[Discussion] A Whole New Camera: Are Our Cameras Outmoded?

Designer Jean-michel Bonnemoy believes that a traditional camera's design is dictated by the need to hold a roll of film in the back. But with the advent of digital tech there is no longer a need to maintain a form factor that is inherently contrary to smarter ergonomics. Enter the D-CAN. What are your thoughts on this new camera design? Should we shake off the shackles of design's past? Do we even want to?
 
 












- Large range zoom stabilized USM lens.
- A ring authorizes the focus correction. The focal is lockable.
- Extension cursor for macrophotography
- The lens cap, impossible to lose, includes an electronic flash and the AF-assist illuminator
- The accessory shoe can receive, besides an electronic flash, a directional microphone or a remote control receiver.
- The cursor “function” allows to choose between fixed views or video, pictures reading, intervallometer and power off.
- Cursor “mode” (program, speed or aperture priority, manual)
- Double key ISO (100 to 6400 ISO).
- Sockets for peripheral: microphone, audio headset, power supply.
- The high-definition back screen is used for the aim, the control and the parameter setting by means of a trackball.
- The system of aim offers two configurations:
- At the level of eye for a precise centering including right in the sun, with precise control of the focus. The magnifier with diopter adjustment gives an image enlarged of the screen.
- Directly on the directional back screen having raised the magnifier.
- The back block of aim revolves to give access to the memory card, USB and HDMI connectors and energy compartment.
- The lithium battery can be replaced in case of necessity by a set of AA size battery.
- The release button pushed at the halfway mark locks the focus and the exposure.
- Maintained pushed it allows continuous photo mode.
- The function of thumb wheels differs according to the mode:
- Thumb wheel 1: exposure correction(P, Tv, Av) or choice of the aperture (M).
- Thumb wheel 2: program shift (P), choice of the shutter speed (Tv, M), of the aperture (Av).
-Designer: Jean-michel Bonnemoy-

 
via [YankoDesign]
 
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Kenn Tam's picture

Been holding this damn camera in my hand since 1991.
Toronto / New York City

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38 Comments

Ahoy Matey! (no thanks)

Wow, now this is a really interesting concept! I like that this has been completely re-thought, versus just expanding on the cameras we already have. I love how all the buttons are at your finger tips, yet don't seem to be in the way, and how the lens cap doubles as a light. Something like that could be the future!

I would be embarrassed to use that.

No! I won't even ask how you change lenses.

The only time I ever don't love the ergonomics of my SLRs is when I'm carrying two of them. Beyond that, I love the simplicity and emersion of a nice big optical viewfinder. At the same time, I'd love more options for displaying info within the viewfinder. If there was an easy way to bring up an overlay HUD within the viewfinder, with maybe a semi-transparent live histogram with the press of a button, that would really translate to killer exposures every single frame. Beyond that, lighter materials would make the current form-factor perfect.

it looks like a fleshlight

how do you change lens? and i can see people dropping this thing like crazy. Looks a lot like a part of a spaceship

AA Batteries ?  really ?  This concept is stupid, I don't care how much range your lens has, an all in one design will never ever be as good as something purpose built.  Nice try, but you struck out.  The modern ergonomics of a DSLR allows you to use many functions with your thumb, and fingers on the back and top of the camera without needing to pull the viewfinder away from your face.  This design is bad for many more reasons I don't care to list.

Great to see the new century has a place for AA batteries.  I miss a flip-out articulated LCD (so much better for tripod compositions at other than eye level) and would want to hold the thing and look at the menu system before committing.

I don't even want to start to comment how stupid this design Is. 

Weird. I don't see it as an improvement at all. Holding your camera like a telescope just doesn't look right! I also question how good the optics could be. Surely a point and shoot would be a lot easier to store and use than that thing, because if I can't change lenses it may as well be a point and shoot.

Honestly, don't you think that Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus and every other camera manufacturer has had design grad students trying to come up the a fresh and better design for a camera since digital took over? Only to come back to the same tried and tested systems we already have. 

Lytro can consider this design for their next model :)

Gay

I'd never be able to take a picture with this thing. My arm would be stuck in a stupid-ass L shape after a full day of shooting fashion.

solution with out a problem

Nerds toy, not for a serious photographer.

Dildocam

It's funny how opposed to change people are. I applaud innovative thinking. That's how we move forward. Not every idea is the best, or where we need to go. But the very fact that someone is using their brain for something positive gives me hope. 

I want to focus (or zoom) with my hand BELOW the lens. Anything else looks stupid.
And how stupid will this look with a flash attached to the hot shoe?

More and more people are turning towards FUJI and LEICA because they are retro. I guess there is no demand for spaceship-monoculars.

I prefer to pay NIkon to convert my old beloved FE2 to digital with the D3s or D4 chip and processor. 

They have take an invention and uninvented it. How the hell do you connect it to a tripod?

i can see it rolling off the surface you put it on if its not perfectly flat. D-Can?  it does look like an aluminum water bottle with buttons...  i like it!  ;)   you can store it in the D-Bag...  

argh! yo ho ho and a bottle of rhum!

WHY? and a view finder that can see through batteries...  Innovative ideas are often good, this is not one of them.

It'd have to have kill VR on it.

Although I like the idea, I don't think this shape is ergonomic at all... It would be a killer for wrists.
Secondly it would be to big for compact. Can't be for pro due to impossibility to use different optics. 
Maybe classic is not that bad ;)

"The lens cap, impossible to lose".

You really lost me there.

Lens caps are very easy to lose, if you're not paying attention.  The fact that it's a staple feature of this camera, isn't boding very well for it's target userbase.

HDR and 100 FPS here we go.

But seriously though, let's see them make one of these, before we decide whether it's a great design or not.

I doubt that will ever happen, if even the next 20 years.

SLRS are fine.

TLRS are fine.

Whatever the hell this is called is dumb.

There are already modular cameras with sensors attached to the lenses, congratulations once your lens fucks up, now you have a really expensive paper weight (OR an equally expensive repair).

Hey guys, it's not April yet, is it?

I like it.

It's not a bad design at all. In photography class we made a camera out of an oatmeal box and it worked great. So, you can't really judge a product that you haven't really seen in action, or held in your hands. Maybe it's not made for interchangeable lenses, but that doesn't mean it's a terrible camera/not innovative.
I give the guy props for creating this...since every camera nowadays looks the same, does practically the same thing...and from far away you can't tell one from the other. Good that he's mixing things up and trying something new. Since nobody else is...

really dislike it. 

It's basically a camcorder form factor, which is not good IMO, especially not for stills. your elbow has to come up far to high and away from your body. 

Why change something that's works so well?

Does anyone remember the nikon d5 prototype that was splashed around a little last year? Moved the body around so it pivoted beside the lens. Pretty wild. That's what I want to see. Something that lets me choose how I want to hold the body/lens, and something that will let me choose which lens I want to shoot with.

There's no way for me to evaluate the particulars of this design without experiencing it. However I'll say that I think it's great to see alternative designs being explored. The current shape is, IMO, outdated, and could use some serious improvements. I really don't find the modern DSLR to be very ergonomic. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's in fact, quite cumbersome.

In addition I think the button, viewfinder, and LCD layout on both of my Nikons are just a bit bizarre. There's information there that I rarely need, and the lack of information that I do need.

For instance. I think I should ALWAYS be able to see, ISO, shutter speed and Aperture. I shouldn't need to  click or hold anything to get see any of those.

All of my Canons show, ISO, Aperture, Shutter speed AND a light meter in my viewfinder...ALL the time! If there's information on your DSLR that you don't need then you're not doing it right.

The modern DSLR, similar to all older film cameras, is designed for stability while shooting. One hand on the vertical plane and one on the horizontal for tracking, up, down, left and right while holding both planes stable. This "can" is just a telescope with a digital P&S optics and a battery holder jammed in between for "AA" batteries. Really? AA batteries are highly surpassed by batteries already in use in DSLR cameras everywhere. There is no stability point and tell me, how many times have we all dropped a drink can out of our hands. This is just like those, even though Coke bottles have "curves" they still get dropped. I one hand my cameras frequently when moving from position to position to shoot via a hand strap. This thing wouldn't even accomodate that safely.

Not to mention how to use different ranges of optics which need to be changed out for different subjects. If one 8mm-400mm lens could be produced and have top notch superior optics it would have already been made. Interchangable optics are forever needed. 
Innovation and change is not always best and it is exciting to see people thinking outside the box, but this is impractical in the real world of professional photography, sorry to say. But it would make a neat HD camcorder and conversation piece!

I'VE GOT IT! - This guy needs to partner with the Shake Weight People. . . between the two of them they may be onto something!