Design your ideal digital camera!

[TWoK]

I would love this too!

It's almost come to be a couple times. Search in the archives here. I think the last serious attempt at it was in the early to mid 2000s.

Google variants of "Digital Film" and you'll probably come across these projects which never made it to market.

Yeah some digital film would be amazing. Every film camera made would jump in price overnight.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

A Pentax KX, MX or LX modified to include a full frame sensor, using memory cards instead of film.
Further I require that there be no LCD, unnecessary electronics, dials, buttons or switches.

Chris

 

[Lauffray]

For me that would be a small, Bessa sized body, full frame, AE, AF, 12MP+ with good ISO up to 1600 and better dynamic range, maybe even 24bit conversion
Right now, the closest thing is the Leica X1. Maybe the X2 will be full frame, who knows, if it is, I'd spend big money on that (is Leica reading this?)

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

ISO 3,000,000, autofocus, cup holder, MP3 player, video player, invisibility cloak, and a yellow dot.

For under $300.00, and an order of fries.

 

[xxloverxx]

MP body, control, size. No LCD.

You program ISO, color, and all other digital aspects on your computer, and store that data in your SD card. So you can swap the cards like film rolls, and you can switch "Neopan 1600" or "Velvia 50" as you wish.

If that comes out at same price as film MP, I'll buy one in a heart beat.

Yeah, dreaming is free, right?

Genius! I strongly agree with not having an LCD - saves so much battery just having it off/non-existant.
I'd add a few things to that:

Interchangeable backs (film & digital), so if, for any reason, you lose access to all power, you can slap a film back on and load some real film into it. Obviously if this were to be a feature, the only electronic part of the camera would be the digital back and meter (the shutter would still have to be cocked manually, in traditional MP style).
Assuming that they go with button cell batteries (say, 4 1.5v button cells?), there wouldn't be much of a size difference from any of the M cameras now.

Uses easily accessible batteries, like AA or 1.5v button cells

When you buy the camera, Leica gives you 2 pre-programmed SD cards for free

Kodak & Fuji start selling programmed SD cards (although "now with finer grain than ever!" wouldn't be as applicable anymore 😉)

 

[K3N]

Here's two ideal cameras for me:

(1) Weather sealed Nikon manual focus rangefinder camera with the Nikon D3s's sensor, new bayonet mount and new range of digital lenses.

(2) 10-fps Olympus pro 4/3rds camera with clean ISO-3200

 

[Frontman]

I'd be happy with a Contax G2 full frame digital over 12mp.

Yes, a Contax G3

 

[Frank Petronio]

I think the X1 comes closer than the M9. I want a SMALL simple camera that can go everywhere, i.e. the Oskar Barnack ideal.

If that camera gets refined over a few generations, I think we may see better photographs from people using it than from all the "full-frame" shooters with their big and slow boxes (that a lot of talented photographers will never be able to afford). I really don't get the desire for full-frame? Other than shooting legacy lenses, it's just bragging rights and having a bigger toy....

 

[Trius]

Frank: Well, legacy lenses are important to a lot of folks due yo the dearth of good fast, wide primes. Any making a 14/2 for m4/3? I haven't seen one.

 

[emraphoto]

Take the Ep-1, Gf-1 (insert m4/3 camera of choice), make sure fast wides are available and give it the dynamic range of tri-x including smooth transitions and I will sign on the dotted line.

 

[kermaier]

R-D1 with:
Canon 5D CMOS sensor
Bigger RAW buffer
Hard color/B&W mode control (not via LCD)
B&W mode that uses all pixels to record luminance only (not Bayer-array color conversion)
Quieter shutter
Longer battery life
Self timer
< $3500

::Ari