MPV-site
Valokuvaus-sivut / Photography page
Matti Vuori
Low fuzz
Like any serious activity, hi-perf snapping should be as trouble free as possible. Especially technical problems with equipment tend to happen when they cause the most harm! These are the most usual problems:
Problems caused by ergonomic "traps"
UI that is prone to error: positioning of controls, control logic, bad terminology
Possibility to turn camera off by mistake
Low feedback on user operations
No warnings in critical situations
Some operations in practice not possible without a manual (for example functions that require special button presses)
Difficult terminology
Loss of battery power
Battery life should be long enough for a long session
The remaining battery life should be clearly indicated. Unfortunately, most cameras only provide a simple "low battery" warning, which in some cases comes after just a few shots - even though only 10 % of the battery charge has been consumed. This kind of warning light is totally useless.
The camera should be able to utilise off the shelf AA alkaline batteries
Dropping parts
Everything that is removable or is removed is prone to get lost. A removable lens cap is one example of this
Fear of breaking
Durability of small cameras can sometimes be worse than desired. If one needs to be careful when handling the equipment, attention is focused to a wrong place - not the task, but the tools