It's Okay If You All Think Alike - Or Not...

I've gone through a number of photo eras here and in North America and can look back to compare and contrast them. So, very likely, have you. If you've not experienced them so far, here's hoping you'll get a chance to in the future. The great thing is if you could keep your eyes and ears open to what is being shown and said - you'll find this changes as new tech appears. And it also changes as new advertising agencies get hold of the trade. Way, way back ( dinosaurs, Elvis ) it was the era of the film SLR . They started small and got bigger, rising in price and bloating in size as new features like TTL metering were added. They got bulkier and blockier - I recommend you to some of the Topcon bodies if you fancy yourself something of a weight lifter. Then the size war turned to another front and the compact SLR came in - see the Pentax MX as prime example of small thinking - the Olympus OM series as well. Then the automatic electronic SLR with the programmable confusion cards...Minolta...and we hared off onto another tack. All the time being chased by, and chasing in turn, the Kodak film department that cranked out different formats and handling systems. They stayed up late at Rochester to see if they could make you buy yet another new system to use yet another new way of ratcheting film through a camera. The advent of digital should have smoothed this all out - One Jpeg To Rule Them All, as it were. No confusion, everything easy to understand. No need for complex settings just turn it on and away you go. And hasn't that worked out well, eh? Bet you're never confused by the menu in your new camera, right? All new camera RAW file always open in the computer, eh? We are driven by our intellect, our passions, our artistic vision, and the need to have a better camera system than our brother-in-law. We are also driven by the advertising agencies employed by the camera makers and by people who make advertising videos. These factors can send us in the direction of simplicity and sensible camera design or another way. Some of us are so far down that other way that we have lost our bearings...and can be compelled to re-buy camera bodies and lenses whenever they are offered for sale. Do not be gloomy about this all - the idea of the " influencer " is abroad in the land. Seize upon it - you can choose to use your Instagram account or YouTube channel or a pine knot torch and a pitchfork. The choice is made when you decide to influence the customers or the makers.