What do you think of Touchscreen for future Pentax DSLR's

LeDave · 03-17-2010, 01:02 AM

Every company is going touch screen for everything nowdays and it just seems like a pointless and way overhyped technology that only makes things more difficult to handle. I don't think it would be a very good idea. On a phone it's already hard enough to use a touch screen keyboard.

Here's a couple things why I don't think it's so good. - You won't be able to see what you're touching unless you stare directly at the screen, and not just that but it's really easy to miss touch a button unless you have girly fingers. You wouldn't want to operate a camera without feeling the buttons to know where it is without looking.

Then you move the DSLR to your face and imagine the button start changing if you got big cheeks. Then the most bad part is the touch screen itself, it'll start to wear and grease out overtime... My cellphones touchscreen is already pretty heavily scratched out from usage and it's been a year.

I'm afraid that because most companies target the DSLR today mainly to fashion accessorizers who think smaller looks cooler rather than smaller makes it harder, or touch screen makes it look cooler rather than touch screen makes it harder; photographers who solely use the DSLR for it's intended purpose to take pictures will eventually have to face the facts. They really need to realize the difference between a point and shoot and a DSLR, rather than trying to make DSLR's look cool to appeal point and shooters because a DSLR is a different camera for a different purpose...

Everybody's using liveview? Okay, no need for real buttons, they are already looking at the screen to begin with... Looking through the liveview? They'll just use their nose to navigate the menu... Just hope M4/3rd or EVILS will keep their fashion inventions far away from the DSLR.

tokyoso · 03-17-2010, 01:08 AM

No, but it would be a nice feature to be able to hook it up to an iPad via USB3 for viewing and controls.

icywarm · 03-17-2010, 01:33 AM

hey the kx comes in candy colours, touch screens are next... maybe some body skins oh and GPS for auto photo tagging...

goddo31 · 03-17-2010, 02:15 AM

Originally posted by icywarm

...GPS for auto photo tagging...

Well I don't mind that last idea

But lets hope DSLRs don't get touch screens, I don't see the point. On a compact camera yeah, but DSLR hopefully not!

anepo · 03-17-2010, 03:48 AM

The day a DSLR comes with a touch screen is the day i stop buying DSLR cameras.

I either go for a compact then or stay with the cameras of today even if they become hard to find.
I will just get a few cameras then to make sure they last me a lifetime

GrinMode · 03-17-2010, 03:54 AM

then you can switch AF points in the K-x without moving your eyes away from the VF

Stargeezer · 03-17-2010, 04:21 AM

Great!!! I will be able to change settings with my proboscis!!

JesseDavis · 03-17-2010, 04:40 AM

well for example on the Lumix G2 the touchscreen is pretty sweet, because you can set an autofocus point on the screen and then the point will track the image even as you bring the camera to your face, and the screen turns off automatically and switches to the very good EVF.

However this only works with a digicam-style contrast detection autofocus. In THAT camera, which is like an SLR and works well, but beyond that I cant see great use for it. Menus might be better or the shooting info screen an intuitive way to change settings. Your preview would be as smudged as my iphone is though :/. Not really a killer feature on a DSLR

Also most companies have shi**y touch screens, you really gotta press on them, and they often darken / compromise the image (luverly iphone excepted, of course)

RioRico · 03-17-2010, 07:20 AM

* A 6-button chorded keypad on the side for issuing instructions.
* A 'mood' grip that changes colors to show how you're feeling.
* GPS with weather data (air temp & pressure, humidity, AQI.)
* A verbal interface (like, "Camera: select focus point 5, please").
* Subsystem that tracks your eye movements while you shoot.

And a hopefully good idea:

Lose the viewscreen; live-view is bluetoothed to your VR goggles.

jjdgti · 03-17-2010, 07:46 AM

It will be nice if it can be enabled/disable as you wish. Or for that matter a lock/unlock feature in your face inavertly touch the screen and change the settings. In a P/S it is easy because you you not see tru a view finder as you do in the SLR/DSLR world.

A lock feature like the Motorola Droid is a nice feature to consider.

My 2 cents.

tokyoso · 03-17-2010, 07:48 AM

Originally posted by RioRico

* A 6-button chorded keypad on the side for issuing instructions.
* A 'mood' grip that changes colors to show how you're feeling.
* GPS with weather data (air temp & pressure, humidity, AQI.)
* A verbal interface (like, "Camera: select focus point 5, please").
* Subsystem that tracks your eye movements while you shoot.

And a hopefully good idea:

Lose the viewscreen; live-view is bluetoothed to your VR goggles.

they might just turn your eyes into a camera, and save you some lens money... and your ass into a video projector...

**apisto** · 03-17-2010, 08:31 AM

Originally posted by tokyoso

... and your ass into a video projector...

Didn't Saturday Night Live do a skit about that?

johnmflores · 03-17-2010, 08:40 AM

Some potential uses:

- selecting thumbnails for deletion
- zooming in and out of photos (2-finger pinch, unpinch)
- virtual dials/sliders with Live View for adjustment of parameters like WB, timer, etc...

LinXitoW · 03-17-2010, 08:54 AM

The one problem with touchscreen on a DSLR is the lacking feedback. Everything else is a question of intelligent engineering und programming.
personally, i'd love to see a voice controlled camera, although it might make you look like a Jerk.

Nass · 03-17-2010, 09:07 AM

Originally posted by RioRico

live-view is bluetoothed to your VR goggles.

I was googling around for this a few weeks ago. There's already a TV goggle thing which is battery powered and displays HDMI output, I can't remember the darned name though. But yeah, that'd put liveview straight to your eyes (via a lead though through which the HDMI is channeled). Not terribly inpressive resolution if I recall.

Touchscreen is only a matter of time. Of course manufacturers will do it because it frees up space on the body and means they'll need to deal with less mechanical buttons and bits to engineer into the body.

03-17-2010, 01:02 AM	#1
LeDave Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Minneapolis - St. Paul Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,067	What do you think of Touchscreen for future Pentax DSLR's Every company is going touch screen for everything nowdays and it just seems like a pointless and way overhyped technology that only makes things more difficult to handle. I don't think it would be a very good idea. On a phone it's already hard enough to use a touch screen keyboard. Here's a couple things why I don't think it's so good. - You won't be able to see what you're touching unless you stare directly at the screen, and not just that but it's really easy to miss touch a button unless you have girly fingers. You wouldn't want to operate a camera without feeling the buttons to know where it is without looking. Then you move the DSLR to your face and imagine the button start changing if you got big cheeks. Then the most bad part is the touch screen itself, it'll start to wear and grease out overtime... My cellphones touchscreen is already pretty heavily scratched out from usage and it's been a year. I'm afraid that because most companies target the DSLR today mainly to fashion accessorizers who think smaller looks cooler rather than smaller makes it harder, or touch screen makes it look cooler rather than touch screen makes it harder; photographers who solely use the DSLR for it's intended purpose to take pictures will eventually have to face the facts. They really need to realize the difference between a point and shoot and a DSLR, rather than trying to make DSLR's look cool to appeal point and shooters because a DSLR is a different camera for a different purpose... Everybody's using liveview? Okay, no need for real buttons, they are already looking at the screen to begin with... Looking through the liveview? They'll just use their nose to navigate the menu... Just hope M4/3rd or EVILS will keep their fashion inventions far away from the DSLR.

03-17-2010, 07:20 AM	#9
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	Some even worse ideas: * A 6-button chorded keypad on the side for issuing instructions. * A 'mood' grip that changes colors to show how you're feeling. * GPS with weather data (air temp & pressure, humidity, AQI.) * A verbal interface (like, "Camera: select focus point 5, please"). * Subsystem that tracks your eye movements while you shoot. And a hopefully good idea: Lose the viewscreen; live-view is bluetoothed to your VR goggles.

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03-17-2010, 01:08 AM	#2
tokyoso Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Tokyo Photos: Albums Posts: 723	No, but it would be a nice feature to be able to hook it up to an iPad via USB3 for viewing and controls.

03-17-2010, 01:33 AM	#3
icywarm Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Saskatchewan Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,278	hey the kx comes in candy colours, touch screens are next... maybe some body skins oh and GPS for auto photo tagging...

03-17-2010, 02:15 AM	#4
goddo31 Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,576	Originally posted by icywarm ...GPS for auto photo tagging... Well I don't mind that last idea But lets hope DSLRs don't get touch screens, I don't see the point. On a compact camera yeah, but DSLR hopefully not!

03-17-2010, 03:48 AM	#5
anepo New Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Reykjavik Posts: 22	The day a DSLR comes with a touch screen is the day i stop buying DSLR cameras. I either go for a compact then or stay with the cameras of today even if they become hard to find. I will just get a few cameras then to make sure they last me a lifetime

03-17-2010, 03:54 AM	#6
GrinMode Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 249	then you can switch AF points in the K-x without moving your eyes away from the VF

03-17-2010, 04:21 AM	#7
Stargeezer Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: sunny florida Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 128	Great!!! I will be able to change settings with my proboscis!!

03-17-2010, 04:40 AM	#8
JesseDavis Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Yokohama Photos: Albums Posts: 180	well for example on the Lumix G2 the touchscreen is pretty sweet, because you can set an autofocus point on the screen and then the point will track the image even as you bring the camera to your face, and the screen turns off automatically and switches to the very good EVF. However this only works with a digicam-style contrast detection autofocus. In THAT camera, which is like an SLR and works well, but beyond that I cant see great use for it. Menus might be better or the shooting info screen an intuitive way to change settings. Your preview would be as smudged as my iphone is though :/. Not really a killer feature on a DSLR Also most companies have shi**y touch screens, you really gotta press on them, and they often darken / compromise the image (luverly iphone excepted, of course)

03-17-2010, 07:46 AM	#10
jjdgti Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NJ Posts: 1,824	It will be nice if it can be enabled/disable as you wish. Or for that matter a lock/unlock feature in your face inavertly touch the screen and change the settings. In a P/S it is easy because you you not see tru a view finder as you do in the SLR/DSLR world. A lock feature like the Motorola Droid is a nice feature to consider. My 2 cents.

03-17-2010, 07:48 AM	#11
tokyoso Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Tokyo Photos: Albums Posts: 723	Originally posted by RioRico * A 6-button chorded keypad on the side for issuing instructions. * A 'mood' grip that changes colors to show how you're feeling. * GPS with weather data (air temp & pressure, humidity, AQI.) * A verbal interface (like, "Camera: select focus point 5, please"). * Subsystem that tracks your eye movements while you shoot. And a hopefully good idea: Lose the viewscreen; live-view is bluetoothed to your VR goggles. they might just turn your eyes into a camera, and save you some lens money... and your ass into a video projector...

03-17-2010, 08:31 AM	#12
apisto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 588	Originally posted by tokyoso ... and your ass into a video projector... Didn't Saturday Night Live do a skit about that?

03-17-2010, 08:40 AM	#13
johnmflores Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Somerville, NJ Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,361	Some potential uses: - selecting thumbnails for deletion - zooming in and out of photos (2-finger pinch, unpinch) - virtual dials/sliders with Live View for adjustment of parameters like WB, timer, etc...

03-17-2010, 08:54 AM	#14
LinXitoW Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 50	The one problem with touchscreen on a DSLR is the lacking feedback. Everything else is a question of intelligent engineering und programming. personally, i'd love to see a voice controlled camera, although it might make you look like a Jerk.

03-17-2010, 09:07 AM	#15
Nass Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The British Isles Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,402	Originally posted by RioRico live-view is bluetoothed to your VR goggles. I was googling around for this a few weeks ago. There's already a TV goggle thing which is battery powered and displays HDMI output, I can't remember the darned name though. But yeah, that'd put liveview straight to your eyes (via a lead though through which the HDMI is channeled). Not terribly inpressive resolution if I recall. Touchscreen is only a matter of time. Of course manufacturers will do it because it frees up space on the body and means they'll need to deal with less mechanical buttons and bits to engineer into the body.