... [Canon] The lack of
spot metering is something that I find not just dissappointing, but
almost assinine in a camera at the level/price of the 20D. ...
As I have said in this forum before, Canon's 10D/20D "Limited Area"
meter pattern (a sensitivity area approximately 7-8mm in diameter)
is virtually identical to the Pentax *ist D/DS "Spot" meter pattern
(a sensitivity area approximately 6-7mm in diameter). There is no
practical difference between them in use. Canon simply chose the
wrong nomenclature to satisfy people who somehow believe that
"Spot" in a DSLR metering pattern is something different and more
valuable than a "Limited Area". Makes no sense to me.
The Canon's meters 9% of the scene, the Pentax meters 2.5%. These have been tested by a couple different reviewers and published on more than one spot on the net. In many cases, the difference between 9% and 2.5% might not be important, but in others it most certainly is. I have been in cases where it is the latter, shooting with 10D shooters. These shooters BTW were one advanced amateur, one part time pro and one full time working professional. All of them know their way around a camera.
I can't explain your experience with the Canon 10D 'blowing out
highlights'. I have owned and used a Canon 10D since September 2003
and have had no such experience. I didn't upgrade to a 20D because,
on comparison, I didn't see enough difference in the image quality
and I wanted something smaller, lighter.
It is not just my experience, but the experience of many. Ask Dave Lewis from this forum for one. I have spent a couple days shooting with 10
Ds in the past, there was a while when I was considering the switch. Both were very noticable in their propensity to blow out highlights. Similarly when I have been out shooting with a good friend who has a 300D. Some casual shooting by myself with the 300D also adds to this conclusion. Finally, it was my trip to Myanmar in November (shooting with the three people above) which really cemented my opinion. They were having to dial in up to two full stops of negative exposure compensation to keep highlights in control, where I was getting bang on exposures shooting either with no compensation, or 1/3 of a stop of negative compensation. The fifth person in our group was a former 10D shooter who now uses a 1Dmk2. He told me he has had all the same issues as what I am describing here. Actually, he says the metering alone is the biggest improvement of the pro Canon (he is a part time pro as well) vs. the consumer models.
My opinion isn't formed by a single bad experience with a Canon, but multiiple bad experiences, in multiple situations. It is further reinforced by seeing other users first hand who are going through similar difficulties. The consistency of the issues is what puts me off.
The Pentax DS won my dollars due to its size and weight, and I've
come to enjoy the quality of Pentax lenses. I can't say that it
produces significantly different image quality with comparable
lenses, particularly if one works with RAW format images.
The irony is that the size and weight of the Pentax are not really huge draws for me. I don't mind carrying a bigger camera at all. The Canon 1 series feel very comfortable in my hands, and they are many times as large. I can certainly see how many people like small, I just am not amongst that number.
I do see a different character between a Canon image and a Pentax image. Personally, I am guessing it is primarily due to CMOS vs. CCD
as the capture device. Although they are different, I have not said one is superior to the other. Photographers have been shooting different film stocks forever, this is just a similar issue I think, although one with less inherant differences within it.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
--
http://www.trekearth.com/members/Darren/photos/
http://www.darrenmelrose.com
Have camera, will travel
They are both great cameras; the 20D is very fast, big and solid. I have a bunch of lenses for it, but no expensive Canon L glass; I use mostly the 17-35 and 28-75 Tamrons, with excellent results.
