I was the harshest and most-vocal critic of FE's original posting. But I
take no exception to what he just said. His remark that many cameras
"are stuffed with features just because somebody has devised them" is
close to the truth. (Note that he put 'sophistication' in apostrophes.)
Many people have trouble using "sophisticated" cameras that have a
plethora of features that are supposed to make photography "easy." Part
of their problem is that they refuse to read the manual and make an
effort to understand how the camera works and what it can do. But...
For someone who understands photography, these advanced features can get
in the way. How many people on this list "need" a camera with programmed
exposure modes? Want to stop action? You pick a high shutter speed. You
want deep or shallow depth of field? You stop down or open up the lens.
And we do all these things intuitively, without having to think about
them. This includes focusing, which (at least for normal and wide-angle
lenses) is usually simpler and quicker on a manual-focus camera. *
I have nothing against sophisticated automation -- but I want it to
operate only when I actually _need_ it.
About 25 years ago I wrote a letter to Burt Keppler (at the magazine
which was formally known as Modern Photography, but which is now known
as Popular Photography) in which I proposed an SLR in which the mirror
was a full-color image sensor and the "focusing screen" a color video
display.
The idea was that the imaging system would show you what the final image
would look like, and you could adjust the exposure until you got exactly
what you wanted. If you were shooting B&W, you'd _see_ the image in B&W,
and the density and tonal scale would take into account how _you_
normally print and develop your pictures. Similarly, if you were
shooting color slide film, you would see the color balance and exposure
range. It would even take into account the color rendition of the film.
Now, to me, THAT'S sophistication. (No apologies, Irving.)
* It is, at least, for SLRs. I much prefer autofocus for pocket cameras.
I owned an XA, and although it wasn't hard to focus, I would rather have
the camera focus for me -- especially a camera that's designed for
quick, casual shooting.
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