Originally posted by BerndM IMHO, THIS is one of the features I like best about my K500. I absolutely LOVE the ease of use of the AA batteries. No stupid charger and cord to carry around and lose when you need them most. The AA batteries are readily available EVERYWHERE and I make sure I always have a set of 4 non-rechargeable AA lithiums in the case as backup, just in case.
As far as the weather resistance and focus points???? How on earth did all those photographers of 20 years ago manage to take all those fantastic pics with FILM cameras that had NONE of these features?
I feel sorry for people who feel they MUST have these features to take world class pics.
Anyone ever hear of Ansel Adams??
WR is a really, really nice feature to have. The WR sealing on my K-30 gave me a lot more confidence to follow my kids around the water parks and pools during my last vacation. I took my K-30 and my DA 18-135mm WR lens into this without any hesitation :
IMGP7275 by
Never Off, on Flickr
This may not be a world class picture but anything with my kids is world class to me by default.
IMGP7263 by
Never Off, on Flickr
The next day the kids wanted to play in the fountains.
IMGP7428 by
Never Off, on Flickr
My older boy is a bit more of a swimming pool kind of kid instead.
IMGP7294 by
Never Off, on Flickr
Ansel Adams was a master at what he did with what we had. I'm sure we would not be where we are today without his work and his positive influences. However, he was a different kind of photographer at a different time. His goals were somewhat different than ours today. I don't think the comparison is valid.
Correct ... photographers took cameras and lenses into harsh conditions. Think of war photographers and adventure photographers for National Geographic. The camera bodies were of a different design back then though. They were much more mechanical and a lot less electrical. Film, with it's wide latitude, could tolerate inaccurate shutter speeds and it was possible to compensate for this during development. It was the post processing of the day. Lenses were more susceptible to fungus infestation too. Personally, I welcome all the WR seals I can get without impeding IQ.