I've been on a film 7 rampage recently and I took the camera to a Canon user (5dKmII and EOS 5 film- the eye control AF camera)
Observations are simple
Canon 5 sucks handling wise, simply put. It doesn't even have a DOF preview button! You have to peer at the square in the top left corner to activate the DOF preview. On body controls are much more simple v the film 7 and frankly grossly inferior all around.
5dMkII is better, but awkward at times with buttons on the top deck to change things like metering/drive mode, whilst I've never been fond of Canon handling it's quite difficult to reach these buttons (which have dual functions depending on the front/rear dial used)
Every Canon/Nikon user I've shown the film 7 to has said it's the best handling camera they've ever used.
Question is simply this.
DK said some time back that we're unlikely to see the numerous switches and dials of previous Minolta bodies due to cost savings.
So how much does it really cost in manufacturing to use the dials/switches?
Quick re-cap via images some moments of brilliance from a camera body designer.
Flash mode recessed dial brilliant idea
On the dual dials, sure covered this ground before
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
Even if you are not a fan of the exp comp dial, you could use other things there..and that flash exp comp scale is quick and handy.
But the big one is the drive mode dial (Nikon copied this too) single, cont, bracketing, multi exposure all there instantly.
And metering mode switch missing on all Sony bodies (current generation)
I'm pondering this, why copy inferior handling of Canon cameras?
Other gems, the DOF readout with D lenses and it actually gives you your mag ratio for macro lenses too. This is a great and genuinely useful feature to have showing you exactly what your DOF is, with these nice high res LCD's now why not have this too?
Even if Sony brought the drive mode dial back it would be something, but instead you get a "Canon button" for this. Hmmm
Other gems missing too. On some of the film bodies (5/60 etc) you could instantly get bracketing just holding the exp comp button and moving the dial
Flash raise button, could be used for flash exp compensation push and hold in combination with a control dial. Be it onboard or with an external flash.
Sometimes I look at some of the Sony bodies and think wow they really don't put a lot into handling. All those wasted buttons on the A57/65 which do nothing in raw or stills mode, the newbie ? button that brings up some guide, the do nothing movie button that sits there never being used in stills. The dial "less" A77 and A99... I've trodden this ground before, but the last few days it's really been a pleasure using the "old 7 film body" it's near perfect handling wise.
Quite disappointing to see Sony try to copy Canon and not come up with their own ideas. I can get to a point the cluster of buttons with the new SLT/EVF Models (ie use them with eye to viewfinder) But for the sake of a few extra £'s on a few dials you can't help but wonder where Sony's handling will go.
Looking at the A3000, and NEX bodies they are to me everything you don't want handling wise on a body!
Going backwards here I think...looking at Samsung's awful Android camera I'm sure makers would love touch controls on a big LCD. Reality is we use our hands to operate cameras, something no modern camera designer has grasped.