Per wrote:
>Ken, I sure hope you're not thinking of posting a similar evaluation
>of your OM-2S? ;-)
Oh, don't get me started. Blinking lights, brighter focus screens and
mirror box metering?
1. What idiot would design a camera so non-standard that it doesn't meter
in the penteprism like all the other brands. Don't you know that little
"blinds" over the viewfinder are the preferred design for SLR cameras?
Metering systems are supposed to vary 1/2 stop whether or not you wear
glasses.
2. Program mode. Oops, I actually like program mode. This is where
Olympus finally got it right! Restrict the user options and decide for the
photographer so all the photos come out with lousy DOF and blah metering.
But don't you know that whenever you ask a stranger or family member to
take a picture of you, it is supposed to be a teaching moment for shutter
speeds, aperatures and all sorts of other zone metering topics. Finally,
Olympus did something "industry standard."
3. Spot metering. Sounds good in theory, but this just adds to the
complexity of taking a picture. You must look at the scene and decide what
to meter on. Good grief, what a waste of a good center-weighted averaging
meter.
4. Over-exposure beep. Hey, if I want to accidently leave my camera
pointed at the sun without a lenscap and roast the innerds, that's my
business.
5. OTF flash control. What a hoot! The only reason Nikon and Canon
incorporated any form of this (or TTL) flash control is because they had
extra CPU capability left over in the F5 and EOS-1 that they didn't know
what else to do with it. Everybody knows you aren't supposed to use flash
with macro work anyway.
6. Up to 2:00 minute auto-exposures. Two minutes? You've got to be
kidding. Nobody in thier right mind would ever expect their cameras to
expose beyond 1 second. 15 to 30 seconds top. OTF metering during the
long exposures? That's great, but Olympus didn't program in recipocity
failure. Give me a cable release and stopwatch anyday.
7. Batteries last too long. According to Nikon and Canon, batteries should
be replaced in your cameras between 20 and 40 rolls. If you are not using
any special features (like the shutter) you can get 70 rolls through an F5
or EOS-1. Unlike the wonderbricks, the OM-2S battery use is based on
time-in-camera, not how many rolls of film you use. Also, the OM-2s uses
these cheep button cells you can find anywhere, wheras the EOS-1n requires
two $6 (USD) batteries not available everywhere.
8. Vertical LCD exposure scale on left side of viewfinder. The scale is in
the wrong mathematical direction. The shortest exposure is on top! Don't
you know that the higher you go means the longer exposure? Besides, the
exposure data shouldn't be in the viewfinder in the first place. The best
location for it is in an LCD display located on the top plate of the
camera. The + and - are probably backwards too.
9. Auto-meter shutoff. If I want to accidently leave the meter on and
drain the battery that's my business. Again, why didn't Olympus
incorporate an eye-presence sensor?
10. Battery check. Duh. If the camera ain't working the battery is dead.
Do I have to spell it out to you? The long beep=good, short beeps=almost
dead. Everybody knows that beeps are a sign of a poor user-interface.
(Oops, plagerism reigns).
11. Black finish. Soaks up too much sunlight and gets hot. Besides, every
tom-dick-and-harry camera these days is black. The pro stuff now is coming
out with chrome or white finishes. Again, it should have been a
polycarbonite body for user protection. (your tongue will freeze on metal
if you lick it on a cold winter day--who want's an OM hanging from their
tastebuds?).
12. Mechanical 1/60 shutter. Come on, if your battery is dead you should
be completely dead in the water. Even Canon's and Nikon's flagship cameras
don't have mechanical backup.
13. Manual advance and rewind. The F5 has a rewind knob, but it is there
only for asthetics to make it look different from the EOS-1. Manual
advance? How non-standard can you get? Isn't 50dB quiet enough for film
advance?
14. Backlit display. If it is so dark you need to turn the backlight on,
you shouldn't be photographing in the first place.
15. Flash ready light drains the camera batteries. (Oops, sorry this one
snuck in.)
16. Aperature-Priority Auto mode. I think that the preferred auto mode
would be Tidal-Moonphase-Priority mode.
17. Exposure compensation dial is 1/3 stop up to +/- 2 stops. Should have
been 1/2 stops since there aren't two detents between aperature stops on
the lens.
18. While in auto-exposure and using flash, the scale indicates ambient
light as compared to the 1/60 shutter setting. Only the moronic EOS-3
shows flash/ambient light metering data. This capability is only useful
for the few screwballs who try to keep ambient light to flash light ratios
under control.
19. Interchangeable focus screens. Changing focus screens doesn't affect
exposures. Big Duh! The EOS-1n requires exposure compensation if you use
the "bright-screens." In fact changing back to a standard screen requires
that you send it in to an authorized service-center. Olympus got stuck at
the wrong gate at the airport on this one.
20. Camera just isn't complex enough. You could never write a "OM-2S for
Dummies" book.
As you can see, Olympus really coughed up a hairball with the OM-2S. No
wonder it only stayed in production for such a short period of time.
Ken (probably going to trash the lenses next) Norton
Kenneth E. Norton
Image66 Photography
image66@xxxxxxx
(515) 791-2306
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