The two cameras that everyone is talking about at the moment are the Panasonic GF1 and the Olympus EP-1. They are both bigger than would fit in a pants pockets but smaller and lighter than a dSLR. They are not cheap but not as expensive as the Leica X1, which is another camera in the group that includes the Sigma DP1 and DP2.
The attribute they share is that they have big sensors.
Everyone seems to agree they are a step up in quality from compact cameras with the ‘normal’ small sensor – though how long what is today’s ‘normal’ will remain so is, an open question.
For me, the biggest move is towards the acceptance of the idea of a serious camera that does not have a big viewfinder or perhaps any viewfinder.
I am reminded of something the painter David Hockney said, namely that compared to painting, it is no wonder that photography had a dubious reputation when the photographer has his eye to the viewfinder like someone peeping through a keyhole.
And I am also reminded of how the artist might take a step back from his subject and frame it with his fingers, or hold up his brush at arm’s length to get an idea of size.
Whenever I see someone on the street composing with the LCD in the back of the camera, I see how with each passing month the self-possession, the confidence, the artistry with which people are holding their cameras is growing.
I see it as part of this explosion in creativity that is all around us that is being created by a huge number of people.
It also goes some way to helping me see that the iPod Nano with its portrait oriented screen may be ahead of the curve, rather than a mistake that entails holding the camera oddly at 90 degrees to get to landscape format.
Exciting times.
