The latest SLR cameras let you focus on what's important
By Jonathan Hanson
 Can the day be far off when you pull a new 35mm camera from its box and spot an "Intel Inside" sticker next to the viewfinder? Judging from the latest specifications, the answer is probably not. These days
it's quite common to find 32-bit microprocessors, metal-oxide semiconductors, and redundant gold-plated electrical contacts on single-lens reflex cameras (SLRs—what most of us think of when we think of serious cameras). Using such wizardry, various models will focus on whatever your eye does, determine whether you're taking a portrait or a scenic and
adjust the depth of field accordingly, and automatically compensate for the minute exposure fluctuations caused by changes in air temperature. All of which might lead the cynical observer to conclude that creativity is being stripped from photography.
Far from it. What this technological sophistication has done is free the photographer to concentrate not on mechanics, but on the real art of making good pictures: composition, angle, mood, and the like. And anyone can move from an easy but limited point-and-shoot camera to an SLR, gaining optimum control of composition (since you look through the lens,
what you see is what you get), high-quality interchangeable lenses, and the largest range of film types.
Have you used any of these cameras, or do you have another one to recommend? Talk about picture-shooting gear in our camera discussion.
Choosing the right model, on the other hand, is tough. To give you a running start, we've selected six cameras aimed at everyone from budding artiste through established pro (prices are for camera body only). And for the technophobes in the crowd, there's even one black sheep: an all-mechanical number without a microprocessor to its name. Whatever your
attitude toward digital gear, you should have no trouble finding the perfect photographic tool among this selection.
The Gifted Amateur
Do people ask for more when you've finished showing them your vacation snaps? (Your mother doesn't count.) You've got talent, kid; now it's time you got a real camera. Consider the Minolta Maxxum QTsi ($350) or the Pentax ZX-7 ($490), which represent two visions of the same goal: a solid camera
for the beginning SLR photographer.
The QTsi is the simpler of the two. Just select one of five programs (portrait, scenic, close-up, action, or night portrait) and the camera tailors the exposure to produce the best results—fast shutter speeds for action, a shallow depth of field to isolate portrait subjects, and so forth. The Pentax goes one step further, letting you either choose
the program yourself or leave it up to the camera. It also offers both aperture- and shutter-priority automation. Or if you think you know better and decide that you'd like to deliberately underexpose a frame to create a black silhouette against a sunset, for instance, you can switch the ZX-7 to manual. Both cameras have rudimentary center-frame
autofocusing points—along with a focus lock that lets you zero in on a subject and then recompose the shot. And both have pop-up flashes—no substitute for an auxiliary unit, but handy for fill-flash duties.
The Semipro
It says a lot about the Nikon N90s ($1,060) that several professional photographers I know bought it as a backup for their heavy-artillery Nikon F4's or F5's, and wound up using it often for their commercial work. For one thing, the midpriced N90s, at 27 ounces, is a third lighter than the flagship F5. Balance is another
winning point: The N90s feels just right, and most necessary controls are a finger's reach away. Plus, it boasts only somewhat simpler versions of the F5's cutting-edge operating programs. It uses a multisegment metering system that is among the most accurate in the world, meaning that if you allow this beauty to think for itself, 95 percent of your photos
should turn out perfectly exposed. Its flash-metering program actually is the most accurate in the world—it takes a light reading from the lens's focus point, thus ensuring that the main subject will be perfectly illuminated. And it's fast.
The N90s has a polycarbonate body, which doesn't feel quite as sturdy as a metal housing would. But you'll like its bright viewfinder, which provides a full field of view even if you wear glasses. I wish it had an auto-bracketing feature—which takes three frames of the same shot in succession, all at different exposures—to take care of that 5
percent that fools the meter. And the amateur-level preset programs (scenic, portrait, etc.) are slightly, well, amateurish. Minor beefs on a camera that offers professional-level performance for little more than novice-level money.
Photo: Clay Ellis
|
