[blues_hawk]

Many of today's users have never handled a substantially metal camera body or manual focus lens.
They will likely never know the difference.

Chris

I have both, and manual focus is definitely a nicer experience in the old carefully tuned metal units. But most of my time is P/s these days and the plastic is just fine for AF and so light I can pocket a couple extra lenses without over stressing the suspenders. Each has it's place I think.

That said, not being able to settle the plastic on a focused position when shooting manual at night is a real pita. floppy loose crap is less to do with plastic and more to do with cheap build I think.
Pick up an old F lens and the quality of the adjustments becomes obvious.

As for metal frames, The EOS-M is almost the worst handling pos I've ever had and it's all metal. Handling is the least of its problems though. %$&%^
the kodak 120 tops the list. hold a box of crackers and close the lid slowly with one hand...keep closing..oh it went off sometime ago. :P and it was plastic.

[blues_hawk]

I have both, and manual focus is definitely a nicer experience in the old carefully tuned metal units. But most of my time is P/s these days and the plastic is just fine for AF and so light I can pocket a couple extra lenses without over stressing the suspenders. Each has it's place I think.

That said, not being able to settle the plastic on a focused position when shooting manual at night is a real pita. floppy loose crap is less to do with plastic and more to do with cheap build I think.
Pick up an old F lens and the quality of the adjustments becomes obvious.

As for metal frames, The EOS-M is almost the worst handling pos I've ever had and it's all metal. Handling is the least of its problems though. %$&%^
the kodak 120 tops the list. hold a box of crackers and close the lid slowly with one hand...keep closing..oh it went off sometime ago. :P and it was plastic.

Just thinking about running back up the road and ditching my car to get a red ball sunrise on a busy commute route this morning...an all metal chassis would work better than plastic when thrown into the windshield of a sleepy commuter about to make you an ink spot on the side of your own car. I had to suck it in servearl times this morning...and I was 2 minutes too late to the spot!
So I vote metal..for self defense reasons!

[blues_hawk]

1971-72 was a good time to be living in Hawai'i. That's when I really got going in photography (Mamiya DTL1000 & the 3 lens kit). But I was living at Schofield Barracks. At the time, it was best not to be living in some other places.

At that time I was chasing tonka trucks at Moana loa terrace. :P Too young to remember much else, well bits and pieces. The smoke in Diamond head crater as I rode my dads shoulders through the Iconic Sunshine festival. Waimea bay was nearly deserted when we went every week. My dads dive team would launch from there and go 2 miles out leaving us to challenge the breakers. My first school experience with mats and sliding walls.
My dad went off to war twice just before that, took leave in Hawaii like thousands of others and then tried to get stationed there when he came back.

[blues_hawk]

At that time I was chasing tonka trucks at Moana loa terrace. :P Too young to remember much else, well bits and pieces. The smoke in Diamond head crater as I rode my dads shoulders through the Iconic Sunshine festival. Waimea bay was nearly deserted when we went every week. My dads dive team would launch from there and go 2 miles out leaving us to challenge the breakers. My first school experience with mats and sliding walls.
My dad went off to war twice just before that, took leave in Hawaii like thousands of others and then tried to get stationed there when he came back.

He had a Minolta that went through both tours and still has the damn thing. There isn't a screw on it without a scar.

[TedH42]

He had a Minolta that went through both tours and still has the damn thing. There isn't a screw on it without a scar.

I can imagine that it wasn't scarless. My camera had salt spray from the beaches, and dirt from photographing motorcycle races for Hawaii Raceway Magazine. Quite the fun.

[normhead]

Is that like talking about discussing the perils of land lines by discussing rotary phones?

[Alex645]

Is that like talking about discussing the perils of land lines by discussing rotary phones?

I believe the first "plastic" used for cameras was bakelite, the same material used for rotary phones. 1930's and Kodak was already using it for the Brownie. At the same time, Ericsson came out with the first bakelite plastic rotary phone.

This tangent brought to you by the petro-chemical industry.....

[normhead]

I believe the first "plastic" used for cameras was bakelite, the same material used for rotary phones. 1930's and Kodak was already using it for the Brownie. At the same time, Ericsson came out with the first bakelite plastic rotary phone.

This tangent brought to you by the petro-chemical industry.....

Bakelight, there's something I haven't thought of for a long time.

[08amczb]

I don't have problem with plastic, but in general where the manufacturer uses metal there the quality is also higher. Some plastic parts doesn't matter.

[Alex645]

Bakelight, there's something I haven't thought of for a long time.

I grew up with bakelite products. GAF Viewmasters! Bell rotary phones and Hawkeye cameras. Shoot, my teething ring was probably made of bakelite. Nothing like sucking on something made with formaldehyde.

[Ian Stuart Forsyth]

Looks like metal to me. What am I missing?

What you are missing is what is found underneath that metal in that image

[monochrome]

So does the polymer core carry the load or the magnesium alloy reinforcing shell or both? I’m not trying to be argumentative here. There has to be a reason to use the metal.

[leekil]

On the other hand, Nikon just introduced the D3500 DLSR, which weighs 365 grams. That's lighter than any Pentax DSLR, and there are only 5 Pentax film SLRS that weigh less than the D3500. Lower weight would be nice in some cases -- that is about a third the weight of the K-1, and less than half the weight of the K-3.

[Fogel70]

On the other hand, Nikon just introduced the D3500 DLSR, which weighs 365 grams. That's lighter than any Pentax DSLR, and there are only 5 Pentax film SLRS that weigh less than the D3500. Lower weight would be nice in some cases -- that is about a third the weight of the K-1, and less than half the weight of the K-3.

Nikon D3500 can be made very light because it lack stuff that are essential in a Pentax DSLR. SR mechanism with supporting metal frames add alot of weight, and pentaprism also add weight. Built in focus motor is another thing that add weight.

These three things alone probably add 250g extra on a Pentax DSLR. Then on a camera like K70 there is also weather sealing and tiltable screen, and these things may add another 30g.