Simplifying MY Photography

[@mrjoishi]

Interesting. Personally, I’m ok with all the extra buttons dials and features in new camera, even though I don’t use them all. I find that they allow me to customize my cameras to operate in a way that works for me, which is simply.

[@andrewsimpson5436]

It's not the key to your success, it's the limitations you impose on yourself and what you miss! You don't need to set the front dial on your Fuji to change your Aperture, you can assign nothing to it, likewise all the other C buttons! You then have the basic camera you crave! Likewise nobody has to see in set focal lengths, another limitation you are setting on yourself! Using a zoom simply allows you to capture the image you see at the time the light or composition attracts you to what you see. Yes you can go back again with a 135 or whatever but will the light be there then? I doubt it. In short you are limiting yourself and trying to portray your limitation as your strength🤣 or making yourself better than others. That's the perfect mindset for a Leica user, go get one 🙂

[@thenomaddad]

Simple, just ignore the buttons

[@c0ldc0ne]

You must have missed the part where he specifically addressed this.

[@jeffkogler1170]

I think I get the simplicity argument to some extent. I think the key question is, "does the camera give adequately fast access to the desired functionality on the go?" I'm probably less than one percent of the photographer I could be if I was determined to only acquire and use a 23mm and/or 35mm prime. But do I have the time to do that and will I get more enjoyment and satisfaction with a wider range of focal length choices. For me its the latter and I think I'm thoughtful enough to judge if I can do what I want without overspending or carrying too much gear. The question "Do you really see the world in that many field of views?" borders on the inane to me. Of course not. But for any given range of subjects the ability to frame and/or achieve depth of field that I desire is valuable to me. So why not facilitate that in my lens choice, be it primes or reasonable quality zooms!!!???

[@jeetts59]

Totally agree, it’s not just cameras, modern cars are a prime example of manufacturers butting more than the driver needs. I use fujifilm and ignore the majority of the buttons and dials.

[@davidmccarthy6061]

Yes, full auto mode is fine for 90% of the pictures I and most people take, and there is always ten minutes on the computer to make any improvement adjustments I might want.

[@creative_cozmic]

@@davidmccarthy6061 I wouldn't say full auto is fine for most people. A lot of the time you need to be in control of your exposure to get the desired result. Aperture priority is very popular as is using manual but with auto ISO as I do a lot. You do need some control over your exposure, depending on the photo you are taking.

[@emanonmuc7762]

Well said. For example, I don't need any video function in a camera. I just want to take photos. All I need is aperture, time and ISO. Okay okay, and RAW/JPG and monochrome or color..... I started in 1982 with a Canon F1. There was a ring for aperture and a pointer for time in the viewfinder. The two reconciled, that was it. Wonderfully simple.

[@thepirateshoots]

Bought the F1 2yrs ago: or simply sunny 16 rule! Works.

[@33antonius]

The most simple is a apsc dslr with a 18-55 kitlens. Not too heavy, optical viewfinder, good enough lens with some flexibility. Shutter priority, auto iso, auto focus, awb, there you go! Turn off beeps and lights, just RAW that's it. Just like a bicycle 3 speed hub.

[@garreswe]

I think that camera makers aren't learning from the successes of the mobile phones. The phones are really simple and they are taking better and better photos so in many situations they can completely replace the dedicated cameras. These are, on the other hand, getting more and more complex and difficult to use so I understand if people don't want to buy one. I'd like to see a drastically simplified system that doesn't require 6 months practice to learn.

[@CarlosPlazola]

If manufacturers would not give multiple options, users would be bitching about it. So, this video is all about bitching about cameras being flexible.

[@robcoates4394]

No, the "limitations of a prime lens" don't scare me, Craig. I find the flexibility of a zoom lens suits my style of photography better. Being a retired amateur with limited funds to spend, my 12 year-old Nikon D7000 with two zooms (an 18-200 Nikor and a 10-24 Nikor) meet most of my modest ambitions. You mentioned the Leica M11. Out of curiosity I just Googled that camera and they're around $AU14,000 here in Australia. For that, I could fly to Scarborough and try to duplicate those wonderful shots in this video.! Meanwhile I'll stick to my D7000 and just ignore the functions I don't use. My first camera was a Kodak Starflash, bought around 1965. It had a shutter release lever, a film advance and a film rewind knob. Now THAT was simple! Cheers from DownUnder 🦘

[@pwx8460]

Fewer buttons = more time in the menus. Did that really simplify your photography? Guess I agree with that guy in your head....ignore the buttons you don't need them. 😅

[@alanplatt888]

Food for thought ! Great video, thank you. I loved my M10 for its simplicity. Too expensive to carry and depreciate, not as good image wise as hyped up to be. Nowhere near as good as Fuji / Hasselblad medium format.....(all sold). I use the X-T5, which I like a lot. I've just bought a X-T1 with 24, 35 & 50mm manual lenses. I think I may "lock" some of its features, going for simplicity. Subjectively I'm looking for simplicity. Hence I enjoyed you take on simplicity.

[@Hirsutechin]

If there's too many buttons, have you thought of superglue? 😂

[@EJKelly]

Agreed. I am waiting for a non hybrid camera for only stills. This may eliminate some of the buttons reduce the weight and generally keep things simplier.

[@TL-xw6fh]

Sad to say, there has been a few attempts at that (Leica for example), but the cameras do not sell. Only a very small minority are prepared to buy such a camera because they are much more expensive (niche cameras) and very difficult to sell on. As consumers, we are all conditioned to the notion of "more is better".

[@mortenthorpe]

Yes… the whole “hybrid-necessity” is a gimmicky nightmare… for video, get a proper video camera… for stills, get a proper camera… for the remaining 5-10 percent, ok, maybe hybrids, but is that even a market-share worth exploring?

[@keima1110]

I know a lot of people love prime lens. for the quality and the aperture. you are not minority.

[@casperghst42]

For years I had an OM-E10 and the 17mm Olympus lens. I also had the 25 and 45 I think but hardly ever used them. I traveled all over Europe with that setup, and took thousands of photos. Never needed a zoom. These days I have 3 zoom lenses covering from 16mm to 200 or 300mm. Do I take better photos, not really, I take different photos. But I am still thinking about getting the new Pen and a 17mm. (and get ridge of my X-T3 setup which I do not like).

[@truthseeker6804]

i like more buttons and features as it gives me the ability to customize them to my liking and also disable the others. also animal autofocus is handle in wildlife. just as trains would be handy for train spotters. the more features a camera has makes me happy actually, because it gives you the sense to explore more abilities of your camera. i was never into wildlife but my camera had animal eye autofocus so i begun to explore wildlife and enjoy it actually. same as my camera has fast fps, so i begun to take sports and enjoy it. in the sametime, i also like simplicity, so i customize my camera to be simple as possible, most times im actually in Auto mode or Shutter priority. so something for everyone.

[@judem429]

Fuji allows you to repurpose most dials.

[@kevinwhite6176]

I think the best part of this video is that you're right; and so is someone who wants a camera where there's an easily accessed custom button or dial right under fingertip.

[@rem792]

Both types of cameras should exist, you're right. I love as many buttons as possible to quickly access what I need.

[@jeffkogler1170]

@@rem792 I think this was my initial reaction also.

[@axelkeuchel5728]

Would be interesting to see a camera manufacturer offering cameras like cars. You can get a basic model with basic functionality, and if you want more you can buy it as additional extras. I really would like to see a digital camera with just the controls that analog cameras had back in the day - aperture controls on the lenses, a speed dial and a dial for ISO settings. Simplicity is not a limitation, it’s a liberation from clutter.

[@ErikB750]

Don’t make them awake … don’t want to spend €/$/£ for options that are already there but must get enabled (features in software). Or even worse, have subscription based options, like they want for cars

[@eltinjones4542]

Nikon FE, those were the days Mind you my D40x was fairly simple and doesn't have video, which I never use Nowadays I've had to use the LCD more on my cameras, since I unfortunately got a stroke in my right eye 😱

[@pancakelens75]

That’s part of what I love about my little Fuji XE4, it’s SO simple!

[@wilfs1196]

Agree 100 %. Sold mine, bad decision.

[@archglencoe8557]

we all had a great laugh at this,, many thanx, your cameras arent preventing this, you are.

[@silverstreettalks343]

I have just switched from APS-C to MFT. The camera I got (second hand) came with a 25mm prime and a 40-150mm kit zoom. which takes me back to somewhere near my old film days with a 50mm and an 80-200 zoom. I have to move a bit more to get the framing I want, but it's as possible for me in my late 70s as it was in my mid 30s. I am bewildered by most of the 15-odd buttons, and occasionally find nothing works as expected because I touched the wrong one while changing hands or something. I went out to shoot the moon the other night and took a tripod -- foolishly, my old one with less than positive leg locks. I spent more time setting up on an uneven semi-rural footway than in actually taking photos. Just for fun, I decided to photograph a water tower opposite where I had set up. My tripod as I had already in the car. I braced myself against the car and took a photo at f 5.6, 6 seconds exposure, ISO 400. The camera shake is discernable, but the photo is still usable. With the camera itself on the car roof and minimal handholding, the next shot was even better at 13 seconds. How often do cameras really need tripods these days, if you think about the options?. I am seeing a lot of talk in the MFT jungle about the need for small travel cameras which do the job without necessarily being top of the line. I used a Nikon 1 V1 for a while until the lens gave up; it just fitted a jacket pocket, and the 30-110 zoom was comfortable in the other. It did good in-town street scenes at night depite what they say about small sensors. If I really needed more advanced controls, many were in a menu somewhere, but it worked quite happily as a point-and-shoot with a few extra options. I like PASM and movie. I don't necessarily need 4k even. I like a selfie-capable screen and an EVF, and interchangeable lenses. If I were a camera company, I think I would set up another, somewhat obscure company to make simple travel cameras that look vaguely like a Lumix GX 9 or a Fujifilm XT-4 or whatever, probably with more plastic, and essentially the same inside, and flog them off through Aldi if necessary, at $100 less than your name brand equivalent. But i am not a businessman...

[@thomasocheltree4170]

Thought provoking to say the least. I think you hit the nail on the proverbial head. It’s not the camera that sees the photo, it’s you…

[@nickmalataverne5098]

Aperture and SIGMA lenses? You'll need the camera's control to change aperture. Built-in levels of my X-T4? Love it, missed it on earlier cameras. But besides my X-T4 I bought an "old" Fujifilm X-M1 recently as an "everyday carry" camera and use the 15-45 mm zoom on it mostly. The zoom is just the simplification of two fixed width lenses in one, because it's (mostly) either on 15 or on 45 mm. As for features, I love that Fuji calculates the number of intermediate pictures needed for stacking (i.e. focus bracketing) which I had to do manually on my Canon EOS cameras.

[@kiwikea2002]

Challenging video, as usual. Thank you. Two thoughts. Simple does not mean the same for everyone necessarily. So offers on the market will have to appeal to a wider slice of users. With capabilities I may not need or like. (Although I agree that there might be ... how did you call it ... a runoff of specs these days. I don't like or need all the video capabilities, for instance. So I look for a solid and easy to shut those out of my handling the camera.) I still believe simplification lies to a certain degree with the photographer. I want to have options and make the decision myself. I make my choices (lens, camera settings, accessories, ...) towards what I need and towards simplified operations after that , and then I lock myself in with these choices for the project at hand. But I want those to be my decisions, not so much choices locked by the manufacturer. And then I consciously live with my (locked) decision. Until next project.

[@Durio_zibethinus]

Simplify my settings helps me tremendously for a quick decision, or made me focus on how I'd like to craft my photograph that day. Of course I prefer camera with more custom dials, so I don't jump into the abyss of menu 😅

[@fellowcitizen]

You need a sword!

[@tnargs57]

My simplest digital camera from the last ten years is the Sigma dp0. These cameras are unique in so many ways, not just the sensor. They have their very own way of going about things, and simplicity is clearly a major part of it.

[@raymeedc]

EyE totally agree. I’ve been shooting for nigh on 50 years. In that space of time I’ve acquired more than 40 prime vintage manual lenses that are keepers (I don’t shoot much with zooms, but the ones I do own & occasionally use are modern, automatic, and miniscule) Ivalso shoot in 3 formats, full frame, APS-C, and micro 4/3. BUT, I only ever leave home with just one body, one lens, whichever might be my choice for intended point of view on any given day, and consequently one thing on my mind. What EyE might miss here or there with this methodology is more than compensated for by what EyE do catch that might have been mist other “wise” 👌

[@thegreatvanziniphotos5976]

I want an Digital Argus C3 with an easier lens changing system. LOL. Seriously, I'm with you. Something simpler would be great.

[@kentsoderstrom8378]

When I bought an old Olympus E M5 mk1, I was terrified when I checked how many things I had to decide what I should use. Should that be on or off? What about that? What does it even mean? If I choose wrong now, will it make bad photos for me? I counted that I had to make about 250 decisions before it was set! Was that really neccesary? Yes, simplifying my photography sounds very wise. Missing the 70’s with my film cameras. Not that much to choose from.

[@usablellc6735]

I couldn't agree more about the complexity of today's cameras. I often carry a Lumix with me when out and about and a Fuji X-T5 for more serious photography. Trying to remember how each function works on each camera drives me nuts. I'm not talking about all the 'advanced' functions, just adjusting aperture, shutter speed and ISO. There ought to a "simplify" button that enables you to turn off all the extras so you can just take the picture.

[@raytbrown2]

I grew up on a Pentax K-1000 -- Simple & pure. I miss it.

[@Zobeid]

3:33 "Buttons and dials can easily get knocked-it's not just a case of not using them if I don't want to." I rarely have a problem with controls getting bumped. Yes, it really is just a case of not using them if I don't want to. There's nothing keeping me from running my camera with simplified settings. I can shoot raw and forget about everything related to JPEG rendering. If I like, I can set ISO 200, aperture priority, manual focus and use that camera just like my old 35mm SLR that I learned on. All it requires is some mental clarity and self-discipline. Providing that isn't the camera's job.

[@my2004rt]

Each time I pick up my Leica camera it reminds me what I set out to do... simplify my photography. I purchased used knowing the price will not go down much further over time. I do have an OM-1 as well which is awesome, but it too has many buttons and features that I rarely use. Love the color of my 2009 Leica M9 CCD camera. Since the lcd is quite low res, I only use it to make sure my histogram is in the ball park.

[@marksmith-nb8bh]

I've owned a Leica Q2 for 18 months and that £5k got me 7 dials/buttons. It was expensive but I have no regrets. Simple, high quality camera.

[@ditruter]

Leica works in that way: gives less and costs much more. But it works with people who has 5k to spend in a single compact camera with fixed lens.

[@vikdaddy]

I think you're missing the point. ​@@ditruter

[@DessieTots]

“High quality camera” and Leica are contradictory. If the Q series of cameras were one and half thousand pounds cheaper at launch I would consider that high quality. But Leica insists on pushing that price boundary towards the idiotically over-priced.

[@marksmith-nb8bh]

@@DessieTots I don't see how that is a contradictory statement. It is an exceptionally high quality product irrespective of who made it or how much it costs.

[@matteoenricocattaneo]

totally agree...

[@WMedl]

Yes simplicity is a good way but one should not forget that the angle of view of focal attention in humans is about 40 to 50 degrees, whereas the WHOLE field of view is between 175 degrees for younger to 130 degrees for older people. The focal length of human eyes vary accorcing to the distance of the object in focus - called accomodation and varies between about 30 and 50 degrees. So the human eye function more like a zoom lense. But the perceptual process is much much more complicated involving neural processes in eyes and mostly different parts of the brain.

[@peterjackhandy]

So - The x-t6 is released & each function can only be accessed in one way: Problem - Should that be by digging through a menu & should there be just one menu? Or should there be a single-purpose button for each function? Or should the camera be a point & shoot, with just AUTO. And, most importantly, who is to decide what features are included & how they are to be accessed? The ultimate option will be that, when ordering your bespoke camera, it's built with just that configuration & no further options. Alternatively, there will be an x-t6L for landscape photographers, an x-t6S for sport photographers, an x-t6B for birds-in-flight photographers... And so on ad nausiam. Thank the Gods for customisable buttons & the Quick Menu, say I.

[@Semeyaza]

Scarcity (or limitations if you prefer) often increase creativity and original solutions. It's a well proven fact, often forgotten under the barrage of modern, oversaturated and gluttony inducing marketing. You need more! You cannot live without more! You will get better results with more!! Buy MORE!! BUY!!!

[@snsokstan]

My first camera was a Kodak Brownie. I don’t even remember if it had a manual. My X-T5 has an almost 400 page manual to go with those 26 buttons. And I love it. I really dislike the LCD screen menus. But not to worry, Craig. I am sure voice - enabled AI will return you to simple.

[@markfischer5112]

Aren't Olympus E-PLs pretty close to what you're looking for? Simple, few dials and buttons, decent image quality, affordable?

[@photoferretuk1787]

Hmmn. I think when you start out you just want it simple. After a while you need to get some extra functionality as you start to want to create something specific. But, after a point it all becomes superfluous. My XT-4 has a ton of stuff I don't use really. I do want interchangeable lenses, I do want 24mp and I do want weather proofing and flippy screen and bb focus. Beyond that though I don't need the rest. Video capabilities are irrelevant to me. I tend to shoot manual exposure, so really, apart from switching between continuous/manual focus, the only things I need to adjust are the exposure triangle...Messing up and down with the least important element to the shot to get the preferred exposure. Depending on conditions iso could be 160 or 6400, ss 1/30 or 4000, aperture f1.4 - 22..whatever works depending upon light, conditions and the aesthetic I want.

[@TristanColgate]

My simplest is a zeiss ikon nettar, no built in range finder, I've never taken a decent photo with it, and externaly range finders are a pain. I have a zorki 4k tthat I got started with, that worked out alright, but longer term, I just didn't get on with rangefinders. Simplest that I really enjoy is a TLR, after that my Oly OM1n. My fanciest film camera is an OM4ti, and the auto-exposure on it is great, but It's not really necessary (and I've been known to accidentally leave exposure compensation set and messing up a bunch of shots). I have an Oly em5 mk3. I leave the back screen flipped around and usually shoot in A. I did try out the in-camera focus stacking the other day, that is pretty cool!

[@harjeetsingh9749]

I have 2 Nikon DSLR crop and full frame, yes buttons? plenty. Man has gone too far with technology fact. Too much complication, too much electronics. Life is too hectic and fast paced we forget to slow down. I say bring back simplicity and less so one can simply live in this confused world, in this world full of excess. So, with this, my plan is to go back to days of film just for a feel and experience of how it was. Nikon FM simple raw mechanical photography. Bit of film shooting alongside digital..

[@wilfs1196]

A simple explanation on simplicity. Should have kept my Fuji XE4..

[@mdw1927]

The problem is a simple camera for A is not the same as B. Manufacturer's dilemma. I remember when the XT5 was announced as the photographer's camera and reviewers kept comparing the video specs with the XH2. Why? Anyway I have a Sony A74. When I first bought it I spent several weeks refining how the buttons and dials were setup to meet my needs. Since then I have never looked in the menu and the camera just gets out of the way.

[@TarrelScot]

Uncanny. I was only thinking about this yesterday. I was musing on the fact that I'd never used the pixel-shift mode on my X-T5 and it led me to thinking how many other features I never use! Simplicity-wise I don't think I can beat my Mamiya 645 with waist-level finder. Shutter speed dial, aperture and focus rings on the lens, film winder, shutter-release. That's it. Doesn't even have a meter. I agree about stabilisation. Being able to shoot hand-held at half a second with a wide angle lens opens up huge possibilities for a more dynamic approach to seascapes.

[@laxcdn]

Why do you need that extra dial, well what happens if you use a lens without an aperture ring like the XC lenses? Funny as you talk about how to simplify but you seem to buy the latest and greatest which has more features, ie x-t5. Why not go back to some 5mp 2000 camera that has less, canon G1? Also you can take less out and simply do photography if you leave the video cameras at home and just go shoot photos, that simple:) I get it tho, I don't need all the features and 40mp etc, I use an X-T1 now instead of 4 cameras.

[@bobpetti4841]

I agree with your premise 100%. I've always felt my ideal camera would be a digital version of my old OM-2n - add EVF, IBIS, simple autofocus, a sensor and off we go. No video. Sure - some features like focus peaking would be appreciated - but I don't use 90% of the menu options today so I wouldn't miss them. Yes a stripped down camera with basic features would be attractive to me - might tempt me to open my wallet for such a thing.

[@desgardner7169]

If there was less buttons to press on cameras most KZbin photographers would have nothing to talk about! Wouldn't it be great if there was just F stops and shutter speeds plus a light meter on your camera! the latter is not really needed but would make things a little easier! I only ever carry one camera and a short zoom but have I just bought a prime 35mm and having fun with that for awhile, thank you for your thoughts on simplicity....it all makes sense!

[@julianhignell8452]

For me I can make my photography complicated by using all those features but I know that I don’t have to. You can ignore all the dials by putting them in auto mode them all these cameras with an abundance of dials become the Ricoh! 😁 Or you could buy a PASM dial camera and just set up your most used settings. I actually like the process of the dials and don’t feel like they get in the way but are just part of that process. 🤷

[@mortenthorpe]

Olympus cameras are actually the worst, in terms of buttons… maybe seconded by Panasonic … the way they are laid out and the sheer number of them, make them feel like computers, and not the basic camera, with the exposure triangle as the focus… it’s the lack of promoting the important buttons, the exposure-critical ones, on Olympus, which breaks their layout for me… why is one button more important or noticeable than the other? Prioritize! Group buttons, and at an extreme, remove buttons

[@henkw1495]

It is not just photography. I'm driving a car from the 20th century and I hesitate to buy a modern one. My digital camera is a micro four thirds. I use it most in aperture priority mode and use a button for exposure compentation. I try not to botter about the other features, but sometimes it feels as if I don't use it as intended. Like you I would just prefer shutterspeed, aperture, iso and focus. So I'm now going back to analog, not for better pictures, but for the joy of taking photos. I hope to find a Conon P with a 50mm lens.

[@TheSgyro]

I like that the fuji cameras have all those dials and buttons, coz it makes the camera look soo pretty! 😂.. I am on aperture priority like 99% of the time.. So i don't really need the shutter and iso dials... But pretty pretty 😍

[@stevedunn2502]

Hi! I have had a Fuji X-M1 with a 41mm- equivalent lens as my EDC for the last six years, and it has 13 external controls. I’ve been enjoying photography for over 40 years, and this is possibly my favourite camera I’ve ever owned. (It’s not my only camera, though….I also regularly shoot with pair of Fuji X-E2s, one with a 53mm and the other with an 84 - 306mm equivalent zoom). Before buying the X-M1, I remember reading a blog post from a pro photographer from when the camera was launched back in 2013. It was entitled ‘A loss of control’, and bemoaned the fact that it was such a ‘dumbing down’ of the Fuji ethos of having traditional dials and aperture rings. I guess there’ll always be purists and modernisers wherever you look in human history….. P.S. It’s a shame that Fuji has become such a celebrated brand over the past couple of years….if my cameras ever needed replacing, instead of £100(which is what I paid for my X-M1), I’d need to spend £400 - if I could find one for sale at any price, that is!

[@GavinThomas-pix]

X-M1 with 27mm TT Artisans first choice. No 2 Canon M200 with 22mm (Canon has better auto focus).

[@strippedlist]

Fujifilm x-e4 is the answer for your needs...what you wish for, others say it's a weakness not having programable buttons, you are the first saying that

[@alstuart8801]

I've no idea how people use the screen to compose photographs.. as an ex art director i just cant imagine doing this ( im using a Nikon D5 DSLR )... looks soo wrong

[@TheKentaurion]

Using a Lumix GM1 and a 14/2,8 (eqv.28 mm) is simple enough for me. Total package is well under 300g.

[@piero_75]

I am definitely of a similar mindset. A Canon 5D mk 1 has been the simplest so far for me: very few buttons and menu options, and no video, with very long battery life, great build and wonderful image quality. It is a big heavy beast though.

[@tew962]

Its always better to have options and simply ignore those you don't like or need than to be limited and cannot get what you like or need. BTW I love primes but I still want a mount in order to have the choice of which prime I want to take for the day and circumstances.

[@robertwlittlejohn]

I seriously though this was a parody channel until i watched other videos and read the comments and realised it wasn't. OH MY GOD

[@bevdonovan]

I like to shoot with 2 bodies - Olympus EM-1 MKIII & an OM-1. But I do also have an original EM-10 that I picked up 2nd hand. I take it out for fun sometimes with just the 25 & 45mm F1.8 primes. I do agree, it is fun to just strip it back to aperture, ISO & shutter speed.

[@richardyeung6562]

Fully agree. I bought nearly 30 different cameras over the last decade, but never use their vedio function.

[@johnclarke1319]

SO we have to pay for some many function we don't use! 2 buttons must cost more than one! madness or sales gimmicks? ( both)

[@sailslikeagirl3154]

I have the Q3 but now struggle with just one focal length. Really miss my favourite lens 70/200 often.

[@ImolaS3]

I just ignore most of them on my XT-5. I don't desire fewer buttons and dials, I am happy to not use most of those fitted

[@Acomyztly]

I don’t agreed, It's better that there's more than there's something missing it is my personal holistic life view 😊

[@jmcgonnell]

I would rather have a camera engineered to last generations with top notch weather sealing over almost any other consideration.

[@RC-74]

I learned on (and still have and use) a Minolta SRT-100. You cannot get much more basic than that one. Sure, it has limitations, but some of (most of) my best photos were taken with it. Thanks you Craig for your wisdom!

[@glorphindale]

I knew Holga had to make an appearance! I sometimes use Panasonic XS-1 in Dynamic Monotone mode, camera is miniscule and there are almost no options and buttons. I'd probably need to tape the zoom button to make it even simper to use. I've learned about that camera via 35hunter blog, where author uses many of the zoom lens as wide primes, never using the zoom function.

[@peterebel7899]

That's why I love shooting with Voigtländer* lenses: - They give me the task to turn in aperture and focus- the camera doesn't have access to these functions. - This leave me using the on/off and shutter button of the camera - that's it. Oh yes, sometimes I still use the exposure compensation which is set on one dial. * Yes, no zoom, no AF, no IS, no auto aperture, all mechanical as it was early in the last century. And yes, I always carry one lens&body only.

[@penrox0]

Totally agree.. I have a Sony A7 used with a 1970s Helios 44-2 lens … small and to go Manual.. it’s a delight. Set to ISO 400, f8 and 12 feet … point and shoot from the hip for Street Photography …. Some great photos 😁

[@34136TS]

X-Pro 3 & manual Voigtlander 35mm f/1,2.

[@frederickmcdonald6636]

I have some of the latest gear and I've watched so many photographers discuss all the benefits of all the latest gear but for me it comes down to exactly what you said and I have to add that I find myself going back to simplicity pretty much 90% of the time. It's nice to have the newest gear and to have all the options available, but when I'm out and about enjoying my walk and with my camera at the ready - my mind set to easy and simplicity. Thank you for your words - nice to see I'm not the only one - have a lovely day....

[@beachcaster56]

Get a Fujifilm F30 and leave it on Auto.

[@StewartPalmshore]

What kind of camera is that in your thumb nail?

[@LDN_BOX]

Buy an XT30ii or wait for the XT50

[@mmartel]

Everyone's journey is different; everyone's preferences are different. I understand why some folks - especially folks old enough to have shot on film and with manual focus primes when controls and the ways you could use a camera were much more limited (and when zoom lenses were mostly a small step above garbage in IQ). If you want that experience again, there's still film and instant cameras! Or you can just put the camera in Auto mode, shoot JPEG only, and focus on subject, composition and light! You don't even have to think about aperture or shutter speed or ISO or exposure compensation!!!! Personally I'm on a totally different journey and don't pine one bit for more simplicity in my gear; that's not to say I couldn't live with a shorter feature set. It's just that a shorter feature set or fewer buttons won't improve my enjoyment of photography, or my skill, one bit. In 99% of my photo outings, I'm finding subjects, setting up composition and focus, setting aperture for desired depth of field, making sure my shutter speed is as low as possible but sufficient to freeze motion and exposure is good - leave on AutoISO (since managing ISO is an unnecessary complexity!!!). I find it *absolutely trivially easy* to ignore features and/or button on a camera I don't use. For example, the "Scenes" modes or "Filters" modes or even P mode (I'm 96% A, 2% M, 1% S, 1% Auto). I also find the obsession with primes and disregard for zooms unrelatable and at times tedious or even condescending (even if unintentionally so) - as if you can't improve your photographic skill if you rely on the "crutch" of zooming rather than shuffling your feet and fighting to make compositions that work with a restricted focal length. Yes, primes "simplify" your experience and pare down your composition choices. But you simply cannot, despite what you say, always frame and reach what you want with primes (esp. short ones);; you can't always come back to a place to shoot again with a different set of lenses. You can't always come back to where you're shooting in this moment. The light may be different. The subject may be gone. These are poor, borderline intellectually dishonest justifications for favoring one or two primes. No, you choose primes because (a) you want to challenge yourself/practice "seeing" by intentionally limiting yourself to a particular focal length (b) you prefer the rendering/faster aperture settings/light-gathering/sharpness characteristics over zooms (c) primes may be lighter/smaller than zooms (d) you don't own any zooms that pair well with your camera body. To me, everything else is denial or some flavor of copium that modern zooms are simply the more flexible option - even if they fall short on max aperture, rendering/bokeh, or handling. You *ALWAYS* have the option to set a zoom lens at a particular focal length and not touch it. The real reasons to choose primes are the others I mentioned. All this said, it can be refreshing to find out what you really *need* vs. *want* in a camera body and/or your lens bag by trying something more pared down for some period of time. One could, for example, try shooting only with a focal length or two to learn how much they needed other focal lengths or zooms. For example, I recently tried a couple trips where I didn't take a lens longer than 120mm FF equivalent to see how much I missed longer tele lenses. Turned out I didn't miss them at all. I also recently tried a Lumix G100 which lacks IBIS. After having used only bodies that had IBIS for the last 6 years, I was skeptical that I'd find the experience acceptable. But if anything, I found I could live without IBIS for far more than I ever thought possible. Etc.

[@jeffkogler1170]

Very good post especially para 3.

[@mediumcool1]

Star sign? And how does that add to the story?

[@karinjohnstone6690]

I agree with Mark Smith. Get a Leica …

[@alstuart8801]

Schon... ex Santana ... good choice

[@Terrilltf]

I remember back in the day the ISO switch used to be embedded in the shutter speed dial. You would have to pull the dial up to switch. Aperature was completely manual and was changed right on the lenses. I had the Minolta Maxxum.

[@johnnykempo]

Just like the X-pro 1 and 2 then

[@kbstabs5982]

Excellent message

[@Steck896]

So why did you sell your quite essential Olympus cameras to buy new over complicated Fujifilm cameras?

[@e6Vlogs]

Because I was fed up with a camera that didn’t have a flip-up screen!

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

Lived there for 13 years - love at first sight.

[@brookfabling]

I like buttons

[@buyaport]

On a quest for a simple camera? Use your phone camera. (Just joking.)

[@jeffkogler1170]

You might be joking but the logical extension of the video's argument heads in that direction and beyond.

[@friedrichmandel2574]

Modern cameras are designed by engineers, not photographers ... resulting in overengineering, lots of buttons, too complex menus

[@mostlymessingabout]

I have to disagree with you there. Modern cameras are designed by a lot of market research. And a lot of people ask for more buttons knobs and dials to change every settings quicker. But if you're nostalgic you have the choice of older cameras or just not touch the buttons you don't use...

[@rem792]

Agreed, I want buttons and dials to make it quicker to operate, not going in menus that keep getting bigger and more complex​@@mostlymessingabout

[@mmartel]

Here's what you can do about it: Put your over-engineered camera into Auto mode, point it at what you want a picture of, and press the shutter. You're welcome.

[@acrummey85]

My simplest camera was the Pentax K1000. Averaging meter, set the ISO, change the aperture and shutter speed to centre the needle, focus manually and shoot. The only “simple” digital cameras I have owned were point and shoots which gave practically no choices beyond composition. We need like a leica simplicity at a realistic price. But no one would buy it.

[@sophietucker1255]

Kodak instamatic with cartridge film.

[@jeffkogler1170]

😊

[@SummersSnaps]

This argument or philosophy mainly comes down to case usage. As a working professional I like the buttons, I like/need the customisation, some of this actually dictates the buying decision of what brand I seek out. The devil's in the details, it's not just a case of a camera have x feature, its about how it is implemented and how I can interact with it that is really important. But on downtime, photography that is less client brief orientated or time sensitive, I enjoy restricted approaches. As long as the buttons can be assigned to doing nothing, that's the most important thing. As you say an accidental knock of a dial or button can be annoying.

[@Lepewhi]

I am now traveling with a Panasonic g100, very simple. I must admit, I do reach to change settings, but that’s by habit. I’m rather pleased with the images, and that’s what matters.

[@mmartel]

Just got one myself. Operating one is a fabulous exercise in clarifying what is a need vs.what is a want in an ILC (e.g., IBIS, full mechanical shutter, faster flash sync speed, dedicated AF switch, weather sealing, etc.). I'm not ready to let my "A" cam go just yet (if ever), but the G100 is more suitable for much more of my photography than I had previously thought. And because it's so small and cheap, it makes an excellent "B" cam with a prime or small lens in the bag or on a sling. I bought mine mainly so I'd be able to use a second lens (e.g., UWA prime) more often without having to switch lenses.

[@Lepewhi]

@@mmartel For sure, mine is in my backpack until summoned into action. It's the cheapest camera I own(I own 3 cameras). I know there are a lot of people who don't like it because it doesn't have IBIS, but it is small, cheap and simple. Plus, pleasing images and my back thanks me😉

[@BrentODell]

I have a G9, which has something like 20 buttons, dials, and switches. That said, I only use ten regularly: the three control dials(aperture, shutter speed, iso) , the shutter button, the focus mode selector(to flip into MF when AFC isn't doing what I want), the two front function buttons(AF-ON near and AF-ON far, also for times the AFC isn't cooperating), menu, playback, F2(back in the menus and delete in playback), the the power switch. Although I'm not overly bothered by the unused option(I guess, as a Scorpio, I find it easy to focus in on what I want? lol), I do occasionally hit the 'DISP' or Fn3(which changes between EVF, rear display, and auto) and have to fix my setup, but not too often.

[@kevmoiz1718]

"Thought provoking vid Craig! Lately I've using my canon 5d1 and pentacon 135mm. There are a few buttons , no vid👍, got the histagram for a guide, you've got to work a little bit harder for your image, the tripod still has a job to do sometimes! I dont make money out of photography, so I dont need the latest gear etc, I just amuse myself persuing my hobby , even If that means having to make compromises sometimes! cheers."

[@arnewoodman]

Agree with so much of what you say. There are two root causes of over-complication... first is competitive marketing, ie. convincing people that more features means more 'bang for your buck' when comparing two cameras. Even if they know they are unlikely to use or even understand all of them. Takes an experienced photographer to realise 'less is more'. Secondly, some simplifications spawn the need for complication elsewhere. You picked as an example the duplication of aperture adjustment - the f-stop ring on the lens and the control wheel. But now you find some lenses - especially zooms - are designed with no aperture ring... so then what?

[@erwinkruger-haye2698]

Tony Northrup is correct….Cameras need logical menus like a cellphone…just press the icon to drill down…. As Canon shooters of many years, we just got x100vi (trade in old gear) to “have fun” and simplify things on walkabouts …..holy smokes….the menus and buttons are crazy complicated…turns out that the 40mm plastic fantastic on the R6 was way easier…😂, but way more conspicuous on the street…. But we now have our Fujis and are soldiering on…they certainly are not as noticeable as the R6/R5 and way sharper than the M50 … so we are generally happy, but still slightly overwhelmed… Every single thing is customisable on the Fuji…. Definitely not the simplest camera ever owned…have programmed a few buttons and are ignoring the rest…but you are right Craig, they get bumped….frustratingly

[@geoffjackson6899]

A great video. Modern cameras definitely have too many features that get in the way of the art of photography, but which may be useful for the trade or business of photography. I have an Olympus TG6 as an every day carry point and shoot camera. I opted for it as I needed something that could tolerate some possibly harsh treatment. It has 10 switches/buttons, but I have it set up for point and shoot, and it does the job.

[@michaelschmitt5413]

To each his or her own. I like simple, but also like having the flexibility of buttons and dials. My "simple" kit is a Fujifilm X-T20 with an 18-55mm. I have lots of other lenses, and I use them when I "need" them. I used to shoot only with Point n Shoot cameras after I stopped shooting film (I'm 78). I captured some nice images, even with a small sensor. I'll keep my buttons and dials, so I have them when I choose to use them.