Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

With today's modern equipments, we have things easy.
Even to the point of being a mediocre operator, good photos are still possible.

Keeping the exposure triangle controls intact, have you ever wondered; what is the 5 most useful feature in a modern camera? Why did you choose those five?
What if you can only have 4 features? Which ones will you keep?
How about your top 3? 2?
what if you can have only 1?

If I can have only two features, i'm torn between an auto focus and the exposure meter as my second choice.
If I had only one, it would be a good viewfinder.

I believe what essentially matter speaks volumes on our photography preference & style.
Someone who always shoots action on a sunlit field can forgo with the exposure meter and probably choose the auto focus, the last feature he/she would keep.

Why this thought experiment? We'll, in reading many posts, it seems most users have a singular way of using their cameras, never bothering to use the other features and sometimes downright stigmatizing those who use such features. Holding on to that though, would it be nice to buy a camera with only those settings? For one it would be cheaper. Probably more robust too as less things can fail and finally stamp their individuality in place.

As I have aforementioned, we have it easy now. Just look at celphones for example. So why carry all the burden? Why buy & carry all the tools when one only use the hammer for all repairs?

Orphoto Loc: Oregon

First, what is a modern camera? Reliable exposure meters have been built in and taken for granted since the early 70's or so.

As to things available since maybe 1990, in order, I would say:
1. Digital output
2. Adjustable ISO
3. Live View
4. Access to advances in lens quality
5. The built in monitor for review

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

1. The ability to change ISO from picture to picture.
2. Instant access to results.

CO

1) Ability to change ISO quickly from shot to shot. Nikon now has a dedicated ISO button on most cameras.
2) Programmable buttons to carry out functions. Nikon has Fn (function) buttons for that.
3) Pentaprism viewfinder. The glass prism inside give a larger, slightly brighter view through the viewfinder than pentamirror viewfinders.
4) Exposure bracketing. It's great to have when bracketing shots for HDR.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

True, many of these things we already had for quite a bit. But they are more polished and mature technology now.
For example the LCD. It started as a single color matrix with polarized reflecting mirror, which then lead to lighted multi color panels. Then to active matrix technology like the IPS & AFFS and so on. Today, touch screen LCD is everywhere.
With the fast pace changes of products, i guess modern can be loosely set as from now up to the past 8 years.


A good list.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

Tha'ts a cool choice.

cactuspic Loc: Dallas, TX

1. Usable high ISO
2. Ibis that works in conjunction with lens stabilization
3. Histogram in viewfinder prior to taking shot
4. In camera focus bracketing with electronic shutter
5. Back button focusing

cactuspic Loc: Dallas, TX

1. Usable high ISO
2. Ibis that works in conjunction with lens stabilization
3. Histogram in viewfinder prior to taking shot
4. In camera focus bracketing with electronic shutter
5. Back button focusing

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

The big fallacy in your post is the idea that only including the tools you use would make cameras less expensive. The additional features, many which are firmware based, add very little to the cost of the camera. It would be a lot more expensive for the manufacturers to create specialized versions that would have limited appeal than to include all those features.

User ID

This list assumes the normal minimal digital package of EVF, instant replay, MF magnifier, silent mode, self cleaning, and typical image controls such as WB, ISO, tint, etc. It hits me as redundant to put such default features into my personal or unique list of five ... which are these, in priority order:

• Linked IBIS and OIS
• presentable results at insane high ISO
• Magnificent viewfinder
• Preburst at 6K or 8K
• AF in reeeeeeally dim flat light

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Volunteering the flip side, listing things I’d never miss if they were eliminated, listed in order of unimportance:

👎🏽 Exposure modes beyond “M” and “P”
👎🏽 Variable pixel count and or cropping
👎🏽 Pop up flash
👎🏽 Playback mode image editor
👎🏽 AI powered AF ( eye focus etc)

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

EVF
in camera pixel enlargement

smf85 Loc: Freeport, IL

A camera with an exposure meter and autofocus has all the hardware for all the features. Rest is just programming the firmware. You could drop some dedicated buttons but that would be it. Cost delta with volume production - negligible.

User ID

Pretty good summary, still a bit short about the hardware. The sensor motion hardware deserves mention. It serves for sensor self-cleaning, high rez mode, and IBIS.

Without that hardware you won’t get those features just by writing additional FW code.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Auto focus--my eyesight is going
TTL metering