Have you noticed that cameras are getting larger, heavier, more complicated and more expensive ?
They are also acquiring capabilities and a level of performance which was unheard of just a few years ago.
They come with a 500 page PDF instruction manual packed with arcane and often confusing technical jargon.
Sure these things have amazing capabilities but I wonder if many ordinary humans have the cognitive capability to even be aware of all these let alone make effective use of them.
I own and use a Sony RX10.4. It is a remarkable feat of optical, electronic and mechanical engineering but like many owners I have difficulty fully understanding all its capabilities and I am a very experienced camera user.
The Help Menu is a 573 page PDF. The menus are long and complex, with some items I still fail to comprehend after using the camera for over a year.
The latest crop of full frame mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras promise to be even more complex.
There is not much point in owning a photographic wunder-device if the process of setting it up for the various different functions is so complex it never happens or is so time consuming the subject has wandered off by the time the photographer is ready.
I visit various photography websites and today noticed this piece by Thom Hogan on his bythom site:
He is acknowledging that modern cameras are getting too complicated for the people who use them.
I have to agree and am finding the GR2 a refreshing alternative to the current “more and more of more is better” trend.
Thom Hogan's idea of a simpler camera is still an ILC with a collection of lenses.
I have almost abandoned interchangeable lens cameras in favour of fixed lens models to simplify the picture taking process even further.
However it seems we agree that the complexity of modern cameras can be an impediment to their usability.