Ergonomics that bother me...

[rpcrowe]

Having a camera that is fun to shoot is what amateur photography is all about! IMO, most of today's DSLR cameras of any make can produce very good to excellent images.

However, sometimes it is a small thing in the ergonomics of a camera that can make a difference in enjoyment of shooting.

My Canon XT/350D had the mode selection button on the back of the camera, just where my right thumb rested when shooting. I would often inadvertently hit this button and unintentionally change the mode of shooting, usually it was from single shot to self-timer. I would depress the shutter button and the camera would start cooking off it's 10-second self timer. That was really a PITA and among the reasons that I got rid of the camera.

My new Panasonic HC-900K camcorder is a great little camera. I love just about everything about it except...

Except for the location of it's record button. IMO, a record button on a camcorder should be located next to the zoom control button and be able to be operated with the same finger that controls shooting. The button next to the zoom control on my camera is the still shoot button. The video shoot button is at the rear of the camera and is controlled by the thumb. It is a bit difficult to trip this button when using the eye level viewfinder when sighting with the right eye and darned impossible when sighting with the left eye. Just since this is mainly a camcorder, IMO, the video button should be right next to the zoom control.

OTOH, Panasonic is two other ways of firing the camera: from the LCD screen and from a remote control.

I am setting up the camera on a bracket which will allow me to include a video light and to start/stop the video AND control the zoom using the remote control. One advantage of this setup is that the weight of the rig is increased resulting in increased stablity. The zoom control on the remote also operates slower than the zoom control on the camera making for more pleasing on-screen zooms.

[TobyMac]

The problem you mentioned with the 350d is exactly the reason why I got my 7d, it was the most irritating thing in the world