Charge5 Photography

I read an interesting article over at Luminous Landscapes about a “decisive moment digital” and immediately started day dreaming. The by-product of the dream session can be seen below.

I've attempted the 'DMD' before and this is my latest unfettered attempt. I also thought about putting a square sensor option.

Why did I take the time to draw this concept out? I realized there is something wrong with digital cameras today: the lack of simplicity. My DSLR has a 300+ page manual, 20 buttons, 5 dials and a plethora of menus. Going through the menus is like going through my pockets and finding money I didn’t know I had. It can be pleasant the first few times, but it’s frustrating when you can’t find the feature you really need.

My second attempt of the 'DMD'. It's obviously inspired by a couple rangefinders.

I was so impressed by the Rollei XF 35 (size, simplicity, mirrorless, lens size) , I imagined it as a ‘DMD‘.

I think about what the viewfinder of my concept camera would look like and I have an idea. The viewfinder would have a small range-finding image projected in the center (like a normal rangefinder camera) of a HUD-like display, and you could move said image to any part of the HUD. There would be no need to focus and recompose a shot.

This idea is similar to moving the focus point on a old Konica Minolta Dimage A2 I owned. That focusing and metering feature made the A2 really cool to use. Now replace that with the range-finding image. You now can apply manual focus to any part of the image without moving the camera.

In the world of on-camera flash nobody has really broken the mold. Most, if not all, speedlights have the typical rectangular, rotating and swiveling head that sits pretty high. Additionally, one has to get very creative to get current flashguns on axis or add modifiers. So I did a quick concept flash with the ability to sit closer to the lens.

Main features:

Umbrella slot.

The flash bulb sits slightly forward to simulate a bare bulb flash.

Can turn 180 degrees in both X and Y axis for bounce.

In my previous post I photochopped a Rollei XF35 into the digital rangefinder of my dreams. This time I decided to make give my digital rangefinder concept the illustrative treatment with the use of Photoshop and Illustrator.

Behold! The Oris DRF35!

Details and specs after the jump.
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I have been fascinated with rangefinder cameras for a while now, and getting a “decent” one can be financially discouraging. After a lengthy search on everyone’s favorite auction site, I found the beauty you see above: the Rollei XF35. This little guy will have to do till I can save enough money for a M9 (yeah, right!).
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