I really think this issue is vastly overblown. My own semi-scientific observations have led me to believe that the majority of the noise and vibration of a properly adjusted SP happen on mirror return, not mirror up. It doesn't matter how much noise or vibration (other than aesthetically) occurs on mirror return as the shutter has long been closed.
It just seems like the SP has a stronger mirror return spring - possibly to deal with the faster motor drives available for this camera. Also the SP has a bit less heft to dampen the commotion then say a K2 or KM DMD. Also, there is NO shock absorption on mirror return. It's metal on metal without any visible dampening. I thought there would be bumpers that the mirror would rest on, but the resting position of the mirror is SO critical to focusing accuracy, you can imagine the trouble this could cause. In short, I don't think (on average) the SP has any more of a "mirror-up slap" vibration problem than many other MF Pentaxes without MLU. My samples include an old Spottie, K1000, and an ME... (not a huge sample, I know, but I've handled a few others) On the other hand my MZ5 seems much better in this regard, even though it's lighter. It's a shame it's VF stinks for MF... Just my humble opinion... Chris L. School Publications Guy Christopher Lillja Publications Coordinator The Pennington School www.pennington.org - 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 .
