Gavjenks
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- May 9, 2013
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- Iowa City, IA
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I was just thinking this for the last week or so, and being pissed off that it doesn't exist. No camera company is going to reorganize their entire design because I'm pissed, so it's not really aimed at anybody in particular. But I thought I would share as a point of interest.
Idea:
1) Every dSLR body is given a USB port (this is pretty much already true).
2) The in-camera computer is given the ability to read input from the USB to control ANY of the settings in the camera that can be electronically controlled. Aperture, ISO, focus, all the way down to the color of the text on your display.
3) The camera also has the ability to spit out output details about any of the parameters stored in memory. Including image data (with the understanding that this would likely be too slow to communicate in real time with burst shots. That's okay.)
4) The input and output are both encoded using a simple to use and understand open-source driver, so that anybody who wants to knows the correct data codes can send them or read them easily, using custom software.
This would require only minimally more complicated in-camera software, and NO hardware updates. But what this would allow would be almost limitless possibilities:
1) Custom ergonomics peripherals. Do you not like that your camera only has one scrollwheel (like low end Canons) instead of two? Or do you want your canon (any model) to have wheels that work like Nikon, where one is ALWAYS aperture, instead of the wheels switching based on your mode? Or whatever other complaints you have? Instead of being stuck with one of a limited number of body types (maybe all of them have one thing you hate, and nothing has everything), you could buy a 3rd party battery grip that not only held batteries, but also had an extra wheel and several other buttons, and plugged into the USB port. This could come with some very simple software that would let you custom-program the battery grip wheels or buttons to do whatever the hell you want them to do inside the camera, using your computer at home. Then in the field, they do what you programmed them to do. Ta da! $50 solution to every single individual person's individual ergonomic complaints, for every camera model.
2) Custom pre-programmed focusing software. Let's say you're shooting a movie. You could hire a professional focus puller to get every focus spot on. Or you could buy $50 worth of 3rd party software that uses the USB interface, and causes the camera to automatically focus on a series of timers to pre-determined distances that match your choreography for a scene, and then allow for limited amount of focus hunting within a tolerable number of inches from the target distance, configurable by the user. 80% the quality of a focus puller for like 1% of the cost.
3) Hundreds of other similar applications as #2, in other situations. Your imagination is the limit. Examples:
Better astro photography automation;
timelapses that can cover more extreme lighting changes;
the ability to gradually and automatically change custom white balance in the camera as it slides along a dolly and moves in between known lighting conditions;
attaching the camera to a photodiode that makes the display turn off if its dark enough around you;
taking photographs in sync with the beat of music;
attaching accelerometers to the hot shoe and wiring them with USB, and then making it so that the camera automatically switches your image stabilization mode to panning if you are moving mostly horizontally, or automatically restricting your shutter speed to minimum speeds if your camera is moving quickly enough in any direction;
attaching lasers to the lens for 3rd party or DIY auto focus assistance solutions without the need for a speedlight, and with different options for power. Imagine attaching two high end infrared rangefinding lasers left and right, screwed onto your tripod mount, and being able to invisibly triangulate distance to subject at your central AF point, and then communicate this to the lens for instant and accurate autofocus, even in absolute pitch blackness, without your subject noticing anything. And doing this in a way that works for EVERY lens you own, for a cost of a $100 peripheral.
I could go on for hours... I'm sure you could too.
4) All of the above can be done for dozens of dollars, not hundreds or thousands.
5) All of this would be done in peripherals, so that only the people who want those features have to buy them. This makes it much more likely that the features you want will be available. Because otherwise, Canon or Nikon would have to decide to include the feature for ALL users (meaning all users have to PAY for it), even though 5% are going to actually use it. This might not ever be worth it, which means that the feature will never be available using the current system, even if the technology is SIMPLE. An a la carte system makes way more sense and makes many otherwise impossible things possible.
6) Even if Canon or Nikon did want to include a feature built in, you'd have to wait for the entire next generation of camera bodies to get access to it, which could take months or years. With this system, the copanies can allow their customers to take advantage of the latest technology in days or weeks, or even hours (in the case of software updates for existing peripherals). This makes customers happy.
Idea:
1) Every dSLR body is given a USB port (this is pretty much already true).
2) The in-camera computer is given the ability to read input from the USB to control ANY of the settings in the camera that can be electronically controlled. Aperture, ISO, focus, all the way down to the color of the text on your display.
3) The camera also has the ability to spit out output details about any of the parameters stored in memory. Including image data (with the understanding that this would likely be too slow to communicate in real time with burst shots. That's okay.)
4) The input and output are both encoded using a simple to use and understand open-source driver, so that anybody who wants to knows the correct data codes can send them or read them easily, using custom software.
This would require only minimally more complicated in-camera software, and NO hardware updates. But what this would allow would be almost limitless possibilities:
1) Custom ergonomics peripherals. Do you not like that your camera only has one scrollwheel (like low end Canons) instead of two? Or do you want your canon (any model) to have wheels that work like Nikon, where one is ALWAYS aperture, instead of the wheels switching based on your mode? Or whatever other complaints you have? Instead of being stuck with one of a limited number of body types (maybe all of them have one thing you hate, and nothing has everything), you could buy a 3rd party battery grip that not only held batteries, but also had an extra wheel and several other buttons, and plugged into the USB port. This could come with some very simple software that would let you custom-program the battery grip wheels or buttons to do whatever the hell you want them to do inside the camera, using your computer at home. Then in the field, they do what you programmed them to do. Ta da! $50 solution to every single individual person's individual ergonomic complaints, for every camera model.
2) Custom pre-programmed focusing software. Let's say you're shooting a movie. You could hire a professional focus puller to get every focus spot on. Or you could buy $50 worth of 3rd party software that uses the USB interface, and causes the camera to automatically focus on a series of timers to pre-determined distances that match your choreography for a scene, and then allow for limited amount of focus hunting within a tolerable number of inches from the target distance, configurable by the user. 80% the quality of a focus puller for like 1% of the cost.
3) Hundreds of other similar applications as #2, in other situations. Your imagination is the limit. Examples:
Better astro photography automation;
timelapses that can cover more extreme lighting changes;
the ability to gradually and automatically change custom white balance in the camera as it slides along a dolly and moves in between known lighting conditions;
attaching the camera to a photodiode that makes the display turn off if its dark enough around you;
taking photographs in sync with the beat of music;
attaching accelerometers to the hot shoe and wiring them with USB, and then making it so that the camera automatically switches your image stabilization mode to panning if you are moving mostly horizontally, or automatically restricting your shutter speed to minimum speeds if your camera is moving quickly enough in any direction;
attaching lasers to the lens for 3rd party or DIY auto focus assistance solutions without the need for a speedlight, and with different options for power. Imagine attaching two high end infrared rangefinding lasers left and right, screwed onto your tripod mount, and being able to invisibly triangulate distance to subject at your central AF point, and then communicate this to the lens for instant and accurate autofocus, even in absolute pitch blackness, without your subject noticing anything. And doing this in a way that works for EVERY lens you own, for a cost of a $100 peripheral.
I could go on for hours... I'm sure you could too.
4) All of the above can be done for dozens of dollars, not hundreds or thousands.
5) All of this would be done in peripherals, so that only the people who want those features have to buy them. This makes it much more likely that the features you want will be available. Because otherwise, Canon or Nikon would have to decide to include the feature for ALL users (meaning all users have to PAY for it), even though 5% are going to actually use it. This might not ever be worth it, which means that the feature will never be available using the current system, even if the technology is SIMPLE. An a la carte system makes way more sense and makes many otherwise impossible things possible.
6) Even if Canon or Nikon did want to include a feature built in, you'd have to wait for the entire next generation of camera bodies to get access to it, which could take months or years. With this system, the copanies can allow their customers to take advantage of the latest technology in days or weeks, or even hours (in the case of software updates for existing peripherals). This makes customers happy.
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/1/1592-cfae4a7ea791f96c6e2d03484be2e454.jpg?1619729144)
