On Thu, 27 Dec 2001 17:11:18 +0100, you wrote: >I've used the Z-1p for six years almost every day and it never became intuitive in >use.
I'm imagining a photographer in an open boat, gaunt from being out to sea on a six-year cruise, 600/4 in one hand, PZ1p manual in the other, one eye to the viewfinder and the other perusing the dog-eared manual so as to figure out between each shot which one of two wheels sets the shutter speed, and which one of two possible directions to turn said wheel, even though simply turning either wheel in either direction gives the correct answer in the viewfinder, all the while steering clear of a rocky shore with one foot on the tiller. Very funny. The idea that many people find the PZ1p very usable, and the improvements of the MZ-S no real reason to buy an MZ-S instead of continuing to use the PZ1p, is not a condemnation of the MZ-S, and certainly no reason to bash the PZ1p with hyperbole and vitriol. The wireless TTL flash alone is reason enough to buy an MZ-S in addition to (or instead of) a PZ1p, if one has considerable desire for wireless TTL flash. I agree the MZ-S is a fine camera, much better than I would have expected for an introductory model. I agree that Pentax would have failed miserably if they did not make users appreciate the features of the MZ-S. I agree than Pentax hit the market with the MZ-S design and feature set at a time when many Pentax camera buyers appreciate just such a design and feature set. But I maintain there's no reason to bash the PZ1p because it's more complicated than a Holga, or because one loves the interface of the MZ-S. The PZ1p can stand on its own merits against any 35mm camera, including the MZ-S. The decision to buy a first PZ1p is a much more difficult choice with the introduction of the MZ-S; prior to the MZ-S (and the most recent round of camera introductions from N, C,and M), in my opinion the PZ1p was the 35mm camera that fulfilled the widest range of shooting situations in the lightest, most cost-effective package. I feel sure there are some who will find the MZ-S interface as confusing as some say they find the PZ1p interface. But such confusion is the exception rather than the norm for either camera. For me, I still can't figure out how I occasionally get stuck at Bulb on my PZ-10 without any apparent user intervention, and those little icons on my MZ-10 make it a complete mystery, and the first time I tried setting the ASA dial on a K2 was miserable, and even finding how to activate mirror lock-up on the LX was non-intuitive. But I can make the PZ1p do whatever I want it to do, with no problem, and no manual. For me, using it a short time was enough to make setting the features, functions, and modes I use most often both easy and intuitive. -- John Mustarde www.photolin.com - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
