Stupid things Camera Companies leave out...

[Yashinoff]

Most of my old German SLRs have a locking shutter button. This seems so completely obvious, and so simple to incorporate into a design that my mind just boggles at the mystery of why so few cameras incorporate this feature.

A depth of field preview button is another one that seems obvious an simple to incorporate... alas no.

Anybody else have a favorite "common sense" feature that was left off of most cameras for some reason?

[darkosaric]

Nikon F3 - it has all

[blockend]

Aperture ring.

[PentaxBronica]

Self timer. Although I keep meaning to get hold of one of those "universal" ones which fits a standard cable release socket so I can use it with the ETRSi.

I don't think I've ever used it for the classic self-portrait, but I do use it extensively for long exposures when I didn't bring the cable release and tripod (I just use a handy rock, bench, wall, whatever as a support).

Pretty much all of the better Pentax SLRs have a locking shutter release - the original three K bodies (but not the K1000 for some reason), the MX, ME, ME Super, Super A, and obviously on the P30 series and later if you switch the camera off the shutter won't fire. DOF preview is a bit more vague - it turns up on some bodies but not others. The KM/KX/K2 have it as does the MX and LX, but nothing else until the Super A and then the P30 series.

I don't tend to use it on the cloth shutter bodies as I don't like leaving them wound on for more than a few minutes, the springs controlling the curtain tension can be stretched if left cocked.

[ic-racer]

Anybody else have a favorite "common sense" feature that was left off of most cameras for some reason?

Most cameras that I know have all those features. Now if you are referring to most present-day cameras, the major omission is the place where the film goes

[ooze]

I have often wished Leica M's had a self timer. The screw on thingy works OK though.

[PentaxBronica]

Mirror lock-up would be my other vote.

Only my K2 and KX have it, some say you can persuade an MX to do it but I've never managed to do that trick reliably (happened once by mistake and I thought it had jammed until a second press took the photo and dropped the mirror again). Bronica only got around to fitting it by the ETRSi, which is even stranger when you consider the size of the mirror.

[darkosaric]

I have often wished Leica M's had a self timer. The screw on thingy works OK though.

M3 has selftimer, but M6 not ...

[C.poulton]

M3 has selftimer, but M6 not ...

So does my M2


Christian

[blockend]

Flash socket.