talk about a can of worms...
my experience seems to be different than most, this intrigued me enough to try it again. off goes the zenitar, on goes the kit lens (poor little thing, it has been neglected for so long, and it doesn't diserve it). it is (way too) late here, my room is only lit by a 40W or so matte bulb, and the results are not surprising (just as i remember): it is _shocking_ what it can focus on in this light, does it take a while? yeah, sure, does it just give up when i point it at a dark wall? yup, it does, but if i am reasonable and actually give it something to focus on, it will do a hell of a lot better than i am able to in this light (i wear glasses, but my eyesight is perfect with them on). i will say it again: it is amazing what this camera can focus on, in low _and_ difused tungsten light. would a canon or nikon in the same price range do better? hell if i know, i'd have to try, but i think it is safe to say you cannot call this terrible low light performance. the meter reads 1s at f/5.6, at iso 200 in most cases (it is probably not enough for some of the subject i focused on, it's just an average).
i said this before, i will say it again: i have used a nikon d50 before switching to a k100d (yeah, the slow one, AA batteryes), concert shooting with the nikon was a pain, getting it to focus required patience, i didn't complain, i learned to understand how it works, and it did the job. having only one useful af sensor (the center) made it quite a challenge. the crappy viewfinder meant MF was virtually out of the question. switching to the k100d, with 9, nine! usefull af sensors, and with a decent viewfinder, was like walking to the pearly gates, and to top things off, it actually didn't really need that much help as the d50 (read: it wants some contrast, same as the d50, but it does not require specular-*****-highlights and nothing else to be able to focus), and also it is easier to control, as the center af sensor doesn't seem to take up half of the frame as the d50.
i shoot sports too. af-c is nothing mindblowing, and, to be honest, i shoot in such a way that i kind of make the shots, instead of just grabbing whatever might happen (this might mean i am not a true sports shooter, i know
), this does not mean this is the only way to shoot sports and everybody else can go to photographer-hell though. funny enough, i somehow ended up using mostly manual focus lenses, even for sports shooting, mostly through choice, it seems to just suith me better somehow.
now, can the af on pentax cameras be improved? i sure as hell hope so, or some very bright engineers at pentax are looking at permanent unemployement (for having done too good a job: a perfect af system), do i want it improved? YES, bring it on! why? because it is possible and because it is the 21st century. however, please stop removing focus points (better keep the number and spread them further in the frame), keep the cross type focus sensors, we need them (no, i shall not use the center and recompose when using an af lens, i have sold the d50 long time ago, and don't know how to do that anymore). probably the most desireable feature i hear being mentioned is predictive tracking. now, i know that's a specialized feature, and is not cheap to do, but it would be nice to see small steps in that direction, though. i would also like to be able to use all the focus points with my manual focus lenses (unless there is a technical reason for which that is too much trouble to implement).
what i am trying to say, i guess, is that : no, the pentax af system is not terrible, maybe not even bellow average. i have shot k100d, k10d, k20d, and i stand by my statement, it is not perfect either. and yes, we would all like to see it improved, faster, smarter, and so on, but what i cannot understand is why there has to be such a definite separation (those who want better af and those who don't), i see blood pooring all over this thread, i am ...speechless. i think it is safe to say none here has ever faught so hard against a "pentax basher" (another mytical creature i have heard about on these forums, said to be almost always using either nikon or canon, and inflict unimaginable psychological pain on pentax users just by smiling, asking what brand of camera is that, raising brows, and so on, all insidious actions) as (some) have amongst themselves in this thread.
amazing.
can't we ...all just.. get along.. come on, dude..
--
nanok, passing the cigarette, peacefully..
edit: my cat just woke up. scratch everything above, i changed my mind. this camera sucks, i want a canon. it cannot focus on my cat, in the aforementioned lighting conditions. terrible. okay, it's true it is a black cat (pitch black), and that in this light it is.. well.. not visible as such even to my eye (i do not actually see her, i see the absence of any light whatsoever in the space where she is), but still..
ps: if i don't get to bed soon, the sun might rise and i might change my mind again
Last edited by nanok; 04-09-2009 at 07:34 PM.