Useless Camera Features

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My name is Matti Sulanto, I'm a photographer based in Helsinki Finland.

[rolloffilm]

There are so many of them that I will write about what are important functions for me.

I like
1. Breacketing
2. IBIS Tripod mode )
3. Hand Held long exposure
4. Nice manual focus ring
5. Beautifull design
6. Manual controll rings.
7. Build memory
8. TILT SCREEN

[jonbarnard]

Almost all modern digital cameras have sufficient image quality, even comparable image quality, when you consider that 99% of images are never printed, but rather viewed on a 3" phone screen. Consequently it's getting more difficult to market cameras on the basis of image quality. Now it's all about speed and gimmicks. Let's face it though, a vast majority of camera buyers don't need and don't shoot at 20 FPS. Nor do they shoot at iso 25, 000. In fact very few camera buyers need super fast continuous autofocus for that matter. Maybe 10% of camera users need any of these features, yet they are the innovations driving the market now. It's all about marketing, creating a competitive atmosphere, and a loyal following of fans. In that respect, it's comparable to the car market. My neighbours don't really need a Landrover for driving to the grocery store, or a high performance German road machine for taking the kids to the soccer game. But that's what they're all buying. It's the same with cameras. It's not about need. For the most part, it's not even about photography anymore.

[grodard]

I was probably late in realizing there was too much clutter in the viewfinder. I only keep the essentials (F, speed, ISO, minus the F with manual lenses) plus the dynamic range indicator. For the rest I use a nice human faculty called memory with combinasion with Q Menu on Fujifilm. There is still the flash indicator but it seems I can't get rid of it. Compensation scale is numeral only, except on the LCD.
I wish we could remove or hide menu items semi permanently. Or functions, for example when I press the Drive mode button on the X-E4 there are 10 choices that pop up. I only use 3 !

[ErikssonTord_]

I would love having focus stacking as I can only do it manually (start the interval timer and turn the focusing ring manually).

[hauke]

What do you do, when the scene contrast is too high? I have set up a preset on all my cameras to take a very fast exposure bracketing, so two of these features in combination. That can easily be used hand-held, for any non-moving subject.

[RobertVEVPL]

I turn touch screen off as it causes me only trouble. Maybe my fingers are too chubby? The only reason to use this would be to pick a C-AF target when shooting video but I have never done that so I don't know how well it works. Also, I only use inexpensive third party manual flashes so I have never used the flash control features except in one case. I sometimes use the tiny supplied flashes on my E-M1 and E-M5.2 to optically trigger off-shoe flashes because I'm too cheap to buy fancier radio trigger systems.

[chrispatmore]

I use Olympus EM-1iii, which I got for the build quality and size, but I use almost none of the features beyond the most basic ones to get the image properly exposed in focus. I shoot everything in manual mode and in single shot. In fact, I use it like a film camera, except for autofocus. A lot of the stills features are handy and I might use them one day as I’ve started doing a bit of nature and macro photography for a friend’s book project. However, I never use the video function, and have no interest in it. If I did want to shoot video I would get a video camera, such as a BlackMagic.

[kenblair]

Great discussion. It's easier to mention what features I use than those I don't use. Camera manuals, are as big as car manuals. I'm
really old school. I mainly photograph landscapes, so f stop, shutter speed, raw capture and maybe white balance. The other 100 features and adjustments I don't even understand. I grew up on film, and still shoot my B&W images on film, color on digital. KB

[vladtepes]

I think that I have used all of these features EXCEPT in camera RAW. Live composite has been useful in night photography for fireworks, fire fly trails, and light painting. I have used exposure bracketing to make HDR photos - its fast. Focus bracketing is very useful for both Macro and landscape use. I used fast continuous shooting of humming birds last summer.Of course this can be used for sports too. I have also used the art filters but I apply these in post using OM Workspace. High resolution mode is useful when photographing art works. I may try this is some kinds of macro work I have a few of these already

[Yoko.Kurama]

My most unused feature that people care about is RAW. I'm not doing all that editing. I just do a customized jpeg setting and leave it

[thomaschipman]

i'll go controversial and say touch screen. it's the first feature i turn off, followed by camera sounds. i'm a tactile shooter and prefer buttons and dials to pressing a screen.

[hedydd]

I do use bracketing but never exposure bracketing. My favourite bracketing is of art filters and to save time selecting every time, I have my special selection of art filters ready to use instantly. Not that I use them often or keep all the eight to ten resulting images.

[quiquepr]

I agree with you. Many times we are tempted to upgrade the equipment because of new features that are in the unused list. It would be interesting to have camera features list showing the last time it was used like in the phone apps. Thanks for the video.

[EduSiquier]

Focus stacking also is very useful in landscape photography when you use a wide-angle lens to take the foreground near of you and the background near the horizon.

[TimofejNenarokov]

I don't use video feature in still camera, like lumix S1R and ricoh GRiii.

[siofna]

I agree with you. This why I have my simple Nikon D3000 still in use until today. But in my compact cameras (only JPEGs) I like the exposure bracketing in combination with a tripod very much for Landscape photography, because it helps me to increase the dynamic of the pictures in post.
Have a nice time :-).

[yaupie]

I rarely shoot video while it is getting more and more important in new cameras.
Regarding high resolution shot mentioned in your video, I heard that the implementation in GH6 can cope with moving subject. If this is the case, it could be a game changer.

[derekcrook]

If I could customize the camera from the manufacturer I would only have manual mode and aperture priority mode . I would not have any programmable customised menus . It would only have back button focus .It would be nice if it had a built in hand warmer .

[DeMorcan]

Interesting. I sometimes use like composite for lightning or fireworks. I used to use the high speed bursts for low light and then stack them in PS using mean. But now I use handheld hires and then resize to 20mp to reduce noise and naturally bring out details. Many places do not allow tripods or flash. So I do not do the high speed bursts anymore. Many places do not allow tripods or flash. I do not not use any in camera stacking (focus, hdr, who knows what) as I like to work with RAW. I do not use the art filters although I moved them over to LR/ACR and may do them in post. Others are digital zoom, anything jpeg, and tripod hires. I could almost say menus. I setup my camera the way I want and then just use it.

[michaelblumfield]

The effects filters included in my EM10 Mark III. Gimmicky JPEGs that I tried a couple of times when I was starting out and never used again. I do agree that high resolution is pretty worthless in the real world, but live composite, exposure and focus stacking, and continuous shooting are all valuable to me. As you say, it's a question of whether they fit you photography style.