If you could design a DSLR....

dean messenger

dean messenger

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Dean
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what features would it have and style of it.

For me and im sure theres probably somethig close to it out there it would be pretty retro.

All metal body. Hybrid Viewfinder with split prism option. ( optical with digital overlay ). ISO, Shutter and EXP compensation dials.
Leaf Shutter, All lenses would be Full Manual F Stop control.
Aperture and shutter priority modes and full manual ( no auto of any kind ).
Hotshoe
flash Exp compensation dial.

and thats it.. NO LCD, no video controls.. a very stripped down almost rangefinder style ... Oh full frame too.

very much old school styling
 
I wouldn't go too far from what exists.

Assuming it's actually something Nikon could start making tomorrow:
24mp sensor in a D810 style body. This should be good for around 7FPS in FX I'd wager looking at the D810.
Swap the mode and ISO buttons over as I use ISO more.
Suppose focus peaking would be nice, but I don't use MF or video that much.
For the rest look at a D810.

Stick a 400mm 2.8 on that with the new 1.4x in a pocket and I'd be set.
 
Does it really have to be a DSLR? I'd do mine similar to the Olympus OM-D E-M1, but populate the mode dial with PASM, and everything else is like Nikon's U1, U2, etc. That means five spots for these custom settings. I'll also take the Fujifilm X mount, and the Fujifilm X-T1's EVF.

If it has to be an SLR, I'd probably say compact body, like the D3300, with pentaprism viewfinder and more rugged body. Twin-dial control scheme is a must. And, of course, the mode dial I explained above. I'm still torn between the Nikon F and Canon EF-S mounts, though. But really, there is no mount with the APS-C lenses I want other than Fuji - Pentax is the closest among DSLR makers.

Here's a dream, though: Sony's curved sensors. That might even make a 1"-type sensor better than today's APS-C, who knows...
 
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A joystick\track pad or other similar method of manually selecting the desired focus point
 
^^I would love to try one of those cameras...

I would bin the majority of the features on my current camera, I would purely have Aperture Priority and Manual, I don't use anything else.

I would also redesign it so I could have it as a TLR.
 
Carbon and titanium shell with evf to make it small/light as possible. Dials for iso and shutter speed, front wheel for exp comp, aperture setting on lens.
Base with moulded in Arca Swiss dovetail,built in solar charger panel on top and raw saved as dng by default
 
I suspect I'd design something like a Sony A7, but with controls simplified. So PASM, largish buttons that were re-assignable and well spaced for AF, exp lock, exp compensation, ISO. I'd also move all other controls away from the thumb rest so they didn't get tapped when doing other things. The viewfinder would have to be a big, bright EVF with a reversible eyecup as standard.
 
An attachment like this so that I just swivel the dial around to use a different lens. :):):)

Colour-TV-Camera-008-415x260.jpg
 
For me ditch the video capabilities frankly I never use them.

Put the cost of those bits into the photography side...
 
Tintin124 said:
For me ditch the video capabilities frankly I never use them.

Put the cost of those bits into the photography side...
Click to expand...
You understand the cost of 'those bits' is about 50p?

When newbies demanded 'live view' because they didn't understand how to hold cameras:oops: :$, camera manufacturers added 95% of what is required for video, adding a feed to record it on the card gave them a new 'feature' to sell.
 
Phil V said:
You understand the cost of 'those bits' is about 50p?

When newbies demanded 'live view' because they didn't understand how to hold cameras:oops: :$, camera manufacturers added 95% of what is required for video, adding a feed to record it on the card gave them a new 'feature' to sell.
Click to expand...

Yes... Its a feature I don't require. That 50p could easily equate to the same added to photography features. Lets be honest a camera costs about a £10 to make.
 
Stick the new technology inside the Nikon 4s, keep the LCD panel on the rear but articulate it. The perfect DSLR !
 
A Sony A7R with full electronic shutter would be all i would ask for, maybe improve the battery life.
 
A D800 with a reliable focus system and a 25% increase in frame rate................oh hang on.....;) plus a full size body and battery.

But seriously, bearing in mind just how soddin expensive grips are, wouldn't it be good if manufacturers added the same lcd display that full size cameras get.

cheers, cw
 
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Chris Wilson said:
A D800 with a reliable focus system and a 25% increase in frame rate................oh hang on.....;) plus a full size body and battery.

But seriously, bearing in mind just how soddin expensive grips are, wouldn't it be good if manufacturers added the same lcd display that full size cameras get.

cheers, cw
Click to expand...

Thats almost a D810 ;)
 
The ability to tilt the sensor would be novel and quite simple. Would be a big benefit shooting high magnification macro and achieving a decent DoF.

Bob
 
I can only think of one thing I want. A full size medium format sensor in a normal DSLR body. If you can squeeze a full frame 35mm sensor into a compact, then there's no real reason why you can't fit a MF sensor in a D3/4 sized body. It would have to be deeper, granted, but hardly problematic. Sadly there's no market for it :(
 
Depends what you mean by a full size Medium format sensor, Pentax do the 645D which is the same size as a D800 but obviously much deeper.

http://camerasize.com/compare/#211,290

I'd love to see a 6x7 or 6x9 sensor though, a la Fuji GW690, that would be ace :D
 
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Would be the body of a Pentax ME, but with a tilting LCD Screen on the rear. It would use a circa 20Mp Full frame version of Fuji's Super SR CCD sensor from the S3/5. It would have shutter speed dial where the on off dial is on the ME, ISO and Exp comp combined as it is now but with proper dials without locks like the Sony A7 series. Aperture would be on the lens, all lenses would have clutched manual focus over ride and full hyperfocal scales.
 
andy1868 said:
Depends what you mean by a full size Medium format sensor, Pentax do the 645D which is the same size as a D800 but obviously much deeper.

http://camerasize.com/compare/#211,290

I'd love to see a 6x7 or 6x9 sensor though, a la Fuji GW690, that would be ace :D
Click to expand...


I mean in a 35mm style body, with the same features and performance. The 645D is also 50% heavier.

Also, the 645D is not a 6x45 sensor... it's 33x44mm, which isn't really THAT much bigger, and the images from a 645D are not really appreciably better than the D800E... not by as much as you think.

I'd like a normal SLR body with at least a 60x45mm sensor. That would be the perfect camera for me.
 
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Alan Clogwyn said:
Would be the body of a Pentax ME, but with a tilting LCD Screen on the rear. It would use a circa 20Mp Full frame version of Fuji's Super SR CCD sensor from the S3/5. It would have shutter speed dial where the on off dial is on the ME, ISO and Exp comp combined as it is now but with proper dials without locks like the Sony A7 series. Aperture would be on the lens, all lenses would have clutched manual focus over ride and full hyperfocal scales.
Click to expand...
as above, but without the tilting screen, and a proper KA mount, and a split focus screen for use with manual lenses..
 
I ditto what others have said, I'd like to mate the body, build & AF of a D300/700 to the sensor of a D610, what a combo that'd be.
 
Same as my 7D but with a few little improvements

Extra button near to shutter to toggle one shot/AI servo
button for mirror lockup
auto focus point's right up to the edge of viewfinder, I'm not sure if thats technically possible though
automatic focus bracketing for focus stacking !
second card slot
no more MPs 18 is plenty
 
Tintin124 said:
For me ditch the video capabilities frankly I never use them.

Put the cost of those bits into the photography side...
Click to expand...

This gets my vote.

I'm using a 5D2 which is fairly good to 3200 ISO, I'd love another couple of stops. And, as was brought home to me once again last night after a 3 hour stage shoot, make it lighter.

Lastly, anything which brings down the prices of fast L series lenses.
 
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But you still need someone to press the button
 
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