From owner-pentax-discuss@KnightWeb.com Tue Dec 5 13:11:32 1995 Received: by matuc2.mat.uc.pt (5.57/Ultrix3.0-C) id AA00421; Tue, 5 Dec 95 13:11:32 +0100 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by kw1.knightweb.com (8.6.12/8.6.11) id CAA05794 for pentax-discuss-outgoing; Tue, 5 Dec 1995 02:49:43 -0700 Received: from ibmmail.COM (ibmmail.com [199.171.26.3]) by kw1.knightweb.com (8.6.12/8.6.11) with SMTP id CAA05790 for ; Tue, 5 Dec 1995 02:49:27 -0700 Message-Id: <199512050949.CAA05790@kw1.knightweb.com> Received: from nl.ibm.com by ibmmail.COM (IBM VM SMTP V2R3) with BSMTP id 7323; Tue, 05 Dec 95 04:44:23 EST Date: Tue, 05 Dec 1995 04:44:26 EST From: lj_de_jong@nl.ibm.com To: pentax-discuss@knightweb.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: MZ-5 Sender: owner-pentax-discuss@KnightWeb.com Precedence: bulk This weekend I played around with the new MZ-5 and though I didn't get any films developed I have a few comments. The camera is light and very small. It is not as light as the Canon EOS-500, but it is as small if not smaller. When I first looked at it I didn't think it would be very easy to handle. It looks like a large matchbox with a handgrip glued to it. However, Pentax has once again done a superb job in ergonomic design. I have big hands, but the MZ-5 was a joy to hold and work with even for me. All the dials and buttons are easy to reach. You can switch metering modes and from program to manual without taking your eye from the finder. The wide AF sensor works fine, you can set it to spot-AF if you want. The viewfinder is OK. Aperture and shutter speed, and that's it. Those are not on the LCD display. The camera is very quiet, not like the PZ series at all. The film motor is the loudest, AF is quiet like a (dare I say it?) Canon. The body is all-plastic, despite its titanium look, but the lens mount is metal and so are the film leader strips. I couldn't get the battery out and forgot to look for a cable release socket, so I can't tell you about those. Otherwise, I find this one _nice_ little camera. I lug a small ME super around as a small back-up body, but will be tempted by the MZ-5 when it comes out in the spring. I do miss the HyM mode, but maybe there is an option that compares to it hidden beneath one of the mystery buttons on the MZ-5. - Laurens de Jong, from the Netherlands From <@ibmmail.COM:lj_de_jong@nl.ibm.com> Wed Dec 6 09:23:22 1995 Received: from nl.ibm.com by ibmmail.COM (IBM VM SMTP V2R3) with BSMTP id 3217; Wed, 06 Dec 95 03:22:38 EST Date: Wed, 06 Dec 1995 03:22:42 EST From: lj_de_jong@nl.ibm.com To: rps@mat.uc.pt Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: Re: MZ-5 Status: OR *** Resending note of 95-12-05 14:54 Hi there. I worked with the MZ-5 on Friday for maybe half an hour, then on Saturday again for slightly over an hour. I was so excited just using it that I forgot to check for a lot of features. Slow speeds are definitely not available other than by B. Half stop speeds cannot be clicked, but I didn't check if perhaps the camera recognizes "in-between-clicks". Don't bet on it. There's no DOF preview, nor any obvious mirror-lockup (I couldn't find a 2s timer, either). Servo-focus is available, I think. [rps: No, only predictive focus] No flash-comp, and though I said I hadn't checked for a cable release I now remember (mentally taking the camera in my hands again) that there is one, at the classic (for Pentax AF cameras) position next to the lens mount. All metering modes seemed available in all programs. The LCD shows A, P or M, and number of frames. Basically, that's it. Possibly battery-low or some such. Cheers, Laurens