[Joe Dusel]

My wish list includes wired tethering with the software included, an APS-C mirror-less with an EVF, 24 M pixels, a flippy-screen, K-mount lenses, built-in wireless flash transmitter and high ISO (like 12.8K) with low noise. As much as I love my K-1, I really don't need 36 M pixels most of the time. I really think that Pentax should include wired tethering in all of it's cameras. And, since there are so few options for after-market flash controllers for Pentax, they should get together with Cactus, Godox or somebody to create a built-in flash controller that will allow wireless high speed sync. The new Pentax flash should include it, and they should sell a trigger receiver to allow using the old flash units with the new cameras.

[joergens.mi]

A camera with a fixed mounted mirror like Sony, but with the pentax patent with changeable reflectivity of such a mirror, 100 % light for the optical viewfinder, switched electronically to a 100 % during exposure. This will give higher rate of frames / second
Phase detection on the sensor for fastest AF-C. A bigger area for the AF- sensor. A no noise shutter.

Other wishes see above my last post

[Alex645]

A student affordable AF 35mm film SLR. The Promaster 2500PK Super and Vivitar 3800N, were okay, but just too plastic, and why not make something that can accept a modern FF AF lens without (or with) an aperture ring?
or
A twin lens digital VR still camera with stereo or Dolby 6.1 surround sound mic for video.
or
A water-PROOF DSLR and lens. Or at least a digital Nikonos type interchangeable lens Pentaxos.
or
A nanobot 20MP camera drone with wireless tethering on any smart phone or tablet.

I would trade all of those to actually see a REAL entry level Pentax DSLR kit with a decent selection of lenses at ANY local retailer in my state.

[bm75]

A stripped down K1 with with the tilt screen, SR, 24 mpx at a price point of 1400 Eur (being the K1 price point about 1950-2150 Euro these days).

[Rondec]

I like the idea of an "auto delete" mode in which the camera automatically deletes your photos right after you take them if it doesn't think they are worth keeping.

Maybe a tutor mode in which the camera talks to you and tells you where to point the camera and what you are doing wrong.

[savoche]

A FF Ricoh GR with WR and a built in viewfinder for under $1000. Heck I'd take aps-c for that one...

Or hell, how about a full 6x7 frame digital. 67D anyone? Full support for legacy lenses along with a new line of autofocus WR lenses. Definitely not mirrorless, but with a big bright OVF with interchangeable finders optimized for manual focus and separate finders/screens for autofocus lenses.

Yep, had those two on my list. The FF GR I'd buy in a heartbeat. No, on second thought I probably wouldn't wait for that long...

Of course, a digital back for the 67 would be fine with me.

And instead of making a digital version of this or that old body, I'd like to see someone actually succeeding with making a "digital film canister". Several have tried, all of them being the one who won't fail like all the others

[pathdoc]

I'd like to see someone actually succeeding with making a "digital film canister".

After much thought, and after discovering how much fun the darkroom can be, I have decided that nobody should be permitted to succeed at this until the last film factory has closed down forever.

I know I have talked about wanting one badly, but you need some serious electronics-industry chops to have a go at making it work. And success might very well cost the entire film-emulsion industry's workers their jobs overnight.

[photoptimist]

I like the idea of an "auto delete" mode in which the camera automatically deletes your photos right after you take them if it doesn't think they are worth keeping.

Maybe a tutor mode in which the camera talks to you and tells you where to point the camera and what you are doing wrong.

Or how about "film mode" in which the image files cannot be viewed until 24 hours after taking the picture?

[Alex645]

I like the idea of an "auto delete" mode in which the camera automatically deletes your photos right after you take them if it doesn't think they are worth keeping.
Maybe a tutor mode in which the camera talks to you and tells you where to point the camera and what you are doing wrong.

Auto delete button would be called the Snap Off. At that point, you might as well have a lensless camera with a viewfinder that shoots your retina to capture your subconscious.

I know I have talked about wanting one badly, but you need some serious electronics-industry chops to have a go at making it work. And success might very well cost the entire film-emulsion industry's workers their jobs overnight.

I'm sure Steve Sasson got a promotion at Kodak before the company filed for bankruptcy. I also remember getting excited when I saw e-film announced: https://3.img-dpreview.com/files/p/articles/4804601936/SiliconFilm.png

No doubt Sony or Toshiba or Canon bought the patent and buried it.

[pathdoc]

Or how about "film mode" in which the image files cannot be viewed until 24 hours after taking the picture?

Inappropriately long. Back in the day, if I were shooting around town, I could potentially be no more than ten minutes away from the nearest 1-hour lab.

[photoptimist]

Auto delete button would be called the Snap Off. At that point, you might as well have a lensless camera with a viewfinder that shoots your retina to capture your subconscious.



I'm sure Steve Sasson got a promotion at Kodak before the company filed for bankruptcy. I also remember getting excited when I saw e-film announced: https://3.img-dpreview.com/files/p/articles/4804601936/SiliconFilm.png

No doubt Sony or Toshiba or Canon bought the patent and buried it.

There's no need for conspiracy theories of buried patents.

The real problem is that the film gate of an SLR is optically incompatible with a digital sensor of any reasonable size. A film SLR is designed so the focal plane is flush with the film rails which is what you get with a film emulsion. But the photosensitive silicon surface of a digital sensor is typically recessed 1 to 3 mm from the physical front surface of the chip to allow space for a protective glass cover and the interconnect wires at the edge of the chip.

If you did mount a digital sensor in a film camera, you'd find that infinity focus would be impossible and both the focusing screen and AF would be significantly off from correct focus. A much smaller chip (say M4/3) might fit inside the aperture of the film gate but it might also collide with the shutter and produce, in any case, a very unsatisfying cropped image.

[BrianR]

Or how about "film mode" in which the image files cannot be viewed until 24 hours after taking the picture?

I can't find it, but there was a recent smartphone app that enforced such a delay. With a dedicated camera, it could also have a built-in bladder and nozzle to squirt fixer on your pants when the images are nearly ready to view.

[Alex645]

There's no need for conspiracy theories of buried patents.

The real problem is that the film gate of an SLR is optically incompatible with a digital sensor of any reasonable size. A film SLR is designed so the focal plane is flush with the film rails which is what you get with a film emulsion. But the photosensitive silicon surface of a digital sensor is typically recessed 1 to 3 mm from the physical front surface of the chip to allow space for a protective glass cover and the interconnect wires at the edge of the chip.

This was in my April 1 mindset. Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me

The film plane issue would be a problem, but I think engineers could work out a solution GIVEN an economic incentive. I believe Kodak, Fujifilm, Ilford, etc, as well as Canon, Nikon, Sony, Ricoh, etc. would be powerful influences to stunt a non-kickstarter from opening that Pandora's box. But again, anything is possible on April 1.

[photoptimist]

Inappropriately long. Back in the day, if I were shooting around town, I could potentially be no more than ten minutes away from the nearest 1-hour lab.

Great point!

So the files unlock sooner but only if GPS detects that the camera has been taken to one of certain special geolocations corresponding to any of the former addresses of old photolabs.

Or the files unlock if the camera's motion sensors detect a particular 20 minute sequence of rotations, shaking, sitting, upside-down turns, etc. equivalent to the motions experienced by a roll of film during home development. (And if you get the sequence or timing wrong, then all the RAW and JPG files are ruined or under/over exposed).

Better? ;-)

[stevebrot]

This was in my April 1 mindset.

Thanks for the reminder! The inference of the original post was that whimsy would be in order.


Steve