Dream camera for 2010

[Bill Pierce]

Since it’s a new year, I thought it would be interesting to speculate about a small, quiet digital camera that cost less than $9000.

For openers, how about black and white only? This effectively triples the pixels without reducing their size. You might be able to produce a C sensor camera with image quality that allowed for large prints and high pretty good noise specs at high ISO’s.

Rather than a complicated viewing system, how about the standard LDC screen and high quality, bright frame finders that matched a series of fixed focal length lenses that could combine relatively high speed with small size?

Rangefinder focusing isn’t the quickest. Neither is the “live view” focusing on many of the digital compacts. But some manufacturers, like Canon, have pretty decent focusing on their compacts. Lets go to live viewed based autofocus with a magnified viewing screen option for manual focus.

How about other ideas - or just what you want in a camera smaller than a big boy DLSR.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I want a monochrome Digital Back for my M3!

 

[filmfan]

I want a digital Mamiya 7... (which will never exist)

 

[sara]

I want a Leica M6 🙁

*poor student gargh*

 

[thegman]

I would like to see a new and interesting film camera, new digital cameras come out all the time and are either uninteresting, or interesting but not affordable. An affordable and usable, small MF camera would interest me. I'm using my Zeiss Ikon more and more, something like that but MF would be ideal. An improved 35mm Ikon would be cool too, maybe with a 2 second self timer (as an impromptu cable release). Maybe also some wide angle frame lines would be good too. I'd also probably like auto exposure to be able to go longer than 8 seconds, I often shoot at night and sometimes 8 seconds is not long enough.

 

[aizan]

like that, but with an aps-c sensor, 35/2 equiv. lens, and image stabilization. if the af is slow, it would be nice if the lens had a focusing tab.

 

[Kevin]

I would like a Fuji 6x9 digital folder with interchangeable (pancake) lenses and a slot for an optional pocket wizard multimax module.

 

[Trius]

I like your ideas, Bill, most especially the monochrome sensor. For the way most people shoot here, I'd say a stable of 5 or so prime lenses would do the trick, maybe two zooms for the lazy. 😛

I don't care about the size of the sensor (within reason) ... but the ability to shoot raw as well as different JPG modes to "imitate" different film types (Tri-X, APX, FP-4, etc., etc.) as a convenience is important.

I'd love to see Olympus modernize the Ace. It was an innovative product in that it employed a body-based leaf shutter. That wouldn't be practical today, as it wouldn't provide shutter speeds above 1/500, but the concept is roughly the same ... quiet operation with small lenses.

Unless someone wants to just point me to an Ace with all the lenses and a stash of film. 😀

 

[back alley]

not to beat a dead horse but...an updated rd1 would be my perfect digital camera.

 

[Keith]

A digital version of the OM-1 from Olympus ... full frame 18 megapixel sensor with a fold out reversable LCD screen as per the RD-1. Raw image recording only of course.

A switch to a copal type shutter to up the speed to 1/4000 would be nice also.

 

[Fuchs]

A digital version of the Contax G2, with the choice of a zooming OVF or projected digital framelines overlayed on it. The sensor should be full frame and in the same ISO league of the Nikon D3/D3s or at least Canon 5D. 5 fast and 5 cheap not-so fast AF primes, and an adaptor to use M mount lenses AND the fantastic Contax G lenses.

 

[le vrai rdu]

I want a mamiya RF ou fuji GW670 😀

 

[Keith]

not to beat a dead horse but...an updated rd1 would be my perfect digital camera.

A revamped Epson with a ten or twelve megapixel sensor and crop size reduced to 1.33 would make a lot of people happy I'd imagine ... at say $3000.00 it would have to knock holes in the second hand M8 market!

I'd definitely be a starter! 😀

 

[coelacanth]

Digital version of OM1 indeed. Keep that huge VF and I'm sold.

 

[abenner]

Put a b&w digital sensor in an M3. No adjustments besides an iso dial on back. No LCD. Done.

 

[coelacanth]

I know it's not going to happen in million years, but Rollei 35 digital with full frame sensor (no AF or RF is fine!) would be my drooling dream cam as well.

 

[1ScrewLoose]

I like the original idea... so long as the sensor is large enough (if we are talking legacy glass) that relatively wide primes are available. Or if not, then the manufacturer makes some.

B&W only would be just fine. Sure, I'd love to be able to use M-mount or OM-mount glass, but it's not mandatory.

 

[kzphoto]

I like the way things are going with the EP-2 and the GF-1, however I really dislike the size of the lenses. I'm hoping for a body similar in size to an EP-2, with the EVF attached, but lenses similar to the Contax G series. Give me quick auto focus, fully manual controls and optical *or* EVF and you've got a customer. I can do without the full frame sensor, if the price is below $1700. Above that, and I'll buy a second hand M8 and just use my M glass.

 

[Gary Sandhu]

ISO 1600 color film that looks like Reala or Ektar 100 and I'd be happy.

 

[Keith]

Sigh .... we do this every year ... but nobody listens! 🙁

Well ... Leica did give us a full frame digital RF eventually but priced it within the reach of accountants dentists and other criminals!

But not me unfortunately. 😀