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by Michael Fulks
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The ZX-5n from Pentax |
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When I was teaching at our local community college last summer, many of my students came equipped with members of the new generation of Pentax cameras. This was the first time I had seen this line of cameras first-hand and personal. I was impressed by their ease of use and low learning curve, and at the same time, their features and the quality and sharpness of the images they provided.
The Pentax ZX-5n is a gem among these newer cameras. It has nearly all the features a professional might look for in a lightweight, affordable package. Unlike many of the new cameras on the market these days, this one does not require computer literacy for operation. Nor does it have or need the textbook thick manuals that accompany many others. If you grew up with a Minolta SRT or the Pentax K-1000's, this camera will feel like coming home. Billed as "retro" in its design, it has real knobs and sliders to get the job done. Although it does have the required LCD panel, it is primarily a display and not a programming panel. For us "old-timers," there's something reassuring about looking down at your camera and seeing that it's set exactly the way you want it without your having to scroll through a menu of options.
Metering.
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Things have come along way since the in-camera meter was only a center or bottom-weighted meter. Users now expect to be able to choose from a center-weighted, spot or matrix averaging system. Each of these offers advantages based upon the shooting situation as well as the user's expertise.
On the ZX-5n, these modes are selectable via a rotating switch located below the shutter speed dial (see illustration). The spot-metering mode reads approximately five percent of the center of the viewfinder, allowing those who want to set a portion of their composition to a particular zone or value to do so. The center-weighted mode, as the name implies, reads a larger portion of the viewfinder while maintaining most of its sensitivity in the center.
The multi-segment metering mode uses a six element TTL metering system. Light values are measured in six segments within the image field. The camera records the brightness in these zones and uses measurements to choose an exposure that will not under-expose the subject. According to Pentax, this system can automatically compensate for backlit and high contrast light conditions.
You can expect that new cameras will be able to read the DX code on the film canister to automatically set the proper ISO. The ZX-5n goes one step further and also allows the user to override this ISO setting. This is especially useful for advance users who load their own film or who have determined a working exposure index (E.I.) that differs from the manufacturer's stated ISO. (I have been particularly frustrated by the number of cameras brought into my B/W classes which have every bell and whistle, but in which the ISO cannot be manually set.)
Often, you'll need to instruct your meter to give the film either more or less exposure because of the brightness of the scene or the amount of blacks or whites in the scene. This is referred to as "exposure compensation." This is particularly important in snow and beach scenes, as well as at a wedding where everyone is wearing white. The ZX-5n has the exposure compensation dial conveniently located on the left-hand dial, allowing compensation of plus-or-minus three stops.
Exposure Modes:
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Programmed AE mode: Setting both the aperture ring and shutter speed dial to "A" locks the camera into this mode. In this case, the camera will choose the appropriate shutter speed and aperture for a good exposure. When combined with auto focus, this is the "point and shoot" mode.
Aperture Priority: By moving the lens aperture ring to a desired f-stop, the camera switches to aperture priority mode. With the 28-70mm f3.5-5.6 zoom lens that comes with the camera in many packages, what you see is not necessarily what you get. Because the effective f-stop changes as you zoom in and out, you must pay attention to the LED readout in the viewfinder. Setting the aperture ring on the lens to f-11 does not mean that you'll be exposing the film at f-11 when zoomed to 70mm. The read-out in the viewfinder will tell you what the effective f-stop really is. I found this to be very confusing at first, as it makes it difficult to use this lens with a hand-held meter. This is a particular problem when you're using a flash meter with strobes. This is more of a complaint against the lens than the camera, however, and one that, with practice, is easy factored into your workflow.
Shutter Priority Mode: When you're using flash or photographing sports, it is often important for you, the user, to choose the shutter speed of the camera. This allows you to control how much to freeze the action or to let you sync with an external flash unit, especially when you're trying to provide fill-in flash. To do this, leave the "A" setting on lens in place and simply rotate the shutter speed dial to the appropriate speed.
Metered Manual Mode: If you like the convenience of an in-camera meter, but want to control both the shutter speed and the aperture, this is the mode you'll be using most. If you've been using a camera on which you needed to line-up needles in the viewfinder, the transition to the ZX-5n is easy. Instead of moving aperture rings or shutter speed dials to align the meter needles, you line up the lights of the LED display in the viewfinder. If you want to manually over or under expose a subject, the scale in the viewfinder allows you to know, in term of stops, how much on either side of centered your selections are, in plus-or-minus three stop increments. So, for example, you routinely over-expose your snow scenes by two stops, it's easy to move the meter lights to the +2 stop position within the viewfinder. This gives you accurate feedback as to your settings without forcing you to remove your eye from the viewfinder.
Bracketing: When using slide film, experienced operators often feel the need to bracket their exposures. By moving the switch below the ISO knob to 1/2 or 1, the user can have the camera fire off three shots, automatically exposing the subject at -1/2, 0, +1/2 or -1, 0, +1 stops of compensation, respectively. This same switch is also used to select the self-timer and toggle between single shot and fast frame modes.
Built-in Flash. For me, built-in flashes are gadgets of limited utility. They are under-powered for most users as well as a source of annoying red-eye effects. The guide number for the ZX-5n built-in flash is 11 at ISO 100. This means that the flash can be used up to 3.9m (12ft) at f2.8. Since many zoom lenses start at f4 or 5.6, this renders the utility of the pop-up flash to close-up snapshots. If you intend to use a flash with larger groups or to use a flash creatively for fill-in or in back-lit situations, you'll be well advised to invest in one of the many modestly priced external flashes available. With the additional purchase of even an inexpensive flash bracket, you will not only be eliminating red-eye from your flash photos, but also improving the look of them. And, if the flash you buy has TTL capabilities, you'll find that the ZX-5n will be able to take control of your flash for even greater exposure accuracy.
Focusing. Auto-focus features on cheap point-and-shoots are often the cause of frustration for the beginning photographer. They always seem to focus on the wrong thing! Especially after a photo instructor has urged the class to try using the rule of thirds for composing pictures, many students find that they can no longer produce sharp pictures. The ZX-5n has attempted to limit these frustrations with a variety of focusing modes--including our old-favorite, manual. Via a slider switch on the front of the camera, you can choose between two target areas (spot and wide) within the viewfinder for auto-focusing. Another switch allows you to turn AF off, an especially handy ability when you're using that treasured 500mm lens from your old camera system.
The spot AF mode is the tightest and corresponds to the spot metering area of the viewfinder. This allows for critical focusing on a single object that may be among other objects not on the same focusing plane. (Think of close-ups of flowers or butterflies, for example) However, should you move off of the target, the camera will refocus.
To avoid having all of your subjects in the center, you'll want to use the auto-focus lock built into the shutter release button. By depressing the shutter release slightly, the focus is locked, allowing you to recompose without the camera automatically refocusing.
This same issue of recomposing can also cause problems when using the spot meter. Suppose you're setting up Aunt Edna in front of a bright sky. You know to use the spot meter to avoid underexposing her against the bright sky behind her. However, if you move her off center in the viewfinder, the camera will re-meter on the surroundings, defeating your intentions. The meter lock button comes to the rescue! Easily activated by your thumb, you can toggle the switch without removing your eye from the viewfinder or your finger from the trigger. An icon lights up inside the viewfinder to let you know it's on. Push it again and it will go off.
Among other functions worth noting is the Depth of Field Preview, which momentarily closes the aperture down to your selected f-stop to give you an idea of what will be in focus. The camera also uses an electronic cable release, which at the cost of $30+ dollars is not something you want to lose on a regular basis, like I do my normal releases. However, this optional release does allow you to meter, use the autofocus and the autofocus lock, as well as trip the shutter, all without touching the camera itself. This is a really handy feature for the close-up photographers who shoots from a tri-pod.
Finally, there's the built-in diopter adjustment on the viewfinder eyepiece. This is a standard feature on many of the Pentax cameras. If you have trouble getting a sharp picture because your eyesight is not perfect or you must remove your glasses to see the entire viewfinder, you'll find this feature indispensable, as it allows you to adjust the eyepiece focus to match your eyesight, thus making the view of the ground glass within the view finder crystal clear.
Is the ZX-5n a professional camera? If you mean, is it made so that it can survive falling from the top of a moving car, or take the abuse from a border crossing guard who rips your film from it before tossing it to the ground, or can it survive a spill of you and your horse down the side of a mountain, probably not. But if you mean, does it have the features 99% of professionals look for in a camera (you really don't need 1/8000 sec shutter speed, do you?)--including an array of available sharp lenses and accessories--the answer is yes. It 's easy to learn and fun to use. It's light weight makes it easy to carry along on hikes and camping. With a hot shoe adapter, it's even a fun camera to use in the studio when a 35mm camera is appropriate. And, for the student, it's a 35mm camera you may wear out but never outgrow.
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