User comments btil June 2003

[Guest]

I am considering having my G1 and 35mm lens sent out for a general checkup and maintenence. I am new to this camera and don't really have a clue where to send it or what it would cost. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I live in the Seattle/Olympia area of Washington State.

Thanks
Paul

 

[mike_e]

Forgive the rookie question, but how do you go about manually focusing the G1. I understand that the focus dial is located on the top of the camera, but do you get a ghost image if the camera is out of focus

 

[trisnadi]

Michael,

The only feedback in the viewfinder for manual focusing is an indication of difference with the autofocus. You won't get split image, ghost image, or blurred image. I don't use this feature quite often, but it is quite pratical if you want to focus by estimating the distance without seeing through viewfinder (and of course by considering the DOF of a given aperture).

Trisnadi

 

[pmongillo]

You focus in the viewfinder. You turn the focus dial on top of the camera
with the focus bracket in the viewfinder over what you want in focus. You
can not see a split image and the image does not get sharper as it gets
focused. There are a series of squares that appear in the viewfinder.
When only one remains you are in focus. I have done considerable testing
to compare the autofucus with this method. They both work great. The
important part is making sure the focus bracket is on what you want in
focus. I also prefocus with the G1 as well. The focus knob is a little
lose for my tastes when in manual focus so it is easy to move it after you
preset it. I have solved this problem by taking a small cut uf 1/4 inch
plastic tubing and have placed it over the post between the shutter speed
and focus dial. It creats just the right amount of friction on the focus
dial for it to stay put.

Paul

 

[sns]

Question on focusing and viewfinder of G1.
Just purchased mint G1 plus 45.
It makes noise when focusing of kind "whee-dr".
Is that last part "dr" allright? Never heard how it whould be.
Another question is that depending on distance it closes part of viewfinder (more or less). I'm new to RF and could logically understand it since in focusing all lens compound is moving. Does it mean something like microzoom?

Thanks in advance!

 

[gwelland]

This sounds pretty much normal.

The RF step down is also normal - it's framing according to the focus and focal length of the lens.

 

[joachim]

Hi Sergey,

wellcome to the G1 club. As Graham wrote you already, this sounds pretty normal, all G1 I handled sound like this.

The closing down is the parallax correction. The finder shows an inch or two too much into and at the left hand side. At infinity this is completely negligible, but at close range this becomes more and more important. The G1 has an automatic parallax correction and masks off these parts which will not apear on the image. It should be noted that there will be some parts added at the bottom and on the right hand side. But these parts are about 1/3rd of what goes missing (due to the angle of view becoming smaller at close focus for a lens without moving internal parts, which are all G prime lenses). The G2 will correct for this as well and move the bottom and the rhs of the frame to show what gets added. Since I am not overly interested in close-up, so far I was happy with my G1 not doing this.

No, this reduction of angle of view has nothing to do with micro zoom. It is just how optics works.

 

[sns]

Hi Joachim,

Thank You very much for the information.
I would like to understand why it is different from SLR, since there are no difference in prime lenses on SLR regardless of the focus distance.
Let me get it right. You say that right and bottom parts must also disappear? They do not. I have to reframe (if I would like to compose the way it was before focusing).

OOps, Just read carefully what You wrote regarding G2. That it will correct and with G1 I have to reframe or assume that there will be some addition I cannot see at the time of shooting?

I do understand it should be this way, it is just a little bit hard to believe =)

Anyway I'm way too happy with the body and its operation. Hope to get first negatives processed shortly. I have been using (and still am using) Aria with primes.

 

[jrstern]

I am thinking of selling my G1 with 35 and 90 mm lenses (B&W filters) and a nice smaller Domke canvas bag (black). All are in new condition, includes all boxes. I am wondering what this is worth. I will keep my flash as I can use that on other cameras. I figure I have about $1100 (US) into this once I take the flash out. All are in pristene conditon.

Any thoughts would be appreciated..I hate to do this on ebay and am not sure of good reliable used camera sites.

Thanks

Joel Stern

 

[sboscaro]

Hi,
I bought a used G1 just yesterday: after having read marvels about it, I only wanted to give a look, but as soon as I had it in hand, I was captured and I HAD to buy it.
It came with its 45mm 2, instructions and packaging.
So, what do I need now ? I'm thinking about a skylight filter, just to protect my precious CZ, a bag, maybe a more comfortable strap....

Any advice ?