Originally posted by osv the only reason that you have to stop-down is because you are using an optical viewfinder.
Actually, this is not correct, and I never use a viewfinder. I shoot using a K-01, which has neither an EVF nor an OVF.
We were discussing the possible use of adapted Pentax lenses on the NX1. I was pointing out that the Samsung P/K to NX adapter has no linkages between the body and lens, and so you will be shooting with the lens stopped down. There is no other choice. For regular usage, this might not pose too much of an issue, but for macro it's a bigger problem.
Quote: evf displays turn up the gain to compensate for poor lighting and dark aperture choices, which makes them far superior for manual focusing with old glass.
Yes, the K-01 does the same with its LCD too, but there is a limit. When I do have to stop down prior to shooting - like when I use a reversed lens on extension tubes - let me tell you that at F/16 (or higher), unless your subject is in direct and very strong sunlight, you pretty much don't see a thing in the LCD and it's impossible to even find the critter you're trying to shoot. (This would be true with an OVF as well - even worse!) This problem - as well as focus precision in order to nail focus on the eyes - is why I prefer to shoot with a macro lens that is linked to the body and that only stops down when I hit the shutter. That means either a native system lens or a lens from a system for which there exist "smart adapters" for your body. An example of this is micro four thirds cameras and four thirds lenses. With the proper adapter you can, for example, mount a four-third Sigma 105mm macro onto a m4/3 body and get in-body aperture control (and even AF, in this particular case).
So, for the Samsung NX system, the only macro lens for which you get in-body aperture control and wide-open focusing with automatic iris closure to appropriate F-stop when the shutter is hit is the native Samsung 60mm F/2.8 macro. I'm sure it's a wonderful lens, but it's pretty short. I'd like at least a 90mm. On K-mount, I can pick from at least 5-6 different 90-105mm 1:1 macros, and also some longer 150mm-200mm full-on 1:1 macros. For a macro shooter, that's a wonderful system to be in, and the only mirrorless system so far to come close is m4/3, where you get a native 60mm macro (FoV equivalent to an 80mm lens on APS-C) and can use 4/3s macro lenses.
Certainly for me, the NX1 looks like the most appealing body out there right now, and I can't wait to see some reviews. But as macro is my main thing, switching seems a little... impractical.