Re: Amateur Photographer review of MZ-S
I am glad so many of you have taken time to read my review of this camera. I
really don't mind people not agreeing with what I wrote, as we are all
intelligent and all have opinions. However, I do wish some of you would take the
time to read it more carefully and without prejudice. Some of the comments,
mostly from people who have already bought the camera or who want to buy the
camera, make it obvious the writers are not prepared to read with an open mind,
and wish only to take what they want from the article. And those who suggest
that a negative review has anything to do with advertising should be ashamed.
The MZ-S is an exciting camera and from the moment I first saw it I was looking
forward to getting one to use and test. I spoke extensively with the Japanese
design team last September so I believe I probably have a better understanding
of what Pentax is trying achieve with this model than most people. And I wanted
it to be a spectacular camera. It is well built and the basic design idea
appears to be very good.
As many of you have agreed this really isn't a 'professionally' equipped AF SLR.
The build might be 'professional' but the specification does not match the
standards we have come to expect from this type of camera - namely an autofocus
35mm SLR. It does not actually match the expectations of a 'high end' AF SLR if
we take models such as the EOS 3, F100 etc. as being representative of this
level.
I use a lot of different cameras on a day to day basis and I am familiar with a
number of different handling systems. My criticism of some of the handling
aspects of this model are based on comparisons of the methods other
manufacturers employ. My experience allows me to see how other people do things
in a more logical way, and to rate one system against another. When I say
something is not as straight forward as it could be it means there are a number
of alternative routes to achieving the same result that require less time or
operating of buttons or dials. This applies, in this case, particularly to my
remarks about the ISO controls. In what other camera is ISO setting split into
two areas on the camera? Surely incorporating a DX setting into the menu of the
main ISO button would allow auto reading and manual adjustments to be dealt with
at the same time. This is how the majority of other cameras do it and it is
easier and more logical. This is why I criticized the methods of the MZ-S
system, and if you read the review carefully you will see that this is exactly
what I said.
I never compare Pentax with Canon or Nikon or Minolta or whoever. Apart from in
the introduction of a test I always deal with each individual model as an item
separate from the brand or the range. It stands on its own merits and falls by
its negative points.
The MZ-S is a very nice camera, the AF is excellent and the metering is very
good. Something I didn't mention in the test, and which some people have
contacted me about, is over lapping frames - of which I had more than a couple
of instances. But the MZ-S is not what it was billed as - namely a pro SLR.
Please read tests more carefully before bashing me in front of the whole world.
Please remember that there will be people reading your comments who will not get
to read the test you are commenting on. In their eyes I look as though I have
taken no trouble over the test and have not made any effort to understand the
camera - or read the hand book as someone commented. This is inaccurate,
defamatory and actually personally offensive. There is no other magazine in this
country, or in most of the world, that tests as much photographic equipment as
AP does. There are few magazines that go into so much depth or go to as much
trouble to find out about the product and to test as many aspects of the
cameras' features. Where else can you read a nine page test of this camera? Asd
I said earlier you don't have to agree with what we say but please have some
respect for our experience and extensive testing proceedures.
Anyway, enough of me. Damien Demolder. Technical Editor. Amateur Photographer.
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