Digital that "looks and feels" manual

What high-end digital cameras operate and feel most like traditional
manual cameras (controls in right place, held in a similar way). The Leica
V-Lux (and the Panasonic "clone" of it, or from which it was cloned,
whatever), seems close. They all seem too small, with push buttons
controls and the viewfinder is a screen in the "wrong place."

Aaron Kuperman wrote:
What high-end digital cameras operate and feel most like traditional
manual cameras (controls in right place, held in a similar way). The Leica
V-Lux (and the Panasonic "clone" of it, or from which it was cloned,
whatever), seems close. They all seem too small, with push buttons
controls and the viewfinder is a screen in the "wrong place."

The cameras that you mention above are not traditional "SLR" per say but
advanced point and shoot cameras with pretty good (to damned good) lenses.

Look at the D-SLR's. Most of them, including the lower end ones are
fairly close to a traditional layout and use optical viewfinders via the
usual prism (or mirror box) and mirror.

The Maxxum 7D is exemplary in that respect. Of course it's film
predecessor was exceptional for control location and handling in any case.

The main difference is of course that Maxxum lenses do not have the
aperture on the lens but rather control it from the body.

Various other DSLR's are similarly "traditional" with some exceptions.
Nikon have a mix of lenses, the "G" lenses for example do not have
aperture rings, it is controlled on the body. Many of the DSLR's (and
some of their film predecessors) have a position for the aperture ring
on the lens to allow the body to "take over" the aperture (in manual,
semi-auto and auto modes of various flavours).

The best thing is of course to find those that suit you and to try them.

Cheers,

PS:

--
-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm
-- [SI] gallery & rulz: http://www.pbase.com/shootin
-- e-meil: Remove FreeLunch.

On May 15, 12:02 pm, (Aaron Kuperman) wrote:
What high-end digital cameras operate and feel most like traditional
manual cameras (controls in right place, held in a similar way). The Leica
V-Lux (and the Panasonic "clone" of it, or from which it was cloned,
whatever), seems close. They all seem too small, with push buttons
controls and the viewfinder is a screen in the "wrong place."

Just about any DSLR will probably be pretty much what you are looking
for. There as still menus to deal with since a digital camera has a
lot more options then a film camera does, but it will have the same
type of view finder you are use to and zoom and focus in the same way.
A number of cameras, like the 20D, have two knobs that when in full
manual mode one adjusts the f/number and the other adjusts the shutter
speed, however in other modes the knobs might be used for something
else so they are not labeled as f/number and shutter speed, like you
would find on a film camera.

If you really, really want something that is as close to a film camera
as you can get but still is a digital you can look at the Leica M8,
not a camera I would buy but some people like it.

You can see how the controls are laid out on a lot of camera at this
site
http://www.dpreview.com/

Scott

Aaron Kuperman wrote:

What high-end digital cameras operate and feel most like traditional
manual cameras (controls in right place, held in a similar way). The Leica
V-Lux (and the Panasonic "clone" of it, or from which it was cloned,
whatever), seems close. They all seem too small, with push buttons
controls and the viewfinder is a screen in the "wrong place."

Nikon D200 with 30-year-old lenses.

On May 16, 8:02 am, (Aaron Kuperman) wrote:
What high-end digital cameras operate and feel most like traditional
manual cameras (controls in right place, held in a similar way). The Leica
V-Lux (and the Panasonic "clone" of it, or from which it was cloned,
whatever), seems close. They all seem too small, with push buttons
controls and the viewfinder is a screen in the "wrong place."

If you are committed to non-dslr and don't mind a lack of IS, look at
the Fuji 9100/9600 perhaps?

Scott W writes:

If you really, really want something that is as close to a film camera
as you can get but still is a digital you can look at the Leica M8,
not a camera I would buy but some people like it.

Or the Epson RD-1 rangefinder. Also accepts Leica M lenses and even has
a film wind lever