What would you like to see

Phil V

Phil V

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Whilst musing on technological advances in camera technology, it occurred to me that we have the ability to do something now that 'serious' camera makers are ignoring.

Dynamic range warning.

We meter for the scene (using our skill and knowledge or the inbuilt computer) and take a shot, at this point the camera knows if we'd get clipped highlights or shadows.

If EVIL cameras can put live histograms in the viewfinder, SLR manufacturers could give us a highlight warning light in the viewfinder. We could choose to ignore it if we wished but it'd be great to have.

So what practical improvements would you like to see?
 
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Lot of wheels!

Put a row of wheels in place of the wheel that is usually found by the shutter button, maybe three wheels. These would be user definable and for example I would have Aperture, ISO and exp comp in one 'set' and maybe Aperture, Shutter and ISO in another set and so on.
I can then make the changes without removing my eye from viewfinder, see the changes I make in the ribbon on bottom of viewfinder as do currently.
I know a lot of camera have a front and rear wheel but to me having more and all in a row would make it easier and quicker.
 
Phil V said:
If EVIL cameras can put live histograms in the viewfinder, SLR manufacturers could give us a highlight warning light in the viewfinder. We could choose to ignore it if we wished but it'd be great to have.
Click to expand...

[SRS]You would think this would be quite easy to do.

[NOTSRS]I'd like a camera that works as a replicator, and I'd photograph £20 notes so I could afford more lenses. The camera would just spit them out of a battery grip shaped printer. It would have android on too so I can play Angry Birds while I wait for things to happen.
 
I would like to see olympus increase sensor size.

I would like to see olympus make The evf monocle they have patented.

I would like to see a cheap solution to daylight tank developing of 4x5 sheet film.

I would like to see a neural bridge made between camera and brain, it would be wireless of course and you would end up changing settings and taking shots without even noticing!

I would like canon and nikon owners to just get over it and accept they are just cameras and basically the same bloody thing.

I would like to see film insert capability in digital cameras, not the other way around.
 
Simon photo said:
I would like canon and nikon owners to just get over it and accept they are just cameras and basically the same bloody thing.
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:lol::lol::lol:

Thanks for making me chuckle in the morning!!

I'm not aware of anyone ever coming to blows over this so it's not like football rivalry. Is it?:shrug:
 
A veiwfinder histogram would be great as would a much larger viewfinder.

My compact cannon could display the histogram overlayed on the lcd which was handy, I suspect Liveview could do the same but the ergonomics of a compact mean that framing with the lcd is less of a pain.
 
In-camera metering for ETTR when shooting raw. It's been described on Luminous Landscapes in the past and is a logical metering mode that would only require a firmware upgrade for most cameras. If the camera took a normal exposure and an ETTR exposure it could note the difference in metadata for the initial default raw conversion.

Edit: LL article link
 
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I know Ricoh did that crazy interchangeable lens system, but some sort of sensor block that comes in one of several specs that could be placed into the body of your choice. I know it's a crazy idea and the viewfinder issue would be a problem if the sensors were DX and FX. For imagination's sake let's say a manufacturer like Nikon goes all FX in future, that would ease things up. You could then choose from a high detail sensor with a low ISO ceiling right through to few MPs but with insane high ISO. it could mean you had the same body that suited you but with the ability to upgrade at your pace....

....and back in the real world... :lol:

Built-in audio monitoring would be something that would float my boat. HD video plays a massive part in what I do these days with a DSLR and the main disadvantage of DSLRs is the fact you can never guarantee the audio quality unless you get one of those external boxes that strap on the bottom.
 
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Nice idea Phil. I think there is a lot of scope for digitally enhanced view finders. A similar idea (but not so simple) could be to have depth of field markers.

Other nice to have but theoretically possible ideas could be:

- optical view finder magnification, something like having a lens in the view finder where you can use the zoom buttons from live view.
- in camera ND filters
- in camera IR switching (at the same time being able to add/remove the AA filter)
 
AlfyB said:
Nice idea Phil. I think there is a lot of scope for digitally enhanced view finders. A similar idea (but not so simple) could be to have depth of field markers.

Other nice to have but theoretically possible ideas could be:

- optical view finder magnification, something like having a lens in the view finder where you can use the zoom buttons from live view.
- in camera ND filters
- in camera IR switching (at the same time being able to add/remove the AA filter)
Click to expand...

The depth of field thing reminds me of two pieces of tech that Canon threw away.
The first was a mode where you could focus on the nearest and then farthest point you wanted in focus and than camera would set the focus and aperture for you (Dep - Depth of field AE?).
They also had eye controlled focus points, where you just needed to look at the chosen focus point and the camera selected it, so brilliant and forgotten I sometimes wonder whether I dreamed it:thinking:.
 
Phil V said:
The depth of field thing reminds me of two pieces of tech that Canon threw away.
The first was a mode where you could focus on the nearest and then farthest point you wanted in focus and than camera would set the focus and aperture for you (Dep - Depth of field AE?).
Click to expand...

DEP - plain DEPth of field, IIRC

Superseded by A-DEP, which was simplified (Auto) and sort of guesses it for you.

Phil V said:
They also had eye controlled focus points, where you just needed to look at the chosen focus point and the camera selected it, so brilliant and forgotten I sometimes wonder whether I dreamed it:thinking:.
Click to expand...

My EOS 3 has that. It sort of works, in the same way that the Apple Newton Handwriting Recognition worked - it gets it almost right most of the time, but it's infuriating when it doesn't.

I wear glasses, which probably doesn't help matters by all accounts, though.
 
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Three big main dials please, for shutter speed, aperture and ISO, all with an 'A' position so that any or all of them can be switched to auto-priority mode.

Other key features on direct access controls, and second layer features accessed on a super-large touch screen.

The CSC concept is coming along nicely and the prospect of a really high quality electronic viewfinder (or optical VF with electronic overlay) has massive potential to do all sorts of really useful things.
 
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