The Demands Thought Digital

Much has been made of Mike Johnston’s call for a “Decisive Moment Digital” camera (see this link: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/DMD.shtml for the original article, and here: http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/blog_index.html for additional discussions), but I would like to see a subset of this camera made: the “Demands Thought Digital”, henceforth the DTD.

What is the DTD?  And why is it a subset of the DMD?

The second answer is the easiest:  the DTD should have a large sensor and a fast prime.

It should be the “right” size, have a good grip and many of the other attributes of the DMD.

But it is where the DTD diverges from Mike’s vision that is important.

The DTD must have a fixed lens, with a focus ring and an aperture ring.  No autofocus, just a well damped manual focus ring with a tab, so that focusing can be done by ”feel”, and zone focusing can be simply set up.  In addition, there will be no auto anything, no aperture priority (hence the lens mounted ring), no shutter priority (just a shutter speed dial on the top of the camera), no “intelligent auto” or program modes.  Likewise, face recognition and “styles” will not be options for the DTD.  ISO will be accessed through a dial on the top of the camera.  Exposure can be set using the camera’s spotmeter and a readout in the viewfinder.

As you can imagine, the menu will be short and sweet.  In fact, except for reviewing an image, it’s unlikely you’ll need to use the rear LCD for anything (except formatting an SD card) after initially setting up your limited choices.

Let’s assume that the camera has a 12.3 MP APS-C sized sensor with a 1.5 crop factor.  Its 28mm f2.0 lens would therefore be the equivalent of 42mm in a 35mm film camera.  A boringly normal focal length, so using non-normal perspectives available with shorter or longer lenses to add interest to your photos won’t be possible.  You’ll have to zoom with your feet, compose with care, and use your brain to observe light and form to extract the most from your photos.  Oh, and occasionally you might have to deal with some moiré in your photos, because the sensor won’t have an anti-aliasing filter.  To conserve battery, and to reduce heat build-up, there won’t be any live view.  Heat build-up is a serious issue for large sensor compacts, but by eliminating live view and not trying to make a large sensor clock fast enough to provide fast autofocus, heat generation is minimized.

Most important, you will focus through a rangefinder.  This will allow you to see outside your framing, and will also require you to visualize the depth of field.  You will have to learn the camera, and how it sees, in order to get the best out of it.  Think of a digital Canonet G-III 17 (see: http://cameraquest.com/canql17.htm for details).

That means that to take a good photo, you will have to learn the camera and think about your composition, both of which require *effort*.  The reward?  Well, for most, there may be none.  It’s not a camera for everybody.  But for those who chose to let go of electronic crutches, and who chose to become a part of the photographic process, it might end up being their favorite camera.  Plus, with its manual controls, it would be a great camera for students and amateurs interested in photography who want to, or need to, learn the interrelationship of aperture, shutter speed and ISO.  If the DMD has taken many years to emerge, this camera may take decades, in spite of it’s simplicity.  Camera companies have moved on to become electronics manufacturers.  It’s unlikely a modern camera company will take the risk to pursue a DTD.  But I believe that there is a market for the DTD, and a profitable business can be built marketing it.