Originally posted by normhead But if i can't pick it up and find the basic features I know use on a regular basis intuitively that's disadvantage. I don't need every feature to be intuitive. In fact many I expect to memorize. Format a K-1, 6 left , two up after pressing the menu button. But in AV mode, I want things to be as close as possible to the operation fo film camera as possible.
This is what I want, AV mode, I want set my ISO when I pick up the camera, set my f-stop before putting the camera to my eye and adjust the +/- EV setting. I want those feature available without going into the menus, from dials and button I can reach , using muscle memory only, without taking my eye out of the viewfinder.
If it doesn't meet that basic standard, I don't care what it is. I'm not buying it. My Pentax XG-1 Mirrorless with EVF does not meet those standards, but I probably paid less than what it cost to manufacture it, so I' suffer with it from time to time. Honestly, the menu diving on the XG-1 to set the +/- EV is truly irritating, and if I haven't used the camera for a while, I may even forget how to do it and have to go on a menu exploration extravaganza. When you're out in a buggy field doing a few flower images, that is really irritating.
You definitely can't assume all cameras are equal in this regard.
Absolutely!
Ironically, the more advanced cameras are actually more intuitive because more of the functionality comes from dedicated controls that don't require any menu navigation or modal awareness. I feel sorry for beginners who buy a low-end ILC with one e-dial and have to learn/remember that the one dial does different things in different modes. Personally, I'm still waiting for a camera with FOUR dedicated e-dials (not Fuji's labeled dials) for shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and ±EC.
That said, a camera like the K-1 contains tremendous depth of sophisticated features each with it's own complex combinations of settings. For example, Interval Composite has five subcontrols: interval duration, number of frames, trigger conditions/time, the mode of image composite, and the process saving option. Learning what all these settings do, how they affect different scenarios, and why you'd want to use one setting or another takes time and thought.
It's easy to use the K-1 to do simple things simply (e.g., Av mode) but it's also possible to do very complex things.