Post by By Andy Ihnatko’
In a fairly loose definition of the term, the block of Vermont Sharp Cheddar in my fridge is a pocket camera. I’ve just given it a test and sure enough…it fits in my pocket.
(Actually, now that I’ve broken off a hunk to nibble on, it’s become even more compact and convenient.)
I have my reasons for inserting the cheese into this narrative. I was a bit peckish and the cheese was just sitting there. But primarily I want to make the point that the term “pocket camera” isn’t a reflection of a camer’a size. It reflects the camera’s design philosophy.
What do you expect from an SLR? Well, you want to be able to take the best photos possible. An SLR is big and clumsy and you can’t use it without attracting a lot of attention. Changing lenses is a pain, and puts the camera’s innards at risk. Sure, go ahead and take a walk through its menu structure if you must…but pack a couple of days’ worth of provisions and a space blanket in case you get hopelessly lost.
(“Six different color profiles,” was all the 34-year-old systems administrator could say after he was finally found and rescued by National Guard helicopters. “The thing kept asking me about my ‘perceptual intent’ over and over again, no matter how pitifully I begged it to just let me take another picture.”)
All true. And who cares? Convenience and ease-of-use are always desirable features but that’s not why you buy an SLR. You buy an SLR to have a fighting chance at walking away from that place and those circumstances with the best photo that could possibly have been taken.
The Panasonic LX3 carries that philosophy into a pocketable size. Bravo! But as I say…it isn’t a pocket camera. Continue Reading
