Your ideal camera (Ergonomically speaking)

Dogman said:
Canon EOS Whatevermodel. Every one I've owned from film to digitals have had every control placed perfectly for my fingers while holding and carrying the camera was total comfort. I'm a Nikon and Fuji user now but the EOS cameras are fondly recalled for the way they handled.
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Yes indeed. I remember being seduced by the T90!
 
Erik van Straten said:
When talking about ergonomics, nobody mentions the Nikon S2. In fact the camera has great ergonomics.

Erik.

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Interesting, as I also like the Nikon S2, but for my hands the shutter release is too far back toward the rear, I'd rather have it forward.
 
Larry H-L said:
Interesting, as I also like the Nikon S2, but for my hands the shutter release is too far back toward the rear, I'd rather have it forward.
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The release button goes right through the sprocket wheel, just like on a classic Leica. On the Nikon F it is still on the same place.


Erik.
 
The Nikon F was my first ergonomically perfect camera. The only thing I did not like was the position of its shutter release button.

The Nikon F2 replaced my F as my ergonomically perfect camera. The F2 corrected the poor position of the shutter release button.

The Nikon N70 is my worst ergonomical Nikon camera. Each time I use it, I have to review the instruction manual first.

The 6x6cm Hasselblad was a camera I really wanted to like but I could never adjust to its ergonomics.
 
In selecting a camera I think we all check as many boxes as we can, and adapt to The rest. Each camera has it’s foibles but what bugs one person may be inconsequential to the next.
One of my personal favorites is the original Olympus Pen half frame. Small (but slightly larger than a Rollei 35 with lens retracted), sleek, all manual control and a great viewfinder.

But... an all but impossible to find 22.5mm sized filter is the fly in the ointment. Other than that it is nearly perfect.

So I believe the ‘ideal’ camera is a unreachable fantasy, but you can come very close.
 
The Nikon D80 was one camera I absolutely loved as far as ergonomics went from the first time I held one. It fit my hand like a well worn deer skin driving glove.
Now, I think I'd find it too heavy to lug around so I put up with the ergo's of my Sony A7iii.
 
zuiko85 said:
In selecting a camera I think we all check as many boxes as we can, and adapt to The rest. Each camera has it’s foibles but what bugs one person may be inconsequential to the next.
One of my personal favorites is the original Olympus Pen half frame. Small (but slightly larger than a Rollei 35 with lens retracted), sleek, all manual control and a great viewfinder.

But... an all but impossible to find 22.5mm sized filter is the fly in the ointment. Other than that it is nearly perfect.
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.....i always wished it had been full frame. Both 1/2 frame & 645 were deal breakers for me... but to each his own
 
Larry H-L said:
Interesting, as I also like the Nikon S2, but for my hands the shutter release is too far back toward the rear, I'd rather have it forward.
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No, because you focus with your middle finger, or rather, you fix the focus with your middle finger.

After the shot, two small strokes with your thumb for the next shot. Extremely smooth.

Erik.
 
My hand starts to cramp whenever I look at an F or S2. That shutter button is too far back to be anywhere near comfortable. Especially when you're trying to grasp those skinny bodies.
 
I like the Canon digital SLR. I own several of them.

The past week, I have been photographing two of my grand children, their Mom and Dad.

My trusty Canon 20D I bought in 2004 still works great. I’m using my 75-300 tele lens. I know the camera pretty well as I can change things without looking but keeping my attention with what is going on in front of the camera. I can see most of the changes I make in the viewfinder. Simple.

Smiles.
 
nickthetasmaniac said:
Ricoh GR I/II.

Just such a good UI.
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I believe you're referring to the digital Ricohs which are superb, but the feel of the Ricoh GR1 film camera is unsurpassed in my opinion. It is probably the most compact film camera I have touched, and I regretted selling two of these so much I bought a Ricoh GR21 :angel: which is not as compact as the lens doesn't retract all the way, but it's close.
 
AlwaysOnAuto said:
My hand starts to cramp whenever I look at an F or S2. That shutter button is too far back to be anywhere near comfortable. Especially when you're trying to grasp those skinny bodies.
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I would expect that too, but oddly enough, it doesn’t bother me.

I am hyper sensitive to shutter buttons, too, as my index finger has lost feeling due to a nerve issue.
 
shorelineae said:
I believe you're referring to the digital Ricohs which are superb, but the feel of the Ricoh GR1 film camera is unsurpassed in my opinion. It is probably the most compact film camera I have touched, and I regretted selling two of these so much I bought a Ricoh GR21 :angel: which is not as compact as the lens doesn't retract all the way, but it's close.
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I was referring to the first two digital APS versions. To be honest I think the great thing about all the GRs is that Ricoh has essentially spent two decades carefully refining the same basic ergonomics/interface, and it really shows.
 
If the Nikon S2 then presumably the Contax and Kievs should get a mention.


The old digital Leica Digilux-2 and the Olympus E-500 would be my digital suggestions. Closely followed by the M9 but why make it a bottom loader and I've yet to find a digital P&S that approaches the film ones. Mainly because they try to squeeze too much into them.


Regards, David
 
Ergonomically speaking, Nikon FM2n and the Olympus OMD EM5 original with hand grip, and the lastest MKiii, beautiful camera.
 
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