From: Neil Harrington on

"nospam" <nospam(a)nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:100720101822414114%nospam(a)nospam.invalid...
> In article <XvednVMatMHxgaTRnZ2dnUVZ_tKdnZ2d(a)giganews.com>, Neil
> Harrington <nobody(a)homehere.net> wrote:
>
>> The first point-and-shoot cameras did not zoom at all; they had FFL
>> lenses.
>> I still have one, a Konica Big Mini.
>
> big mini? what an odd name. was there a mini mini?

No, only a Big Mini. Later there was a Big Mini Zoom, which was a bigger Big
Mini.

The original Big Mini went through a few generations and was one of the most
popular P&S cameras of the time.


From: SMS on
On 11/07/10 8:16 AM, Bruce wrote:

<snip>

> However, I do recognise that probably>99% of digital camera users
> have not the faintest idea what dynamic range is, nor why it is so
> important. All they seem to understand, and judge cameras by, is the
> numbers of megapixels that are crammed on to their very tiny sensors.

Which is why RAW support was dropped from most P&S models. Canon even
dropped RAW from their G series for one generation (the G7) which was
pretty stupid considering the target market for that line is people who
actually do know what dynamic range is. Thank goodness for CHDK.

It's rather ironic that the cameras with the worst dynamic range, that
would benefit the most from RAW, usually don't have RAW, while the
D-SLRs all have it but don't gain (in terms of percentages) nearly as
much dynamic range as the P&S models.

The new APS-C mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras should have good
dynamic range. They'll still lack some of the other advantages of D-SLRs
though.
From: John Navas on
On Fri, 9 Jul 2010 13:02:25 -0700 (PDT), in
<b57aaa3f-f383-436c-a7fb-1322a3a5cd05(a)c33g2000yqm.googlegroups.com>, -hh
<recscuba_google(a)huntzinger.com> wrote:

>On Jul 9, 1:05�pm, nospam <nos...(a)nospam.invalid> wrote:
>> In article <5aje36h1eg3io6i5phlp3vi94vdhmgk...(a)4ax.com>, John Navas
>>
>> <spamfilt...(a)navasgroup.com> wrote:
>> > >The automotive analogy here is also illustrative: �take a look at our
>> > >car's sound system controls: �originally, our old analog radio systems
>> > >used a dial-based volume control ... a potentiometer. �With
>> > >digitalization, this analog dial component was replaced with up/down
>> > >pushbuttons. � But look now at today's controls and we find that
>> > >they've gotten rid of the volume pushbuttons and �gone back to a human
>> > >interface for the radio's volume control that's once again a dial.
>> > >Hmmm...
>>
>> > Mine has buttons for stations, seek and scan, plus buttons on the
>> > steering wheel for station change. �I can't remember the last time
>> > I twisted a volume knob. �I'm guessing they are for Luddites that can't
>> > learn new things.
>>
>> pejorative comment noted.
>
>And yet John conveniently failed to mention how his car's radio's
>**volume** control is actually performed.

The volume I use is two pushbuttons on the steering wheel.

>From a UI perspective, buttons are better for some things, but that
>doesn't automatically mean that a 'button' UI is better for ALL
>inputs. The exercise is left to the reader to go replace a car's
>steering _wheel_ with Left & Right buttons :-)

Fly by wire with a joystick works quite well, and has been used in some
cars.

--
John

"At every crossway on the road that leads to the future, each progressive
spirit is opposed by a thousand men appointed to guard the past." -Maeterlinck
From: John Navas on
On Fri, 9 Jul 2010 16:48:52 -0400, in
<mbadnYzI9c6rFqrRnZ2dnUVZ_vWdnZ2d(a)giganews.com>, "Neil Harrington"
<nobody(a)homehere.net> wrote:

>"John Navas" <spamfilter1(a)navasgroup.com> wrote in message
>news:5aje36h1eg3io6i5phlp3vi94vdhmgkt9v(a)4ax.com...
>> On Fri, 9 Jul 2010 08:02:42 -0700 (PDT), in
>> <ef901929-92a3-4e6e-bc4e-94e8bc3d90be(a)c33g2000yqm.googlegroups.com>, -hh
>> <recscuba_google(a)huntzinger.com> wrote:

>>>The automotive analogy here is also illustrative: take a look at our
>>>car's sound system controls: originally, our old analog radio systems
>>>used a dial-based volume control ... a potentiometer. With
>>>digitalization, this analog dial component was replaced with up/down
>>>pushbuttons. But look now at today's controls and we find that
>>>they've gotten rid of the volume pushbuttons and gone back to a human
>>>interface for the radio's volume control that's once again a dial.
>>>Hmmm...
>>
>> Mine has buttons for stations, seek and scan, plus buttons on the
>> steering wheel for station change.
>
>Mine (2010 Malibu) has all those buttons too, but still has a nice big
>volume knob right in the middle that is far more natural and intuitive for
>changing volume. And it has another knob for tuning -- again, faster, easier
>and more natural than changing stations by pushbutton.

YMMV as always -- I prefer the pushbuttons on my steering wheel.

>> I can't remember the last time
>> I twisted a volume knob. I'm guessing they are for Luddites that can't
>> learn new things.
>
>They're for intelligent people who appreciate that some functions are just
>better controlled by knob.

Not when driving, at least for me.

--
John

"At every crossway on the road that leads to the future, each progressive
spirit is opposed by a thousand men appointed to guard the past." -Maeterlinck
From: tony cooper on
On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:20:09 -0700, John Navas
<spamfilter1(a)navasgroup.com> wrote:

>On Fri, 9 Jul 2010 13:02:25 -0700 (PDT), in
><b57aaa3f-f383-436c-a7fb-1322a3a5cd05(a)c33g2000yqm.googlegroups.com>, -hh
><recscuba_google(a)huntzinger.com> wrote:
>
>>On Jul 9, 1:05�pm, nospam <nos...(a)nospam.invalid> wrote:
>>> In article <5aje36h1eg3io6i5phlp3vi94vdhmgk...(a)4ax.com>, John Navas
>>>
>>> <spamfilt...(a)navasgroup.com> wrote:
>>> > >The automotive analogy here is also illustrative: �take a look at our
>>> > >car's sound system controls: �originally, our old analog radio systems
>>> > >used a dial-based volume control ... a potentiometer. �With
>>> > >digitalization, this analog dial component was replaced with up/down
>>> > >pushbuttons. � But look now at today's controls and we find that
>>> > >they've gotten rid of the volume pushbuttons and �gone back to a human
>>> > >interface for the radio's volume control that's once again a dial.
>>> > >Hmmm...
>>>
>>> > Mine has buttons for stations, seek and scan, plus buttons on the
>>> > steering wheel for station change. �I can't remember the last time
>>> > I twisted a volume knob. �I'm guessing they are for Luddites that can't
>>> > learn new things.
>>>
>>> pejorative comment noted.
>>
>>And yet John conveniently failed to mention how his car's radio's
>>**volume** control is actually performed.
>
>The volume I use is two pushbuttons on the steering wheel.

What a weasel. Is there, or is there not, a volume knob on the radio?


--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida