Resources for auto SLRs?

For years, I have used a Pentax Spotmatic and a Yashica Mat MF (and
occasionally a Pentax point-and-shoot zoom), and just recently decided
to enter the modern age. I bought a Pentax *ist (film, of course!)
with the FA-J 28-80 lens. Lovely camera, exactly what I was looking
for, and it's great fun learning to use it.

My question is: is there a good source (printed or online) explaining
the auto and custom functions in the *ist or for auto SLRs in general?
I know the manual describes the *what* but I want to learn more about
the *why*. Since I am used to far simpler cameras (adjust shutter and
speed, focus, compose, snap) I am somewhat bewildered by the choices.
I even asked Pentax, but they were of no help explaining why their
camera does various things.

Some options are self-explanatory, but then there's #6, for example,
"superimpose focus points." What does that mean exactly, and what are
the pros and cons of the two options? I even googled "superimpose
focus" and found zero matches -- nada! And all the different metering
options, and auto this and auto that, and so on and so forth.

Of course, I could try them all and learn by trial and error, but I
don't think I could afford the film and processing costs.

I am eager to learn, and would just like someone to point me in the
right direction. Thanks!

 

To bring you up to date on the autmoatic stuff:

www.photozone.de has a pretty good basic tutorial
http://www.chem.helsinki.fi/~toomas/photo/ (Canon mainly)

and of course the manual of the camera. read it, read it again. then
read it, really, this time.

Start simply: My initial advice would be do just use a simple focus
mode, and a simple exposure pattern (spot or center weighted) coupled
with Aperture priority mode. (You select the aperture, the camera
computes the speed based on the metered light/film speed). Get in touch
with the exposure compensation...

Then use Shutter pri mode where warranted. (you select speed, the camera
computes aperture based on the metered light/film speed).

Try to master only one or two 'features' at a time, and then set up to
use the camera the way that is most productive and intuitive for you.
camera models have so many special features and means of activating and
using them, that there is no "general" instruction for all of them. If
you have specific questions about the camera, someone here can likely help.

Have fun.

Cheers,
Alan.

 

I believe you are reading too much into the options. If I understand your
statement, there are a number of focus points spread out along the
viewfinder for your convenience. You may have a subject close to the camera
and off center; selecting a focus point that covers that subject means that
the camera will focus on the near subject, not the distant greenery (or
whatever). The camera can show the focus points in red superimposed on the
viewfinder so that you know you have one actually lined up on the subject
and selected as the active focus point.

Pressing the shutter button half way down also locks in the focus point,
which is then superimposed on the viewfinder in red, and you can then move
the focus point off the subject, compose your shot, then take it.

You may choose not to have the focus points shown (superimposed) in the
viewfinder. I believe they still will be visible on the LCD display for
your viewing and focusing pleasure.

I recently went from having used manual cameras for decades to an auto-
everything Nikon, and it can be confusing because basic automatic modes are
taken for granted by the manual writers. If you cannot find different
directions and explanations on the Web, check and see if Yahoo has a user
group for the camera. It has a user group for my Nikon, and people have
posted cheat sheets you can glue to the inside of the lens cap (I guess
it's too embarassing to glue it to the outside :->) And when all else
fails, pick up the manual with the camera in hand (unloaded) and follow the
directions in the manual as you actually put the directions to use on the
camera. Sometimes this helps confusing instructions to clear themselves up.

Have fun and spend some quality time with the camera and manual. You'll
figure it out eventually. Things start falling into place and it comes more
quickly.

 

Here is a Pentax forum:
http://pdml.net/

PDML = Pentax-Discuss Mail List
To subscribe to the mailinglist, simply send a message with the word
'subscribe' in the Subject: field to the -request address of that list

To:
Subject: subscribe

You can find help from many Pentax users.

 

"michel.[pas]carrere-[de]gee[spam]"

is there a canon one of those?

 

Thanks for the several helpful suggestions. And thanks, too, to Alan
for the reminder to "read, read, then really read" the manual.

Even better than re-reading the manual, I have found, is to download a
digital version of it, thus having it in a searchable format. I
downloaded pdf files of the *ist manual from the Pentax website
(thanks, Pentax) and did a search on "superimpose" -- it turns out
that "superimpose focus points" means nothing more than flashing the
little red light in the viewfinder to show which focus point the
camera is using. Turning the option off means no little red light.

Best,

*>UncaMikey

 

Very good point.

Many camera manuals of recent years are available online from the
manufacturer (and often in pdf, searchable); and many old ones are
available from private posters putting them up out of the kindness of
their hearts. These are usually scanned, so not searchable (unless, I
suppose you OCR it, but I doubt that would be worth the effort).

As a backup to my paper manuals, I've downloaded the manuals for my
cameras from Minolta. The more recent Maxxum 9 is original electronic
text and searchable in pdf; the older Maxxum 7xi is also in pdf, but it
is a scan of the camera ready sheets, and not searchable.

Cheers,
Alan.