Camera UI and egronomic failings that irk you.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Having started with fully manual film SLRs, I recognise the beauty of having a camera that only has essentially five controls you need for picture taking: focusing, shutter speed, aperture size, shutter release and film advance/shutter cock lever. All of them did what they were told, and nothing else. While it did mean you have to really know your stuff to get a photo right, it also meant that you know the camera would do as your intentions told it to.

Now with auto-everything cameras, and digital sensors thrown into the mix, UI and egronomics are more important than ever. Cameras don't always do as you'd think they do, or they don't tell you what they're going to do.

Hence, I thought I'd ask everyone what are the things that irk them when it comes to camera operations and handling. Here are some of the things which really really irk me:

- Cameras that force you into a mode before you can do something, or worse, do something without telling you. An example of the former would be the need to go into the fully automated "Sports" scene mode before the motor drive can be activiated, or to the "Macro" scene mode before the camera will take macro photos. An example of the latter would be a camera that decides it will go into the old-fashioned centre-weighted exposure metering instead of staying with the more modern matrix/evaluative/honeycomb/whateverthecameracallsit mode when you switch to full manual mode. The first cripples by not giving you a choice, the second just plain screws you up.

- No ISO setting in the viewfinder for DSLRs. Today I almost took a photo in bright daylight at ISO800 till I realised the shutter speed was way too high for the aperture setting given the current lighting conditions. In Nikon's lineup, only the D2 series has that setting displayed in the viewfinder. I believe it's similar for Canon as well. Why does a camera that costs 2-4 times more than your typical consumer digital camera doesn't tell that critical information to you when you're framing the shot?

- On ISO settings again; poor placement for ISO settings, especially for DSLRs. Modern DSLRs, with their ability to go to ISO 800 or 1600 easily, usually do not have an easy enough way to set the ISO without taking your eye off the viewfinder. In the digital age, the ISO setting is a setting I feel is important enough to be given a status close to that of shutter speed and aperture settings, as it is changed fairly often.

- Dim, dark, low contrast viewfinders on consumer level bodies. Sure it keeps the cost down, but when my AF isn't working (due to the lower cost AF module), I want to be able to focus manually. This is compounded by the smaller sensor of most DSLRs, which results in even smaller viewfinders. Ugh. However I doubt this will ever change.

- Modal cameras. The Nikon D100 was a disaster in this area. What works for film doesn't work for digital! Dedicating a place on the mode dial for ISO and custom settings is a bad bad idea, especially when the action is happening in front of you and the light levels or shooting conditions change quickly.

- Vertical grips without a single control dial. Minor issue for me actually, but the lack of thought on the part of camera designers when they do that just really leaves me speechless.

What irks you with camera operations and handling?

[Bob12]

I don't really have any significant complaints on the DSLR - I did have to check and the Canon EOS-1D MkII does not show the ISO in the viewfinder. I guess I've just gotten used to looking at the shutter speed and aperture displays and hadn't noticed the lack of an ISO display. As for the Pro1, my only complaint was one of "new user learning." Until I got used to putting my right thumb where the manufacturer intended it to be, I was hitting the manual focus button a lot - it's on a raised portion of the back which is intended as a sort of thumb guide and grip assist. In other words, the thunb goes to the left of the raised portion, not on top of it. as for my little "pocket" PowerShot SD500, it's good that I have relatively small hands because there's not a lot of unused space on it.

A general complaint I have on all of my digitals is that the LOCD viewscreen is rather small for my eyes but that's just me and age.

On the plus side, the backlight for the data LCD on top of my 1D MkII is MUCH better than the sidelight on my 35mm EOS-1N. On the 1D, it's a blue light similar to the backlights on Casio and Timex watches - very easy to read.

[flooder]

Very interesting topic.

For my two cents worth I am going to ignore non SLRs. viewfinders and shutter lag, enough said.

All I have is the D7D. I have a friend with the 300D and a friend with the D100 so I have used those a 'little'

Forced modes: Don't have that problem

ISO feedback: Hadn't thought about it but now that you mention it I would like to have that in the viewfinder. I guess I keep mine in Auto limiting it to 100-400 range

ISO settings: I can change mine easily but not in the view finder.

viewfinder: No complaints in the D7D. If you get a chance I would like to see some thoughts of users by other brand users

Grip: No experience, but nice to know that if I choose to get that accessory I am getting an above average product. The VC-7D has a control wheel on it.


My additions:

Over/Under exposure warnings: When viewing image+Hist the hightlights flash in regular playback but not in the instant playback. This is minor to me as I am only beginning to understand the histogram but when I get it figured out I assume I would want this in instant playback more than in review mode.

new lens options: I realize the benifit of the dSLR is the use of existing glass. I would like to see some lower mm options. Most of my lens have a low end of 28 mm. With the fov that become a 42 in my case. I am really struggling with a bottom of 42 mm. If the 2/3 CCD is here to stay, it's time for some glass designed around that sensor size. Not to say I would buy :) but I would like to look.

I was going to mention the lost of TTL flash but I guess that is not in the bounds of the subject. I guess lens aren't either.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

I don't really have any significant complaints on the DSLR


That's great, actually.


As for the Pro1, my only complaint was one of "new user learning." Until I got used to putting my right thumb where the manufacturer intended it to be, I was hitting the manual focus button a lot - it's on a raised portion of the back which is intended as a sort of thumb guide and grip assist.


Hey, that happened to me too. That makes the two of us!


On the plus side, the backlight for the data LCD on top of my 1D MkII is MUCH better than the sidelight on my 35mm EOS-1N. On the 1D, it's a blue light similar to the backlights on Casio and Timex watches - very easy to read.

Yes, EL backlit displays are really nice. Plus somehow I find them less intrusive than LED sidelights.


ISO feedback: Hadn't thought about it but now that you mention it I would like to have that in the viewfinder. I guess I keep mine in Auto limiting it to 100-400 range

I'm a bit old school, so I don't like the camera changing the ISOs for me. Though perhaps I should give it a go and see how it works.


viewfinder: No complaints in the D7D. If you get a chance I would like to see some thoughts of users by other brand users


Try a high end film SLR. Mmmmmm, it's like getting a widescreen movie on a nice big screen compared to a pan and scan on a small TV.


Over/Under exposure warnings: When viewing image+Hist the hightlights flash in regular playback but not in the instant playback. This is minor to me as I am only beginning to understand the histogram but when I get it figured out I assume I would want this in instant playback more than in review mode.


While I don't really need that (in fact I've turned off the image review which comes up after a shot is made), I can see why it would be useful. Another thing that irks me is sometimes the histograms aren't very clear for some cameras.


new lens options: I realize the benifit of the dSLR is the use of existing glass. I would like to see some lower mm options. Most of my lens have a low end of 28 mm. With the fov that become a 42 in my case. I am really struggling with a bottom of 42 mm. If the 2/3 CCD is here to stay, it's time for some glass designed around that sensor size. Not to say I would buy :) but I would like to look.


I'm sure they'll come for Minolta soon enough. Nikon has started a nice collection of DX lenses, and Canon has been forced to follow (but with a less elegant solution). Third party lenses are also on the horizon, with the Tokina 12-24/4, and the Tamron 11-18. There're also a few Sigma lenses available (12-24, works with film too, 18-50/2.8, 18-50/3.5-5.6, 18-125/3.5-5.6), but you use Sigma at your own risk. =P


I was going to mention the lost of TTL flash but I guess that is not in the bounds of the subject. I guess lens aren't either.

Why not? They're part of the camera, and they help in picture taking too. I don't have any problems with my flashes yet, and so far my only gripe is that the new Nikon consumer AFS lenses reverse the location of the focusing and zoom ring. You can imagine the number of times I screwed up a shot thanks to that arrangement!

[SassKwatch]

I don't recall having run into the situations you mention, but having given myself an Oly E-300 as an XMas present, there is one thing I'd like to see.....

Many of the newer digicams are coming with multiple direct access buttons for quick changing of oft used functions. And wouldn't ya know, the one function I will change fairly frequently, the 'Drive' mode, isn't one OLympus chose to include with it's own button. Fortunately, I can assign that function to one button they've allowed to be a user-defined custom function.

But it occurred to me that, as a general rule of thumb, it would be nice if more (all?) of these buttons were user-definable. Perhaps that is the case with other brands.(??)

Edit: Should have added this initially. Custom, mfr specific batteries should be outlawed. A handful of AA's (or whatever) should *ALWAYS* be an option.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Yea, more buttons are good. Digging into a menu to get to an important option is not good. So is having an akward button combination to access something important.

There are not a lot of customisable buttons on other cameras I've seen. At most you get 2-3 on the camera. That would be nice.

And on batteries, what irks me is that Canon's BP-511, Nikon's EN-EL3, Minolta's NP-400, Olympus BLM-1 are essentially the same battery.. but with different connectors (hence they're not interchangeable). :roll: Stick to a few battery formats, please!