Touchscreen on a DSLR

[punkerz123]

Canon patent application points to touchscreen DSLRs

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/03/canon-patent-application-points-to-touchscreen-dslrs/


I say 'No Thank You' !!!
Please keep touchscreen on point and shoots.

[KenjiS]

Canon patent application points to touchscreen DSLRs

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/03/canon-patent-application-points-to-touchscreen-dslrs/


I say 'No Thank You' !!!
Please keep touchscreen on point and shoots.

Amen to that really...I tried a Sony P&S with it and the freaking thing wouldnt recognize my input worth a ****.....also holding the freaking thing was difficult...

[xMClass]

As much as I love my iPhone, which is of course touch screen based, I wouldn't want it on a camera.

[Valucolso]

I dunno... my Leaf digital back for my hassy is touch screen; and I love it.

I think it just has to be executed right.

Josh

[Joaaso]

I wouldnt mind it for certain buttons, like menu/preview buttons and such, maybe even WB, AF mode, timer etc on the xxxD serie, if replacing those made it possible to increase the size of the screen slightly... but all the main buttons I use when i'm actually photographing, I want to keep as real, physical buttons..
for scrolling in the previews it would be great, but the zooming would have to be done different than on the iPhone at least..
------------
edit.. only problem would be to operate this wearing gloves.. which we tend to do quite alot in my part of the world at this time of the year:p

[punkerz123]

I just feel like the LCD screen can get dirty enough as it is...but with touchscreen capabilities, I'll be wiping the screen down all too frequently

[asysin2leads]

I wouldnt mind it for certain buttons, like menu/preview buttons and such, maybe even WB, AF mode, timer etc on the xxxD serie, if replacing those made it possible to increase the size of the screen slightly... but all the main buttons I use when i'm actually photographing, I want to keep as real, physical buttons..
for scrolling in the previews it would be great, but the zooming would have to be done different than on the iPhone at least

The problem is that they won't know when enough is enough. It would be like the government, if 2 is perfect, then 10 must be better. Like a wise man once said, "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should." I saw keep the touchscreens for P&S and phones. Leave the dLSR alone.

[Crazy Horse]

No! No touchscreens. I need the ability to feel the buttons in order to operate the camera without looking.

[obnoxiousmom]

I dont like touch screen phones so not big on this idea either. I would be more likely to mess up a setting by accidentally bumping the screen. Bad idea imho

[Joaaso]

The problem is that they won't know when enough is enough. It would be like the government, if 2 is perfect, then 10 must be better. Like a wise man once said, "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should." I saw keep the touchscreens for P&S and phones. Leave the dLSR alone.
yeah, knowing when enough is enough is definitely the key here.. it has to be very cleverly designed if its going to be worth it.. anything else than a 100% perfect solution and they should leave everyting as it is..

but, one thing that came into my mind today, is a new possibilty that opens up with moving some buttons to a touchscreen; customized arrangement of the buttons.. -I don't know if I need it personally, but it might perhaps be useful for left-handed people as an example..?

[440roadrunner]

If anything we need to move in "the other" direction. I've got a little Nikon PAS (POS?) that is constantly turning itself on in pocket. I have to turn one battery cell around, extremely irritating.

[-MasterChief-]

hmmmmm .... maybe canon does read these forums:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=566141&highlight=touch+screen

[banpreso]

I think touchscreen is the next logical step, with liveview and video being the trend here. Canon knows it's a risky thing to do for pros, so I think they'll still have all the manual controls as well

[KenjiS]

yeah, knowing when enough is enough is definitely the key here.. it has to be very cleverly designed if its going to be worth it.. anything else than a 100% perfect solution and they should leave everyting as it is..



You mean like that horrible little samsung with the screen on the front and the touchscreen and with buttons so rediculously small you cant actually operate it unless you're a 13 year old anarexic girl?

[Joaaso]

You mean like that horrible little samsung with the screen on the front and the touchscreen and with buttons so rediculously small you cant actually operate it unless you're a 13 year old anarexic girl?
..i've been trying to erase the pics of that one from my memory :mad::p

[4g63]

what's up with touchscreen nowadays? seems like every manufacturer is using this technology. i say no.

[MichaelBernard]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/AudibleSilence/3si%20and%20GTOUK%20Hosting/Smilies/villagers.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/AudibleSilence/3si%20and%20GTOUK%20Hosting/Smilies/villagers.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/AudibleSilence/3si%20and%20GTOUK%20Hosting/Smilies/villagers.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/AudibleSilence/3si%20and%20GTOUK%20Hosting/Smilies/villagers.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/AudibleSilence/3si%20and%20GTOUK%20Hosting/Smilies/villagers.gifhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/AudibleSilence/3si%20and%20GTOUK%20Hosting/Smilies/villagers.gif
As soon as I saw this the other day I knew there would be torch lighting :lol:

[verymagicalguy]

I'm sure this can be well implemented. As long as it's only within the menu, it will be fine. Of course they'll leave buttons for all the real tasks. I'm sure they know that people need tactile feedback to use slrs...hopefully.

[Kyle is raaddd]

As much as I love my iPhone, which is of course touch screen based, I wouldn't want it on a camera.

x54783902574325897423

[AdamJL]

I'd take it.. Sounds great. Preferably for non "mission-critical" stuff like image playback, menu operation, etc.

[eth3rton]

http://www.zonalibre.org/blog/moe/archives/imagenes/agent-smith-standing-in-rain-matrix-revolutions%5B1%5D.jpg
Its inevitable Mr Anderson...

[GavinTing]

Imagine changing the settings everytime you move the camera to your face.. Hmm.

[snails]

Imagine changing the settings everytime you move the camera to your face.. Hmm.

The iPhone has a feature to prevent that, why wouldn't a camera?

[MichaelBernard]

The iPhone has a feature to prevent that, why wouldn't a camera?

It...it....it just wouldn't ok! Quit injecting logic and knowledge into my irrational hatred!

[punkerz123]

It...it....it just wouldn't ok! Quit injecting logic and knowledge into my irrational hatred!

:lol: hahaha funny

[snails]

My take on it... if they implemented an operating system as quick and as easy to use as the iPhone, then I can see it being a boon to the DSLR. It'll take some time for users to appreciate.

[Joaaso]

The iPhone has a feature to prevent that, why wouldn't a camera?
todays dslr's does in a way have it already -you know the sensor that turns off the screen when its being lifted up to your face.. make it turn off the touch-ability as well on a touchscreen, and the problem is solved..

[shphoto32]

I think this would just be annoying because you would have to look at it so close. It's nice on devices where the whole device is a screen that you are looking at. It would be nice to have a larger screen on the back of the camera though.

[noodle_snacks]

touchscreen is a bad idea. It is a bad idea on phones too. Tactile response is important if you want to use a device quickly or discreetly.

[jasongraaf]

I'm in the boat that says it's great on phones (I find typing much faster) but not on a camera. I like being able to adjust things like shutter speed, aperture, etc. with the camera to my face, by feel. Wouldn't work with touchscreen.

[snails]

I'm in the boat that says it's great on phones (I find typing much faster) but not on a camera. I like being able to adjust things like shutter speed, aperture, etc. with the camera to my face, by feel. Wouldn't work with touchscreen.

I would bet that you're not likely to see this on a 1D any time soon, and that the "pro-level" SLRs will remain pretty "mechanical" if touchscreens ever it make it to SLRs. For the Rebel series though, I can see this working out pretty well. Touch the setting you want to change and select a setting from the on-screen menu.

[Dooms_day]

No! No touchscreens. I need the ability to feel the buttons in order to operate the camera without looking.
This man speaks the truth.

[spiralspirit]

1) it makes the screen fingerprinty, even if you clean it often.
2) it seems like another point of failure
3) current control schemes are quick, adding a touchscreen won't really improve the amount of time it takes to make a change to your settings.
4) can't operate them with gloves, they're finicky, and they aren't very exact with fingers.

[blackhawk]

No-o-o-o-o!!!!

[Steggy]

Eh, can't blame Canon for patenting this. Even if they just sit on it, they could make some good money licensing the patent to its competitors.

For current P&S's, I find the concept of touch screen isn't quite refined enough yet, all of the cameras that have a touch screen that I've experienced, were hard to navigate around unless you read the manual up and down. Most people who buy a P&S don't really read the manual, so you'd think the companies would try and make the learning curve for the touchscreen navigating be less steep.

I can't say I hate the idea of a DSLR with a touch screen. Could be kind of fun if there was like, an Autufocus touch screen system implemented. use a stylus to kind of zero in on an area with live view turned on and have the camera focus on that. However it'd take longer than just manually focusing or auto focusing with the normal half shutter operation. But it's a novel idea, and fun ideas implementing it are inevitable.

[krb]

I have a touchscreen phone and it's okay. I don't talk on the phone while driving, let alone try dialing one, so the lack of tactile feedback is no big deal.

My car stereo is a touchscreen and that's great for being able to use it as a GPS and all that but it sucks for using as a radio driving down the road. If it didn't have real buttons at teh bottom for adjusting volume it would be unusable.

On an SLR camera it would be okay for things like zooming and scrolling during image playback and would be fine for use in the menu system changing configuration settings. Even then, it seems completely unnecessary. It's just one more thing to break and seems like something that would simply add cost without actually adding any functionality.

[Rio Sundoro]

Could be a good idea actually, it will free both hands. We can use the nose to navigate through the menu..

[tfd888]

Could be a good idea actually, it will free both hands. We can use the nose to navigate through the menu..

bw! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Imagine the smudge marks from that :lol:

[blackhawk]

bw! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Imagine the smudge marks from that :lol:

Yeah imagine how much trouble this would cause on a pro model were usability, dependability and toughness are primary concerns.
Prolly needs a keypad and texting capability too...

as Dick Dale says - keep it simple, stupid!-

[GSeries1]

Prolly needs a keypad and texting capability too...


Canon's got an app for that. :D

[Todd Lambert]

I can't wait, actually. It'd be cool to have the ability to do pinch zooming like on an iPhone. I'm sure the menus and playback would great. I don't think they are stupid enough to remove vital buttons needed for everyday slr use. Canon makes mistakes, but they wouldn't make that one.

[blackhawk]

I can't wait, actually. It'd be cool to have the ability to do pinch zooming like on an iPhone. I'm sure the menus and playback would great. I don't think they are stupid enough to remove vital buttons needed for everyday slr use. Canon makes mistakes, but they wouldn't make that one.

These aren't $300 novelty toys...
and the first time the cam's screen knocks into something a bit too hard and shorts out one of the TS's contacts rendering the cam unusable?
Drop down menus are bad enough, a minature TS would be insanity and a lot more to go wrong.
Big fingers would love trying to work a TS that size.
You would also need a protective cover which would degrade to viewability.

Right now a 3 inch LCD is about $100, an OEM TS LCD would cost at least double that, and contribute little to the real world usability.
If you crack the protective Lexan cover on a MK-3, it can be replaced without the dismantling the body, not so with a TS!
A $20 hit would instead be a $400 nightmare.

[Todd Lambert]

Meh, to each their own. However, I think you best prepare for it, because it's coming whether you like it or not. Canon is going to keep advancing it's equipment and pushing things further and further as technology advances. It's just the way things work.

Your arguments are the exact same arguments heard with digital vs film bodies. One good knock, and your digital camera doesn't work anymore. My film body is tried and tested and will still operate no matter what. Etc.. Etc...

[tfd888]

These aren't $300 novelty toys...
and the first time the cam's screen knocks into something a bit too hard and shorts out one of the TS's contacts rendering the cam unusable?
Drop down menus are bad enough, a minature TS would be insanity and a lot more to go wrong.
Big fingers would love trying to work a TS that size.
You would also need a protective cover which would degrade to viewability.

Right now a 3 inch LCD is about $100, an OEM TS LCD would cost at least double that, and contribute little to the real world usability.
If you crack the protective Lexan cover on a MK-3, it can be replaced without the dismantling the body, not so with a TS!
A $20 hit would instead be a $400 nightmare.

+1

I don't really see touchscreens being anything more then a marketing ploy for non-pro users stepping up from P&S cameras at least as of now.

As someone said above, using the buttons you can change settings without even having to look down whereas a touchscreen you would have to look every time.

[KCY]

touchscreen is a bad idea. It is a bad idea on phones too. Tactile response is important if you want to use a device quickly or discreetly.

DSLR's are hardly the most subtle things ;):p

Could be a good idea actually, it will free both hands. We can use the nose to navigate through the menu..

ewww imagine if you sneeze..... ;):p

I can't say I like the idea, the only place I can think it might help is the menu screen and reviewing photos...but its not exactly hard to eaither of these tasks now...

[HyperYagami]

+1

I don't really see touchscreens being anything more then a marketing ploy for non-pro users stepping up from P&S cameras at least as of now.

As someone said above, using the buttons you can change settings without even having to look down whereas a touchscreen you would have to look every time.

The problem is, you applied the touchscreen based on your mindset (what functions it does, what it can and can't do, etc.) and you're very sure Canon would do just those and only those.

I'm sure before iPhone everyone thought a touchscreen phone won't work too simply because they applied their own mindset to it (i.e., no innovations applied), and look at what we have now. It's not perfect, but it does a hell lot more stuff then your last gen cellphones.

We simply don't know what Canon is going to do with the touchscreen, and they're not idiots.

[tfd888]

The problem is, you applied the touchscreen based on your mindset (what functions it does, what it can and can't do, etc.) and you're very sure Canon would do just those and only those.

I'm sure before iPhone everyone thought a touchscreen phone won't work too simply because they applied their own mindset to it (i.e., no innovations applied), and look at what we have now. It's not perfect, but it does a hell lot more stuff then your last gen cellphones.

We simply don't know what Canon is going to do with the touchscreen, and they're not idiots.

That's why I said "as of now" ;) We'll just have to wait and see what they do :D

[-MasterChief-]

it looks like were on our way boys and girls! canon just applied for the patent:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/03/canon-patent-application-points-to-touchscreen-dslrs/

[HyperYagami]

it looks like were on our way boys and girls! canon just applied for the patent:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/03/canon-patent-application-points-to-touchscreen-dslrs/

hum...so you're repeating the patent that started this thread to begin with? :confused:

[-MasterChief-]

LOL! sorry about that, its been a crazy week! LOL!

[StudioBin]

I guess aftermarket screen protectors will be obsolete with touch screens being on DSLR cameras. Would this mean omission of most of the buttons on the camera?

[TeenPhotog]

Worst thing about touch screens is the lack of tactility and it is impossible to operate if you aren't staring right at it

[spiralspirit]

I guess aftermarket screen protectors will be obsolete with touch screens being on DSLR cameras. Would this mean omission of most of the buttons on the camera?

it will probably switch to touchscreen phone style protectors rather than be eliminated entirely. They're a bigger hassle to put on your phone, but once its on they're ok and the touchscreens work fine.

[Cali Agent]

What a horrible idea. Sony and Samsung have sold cameras by marketing touch screens and I'd really hate to see CANON use that kind gimic on their SLRs. All of the functional buttons will be lost into sub folders with more buttons to touch on the screen. The wheel will be lost and say hello to fingerprints all over the place.

[nduralt]

Um... Negative! I will never use a touch screen on DSLR as my eye will be already engaged in composing the image. Sounds to me like another blunder.

[momendo]

I'm for the touch screen so long as they have a screen lock and an oleophobic coating like the iPhone.

[Patrick-70]

With a dslr, they also need to introduce an eye detector next to the viewfinder otherwise your nose touching might have unexpected effects.

[travismanley]

i cant see a touchscreen being helpful on a camera. the screen would have to be much larger for it to work too.

[tfd888]

i cant see a touchscreen being helpful on a camera. the screen would have to be much larger for it to work too.

The Iphone's screen is 3.5in diagonally. The 1D3 has a 3in diagonally measured screen so it's possible to have a usable sized screen on the back. I wouldn't mind having it there as an option but don't get rid of my buttons and wheel :D

[MMX]

It would be a great idea, if I will be able to activate and deactivate the screen when I need. To change settings I don´t use the screen at all - I look to the viewfinder and use buttons (sometimes I look at the small screen on the top of the camera body).
However, the touchscreen could be very useful with live view and tripod. Not to change settings, but to focus. It would use the same system as the cellphone cameras do - you touch the screen whereever you want and the camera will use that spot as an AF point. This means there would be no need to autofocus and then move the camera or to use the manual focus.

[Joaaso]

The Iphone's screen is 3.5in diagonally. The 1D3 has a 3in diagonally measured screen so it's possible to have a usable sized screen on the back. I wouldn't mind having it there as an option but don't get rid of my buttons and wheel :D
menu, preview, disp, and delete-buttons and similar, could very well be removed and only be available on the touch-screen imo.. especially if it could allow the screen to be slightly bigger...

[2joez]

i wouldnt want a touch screen dslr. I find it pointless because: screen will get dirty and smudges, might not be practical for most users, and last but not least, touch screen arent reliable.

[drewr]

It would be a great idea, if I will be able to activate and deactivate the screen when I need. To change settings I don´t use the screen at all - I look to the viewfinder and use buttons (sometimes I look at the small screen on the top of the camera body).
However, the touchscreen could be very useful with live view and tripod. Not to change settings, but to focus. It would use the same system as the cellphone cameras do - you touch the screen whereever you want and the camera will use that spot as an AF point. This means there would be no need to autofocus and then move the camera or to use the manual focus.

It would be great to have apple collaborate, have a system like the iphone when you put your eye up to it the heat sensors deactivate the screen, but also incorporate the same touch screen as apple use, that would be awesome!

[dontcallmeash]

DSLRs, whether it's a good idea or not, seem to inherit features from point and shoot cameras.

the chimps using live-view for everything would love it.

we can get $teve job$ involved.

...

DSLR's have lots of buttons spread around the camera body because they're dedicated and don't require you taking your eye off the viewfinder to use them. it's like having an LCD menu screen on your car for the thermostat or a single rotary knob.

which one can you use without looking down at it like an idiot?

[dmo580]

Not the dumbest idea. I'd like it. Instead of using the dpad to scroll through the AF then the Aperture, Shutter speed, WB, etc, I'd like a touch interface.

I think everyone's talking about problems here that SHOULDN'T be a problem.

Traditional touchscreens are resistive screens. We're past that age. The iPhone is capacitive, and it's 10x better than any resistive screen. Capacitive screens are very responsive and respond to the lightest touch. I understand the concerns against resistive screens and using my iPod, Droid and Garmin GPS (resistive), I can tell the resistive screen is VERY different. I wouldn't want to have to tap twice during a wedding to make sure my selection went through, but I would have no hesitation doing it on an iPhone/Droid quality screen. Pinchzoom when previewing photos would be amazing. Nothing wrong with using our current zoom, but these are features that COULD make the UI a lot better.

I think too many people are lumping touchscreen with "newb." Touchscreen has only made UIs more convenient than ever. Kinetic scrolling vs drag scrolling vs. manually moving a dpad? Amazing technology. Yes the concerns that we might dumb down SLRs to idiotic leveis certainly exist, and I don't want it making our dSLR experience WORSE. However, to me there's no question about how a touchscreen can make the UI better. I just hope Canon implements it in the right way to please the pros. For example they certainly shouldn't be removing current UI implementations. The touchscreen should be an addon feature. Two ways to select your WB or AF mode. Everything takes time to get used to.

But at the same time I think too many people are too focused on keeping dSLRs an elitist thing. This is only going to get harder with more uncle bobs and more Rebels being sold. The other week I was watching someone with a 7D shooting on green box mode. -___________-

[Illumined]

All hail the analog.

[teknophobia]

... Traditional touchscreens are resistive screens. We're past that age. The iPhone is capacitive, and it's 10x better than any resistive screen. Capacitive screens are very responsive and respond to the lightest touch. I understand the concerns against resistive screens and using my iPod, Droid and Garmin GPS (resistive), I can tell the resistive screen is VERY different. I wouldn't want to have to tap twice during a wedding to make sure my selection went through, but I would have no hesitation doing it on an iPhone/Droid quality screen. Pinchzoom when previewing photos would be amazing. Nothing wrong with using our current zoom, but these are features that COULD make the UI a lot better.

I think too many people are lumping touchscreen with "newb." Touchscreen has only made UIs more convenient than ever. Kinetic scrolling vs drag scrolling vs. manually moving a dpad? Amazing technology. Yes the concerns that we might dumb down SLRs to idiotic leveis certainly exist, and I don't want it making our dSLR experience WORSE. However, to me there's no question about how a touchscreen can make the UI better. I just hope Canon implements it in the right way to please the pros. For example they certainly shouldn't be removing current UI implementations. The touchscreen should be an addon feature. Two ways to select your WB or AF mode. Everything takes time to get used to....-

I'll take a resistive touchscreen over a capacitive touchscreen anyday. Give me a buzz after you get frostbite from not being able to wear gloves so that you can operate the touchscreen even when it's really really cold.

[Joaaso]

DSLR's have lots of buttons spread around the camera body because they're dedicated and don't require you taking your eye off the viewfinder to use them.
so you use menu, preview, disp/info and delete when looking through the viewfinder..?
and then you have the af-modes, metering mode, WB and timer/single shot etc which also could be set from a touchscreen -at least on rebels since they dont have the top lcd..

basically, you just need the scrollwheels and buttons for aperture, shutterspeed, ISO, focus point selection, shutter-button and back-button-AF as normal buttons for operating when looking through the viewfinder, the rest could be made available from a touchscreen without causing too much trouble..

[dontcallmeash]

so you use menu, preview, disp/info and delete when looking through the viewfinder..?
and then you have the af-modes, metering mode, WB and timer/single shot etc which also could be set from a touchscreen -at least on rebels since they dont have the top lcd..

basically, you just need the scrollwheels and buttons for aperture, shutterspeed, ISO, focus point selection, shutter-button and back-button-AF as normal buttons for operating when looking through the viewfinder, the rest could be made available from a touchscreen without causing too much trouble..

sounds fair. but the touchscreen would have to be deactivated when i stuff my big fat potato of a nose into it when i take a picture.

[MMX]

It would be great to have apple collaborate, have a system like the iphone when you put your eye up to it the heat sensors deactivate the screen, but also incorporate the same touch screen as apple use, that would be awesome!

Why sensors? It would only be more expensive and less accurate. With a normal button nothing can go wrong - I know best when I want it to be active and when I don´t (and most of the time I don´t use the screen at all).

[Joaaso]

sounds fair. but the touchscreen would have to be deactivated when i stuff my big fat potato of a nose into it when i take a picture.
don't we pretty much have the solution for that already -just with normal screens?

[Illumined]

I see it happening in the Rebel of xxD series, but nowhere else. Screen intended for touch navigation have always been inherently built less durable to pronounce the speed it takes for it to process your command. That being said, I don't see anything in the 1D series line of bodies getting a touchscreen touch-up anytime soon as yes, LCDs do scratch and break but nowhere near as likely as a touchscreen. To fix the touchscreen alone would also be rather costly and the overall damage is much more detrimental to the camera's use due to it being a command/view interface standalone rather than the 'view' of a separate command interface.

Touchscreen doesn't interest me on a dSLR unless it's dedicated to LV only (and that is doubtful).

[Joaaso]

LCDs do scratch and break but nowhere near as likely as a touchscreen.
hmm, not too sure about that.. i got my iphone a few months before my 450D (2 years soon) and even though my iphone has been dropped numerous times from heights up to 1,5m and often lies with the screen down on dirty surfaces, it hasnt gotten any damage at all -the screen is almost spotless except for a few scrathes on the top (where there's no screen underneath actually, so it doenst affect the use at all).. but the 450D which has never been dropped and almost always lies in a padded bag and never lies with the screen down, has LOTS of tiny scratches all over the screen..

so, if I would have done a drop-test with the camera vs the iphone, i'd be much more confident about the iphone surviving, than the camera -based on my experiences so far.. but i've never actually managed to break a screen on any electronic equipment, so i'm no expert..;)