POLL - camera style

[Damien_Demolder]

If I owned a car-manufacturing firm, I’d build a machine with a modern engine and a body shape that recreated the age when cars really had character and personalities. Modern cars seem all the same to me. I can appreciate that certain shapes use less fuel, but why does everything appear to be based on the original Ford Mondeo?

Cameras have been going the same way for some time. The basic SLR shape, with its slim body, bulbous prism head and cylindrical protrusion of a lens at the front obviously works, and we’ve been looking at it again and again over the past 50 years. Canon recently celebrated a half-century in the SLR business and displayed a cabinet of major models throughout that age. As interesting as I found them, it struck me that not much has changed.

I have a limited collection of cameras, none of which is really worth anything but all of which are interesting from a visual or innovation point of view. They are, on the whole, beautiful and inspiring to look at and to use. If this new Olympus Micro Four Thirds body (see News this week) really does resemble the wonderful Pen half-frame cameras of the 1960s, it will be a very welcome change.

To take part in our poll What kind of camera design would you prefer? head to the homepage.

Thanks for playing

Damien

[Hotblack]

There's no 'I don't mind as long as it works' option.

I have a medium format TLR and a modern DSLR. I like both and have no preference over design as long as they work.

[Barney]

What kind of camera design would you prefer? Modern and sleek? Retro and cool? Hmm, how about modern, sleek, with retro references amking it uber cool?

At the end of the day, good design is the combination of form and function. In the past, manufacturing costs often shaped design over and above other considerations. These days, design can lead manufcaturing, look at Apple products to see how good design can rejuvinate an entire brand.

[Barney]

There's no 'I don't mind as long as it works' option.

I have a medium format TLR and a modern DSLR. I like both and have no preference over design as long as they work.

But the way something works depends on how it has been designed.

[Wheelu]

Modern DSLRs are too large, heavy and unwieldy. My favourite camera type is the very compact SLR with an excellent clear viewfinder, as per the Pentax ME/MX,Olympus OM1. I still prefer the experience of using these cameras to my DSLR, but, sadly, the results from the DSLR are technically better. If only it were possible to pack a FF sensor into that size of body; until that happens I'll struggle on with the Canon - while having fun with film.

[Fen]

I have one word to say on this...

EPOCA!

[beejaybee]

Modern DSLRs are too large, heavy and unwieldy. My favourite camera type is the very compact SLR with an excellent clear viewfinder, as per the Pentax ME/MX,Olympus OM1. I still prefer the experience of using these cameras to my DSLR, but, sadly, the results from the DSLR are technically better. If only it were possible to pack a FF sensor into that size of body; until that happens I'll struggle on with the Canon - while having fun with film.

Agree wholeheartedly.

[Hotblack]

There's no 'I don't mind as long as it works' option.

I have a medium format TLR and a modern DSLR. I like both and have no preference over design as long as they work.

But the way something works depends on how it has been designed.

The question is 'What kind of design do you prefer?' (modern/sleek or retro/cool). I'm just pointing out that I don't have a preference.

[jchrisc]

Modern DSLRs are too large, heavy and unwieldy. My favourite camera type is the very compact SLR with an excellent clear viewfinder, as per the Pentax ME/MX,Olympus OM1. I still prefer the experience of using these cameras to my DSLR, but, sadly, the results from the DSLR are technically better. If only it were possible to pack a FF sensor into that size of body; until that happens I'll struggle on with the Canon - while having fun with film.

Agree wholeheartedly.

Me too

[Barney]

Modern DSLRs are too large, heavy and unwieldy. My favourite camera type is the very compact SLR with an excellent clear viewfinder, as per the Pentax ME/MX,Olympus OM1. I still prefer the experience of using these cameras to my DSLR, but, sadly, the results from the DSLR are technically better. If only it were possible to pack a FF sensor into that size of body; until that happens I'll struggle on with the Canon - while having fun with film.

Agree wholeheartedly.

Me too

Not me, I think that it's absolute tosh. There are DSLRs to fit all hands. To state that they're all too big is patent hyperbole for all bar the Jimmy Krankies of this world.

[Rhys]

Modern DSLRs are too large, heavy and unwieldy. My favourite camera type is the very compact SLR with an excellent clear viewfinder, as per the Pentax ME/MX,Olympus OM1. I still prefer the experience of using these cameras to my DSLR, but, sadly, the results from the DSLR are technically better. If only it were possible to pack a FF sensor into that size of body; until that happens I'll struggle on with the Canon - while having fun with film.

Agree wholeheartedly.

Me too

Not me, I think that it's absolute tosh. There are DSLRs to fit all hands. To state that they're all too big is patent hyperbole for all bar the Jimmy Krankies of this world.

I agree with Barney, once held a D40 and it was like a toy.
I find hand holding an RB67 comfortable so that's one reason I got my D1x. I wanted something camera sized that I could hand hold as I aint got titchy hands. I've tried my mates D90 and that feels small as well. Mines the perfect size for me and that's the crux of it. One person will find a camera that's perfect for them but someone else will hate it. Doesn't mean to say it's any worse or better.

As for the poll, I don't care what they look like. I like old fashioned cameras as well as new modern ones as long as they do what they are supposed to who cares?

[Fen]

Not me, I think that it's absolute tosh. There are DSLRs to fit all hands. To state that they're all too big is patent hyperbole for all bar the Jimmy Krankies of this world.

Agree with Barney. Can't be doing with small cameras. But then we've had that particular discussion before.


As for the the POLL this week... Hard to answer as by 'modern' do you mean smaller?

[Damien_Demolder]

I have one word to say on this...

EPOCA!

I have one of those. Fantastic(ish)

[GeoffR]

Why is there no "Some where in between" option?

I like the simplicity of modern cameras but I want some dedicated controls. An aperture ring and shutter speed dial for instance. You can make a body the size of an OM1 as long as I can have the digital equivalent of an MD2 to make it big enough to hold comfortably.

[beejaybee]

I agree with Barney, once held a D40 and it was like a toy.

Fisher-Price, creaky thin plastic.

I want a solid feeling pro grade camera substantially smaller than existing models. There aren't any on the market, even the Oly E-3 is huge compared with the OM-1. The weight bothers me less.

[Barney]

I want a solid feeling pro grade camera substantially smaller than existing models. There aren't any on the market, even the Oly E-3 is huge compared with the OM-1. The weight bothers me less.

I want to be the meat in a Kelly Brooke and Melanie Sykes sandwich but it ain't going to happen (they're far too jealous so I have to see them separately.

The fact is that you're comparing different types of cameras. You're not going to get a full frame pro specced camera the same size as an OM-1 in the near future, one because manufacturers aren't there yet from a tenchnology stand point and two, becuase the majority of people who are prepared to pay for a pro specced body either weant a larger size (e.g. me) or would be prepared to pay the premium required minimise one and so therefore are to take the size and weight as a compromise.

[Zou]

Modern and sleek? Like what exactly? - they're all big fat plastic lumps next to a M* Pentax or OM* Olympus.

No surprises when I say retro for me.

[DaveS]

I really don't care what it looks like so long as it's fuctional and efficiant.
You could say that (D)SLRs look the same for the same reason that Ichtheosaurs, fish and dolphins look the same...well same-ish.

[parisian]

Just while you are mentioning the OM1/2 and the Pentax MX ( both of which I have owned in the past) the classic retro body with top of the league digital innards is of course the Leica M8 series. Nowt plasticky about that in any way, a street smaller than the Pro. Nikons and Canons but just as good image wise as the best of them.
Just a reminder........

Click to view - 151k

[Dave_Cox]

I answered 'retro and cool', not because they are necessarily better but because that's what I'm used to handling. I find that controls on the older style cameras just fall nicely to hand.