What do I really want in a camera?

[Mike_E]

Enough Mega-pixels to sink a rowboat? no.

14 stops of dynamic range? no

Six hundred and thirty-seven frames per second? no

What I would really like is an analog light meter -a pointer on the side that's easily visible like my old Minolta SRT 101 would be just right- and a DoF button that would really show the Depth of Field on a 100% FoV micro-prism view screen.

Is that really too much to ask?

 

[Overread]

err we sort of already have a thread like this running
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=147098

 

[Mike_E]

No, I saw that one. I'm just whining about things the photographers probably put on and the bean counters took back off.

You know, the things that would make shooting unconscious again instead of the 53 buttons, knobs and super hidden menus that only the "pros" know.

Maybe I'm just getting old but I miss the days when a date was just a loaf of bread, a jug of wine and a camera with a 28mm and a 135mm. OK, a couple of filters but not much more. :/

 

[Overread]

ahh but one of the joys is that at least they hide most of the complex stuff anyway. Heck I am just starting out and this time last year my Canon 400D had these modes - aperture priority, program mode, shutter priority - the scary manual mode and aperture dependant mode.
One year on only 1 mode confuses me (ap dependant) and it and program mode and the only ones I don't use. New stuff might be complex but it only takes a short while to learn the new.

*will probably be making the same threads in a good 60 years time about cameras then *

 

[Mike_E]

LOL Don't get me wrong, I know how to use all of those things. I'm griping about the geeks taking over what was, and should still be, a simple art form. You take the light coming off of your subject and put a little english on it with your aperture and bounce it off of the film/sensor plane.

What's next, a digital pool cue?

 

[Overread]

Clearly you have yet to see Serenty (a film) its got techno pool
*ps the film and its TV series Firefly is well worth watching if you have any interest in Sci fi and or cowboys)

 

[Mike_E]

Own them both. Love them both.

Again, inorganic masquerading as organic is my point of contention.

I am, as are you I suspect, fully analog. Photography is an analog experience ultimately as our eyes are analog and the exercise is useless with out them. I do like the convince of digital but for the money and time spent with these things you would think that someone in the industry would recognize the beauty and comfort of a curve and take the hint that the meat of the matter is in the gray areas not the absolutes of pure white and black.

 

[epp_b]

14 stops of dynamic range? no

Um...yes, please!

But, I see what you mean. I would love for Nikon or Canon or whoever to come out with a digital camera with simple, back-to-basics manual controls where the only "digital" aspect of it is that it uses a sensor instead of film. It would be even better if they could make the digital sensor replaceable so that you could just buy a new sensor and keep your perfectly-good body.

 

[Village Idiot]

A shutter mechanism, circuitry, AF mechanism, and little monkey that draws a picture when you hit the button to lift the shutter?

I mean, that's what I want....well, you could give the monkey night vision goggles, but then all your high iso shots would have a very green tint.

 

[ksmattfish]

I'm griping about the geeks taking over what was, and should still be, a simple art form.

Photography has been about gadgets and chemistry labs and technology since day one. The SRT 101 and roll film might seem simple to you, but to the guys who were shooting wet plate it's space age technology. I'd love to hear what they would have to say about 1 hour processing and printing, or even darkrooms with running water and electricity.

I would love for Nikon or Canon or whoever to come out with a digital camera with simple, back-to-basics manual controls where the only "digital" aspect of it is that it uses a sensor instead of film.

The thing is that there are already plenty of perfectly good cameras like that available. Just get an old film camera. It'll be over 100 times cheaper than a limited production digital camera. And no matter how simple you make it, it's still digital. If you've got $1000+ to spend on a camera you can afford some of the best, coolest, old, film cameras ever made.

It would be even better if they could make the digital sensor replaceable so that you could just buy a new sensor and keep your perfectly-good body.

Canon and Nikon won't do that for the same reasons they make sure vert-grips aren't compatible from model to model: they want to make you buy new stuff.

Fortunately some competition that believes in a customizable, modular system has arrived on the scene. Let's hope they can hang on.

http://www.red.com/epic_scarlet/

I'm very happy with my DSLRs (none of which is a current model), and while I'm not going to complain about more resolution or dynamic range, I really don't need more. Better high ISO performance would be very handy for me, although I am blown away by the quality I'm already getting.

Here's my wishlist for the DSLR of tomorrow:

Bigger, brighter viewfinders.

I want my Canon camera body to be able to control my off camera Canon flashes via radio. I want to be able to control the flash just as if it was in my hand. I should be able to control the mode, power setting, etc.... And no unreliable optical/IR system.

Any DSLR that costs over $1500 should be weather sealed. Not that I'm having problems, but come on, how much can that extra rubber cost? It's peace of mind for an expensive investment.

New focusing options. Instead of optical/contrast AF how about laser rangefinders or GPS? I could attach a GPS sensor to the bride and groom (or other subject), and my camera would always focus on them perfectly, even in the dark.

I'm excited by the video capabilities of the new Nikon and Canon cameras. I just need memory and storage to catch up. Where are my 512gb compact flash cards?!

 

[Overread]

512GB memory card?
just imagine the pain if it fails! - honestly if you need something that big your shooting video - chances are you can get a cheapy laptop and then shoot from the computer

As for weathersealing I definatly agree - though cameras like the 5D get good reports on their resistance to water we really need some non pro level (ie affordable) weathersealed gear! Especailly if you live in the UK!

 

[tsaraleksi]

What would a light meter attached to the camera as you describe give you that the meter in the camera does not? If I want, I can shoot with my 1D mark II N in needle point manual mode, it just uses a digital needle. And maybe I'm misreading you, but I've got a DoF preview switch too.

But like I said, maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're asking for.