where there’s smoke there’s forum fire
Nikon's current body design have be evolutions of Italian industrial designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro's original F5 camera body. Previous to the F5 Nikon cameras had a much different form factor. With advances in tech such as swivel screens and the need for extra buttons for video, is it time for Nikon to come up with a completely new body design? 15 years with basically the same body design is a pretty long time.
What features would you want to change? What would upset you if it were to change?
I think a better question is, what doesn't need to be changed? I think the current designs have some of the best grips. I don't see any need to change the command dial and mode dials. I guess they could drop the red strip, which is kind of useless, otherwise I don't see any thing that really needs to be changed.
The red "swoosh" is Giorgetto's "signature" and has been on all of the Nikon's he's designed since the F3. It would be a big mistake not to have the red mark. It's part of Nikon's identity now. Although it would be interesting to know if Nikon actually has rights to the red swoosh and if Italdesign isn't part of the next camera bodies then could they continue the design without Giorgetto's "permission".
I think eventually the design will have to change just like the manual film bodies had to change to include auto focus and better forms etc.
studio460 said:
That's probably my favorite part of the product's design!
Same here Studio! There is no point having a Nikon without the Red thing.... :-)
In terms of changing the body design, I thing Nikon has got it right ever since who ever is the designer. My hand basically sleeps on a Nikon body, that's how comfortable it feels when I use it.
They could do with extra buttons to compliment the video functionality but not a major design change. The lock switch at the back around the multi-selector could be used to ad some extra functions.
I would redesign the small button below the lens mount, which is responsible for selecting C,S,M - it's too many times when I accidentally switched it and ruined my picture. apart from that I would like to see a swivel display, but done the sony way, not the d5000 way
adamz said:
I would redesign the small button below the lens mount, which is responsible for selecting C,S,M - it's too many times when I accidentally switched it and ruined my picture. apart from that I would like to see a swivel display, but done the sony way, not the d5000 way
It happen to me so many times as well adamz!
It would be nice if they put it somewhere else
1. I would agree, a lock on the C, S, M switch would be money.
2. Maybe a little more rubber on the D90 bodies - obviously the Dxx to Dx bodies are perfect there.
3. A little more room between the eye piece and the body would be welcome - i hate constantly wiping my nose gunk off of the screen cover (which is why I have a cover). . .not sure if there is a "solution" to that, or it just has to be because it keeps it streamlined.
4. Dual CF and 1 SDHC slots - i know there is room, just do it! (why, because you can never have too many backups!)
5. Soften edges a little more, maybe more aerodynamic (I'm not throwing a D3, just saying)
6. Carbon Fiber anyone? Layer Magnesium alloy shell with some CF do help lighten the load.
I like the current C, S, M switch, it works and I've never had a problem with it. Having more rubber on entry level and consumer cameras couldn't hurt them at all, so go for it! I agree about the eye piece, it needs to be a little bit further off the body. and in addition I'd like it if they were all rounded like on the FX models. The squire eye piece is just a pain. Dual card slots on the D90 and up would be good, but having two CF slots and a SDHC (which will no doubt be replaced by SDXC on the next models anyway) seems to be a little much and would slow down the cameras write operations.
Using carbon fiber would lead to a massive price increase, most likely by a few hundred dollars, no thanks.
Nothing much really. I would bring up modular DSLRs again, but we've discussed that already. Most of you guys don't really like that. Still, I'd like to see that implemented in some way.
valonqe said:
In terms of changing the body design, I thing Nikon has got it right ever since who ever is the designer. My hand basically sleeps on a Nikon body, that's how comfortable it feels when I use it.
Since the F5 Nikon's camera bodies have been based on Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro design. The red "swoosh" is suppose to invoke the same kind of response as seeing a red Ferrari. Red is the color of passion and desire.
Nikon has always treated their cameras like works of art. Their first SLR, the Nikon F, was also designed by a Japanese graphic designer. Yusaku Kamekura based his design on the circle, square, and triangle. The top of the camera's prism was shaped like a triangle on purpose.
It's suppose to convey a sense of relaxation and comfort to the person being photographed, or something like that. The Nikon Fmount was purposefully made into a large circle that takes up most of the body and is directly under the triangle of the prism. Then those two shapes are overlaid on a square surrounding the Fmount within a squared off body for "perfect" balance or harmony.
I don't care all that much about the looks of the camera. What I mean is that I don't see a Canon, Pentax, Olympus, Nikon or whatever and think, "Wow! I wish my camera looked like that.". What triggers my lust is the knowledge of the capabilities within a larger bodied camera.
With that being said I do like the touch of color that the triangle offers and would like to see just a little more of it. It may be heresy but I think the red ring on Canon "L" lenses would look great on a body with the touch of red on today's Nikons.
NikoDoby said:
Nikon has always treated their cameras like works of art. Their first SLR, the Nikon F, was also designed by a Japanese graphic designer. Yusaku Kamekura based his design on the circle, square, and triangle. The top of the camera's prism was shaped like a triangle on purpose.
It is so true Niko !
It's suppose to convey a sense of relaxation and comfort to the person being photographed, or something like that. The Nikon Fmount was purposefully made into a large circle that takes up most of the body and is directly under the triangle of the prism. Then those two shapes are overlaid on a square surrounding the Fmount within a squared off body for "perfect" balance or harmony.
Wording of a poet...... :-0) I held one at a classic camera store when I use to live in London and I felt like I was back in time.
adamz said:
I would redesign the small button below the lens mount, which is responsible for selecting C,S,M - it's too many times when I accidentally switched it and ruined my picture. apart from that I would like to see a swivel display, but done the sony way, not the d5000 way
It most be the way I hold my camera and remove it from my bag, I have set it to S and later found it back to C again
Pete
I think that the ergonomics of the right hand position is near perfect. All controls are easy to reach and in logical positions. Since the left hand is holding the lens the rest of the controls are less of a concern ergonomically, so I have less of an opinion on where they go.
One thing I would like is more of an iTouch/iPad type control of the view screen. Flip through images by flicking left and right, zoom in/out with the spread/pinch of the fingers.
Regarding the C,S or M thing; think yourself lucky - the C*n*n owners had to worry about the lens falling off!
Jorpet - nice ideas - how about a whizzy wheel on the back like the ipods to scroll through continuous menu items instead of paging through separate menu's?
Target rifles have adjustable stocks - how about a base plate spacer to add the feel of a battery grip. The D5000 is too small below the lens, it makes handling the D5000 more difficult than the larger cameras IMHO. A lot of people who add a battery grip do it for the feel rather than the battery capacity these days.
Meh, I got grips for my camera because vertical shooting a pain without them.
JorPet said:
I think that the ergonomics of the right hand position is near perfect. All controls are easy to reach and in logical positions. Since the left hand is holding the lens the rest of the controls are less of a concern ergonomically, so I have less of an opinion on where they go.
I agree with you mate a part form the WB button. I thing they should move it somewhere on the right where is the mode and exposure compensation button because if you want to change WB during the shoot you have to take you're left hand from the lens to the top of the camera to change the WB.
Similar to what Canon has would be nice or anywhere on the right.
how many people actually does that valonqe? I would say less than 10%, especially those who shot RAW.
adamz said:
how many people actually does that valonqe? I would say less than 10%, especially those who shot RAW.
I know that adamz, but I still thing that if it was on the right side at least for me
it would be more practical, because all you have to do is move you're index finger from shutter to the WB and back.
At the end of the day it's not a big deal because a photographer would set the camera first and then take the shot. Not to mention if you are shooting RAW whatever is the white balance you can easy change it on the post.
valonqe said:
I agree with you mate a part form the WB button. I thing they should move it somewhere on the right where is the mode and exposure compensation button because if you want to change WB during the shoot you have to take you're left hand from the lens to the top of the camera to change the WB.Similar to what Canon has would be nice or anywhere on the right.
I totally agree, one-hundred, trillion percent! I have to change white balance a LOT. And when I have to do it, I have to do it quickly. It's extremely disruptive the way I have to change it now, with the button on the left, and the display, all the way on top. I like your suggestion, on the right somewhere.
studio460 said:
I totally agree, one-hundred, trillion percent! I have to change white balance a LOT. And when I have to do it, I have to do it quickly. It's extremely disruptive the way I have to change it now, with the button on the left, and the display, all the way on top. I like your suggestion, on the right somewhere.
I agree but even canons model isn't the perfect prototype as I've fumbled with that too.
I wish they would put a second sub command dial next to the command dial where you can set WB (or program it to do something else) and move the AF lock and AF point selector down above the 4way panel. It would be so convenient if you could scroll between Wb presets as well as have a firmware setting that allows you to scroll between your own presets. (Im using a D700 and D90 as the cameras Im referencing from mostly because I am most familiar with them)
kyoshinikon said:
I wish they would put a second sub command dial next to the command dial where you can set WB (or program it to do something else) and move the AF lock and AF point selector down above the 4way panel. It would be so convenient if you could scroll between Wb presets as well as have a firmware setting that allows you to scroll between your own presets. (Im using a D700 and D90 as the cameras Im referencing from mostly because I am most familiar with them)
I agree with that a hundred-trillion google percent! Also a sub-menu to change the micro-miniature "sun," "cloud," "lightbulb" icons to a simple numeric display of degrees, Kelvin (and, perhaps, even an alphanumeric display like, "F1," "F2," for fluorescent). Aw heck, while they're at it, two more: "SV," "MV" (sodium-vapor and mercury-vapor).
I like the button layout just the way it is. The right hand side is already "cluttered" with too many buttons. One of the things I hate about my canons are the placement of the white balance, ISO, and metering buttons. I like the way Nikon has them. I've got two hands so I don't mind using them to change settings. I think we will probably see less buttons or rather more multifunction buttons that are programmable.
I am really curious to see what Nikon does with the video record button.
I like where the Lv button on the the D3s and wouldnt mind replacing the mike button with a video record button...
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