After 8 months of EX1 ownership my camera continues to frustrate and delight. Going back to old film days my favourite lens has
always been 24mm wide angle. Even more so with digital, due to simple cropping. The EX1 lens zoom starts at 24mm and it's F1.8 aperture sealed the package for me.
My priorities are quick aperture control with a wide angle of view.
I always used to keep my non zoom 24mm lens ready for action on my old Contax with aperture on f 8 which could be adjusted in an instant on the back of the lens.
The EX1 sports a fabulous lens and the aperture is controlled by rotating the very sensative multi function wheel on the right side of the rear of the machine.
Simple - yes ?
Well yes in a laboratory or in perfect conditions but not always in practice.
My hands are average size but when my right finger is poised to press the shutter, the bottom of my thumb ( the meaty part at the bottom ) touches the wonder wheel and surprise,
surprise changes the aperture.
I was at the Beaulieu Autojumble last Saturday and the weather was very sunny and bright making the much vaunted OLED screen practically impossible to see at any angle.
Not only was it difficult to compose pictures , but on 2 occasions my thumb had changed the aperture setting giving wildly over exposed images.
The new Lumix LX7 now puts the aperture ring where it should always be - On the back of the lens.
If the EX3 copies this and adds an optical or hybrid viewfinder it would make a very dangerous beast.
I am not that bothered about big sensors because I don't take poster size shots and EX1 lens and sensor are beautifully matched.
All of these images are jpegs,hand held and shot at iso 80.
This image of a 1920's Lalique frosted glass car bonnet mascot taken inside the museum has been cropped 24mm @ 1/8 sec
By
richkaz at 2012-09-10
Still inside the museum this image of the 1960's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car could not have been taken without a 24mm setting because there was a brick wall behind me preventing me from ' stepping backwards'.
By
richkaz at 2012-09-10
Another shot from inside with the early morning light pushing through the glass roof. f 2.5 @ 1 /30th sec
By
richkaz at 2012-09-10
The EX1 seems to exagerate deep reds.
This T- Bird was a very red car but I don't remember it being THAT red f2.5 @ 1/30th sec.
By
richkaz at 2012-09-10
A hand held 1/10th sec shot @ f1.8 without infill flash was asking alot without the dual image stabilization switched on, but the little compact did it's best.
By
richkaz at 2012-09-10
Jaguar MK2 interior at 1/60th sec looks less shaky
By
richkaz at 2012-09-10
Original slightly cropped image of a replica GT40
By
richkaz at 2012-09-10
Cropped engine of the same image
By
richkaz at 2012-09-10
Citroen Maserati SM a lot of cropping taken at 24mm setting 1/250 sec. @ f3.9
By
richkaz at 2012-09-10
The salient point about the EX1 is that it ain't perfect but it's certainly got it where it counts
Richard