That does it! Why I HATE prosumer cameras!

Ralph Oshiro

Ralph Oshiro

Veteran
Went to shoot some B-roll shots today with my DVX100 for the opening shot of my woefully underprepared scifi short. It was a simple sticks shot of some architectural elements near downtown, Los Angeles. Such a simple set-up, and such a simple shoot. But I soon found myself becoming ridiculously frustrated operating my DVX100 once again. Here's why . . .

1. Still can never poo pooing find the iris pot without looking away from viewfinder, and it's PISSING ME OFF. Iris rings belong on the poo pooING lens where you can poo pooING find it.
2. I HATE the fact that all prosumer cameras have that "press the little switch while turning the lever" type of "on" switch.
3. No record button on front of body.
4. Super lame servo zoom/control (way not slow enough, and way not fast enough).
5. No hard stops on focus barrels.
6. No dB scale on VU meters.
7. Camera strap that PERFECTLY covers your record button, prohibiting you from rolling for a few seconds while you move it out of the way, every poo pooed time.

Regarding gripe number 2:
Could it be any poo pooing harder to simply turn on your camera? How about just a plain old switch? One with no two-fingered, acrobatic contrortions required just to turn the poo pooed thing on? My BVW400A at work doesn't have it, and I NEVER, I mean, poo pooING NEVER accidentally turn it on or off. What are manufacturers so worried about us turning on and off our cameras for? And doesn't "prosumer" imply that we're at least sort of pros? We know how to use gear--we're not your typical consumer who inadvertantly records two hours of camera-still-inside-the-camera-bag footage. Like grandma or uncle Bob is really gonna pop $3,500 for a whiz-bang 24P camera anyway. Like it would poo pooing kill those guys (Sony/Panasonic) to put a real on/off switch on these cameras with a simple switchguard?

I HATE IT, I HATE IT, I HATE IT. I'm through with prosumer cameras. That's it for me. I'm out!
 
I can seriously and totally feel your pain! One of those days that give weekends a bad name.

Last Friday during the snow storm in Chicago my car spun out in a ditch (crossing three lanes of traffic to get there). I was in a T-shirt and slippers (it was only supposed to be a quick trip taking a friend to O'Hare).

One of the five snow plows that missed me on the way accross stopped to see if I was O.K. I had to get out to talk to him--he said he'd phone in a tow truck to get my car out from sticking almost straight up in the air.

He pulled off, I ran back to the car. . . and the rotten door had locked on me.

Took four hours for the tow truck to get there. Got to bed at four thirty that morning with some very cold toes.


EDIT: come to think of it, I think I'm done with prosumer cameras too! Finis! I'm with NBC.
 
feel ya pain

feel ya pain

It's probably likely that the "prosumer" cameras provide just enough frustration to the pros, especially the run and gunners like many of us, so they don't find *too* big a market. You don't have to have a Ph.D. in marketing to know that electronics companies must be very careful not to cannibalize their own products.

Good design should always be #1. The frustrations you describe are right on! However, design is often #10 behind cheaper parts, easier manufacturing, standardized molds, etc.

That iris one is especially frustrating!
 
dakotapod said:
WOW.... Way too familiar - Every Ex girlfriend just flashed before my eyes.... :cheesy:
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What made her flash before your eyes? No longer your ex?

(Dakota, you couldn't have waited thirty more seconds to post that, could you.)
 
Archie%2520Lovin%2520with%2520Timmy%2520who%2520is%2520having%2520a%2520tantrum.jpg
 
lpcvideo1 said:
Hehehe. Good one.

Looks more like blckhawk542, though.
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...ha..ha...cuz i would totally be pwning that dude if he tried to carry me like that..



......maybe i should shave my head...
 
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