...and it works! So said George Bernard Shaw about Communist Russia  

I was chatting with a colleague at work the other day about what the future of digital photography might involve. As I work in IT, we pondered what would be the effect in the future of greater computing power and memory.

Perhaps that little LCD on the back of your camera might be displaying a more advanced operating system (Linux, Windows for Cameras etc.). Maybe you'll have your own miniature version of Photoshop? Maybe you'll be able to browse the net and share your photos on flickr in real time, as you're shooting?

I also read an interesting article in Black and White Photography the other day about the benefits of a purely B+W digital camera - less noise and higher resolution as you wouldn't have to worry about Bayer patterns for the sensors. Maybe this is something we'd want a manufacturer to produce?

Does anyone else have any thoughts on what we might be offered by the manufacturers, and what we ourselves would like in 'the camera of the future'?

Anything serious or humorous welcome!

What are your predictions?

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Chris Seary

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Chris, why not look at the flexible fold up lcd, to become a touchscreen for that PS CS6 built into the dSLR?

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Chris you have raised a VERY interesting subject here, as I was reading this weeks Am Photog and old "Roger Hicks" (I think that's his name apologies if I'm wrong) raises the issue of "upgrading" your kit and the fact that we are forced to, in short he states he still has an Enlarger that is several years old a couple of developing tanks he bought 2nd hand in 1966 that still work fine etc, but he is having to spend more and more on a computer/software/printer/backup hdd etc as "old" stuff doesn't work with "new" stuff etc so his argument (and he puts it very succintly) is "what price digital". If you can still find a copy lurking in your newsagents I would grab a copy it's worth it just for that, that and the 450D review (I know your a Nikon man)....

Me I would like a basic digital SLR manual only decent AF system no more than 9 point though I mean do we really need 50 point AF (no scene modes but with Bulb function) raw/jpeg obviously but without all the bells and whistles, a proper pentaprism viewfinder, it is all to easy to stick your camera in AUTO and let it do all the work for you, but with a swing out LCD Liveview function just for those awkward shots......that said I would be quite happy with a Pentax K200D and a couple of lenses/flash/tripod

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The camera never lies (but the software does if you have it)

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Keith

chris@seary.com:

I was chatting with a colleague at work the other day about what the future of digital photography might involve.

Productivity levels must be quite high at your place of work then although why I used the word work I don't know - sounds like there's more chewing the fat going on than actual work taking place.

Maybe you'll have your own miniature version of Photoshop?

Now there is a good idea but to include Lightroom as well of course although as I've already got both these applications on my mobile camera phone any DSLR manufacturer would only be playing a game of catch-up. Just think of it - no more PC, no more Laptop - take the image, process it there and then and bob's your uncle - job done and more time for drinking in the Pub

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Hi Alan

I agree with much of what you say. A few years ago, we used to buy the more advanced mobile phones. Now, as technology rushes forward so fast, there really isn't much point. You get a free phone when you sign up with the provider.

Maybe we'll get fed up with the upgrade bandwagon, and a similar thing will happen with cameras? Will we reach the stage where flickr will provide you with a free camera when you sign up for a pro account, that you can upgrade each year for no extra cost? Maybe the camera itself will become a consumable that no-one would ever think of purchasing?

I'm sure a couple of years after this, Apple will release the iCamera, price £1000  

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Chris Seary

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Trouble is - unless you're going to have a huge camera - editing would have to be done on a pretty small screen. Or perhaps it would generate a hologram or something on those lines. It's a bit like all this stuff about watching TV on a mobile phone...so the techie people who obviously will have a 48" TV will want to watch on a 2" screen?!

I've decided what I'd really like a manufacturer to produce is a camera the size of an Olympus E-400/420 with a metal body, at least 150,000 shutter actuation average, 5 or 6fps, and huge buffer - in other words, a semi pro spec and body but small and light. It could be a bit chunkier than the E-420 to allow for a top lcd - I really prefer cameras with one of those. High spec and fast but small and rugged - at the moment it's small and plastic or big and well built it seems.

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I'd like interchangable sensors.  Yup, you heard it.  I'd like to be able to choose a sensor to suit the task at hand, or upgrade in the future, without having to change my camera body.  Although I'm not sure what more of an upgrade there can be from the D300 sensor. 

I'd have stuck with my E-1 if I could have popped a new sensor in it...well maybe not.  But you get the point.

Manufacturers are not going to run out of ideas, and people are not going to stop believing the sales hype, so cameras will plow on for many more years to come.  I believe that HD will be pushed as the next big thing, like with TV's.

I said in another post about Nano-bots inside our cameras eating dust and keeping sensors clean, I think that's just around the corner  

I get really sad and wish I'd stuck with film when I start thinking like this though, so I'll stop now.  I hope my D300 lasts me for the next 10 years.  I have no urge to change and dearly hope that I am not forced to.  It's one reason I moved to Nikon, in the hope that they will continue to support their older models/lenses.flashes etc for another 30 years.

 

 

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Martin, I'd love this. You could then keep your camera for a very long time indeed.

I believe a manufacturer tried making sensors that could go into film cameras few years ago, but the economics of it just didn't work out. However, just because it didn't work before doesn't mean it couldn't work again. Leica managed it with the R series.

Sue's right about the trend - big, heavy, solid or small, flimsy, light. Nothing in between. Maybe there's a market for an Olympus OM1/Nikon FM equivalent in the camera world?

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Chris Seary

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Bigger buffers are definitely needed. Especially with the bigger RAW sizes and higher FPS'.

Talking of inbuilt editing -
Instead of PSE or PSCS, I reckon something along the lines of Lightroom would be better. Even with a better LCD, the DPI would still be too low for acceptable sharpness.
I think a Lightroom package would be better, with RAW editing facilities and the ability to save as a lossless TIF or such.

And saying about bigger screens. I think using the video out, to hook up to your TV, and then an optional mouse or tablet that connected to the camera through a 10pin/Canon alternative and such, like remotes and GPS trackers, to give better flexibility, instead of having to rely on touch screen.

On cleaning -
I think the Oly style shaker system, as that seems to be the best on the market, but with the added ability of the Nikon D60's blower function, to suck the dust onto the flypapery material.
Shakers just dislodge the dust into the body, they dont get rid of it.

And changable sensors would be fun...
I like the Sigma SD-14's (I think?) removable lowpass and IR filters for the sensor. I think something like that would be good.

I was thinking about focusing systems last night in bed, sad, I know. Maybe a live view screen, with touch screen with a scribe. And you tap where you want the focus, and the camera focuses, instead of relying on focus points and manual focus... That'd be cool.

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Matt Harris Photography
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sue allen:

Trouble is - unless you're going to have a huge camera - editing would have to be done on a pretty small screen. Or perhaps it would generate a hologram or something on those lines. It's a bit like all this stuff about watching TV on a mobile phone...so the techie people who obviously will have a 48" TV will want to watch on a 2" screen?!

Sue, I'd already addressed this. Thin film roll-up lcd displays are already available - imagine a 17" screen that can fit in your lens case. Just needs to be affordable, which will come.

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I sort of think..'why bother'!

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a few mediocre pics

How about this:

• take a fast prime (1.2, 1.4 or 1.8)
• add vibration reduction (VR, IS, OS etc.)

At present, VR is usually only for zooms, alowing you to (almost) take shots that you could with a fast prime.

Just imagine - combining a fast prime with VR, used with the really fast sensors available now, would mean that we would be able to take pictures that are currently not possible. It would open up a whole new world.

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Chris Seary

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How many times have you heard people complaining about the buttons on cameras? Either they are too big, too small, badly situated and the menus as a result are difficult to locate? Solution? Easy - VOICE - Vocally Operated Instructions and Command Executions. No more rotation of wheels or buttons to tell the camera what focus point to use - just tell it. Everything your camera needs to know in an instant and at the sound of your voice. Extending this further of course it could also be made a security feature. Voice Recognition - whose going to steal a camera that only responds to the owners voice. Hey - I think I'm onto a money spinner here.

Hmmmm..... Biometrics to identify the owner. Good one.

How about fingerprint recognition on the shutter button. It will automaticaly load your profile of favourite settings once it's identified you.

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Chris Seary

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My old phone had voice dialing.
It could either not understand me, or dialled the wrong person.
And it made me look like a nutter. Shouting at my phone while sitting in a cafe havin' a brew.

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