info on FS-1 viewfinder diodes

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I've learned a ton on this web site, but I have two more questions....

In the review for the FS-1 it explains the diode readings, however, I'm a little confused as to why the M one flashes. The next one down is also flashing often, which I understand to be underexposure, right?

Is there a way to preview the depth of field,like on the Autoreflex models?

What exactly is happening when I partially depress the shutter button (I don't understand the explanation in the tech. review)?

Thanks

-- Anonymous, December 27, 1999

Answers

Re:FS-1 Questions

Tracy, The "M" diode flashes when you take the lens off AE or, in the case of older lenses, EE. In other words, just like the T&A series, when you take the lens off automatic, you're on manual, totally. The next light down indicates two things; 1) when on automatic, it indicates underexposure, 2) when using the camera on manual it's the light you try to light when metering in stop-down mode. The stop-down mode does NOT work with Hexanon lenses, they still function as automatic lenses (in the olden days, when I was young, automatic lenses referred to the fact that they would automatically stop down during the exposure and open wide after to provide the brightest screen for focussing. No, there is no depth of field feature on the FS-1, another retrograde step on this camera (the other major one being the drop in synch speed compared to T&A series). BTW, there is also the loss of mirror lock-up that one used to get with the "T" cameras when using the self-timer. When the shutter button is partially depressed, all that happens is the meter is turned on. When the button is NOT being pushed, the meter is off. Now, Tracy, when you see both the M and the stop-down diodes light at the same time, look to see if the f/22 lamp is flashing, too. If it is, then that indicates that your batteries are low in power. It's only suppose to light the M and f/22 lamps when the batteries are low, but in all the FS-1s that I have had, it lit all three most of the time.

Jon from Deepinaharta, Georgia

-- Anonymous, December 28, 1999


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