In article <43gtl0$hr1@news.uit.no>, paalj@ibg.uit.no says... (...)
>I my opinion there are no professional autofocus cameras (maybe with the >exception of the F4). Basically, all autofocus cameras are point and >shoot cameras. Everything with them is designed for point and shoot. (..)
>I fail completely to understand the point with autofocus after using it >for 1 month: It does not work when you really need it; when it is >difficult or impossible to focus manually. (..) When you are completely >able to focus yourselt, then autofocus works!
-----Actually, I find it misses slightly about half the time, even then!
-----(The AF errors are easily etectable on a good, sharp v.f. screen.)
>And whats the point with program auto? I have strong opinions of >aperture, focusing and exposure of every single picture I take. >Therefore, I never agree with the cameras brain, regardless of program. >Consequently I use more time overriding the camera than I would have by >setting the values myself in the first place. I don't do point and shoot. >Therefore autofocus cameras don't make sense to me. They interfer with
>my picture taking. I have to quarrel with them. And all that awful >plastic. I hope that Nikon do not follow Canon. That point and shoot is >not the way for professional cameras. There are users, professionals and >amateurs, who don't want or need a point and shoot camera. They want a >camera thats capable of dealing with any situation.
-----Bravo! My feelings exactly! With AF and AE, I feel that I am always
trying to second-guess the camera, and when I think the camera is wrong,
it takes time to correct it. Why bother! I have learned to focus and
expose well enough to have few misses in 50 rolls of slides, without bracketing (easily done with simple, well designed manual cameras
with good meters and v.f.'s [like Nikon F3's and 8008,s {yuh, I know...,
but it works well manually, too, and the flash system is excellent, and
the built-in motor is sometimes an advantage when trying to get sharp
pictures under difficult conditions}]). Being an equipment nut in addition
to being a photographer, plastic is not my thing either - you can keep
metal camera bodies and lenses in mint condition (with care) during many years of service, but plastic shows wear even with the most careful handling.
Hope this helps.