.

pentax4ever · Apr 9, 2011

Your Super A looks like the best choice. This was the Pentax prosumer model at one point and is well spec'd camera. It has a top shutter speed of 1/2000, DOF preview, both aperture and shutter priority modes with a Pentax-A lens, a manual mode and exposure compensation. It also has TTL flash metering with a compatible flash and reads the exposure off of the film during a flash exposure. Nice camera.

TomMessenger · Apr 12, 2011

Right, I thing the decision goes with the S1a then. I do actually have the meter that sits on top but it wasn't working so I didn't mention it. I've just soldered a new piece for the battery to sit on, and it turns out that was the problem - so it will get more use again. I really do like the F2 lens on it, and I use it often on my Canon 5D. I just can't get on with the Minolta, however nice the viewfinder looks. The S1a is equally as good for focusing, and probably better than the Super A. The Canon I've used a lot, so it will sit in the background for a while. Thanks for all the thoughts, it made some interesting reading.

The S1a

freecom2 · Apr 12, 2011

That's a pretty Pentax, I really do like their 60s and 70s designed SLRs.

Diapositivo · Apr 12, 2011

I would like to express, if it isn't too late, a biased opinion in favour of the Minolta.

I use Minolta gears 99% of the time: Srt100x, Srt101, X-700, XM/XK, with various fixed focal length lenses and zooms.

Besides the very high quality of Minolta glasses, I especially like the X-700 for its very good quality at a reasonable price.
The viewfinder is bright and the focusing is fast and clear. The shutter button is very soft. The light meter goes on when you put the finger on the shutter button, so no unintentional waste of battery energy, you can leave the camera always on. The quartz-controlled shutter speeds are quite accurate. It's got TTL-flash. If you use it with the internal meter (not that I do it a lot) it has the MCS system, the reading is "re-measured" after the diaphragm is closed to compensate for discrepancies between theoretical value and real value (f/stop and t/stop if you want).

The cloth horizontal shutter keeps vibrations at bay. It's a simple camera, but there is quality where you need it. Some sort of a "beatle" in the SLR realm. I also have a Nikon FE-2 which I use with the two shift lenses I own (the Minolta 35 shift is by far too rare and expensive so I decided to buy a Nikon shift 35 and a FE-2 and it costed less than half) and frankly even if I had a complete Nikkor lens park I think I would be using the X-700 for the ease of manual focusing on the ground glass (never done any serious test, but I suspect the viewfinder is also brighter).

The only reason for me to buy an XM was the mirror lock-up which the X-700 very sadly lacks and which is important for tripod work.
The other great fault of the X-700 is that the light meter is "uncoupled" in manual use, but I think the X-300 and the X-500 don't have this problem so you can read the suggested exposure and compensate it while looking inside the viewfinder.

Fabrizio

Les Sarile · Apr 12, 2011

Diapositivo said:
The other great fault of the X-700 is that the light meter is "uncoupled" in manual use, but I think the X-300 and the X-500 don't have this problem so you can read the suggested exposure and compensate it while looking inside the viewfinder.
Fabrizio

I am not sure what you mean by that but to be sure, the X-700 has full metered manual mode as defined in the manual under that mode of operation although it doesn't operate in the same manner as manual mode using the XD-11.

elekm · Apr 12, 2011

I'll change my answer and say that I'd get the Pentax S1A into shape and use it. My comment about the others being "average" is unchanged.

Les Sarile · Apr 12, 2011

Tom, That's a rather nice looking setup! A matching fully functional meter is a very nice score.

Diapositivo · Apr 13, 2011

Les Sarile said:
I am not sure what you mean by that but to be sure, the X-700 has full metered manual mode as defined in the manual under that mode of operation although it doesn't operate in the same manner as manual mode using the XD-11.

A fully coupled exposure meter in Manual mode is, in my mind, something that lets you see both the exposure suggested by the camera and the exposure actually set on the camera.

E.g. in our X-700 wee see the aperture set on the lens through the periscope and we have an array of LEDs on the right.

In A or P mode the LED corresponding to the shutter time selected by the camera is on (two leds are on if the shutter time is intermediate between two canonical values).

In M mode, the LED corresponding to the suggested shutter time is on, but you have no way to know which is the shutter time which is actually selected on your camera.

With most other cameras (and also some derivatives of the X-700 such as the X-500 as far as I read) you have full coupling, in the sense that in manual mode the camera tells you the light meter reading AND the actual manual values (one of the two blinks I guess).

Most manual-only cameras show you in the viewfinder if you are, at the moment, overexposing or underexposing relative to the camera indication. So if you are taking a picture of let's say a white marble building you manually open the exposure, relative to the camera indications, while still looking in the viewfinder.

The majority of manual and automatic cameras allow you a manual use with the same functionality of a manual camera.

With the X-700 the use in Manual is less versatile than the use of a proper manual camera. That's not a big problem if you tend to use an external light meter anyway, but most people don't use them.

Fabrizio

Pumalite · Apr 13, 2011

2F/2F said:
I'd use that one the most. I'd keep that one, sell the rest, and use the money to buy a light meter and a book that sez how to use it, and maybe you'd even have enough left over for some more lenses.

+1

Les Sarile · Apr 13, 2011

Diapositivo said:
With the X-700 the use in Manual is less versatile than the use of a proper manual camera. That's not a big problem if you tend to use an external light meter anyway, but most people don't use them.

Fabrizio

I agree that for a more "modern" camera (compared to others that I have like the XK, XE-7 and XD-11) the X-700's manual mode is less convenient in that you have to actually take your eye away from the viewfinder. Probably Minolta decided that folks who would buy it would rely on automation more? But nonetheless, it is a fully metered manual mode. Certainly more convenient then using an external meter and even more so when you are using filters or other lens attachments.

removed-user-1 · Apr 13, 2011

From your list, the Pentax S1a. I have a very similar Pentax S2 Super with 55/1.8 and 135/3.5 Super-Takumars. It's a gorgeous and simple camera, which fits my hands perfectly, and that I can take almost anywhere. As 2F/2F noted, it's built like a brick too. The lack of a built-in meter offers a perfect opportunity to practice Sunny 16.

Aristophanes · Apr 13, 2011

I have the X500 and it is coupled so that both values are on the VF unlike the X700. The X500 also meters properly with DOF preview unlike the X700. The X500 has no P mode. The only advanced feature lacking on the X-series is MLU. To "get it all" you need the XD11.

Les Sarile said:
I agree that for a more "modern" camera (compared to others that I have like the XK, XE-7 and XD-11) the X-700's manual mode is less convenient in that you have to actually take your eye away from the viewfinder. Probably Minolta decided that folks who would buy it would rely on automation more? But nonetheless, it is a fully metered manual mode. Certainly more convenient then using an external meter and even more so when you are using filters or other lens attachments.

Sent from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk

icywarm · Apr 13, 2011

I use all pentax in 35mm because it means less lenses for me over all. However, that minolta is a nice little unit had one a while back... really a joy to shoot.

I totally agree that the Super A is a little dark...

However, like everyone else says... shoot what feels right in your hands...

bblhed · Apr 13, 2011

Until last week I would have named one of those cameras, but now I say you should test them all with slide film, the one that delivers a well exposed roll of film should be the clear winner. Sell the rest and buy glass, if you have more than one winner keep the one that feels best in your hand and has the control layout that you like best, then sell the rest and get a second copy of that body and some glass.

Yes, I get the whole you should always use a light meter thing and all, but most of the time it is impractical to use a handheld meter for me. For me I just want to set the aperture to get the DOF that I want and then let the computer figure out the speed, if I don't like the speed there is an over under setting that I can adjust to get more or less light if I want it.

Why this point of view? My Nikon F4 had the metering computer go down two weeks ago, I really like the camera and have been hand metering with it but that was just not cutting it for me, as I have a 3 year old, and lots of other critters I like to photograph. I ended up pulling out my old trusty N90s and the F4 is off for service next week, when it gets back some gear is going on the chopping block and a spare F4 will be coming into my life. Anyone interested in a Nikon 8008s in decent shape cheep?

Les Sarile · Apr 13, 2011

Aristophanes said:
The only advanced feature lacking on the X-series is MLU. To "get it all" you need the XD11.

The XD-11 still doesn't doesn't "get it all" as it does not have MLU. Only the XK/X1/XM and SRT101/102 have MLU.

guitstik · Apr 13, 2011

Minolta is the only one in the group that has a Leica/leitz pedigree. The XD-7 (R3), XD-11 (R4) and MD glass where developed jointly between the two companies.

Les Sarile · Apr 13, 2011

guitstik said:
Minolta is the only one in the group that has a Leica/leitz pedigree. The XD-7 (R3), XD-11 (R4) and MD glass where developed jointly between the two companies.

Of course you meant the XE-7 as the XD-7 is the European release of the XD-11 in America and XD in Japan. Similarly, the XE-7 is America, XE-1 in Europe and XE in Japan.

BTW, the XE-7 is one smooth operator. There is none in my collection - even the 12 ball bearing equipped film advance of the F3, that is as smooth as that of the XE-7's film advance.

Also at that time, Minolta is only one of two camera companies in Japan and one of a very few in the world that make their own optical glass and lenses.

lxdude · Apr 13, 2011

Les Sarile said:
Also at that time, Minolta is only one of two camera companies in Japan and one of a very few in the world that make their own optical glass and lenses.

I've heard that before- the other being Nikon.
But Fuji (Fujica cameras) made their own optical glass, too, and advertised the fact.

Les Sarile · Apr 13, 2011

This statement was in the Minolta brochures . . .

Larger version -> Minolta Brochure

Rol_Lei Nut · Apr 14, 2011

guitstik said:
Minolta is the only one in the group that has a Leica/leitz pedigree. The XD-7 (R3), XD-11 (R4) and MD glass where developed jointly between the two companies.

IIRC, both Minolta cameras were developed by Minolta alone.
For their cameras, Leica redesigned/changed the mirrorbox and shutter as well as a number of other things. Definitely *not* the same camera, though based on the same platform.

Which SLR would you use most?

removed-user-1

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