Why no gain control?

[HBlack]

Why don't consumer cameras ever have control over gain? You'll find that many of them have control over shutter speed, exposure, white balance and focus, but gain control seems to be limited to professional cameras. Is this just to separate consumer and professional cameras more? You wouldn't think it'd be difficult for a company to allow you to adjust, or just turn off auto-gain. Come to think of it, it wouldn't cost them anything to allow full manual control in general.

Is this for the sole reason that they want you to spend more on a professional model? Because really, having the option there wouldn't detract from the ease of use for someone who wants to use it in auto mode.

 

[mrWr0ng]

well i imagine there's a number of reasons for it. obviously, yes, if you have full manual control, it will eat away at their prosumer and professional markets.

also, having full manual control could take away from their sales. sure, the only people who'd really want to do that are more likely to buy higher level cameras (so there's no incentive to develop them to begin with), but you'd also run in to the possibility that someone at the electronics store will go in and adjust all the manual settings for a terrible picture. Not like Sony reps will be sending their henchmen in to stores to screw up a Panasonic camera's settings, but c'mon, who doesn't futz with settings when they can control them? That's half of the fun I have at the store with those things.

They're meant to be picked up and shot, and that's it. If you want more control, then most likely you're willing to shell out what it costs for a pro camera. And in that sense, a company would be shooting themselves in the foot making a camera with controls no hobbyist would ever care about using.

 

[David Jimerson]

What makes you think it "wouldn't cost them anything" to do that? Greater complexity always equals greater expense.

Seems to me this is kind of question is like asking why a typical Ford isn't up to Hum-Vee specs. It's almost never necessary. If you're planning to hit rough terrain or go into combat, don't take your Taurus. If you want all the professional features, don't look at consumer cameras.

 

[HBlack]

The advantages of pro cameras are generally better image and sound quality, better inputs and outputs, and easier access to manual controls.

I sincerely doubt it would cost them very much at all to add another segment to the menu that lets you turn off gain. Also, that store argument seems awfully weak. If you don't want people messing with the settings, leave it in auto mode. And it's pretty damn easy to significantly mess up the setting of any existing consumer camera anyway.