Simple

[Bill Pierce]

Are there too many unessential controls on today’s digital cameras - and, if so, what do we do about it? Selecting the color, contrast, sharpness and size options for jpegs alone can be incredibly time consuming (and force you into an unalterable decision) at a time when you should be paying attention to your subject. Should your focus be single, continuous or manual? What mode? What focus point position? And your advance - single or continuous and, if continuous, what frame rate. Stills or motion and, if motion, what level of image quality. Is your shutter speed one that would benefit from image stabilization or one where image stabilization actually presents problems. And how about those menus - those many menus and sub menus and sub sub menus. It’s like reading Moby Dick on the back of your camera. No wonder you aren’t paying attention to what’s in front of you.

And yet, when you look at the vast spectrum of film work that certainly by today’s standards was done with cameras that suffered from lack of features, you realize a camera can be a simple tool made to deal with what’s in front of you. What are some of the techniques that you can use to restore simplicity and make it a little easier to deal with the subject? I’m sure that everybody has come up with certain fixes. One of mine is that all the function buttons on my cameras are set to nothing, none, zero. Obviously, I have a bunch of others, but I’m much more interested in borrowing yours if I haven’t already thought of them. And, of course, there is always the chance that I am an idiot and what cameras need are even more features.

 

[Keith]

Because I quite like digital I'm currently picking up my RD1. That camera really doesn't give you many choices and with the screen reversed it has even fewer. I was a bit critical of Leica's decision to make a digital camera with no screen initially but I have to say it makes sense to me now.

For me it's not really about settings it's about the choice of tool.

 

[css9450]

There's really only a few controls I ever use on my DSLRs. The majority go unused forever.

 

[Dogman]

I tend to try and make my cameras as simple to use as possible and I set them all the same way.

Yes, I set my function buttons to nothing as well. I also turn off the LCD touch control of any camera with that feature. Using Fujis, I try to keep the information in the viewfinder as minimal as possible--it's distracting. I really only need to see a histogram, distance scale and my exposure information along with the bright lines and focus confirmation squares.

While I might sometimes let the camera pick the focus point on fast moving subjects, normally I only use the center AF focus point--I focus and recompose. After all, I did it for 30+ years using split image screens on Nikons and rangefinder patches on Leicas and even with AF Canon EOS film bodies that had their "eye control" AF. I found it a faster way to work than chasing AF points around in the viewfinder with whatever gizmo was required.

I use auto white balance and mostly auto ISO for simplicity's sake. I shoot Raw, mostly never shoot JPEGs, so I never set anything like film simulations or JPEG parameters with a final JPEG image in mind.

If I find I don't use a feature on a dedicated button or dial, I lock out that button/dial if possible. Sometimes a little gaffer tape comes in handy to "lock" a button/dial I don't use.

And I generally have the JPEG set to "Monochrome" so my screen shows the review image in B&W. I often do this even when I'm shooting for a final image in color. I find it's easier for me to judge tonal relationships and texture in B&W on the LCD...but I really shoot B&W mostly anyway so this feature comes in handy.

I'm sure there are others but I forget. That's enough anyway.

 

[back alley]

i mostly learned to shoot with a rangefinder on the street...i decided way back when what worked for me and made the shooting experience the most pleasurable for me. no matter what camera i was using it was set up just like the last body i used.
i like aperture priority, spot metering and a central spot. i also don't use the function buttons. i focus and recompose...i try to keep things simple and the same.

 

[Contarama]

Just about any camera I quickly learn the best way for me to use it. Most are similar in function. I like my Df and I have a function button assigned to bring up a main menu so to speak. The F2 is another angle altogether really yet so alike the Df. I am a firm believer in the system...maybe it helps make things more simple

I almost want to say my lenses are more important than my blocks

 

[zuiko85]

Get a Nikkormat FT2.
Done.
Now you have discovered the real reason people stick with film. It's what the camera you long for takes.

Why do folks insist on making digital cameras behave like film cameras? They are two different beast's. A DSLR will never be less or more that what it is.
The only way to shoot with something like a film SLR.....is to use a film SLR.

I'm likely to get a lot of pushback from these comments......oh well. My opinions are worth what you paid for them.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I read manual many times and I took tens of thousands of all kind of pictures with my Canon 500D. After it I could manipulate it intuitively and decide which AF mode, AF point and else to set in no time and correct. If I want to have picture for sure and how I want it, I use this camera.

I have tried earlier digital Pen once and it was gobble of non organized menus. I have seen recent version of my Canon DSLR and failed to set on request. It has something too automatic and intrusive set on.

Also after learning about exposure with Canon 500D in Manual mode for one year it somehow strangely combined with my FED-2 first camera and for many years experience. Which was S16 table in the film package. I looked at the weather and dial shutter speed and aperture as it was in this S16 table for this film (ORWO slide).
So now, I prefer all manual film cameras for street. Because S16 table is in my head.
I like Leica M4-2 over Bessa R2M and Canon EOS 300. And because Leica M-E has crappy metering I prefer to use it on the street just like M4-2. It actually works and precisely.
Simple is with M 🙂

 

[Timmyjoe]

I remember back when I first started getting really interested in photography, I asked a photographer friend of mine why anyone would need an SLR, because I was making "fine daylight pictures" with my Instamatic. He said an SLR let you make pictures in difficult situations (i.e. low light, fast motion, etc.)

I look at the latest digital cameras the same way.

My newest digital camera is from 2013, so maybe some of the newer ones have a lot more controls. I just ignore most of the controls on my DSLR unless I need them for a certain shooting situation. When I do, I'm glad they're there. Otherwise, I just set the cameras on Aperture Priority and shoot.

Best,
-Tim

 

[kshapero]

Nikon F Meterless Prism camera, Nikkor 50/1.4 lens and a roll of Tri-X.

 

[Godfrey]

Complexity ... What should I do about it? My solutions:

• My Leica M-D has no options or controls to speak of, just exposure and focus for every frame. It only produces raw files. There's no distraction in use.
• My Leica SL can do a bazillion different things, so I created four user configs that automatically set it up to do what I want per my usual shooting desires. I have to think about what I want
• My Light L16 has a very nice set of controls to make it do what I want that are mostly pretty intuitive and unobtrusive to use. I rarely think about it much, I just use it.
• My Polaroid SX-70 I have to decide whether to make the print a little lighter or a little darker, each print.

Good enough for me. 😀

 

[Jamie Pillers]

My Fuji X-Pro1:
LCD covered with Aki Asahi leather.
File type set to RAW.
Focus set to manual and AE button used to snap focus the Fuji lens.
Viewfinder set to optical.

So only controls I fiddle with are aperture and shutter speed, just like the ‘old days’.

 

[shimokita]

Simple configuration...

Set C1, C2, C3 for my typical situations, center focus point only, and focus by back of camera button (i.e. disable focus on shutter half press).

 

[RichC]

As everyone else so far in this thread, I prefer simplicity and repeatability. I know how I like my photos, and how I prefer to use cameras, and set up my camera accordingly so I’m not forever scrabbling or thinking about controls and options.

Personally, I like to be in control, so that means manual aperture, shutter speed, white balance and ISO, and centre-weighted exposure.

Although I prefer operating a camera manually, modern cameras do have functions that make that easier or photographic life in general. For example, on my Sony A7R II I’ve function buttons set to magnify so I can focus accurately, to toggle capture settings on/off (i.e. seeing what you get vs reality in the viewfinder) and to select the lens focal length (so image stabilisation works correctly for my manual lenses).

So, I use the “traditional” camera controls (aperture, shutter speed) plus the “standard” digital ones (ISO, white balance, image browsing/magnify/delete, etc.) and about 2-3 additional custom ones. That doesn’t slow me down or confuse; in fact, it makes me faster! If I need the camera to do something unusual (video, say!), once in a blue moon (a few times a year) I’ll need another button or the menu.

What makes a huge difference for me is knowing exactly what my camera does, and how. When I buy a new camera, I spend a couple of days (say 15 hours) memorising important bits in the manual, becoming familiar with the controls and menus, and scouring the web for tips. That saves me staring in incomprehension at a slew of buttons and menu commands when I need to take a photo...!

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

My Olympus Pen-F has a bunch of controls i never touch. If you shoot RAW (and you SHOULD) then you don't have to worry about all of those controls for contrast, sharpening, noise reduction, color balance, saturation, etc. You just shoot, worrying only about focus and exposure. Just like with film!


Then you process the RAW files in Lightroom, which is basically the digital version of darkroom work.

 

[Axel]

Are there too many unessential controls on today’s digital cameras - and, if so, what do we do about it? ...

Isn´t it the same question as in many areas of today´s life?
So many choices, so little time.

I am happy that I learned photography the simple way. Sunny 16 and so
on. So my cameras are all set to manual mode, 1/125s f5,6 and ISO 100 in this sunny days.
Focusing manual (scale or magnifier mode) or single AF with center spot and lock.

I agree that fiddling around with menus, custom functions and tricky automatics can spoil the whole fun and lead to miss photos.
So I think it is only a question of discipline how to use a camera.
Every camera. I disagree that it needs always a simple set of controls.

"Grab the best, dump the rest" when you get a new device with so many
choices, bells and whistles.

My phone stays a phone. Even when it is named IPhone. I am not interested what it could do either when it fits my needs
to make a call when I want and to ring when someone is calling me.
The only modern advantage I really won´t miss anymore from a smartphone
is to keep my shopping list 😉

So my cameras stay cameras. I am just satisfied when I can take my pictures with them.
They should be small and effective and should not disturb the rest of my (or others) real life more than necessary.
I see advantages in compactness, electronic viewfinders or displays, immediate results and the control of them.
The smallest camera I own delivers more functionality than two cases of photo equipment in the old days could do.
That´s real progress for me and it´s my duty to learn how to operate it the way it does what I need.

There are so many ways to photograph and so many reasons to like or not this or that camera, film, digi, whatever.
It is not canons, nikons or leicas fault when a produced camera doesn´t fit somebodys needs. They only can
offer. The choice is always yours. Difficult choices today. No doubt.

just my 5cent

 

[Bike Tourist]

Given the economies of scale, I suppose the manufacturers cram as many features into their cameras as they can . . . because they can. And the fear that a buyer might reject buying their product because it lacked something. I rig my camera, no matter the brand, in something resembling the configuration of a film camera.


Except, well . . . auto ISO is a great stress reliever!

 

[robert blu]

Shooting raw as Chris says eliminates some of the additional variables. But still are many keys, buttons or menus choices you can accidentally hit or select and it can be a problem, I notice this with my wife's D 109 :-(

For me this is one of the reasons for which I went to the M10 route. Iso, aperture, focus done!

robert

PS: as Dick says probably this is done just because they can do it without too much additional cost. And we live in an era when majority of people prefer quantity to quality. In this case having many options becomes a good selling point. Just my 2 cents!

 

[willie_901]

For X-Pro 2:

• Use raw files
• Use ISO 200 for bright scenes where dynamic range could be challenging
• Use ISO 800 for low ambient light scenes where sensitivity is important
• Manually select shutter time and aperture for the scene/subjects at hand
• Check to see that the sensor is not over exposed (usually only necessary for bright conditions).
• Auto-bracket 3 exposures by aperture – typically 0, -1/3 and +1/3
• Use OVF in focus and recompose mode (in other words, how I focused my Zeiss Ikon M)
• Use MF mode with back button AF or focus by rotating the fly-by-wire lens barrel

As other mentioned, raw files eliminate the messing about with JPEG rendering parameters.

The X-Pro 2 has a dual-conversion gain sensor. This is how come I only use two ISO settings. The camera has two psuedo-ISO invariant regions: 200-640 and 800 – 6400. The former maximizes dynamic range with reduced sensitivity and the latter optimizes sensitivity with reduced dynamic range. ISO invariance means there is no S/N loss if I adjust the image brightness in post production instead of in camera using the light meter and the ISO parameter. If an in-camera JPEG would have required ISO 3200 to render with a useful image brightness I just push the brightness by two stops during post-production raw rendering.

I attempt to maximize exposure which limits shutter times by camera and, or subject motion and aperture by DOF. DOF has first priority than I increase shutter time to maximize exposure when the shutter is open. Auto-aperture bracketing three exposures is a just insurance to avoid loss of important highlight-region details. I use lossless raw files and two sequential SDHC cards, so storage is not and issue. In post-production I keep the one with the best exposure and delete the other two.

One consequence of using only two ISOs is chomping is often useless. The in-camera JPEG is just too dark. I consider this a simplification instead of a handicap. After all, you I didn't chip images with my Zeiss Ikon M.

Focusing offers more options. I mostly use the OVF Electronic Rangefinder mode. Focus peaking is useful because the EVF focus region is small. This is simple and fast. However, some could feel the small EVF window could be considered a distraction. I am transitioning from back button MF to using the new f2 WR prime lenses' focusing collar. For me the fly-by-wire system is finally a useful solution.

This system is much more complicated to write and read than it is to actually use. Admittedly it takes some effort to understand how to set the menu parameters up for this system. But after that it is simple. Also, it takes some practice before the minimalistic aspects can be enjoyed.

For close up work I use the EVF. I rarely do close-up work (I don't currently own any lenses with long focal lengths). Otherwise I don't use the EVF. Also, the longest focal length lens I own is 35mm. I would use the EVF for focal lengths above 50mm.

With the X100T usage system is similar. The differences mainly involve ISO selection. I use ISO 200 for almost everything. In extremely low ambient light (which means extreme sensor under exposure) I use ISO 6400. But at this level of sensor underexposure I almost always render the raw file in B&W.

 

[Photog9000]

When I was a newspaper shooter, I used a pair of D2H bodies. With only 11 focus points, it was easy to quickly change the focus point. I shoot only raw so I don't worry with any of the other settings preferring to make those changes in photoshop. About the only other setting that I changed on an as-needed basis was ISO. Today with only a Fuji X100S, I leave the focus point in the center, do a back-button focus, and recompose as necessary. I still prefer to change speed as before. Very little else do I "play" with. On occasion I will spot meter or use the exposure compensation dial but that is about it. My film camera is a Yashica Electro35 GS that I only shoot Tri-X at normal speed with. Occasionally I will add a 3-stop ND filter so I can shoot wide open (or close to it) in the daylight.