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Re-activateIn my last blog, I noted that as camera manufacturers continue to reduce the footprint of most point-and-shoots, they're taking out optical viewfinders. Here's another problem: Smaller cameras can be more difficult to operate.
How so? For starters, as the photo illustrates, the controls themselves are often very tiny. If the control switch is too small, for example, it can be very hard to zoom in or out to a precise point. Or if you're trying to press one part of a circular multi-controller, you might accidentally press the wrong part and end up in the wrong menu.
Another problem is that it can be hard to steady a camera that's so svelte and light. Almost no subcompact has a substantial handgrip that can help you steady the camera and avoid blurry shots, particularly in low-light situations without a flash when the shutter speed is slow. This has led to the creation of third-party accessories, such as a grip for the Canon PowerShot S90, which purposely adds bulk to your subcompact so you can get a better grip on it.
One solution, at least for the controls issue, has been the use of touch-screen LCDs. Incorporating large, 3 1/2-inch displays, lets a manufacturer use large virtual buttons, sliders and other controls in the camera's graphical interface that function the same as real, physical controls. Of course, such virtual controls lack the tactile qualities that make Fujifilm's control laden 3D camera easy and enjoyable to operate.
Do small controls on cameras bother you? Do you like virtual controls on touch screens? Let us know what you think.
—Terry Sullivan
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