(This street tapping into an old neighbourhood presents a typical scene of the old Hong Kong: low-rise tenement buildings and signboards in a haphazard order. When you're in Hong Kong wishing to take photos of the older Hong Kong, wander into the side streets splintering from the Nathan Road)
After a break yesterday, we continue on my reflections on using the LX3. This is the third post.
Less is More
Having noticed the odd operation of the exposure indicator mentioned in the second post, I tried to use the LX3 for some street shots in a way I would have with my GX200. I walked in the street and, with the LX3 turned on, took snaps of interesting subjects when the right scenes presented.
It is somewhat a foregone conclusion that the LX3, with the auto on-and-off exposure indicator, is not really designed for taking street shots, which is mind-boggling as far as a serious compact is concerned. But the trouble doesn't stop just there.
(The shot was not properly exposed due to the clumsiness of the exposure correction with the LX3. Post-processed ot tune up the brightness.)
Ask any person who have used a LX3 and they will tell you how UN-dexterious the miniature 4-directional "quick access" button appeared to be for the first few weeks. It just takes extra time for the users to be familiar with the petiteness of that button, and with great effort. Even after using the LX3 extensively a few days and being more used to the button, I still find myself pressing the button, fumbling for the right functions and literally painfully pushing my thumb on it to adjust the exposure combo.
(I pre-exposed for the shot by metering a similarly illuminated scene. The image worked out better than the above one in terms of exposure correctness. However, the scene is still underexposed. This seldom happens with my GX200. Post-processed to tune up the brightness)
Then another issue arose. The exposure indicator only tells that the exposure combo was not right. It gave no cues as to whether I needed to tune up or down the exposure combo. Not that I didn't know the answer, but that it didn't do justice to what an indicator was meant to be there. For tyros in photography, this is catastrophic.
So, a button lesser in size coupled with an indicator indicating less info less often makes for more troubles in taking snapshots unless the P mode is used. But again, who need to use an expensive seriouso compact for its P mode?
(After the previous shot, this scene which was in the shadow appeared. This is a case in point to illustrate the importance of a swift access to the exposure adjustments and indication for the decisive moments in photography. The LX3 was just too clumsy in this respect, and this shot was badly underexposed. Post-processed to tune up the brightness)
More is Less
There is a saving grace of the implementation of the "quick access" button. This is about adjusting the manual focus.
While the GX200 uses the zoom rocker for adjusting the manual focus, the LX3 builds the function in the "quick access" button. The implementation of LX3 in this regards has an obvious advantage.
The zoom rocker on the GX200 requires the right thumb, which normally rests on the shutter speed rocker above the LCD screen, to reach out, effectively making the adjustment process cumbersome. Worse still, the zoom rocker is placed on the far upper right corner of the camera back, which is an awkward position for the thumb. On the LX3, one press on the quick button toggles the adjustments between the exposure combo and the manual focus, effectively smoothing up the procedures. There is no need for the thumb to move around at all. Well, maybe I am not a PSP person, my thumb is not as responsive. I use my right thumb to play a guitar though.
(This is yet another shot to test the responsiveness of the LX3. Although I was unable to set the right exposure in seconds before the lady approached me near enough for a shot, thanks to the quick button on the LX3, the manual focus adjustment was blissfully fast to secure a clear shot)
So a button at a place more closer and convenient to the natural position of the thumb means less cumbersome for the tuning and tweaking.
The brief conclusion for today is that there is no perfect camera on earth. Near perfect maybe, but never perfect. The LX3 has made some odd ergonomics and photographic implementations. But this doesn't necessarily mean that you cannot work around them. After using the LX3 for a few days, I have come up with some ideas of how to pre-expose, pre-set the approximate exposure and pre-focus with the LX3 in taking street shots. These workaround ideas cannot be compared to the wonderful ergonomics of the GX200 though. But, well, there is a will there is a way.
Let's carry on tomorrow.
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