Newsgroups: rec.photo
From: acs@csri.toronto.edu (Alvin Chia-Hua Shih)
Subject: Re: Canon 10s Vs Nikon N90, Which one?
Date: 25 Dec 92 01:53:38 GMT

In <1992Dec23.194028.18483@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> I wrote:

>Don't get me wrong.  The N90 has some impressive features that I like,
>(but mainly FP sync)...

OK.  I have now read the F-90 brochure cover-to-cover and I have 
questions for someone who has *ACCESS* to an N90:

1. SB-25 FLASH:

1.1) FP sync?
One of the "ooohhh, ahhhh" features of the N90 is FP sync.  (If I
admit I like the idea, it's gotta be good!!! :-)

In the F-90 brochure, it shows the LCD display as "[M][FP]".  The
accompanying paragraph finishes with "You choose from two levels of
flash output.".  I cannot help but think that FP sync is only available
in MANUAL MODE!

SO!  Someone please, please, please tell me that it works with TTL!  If
not, I will be compelled to strike down the SB-25's FP sync option as
nothing but a gimmick... (or at least *far* less useful than we were
led to believe!)

1.2) Red Eye reduction?
You shouldn't need it for a bounce unit.  I'd like to hear how useful it
really is.

1.3) Multi-segment TTL?
By the time the mutli-segment OTF sensor gets a look at your subject,
you have recomposed and your subject is off-centre.  The metering
pattern is only useful for centred subjects.  At least with the TTL
meter in the prism housing, you can do an exposure lock before
recomposing.  Besides, there is already some question as to how much
better multi-segment metering improves over centre-weighted in ambient
exposures...

1.4) Distance Information?
(Taken from a previous posting for completeness...)

Welcome to Flash Photography 201:
(I assume you all have the prerequisite, Flash Photography 101 :-)

Distance info is useful in getting a rough idea as to what's going on,
but the guide number calculations don't do much.  All you can do is get
a rough guess as to what aperture you can stop down to.  If distance
information were so useful, there would be no need for OTF metering.

In ATTL, Canon uses a preflash to actively judge subject distance
rather than passively.  This factors in light loss from bouncing off
different kinds of surfaces, and light *gains* from bouncing off
different kinds of surfaces.  You simply cannot make the remotest use
the GN calculations for anything but direct flash.

Personally, I avoid direct flash, and most light modifiers are bound to
screw up the GN calculations, either because of light loss, or because
they require the head to be up (like the Lumiquest pocket bouncer).  So
for most shots, the distance information would have to be thrown away!

Notice that Nikon N90 now does preflashing.  Hmmm.

Since I don't have an N90, I can't say for sure, but I get the
impression that it does the preflashes after you press the shutter
release all the way and the mirror flips up to expose an 18% gray
shutter curtain, and then the film is exposed.

I prefer the ATTL system which tells me what aperture and shutter I'm
getting before it fires.  It helps me correct myself if I've got a bad
bounce angle.


2. SHARP ELECTRONIC ORGANIZER:

Looks like a neat gizmo for unattended shooting.  But would *you* leave
an N90 lying around?  I mean, hey, Nikons fetch a good price since
they're initally so expensive anyway.  Aaaand...

2.1) Do I *REALLY* need to buy and lug around a Sharp Electronic
Organizer to get at the Custom Functions?!?!?  (The card for which is
not supposed to be available until mid-1993!?!)

2.2) Where the @#$*&! is the film-leader out option?
Does Nikon still expect F-90 owners to shell out $30 for that?!?  (It's
not like Nikon has the technology to do that at the factory or
anything!!!  Nooooo!)

2.3) An electronic instruction manual?
Is the F-90 *that* complicated?  I'm willing to bet that anyone who
uses the esoteric program modes is going to burn more frames from
forgetting to reset parameters than the program modes will earn
him/her!  (Well, there is the reset button, but will you remember?
Do you want to waste that time finding it?)

2.4) Online formulae?
I hope the DOF formala is in there.  Canon built it into
first-generation EOS bodies (like the EOS 650).  Do you *really* feel
like punching in all that data yourself (near distance, far distance,
focal length), and then setting up the camera (*manually* focus,
compose, and fire)?

2.5) Flash Bracketing?
How hard is to to fiddle with the exposure compensation controls?
Unless you have a Quantum Turbo or something (which I do :-), you have
pleny to time to twiddle the flash exposures yourself.

2.6) Exposure memos?
It records the focal length (which is good), but not subject distance.
How do they expect you to fix DOF problems without subject distance?
(Why not?  You pay those extra $$$ to get subject distance on those
"D" lenses!)


3. AUTO FOCUS:

3.1) Spot autofocus.  Good idea.  No problems.

3.2) Electronic Rangefinder?
If your camera can't AF, what's the *@$^%! use of an electronic rangefinder?

3.3) Screens?
What you want is a *real* focusing screen with a split prism or
microprism focusing aid.  Can a camera really be "pro" or even
"semi-pro" without decent screens?

4. BROCHURE:

4.1) The brochure pushes automatic functions:
There isn't much telling you about how the photographer has control.
Is the F-90 just a point-and-shoot for people who like computer games?

4.2) ALL the shots are by Nikon pros:
There's NO WAY some of these pictures are "straight".  There's a pile
of other stuff these guys had to do (with the flash pics in particular)
to get the effects that they did.

4.3) Flare:
The shot on p.18 with the guy on the motorcycle (which appears in some
recent Nikon ads) has a flare problem.  You'd think a PRO would see this
and get it right.  (What?  No Nikon glass can handle street shots without
flare?)


Outside of the brochure itself, there is a mildly related note about
the SB-25:

"Practical Photography" finds the SB-25 performance "disappointing"
because of "noticable darkening of the image at the edges" and calls
the layout "cluttered and confusing".  They found the 430EZ gave
"perfect coverage" and the controls "well laid out".

It would seem that the extra "reach" of the SB-25 comes at the cost
of even coverage.  I'll keep my 430EZ, thanks very much!

The gauntlet is down.  Let the bravest Nikon booster step forward and
defend the valour of thine virgin maiden!  :-)

ACS

P.S.: To be fair, I'm only lukewarm on the EOS A2/E (Apple //e? :-)
      But that's another story...
-- 
 ___ ___ ___ ______________________________________________________________
|   |   | __|      Democracy is not a way of getting better solutions.     |
| - | --|__ |           It's just a way to spread the blame.               |
|_|_|___|___|______________________________________________________________|
Alvin_C._Shih____________________acs@csri.utoronto.ca______________________|
From: tonya@hpldsla.sid.hp.com (Tony Arnerich)
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 01:38:02 GMT
Subject: Re: Re: 105mm f/2.8 AF Micro Nikkor lens & F3HP  : SUMMARY
Organization: HP Scientific Instruments Division - Palo Alto, CA