13 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
Not for the Amateur, Unless You have a Pro to Guide You
Date of Review: Nov 10, 2000
The Bottom Line: too much for this amateur. This camera will separate the pros from the rest of us.
I got a chance to play around with a friend's Pentax the other day when we hopped up to Herziliya. The first thing I, as the most amateur of photographers, noticed was the weight. My usual point and click type camera, and my digital camera are both feathers compared to this monster. This is one heavy sucker! There are all kinds of bells and whistles - extra lenses and such - that fit this camera and they all add weight if you bring them along...we did. The camera itself is incredibly rugged which is why Gil allowed me to try it out at all. (I did let him play with my digital camera, too. This wasn't all one-sided.)
Again, I'm a rank amateur, but I was able to use this system with a bit of coaching. On the big plus side, everything is clearly marked and easy to read. The lenses went on without any problems. Once I got them there, they were solidly there. As solidly as they were on, taking them off, was also really easy. By the end of the afternoon, I was changing lenses like a pro...Gil, is a pro and a good teacher.
The one thing I did have difficulty with was changing film. I finally gave up and let Gil take care of that. What's the use of bringing your own pro along, if you can't use his talents?
I would never want this camera for myself unless it came with Gil or an equivalent professional photographer as an accessory. I'm used to point and shoot cameras, and this camera requires work. There is nothing automatic about it. With Gil along to guide me, I took some of the best pictures of my life, but until Pentax can make him a standard feature, I'm going to have to stick to my automatic.
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If you are interested in more of my reviews about cameras, here is what I've written so far and where you can find them:
Pentax 67 II (Camera)
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-3C14-1409BB85-3A0C753E-prod2 Polaroid One Step (Instant Camera)
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-4953-439761B4-3A47163E-prod3 Kodak DC-25 (Digital Camera)
http://www.epinions.com/elec_Cameras-Digital_KodakDCC-Kodak_DC-25 Olympus C-3030
http://www.epinions.com/content_89597644420 Olympus D-460
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-19D1-F37D446-398E65D5-prod1
