Beginner Need advice about digital camera with good manual controls

DeadpanDodo

DeadpanDodo

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Just joined the site and am looking for advice and inspiration.

In the mid 80's as a teenager, I learned basic photography using manual film cameras for fun and pleasure - I had a Russian Zenith SLR - built like a tank with only manual controls - and took my Photography O Level as a night class with it, whilst in 6th form doing A levels during the day. Move on a few decades, and my photography has become little more than family orientated point and shoot - I currently have an 8 year old Fuji bridge camera.

Would like to get back into more creative photography - and would like a digital camera with good manual controls - so that I can reteach myself the basics without too much automated-camera intrusion. Have Googled a bit, but not found anything that is really what I'm after. Not looking to spend a fortune - don't mind considering something second hand - but does what I'm looking for actually exist?
 
Welcome to TP, DD.

Most modern bridge cameras offer as much manual control as you want - the usual PASM (Programme, Aperture, Shutter, Manual) array along with fully automatic if you want to use that instead. Manual focus might be harder to find but does exist on some bridges and even some compacts. Cameras with larger sensors do offer more creative photography in terms of shallow DoF etc. so maybe a DSLR is the way forward. Maybe there's a decent local camera shop for you to have a play and a chat, or maybe a TP member close by to meet up with? If you're mobile, there's always the TP megameet in June...
 
Hi, Most if not all DSLR's have manual and not a great differance between what you did in film days.
Personally I try and shoot in manual all the time, not because digital cameras are not good at exposure, shutter speed etc it's just I don't like to leave the deciding factor to the camera.
Lastly don't worry to much about how many MP's a camera sports unless you are going to blow up images to bill board size around the 18MP is fine for most cases and money spent on a good lens will give better results all round.
As both Canon and Nikon keep throwing out new cameras there are loads of very good used bargains to be found as for some reason a lot of people (not all) just have to have that new button that was added in the latest offerings of DSLR's.
Russ
 
Hello and welcome. Could be wrong but I'd say all DSLRs and bridge cameras have a manual option and also the PAS options Nod mentioned. Canon and Nikon have the lion's share of the market in terms of sales and models but there are others too, Sony and Pentax for example. As the vast majority of cameras of all makes are pretty good the choice is largely down to what feels good in the hand.

You can manual focus many (if not all) auto focus lenses and sometimes manual focus will be needed, but auto focus systems are so good and will cope with so many situations that they are as accurate and faster than manual focussing.

From your photographic background (I too had a great, virtually 'battlefield grade', Zenith with the excellent Helios lens) I can understand your interest in manual controls, but the various semi-automatic controls on current cameras are excellent and I think are aids to photography rather than an intrusion. There will be time when manual exposure is needed but often aperture priority or shutter priority will be the most useful options.

Dave
 
For well laid out manual controls, I'd suggest sticking with Fuji and any of the following compact system camera (CSC) models (they're all mirror-less and interchangeable lens) - X-E1, X-E2, X-Pro1, X-T1 - almost all the lenses in the range have an aperture dial and a manual focus ring, and the bodies I've listed all have a shutter speed dial. If you've still got your Zenit lenses they'll work with an adapter. The Fuji X series has a large following on this forum and a couple of dedicated forums as well.
 
fuji looks quite good on manual controls and are one of the few cameras to have a shutter speed dial these days! Some of their lenses have a marked distance scale for easy manual focussing all though some of their cheaper lenses have no scale so "fly by wire" focussing only
 
Wow. Really impressed with the speed and quality of the responses to my post. Many thanks to all. I'll have a look at the various suggestions and I'm sure to be back with more questions shortly!
 
Sounds like a candidate for a Nikon Df :)
 
Regarding the comments about all bridge cameras having a manual mode - yes you are quite right. My Fuji 6500 has this, but it doesn't feel or handle like a manual camera if you know what I mean. Everything is done through menus and button pushes. The Fuji mirrorless ones look worthy of further investigation as the nearest thing to what I am looking for. Thanks for the heads up.
 
Gramps - the Nikon DF looks just like what I'm after except no physical aperture settings on the lens, and no indication of depth of field on the lens barrel either. Certainly a thing of beauty, but probably out of my price bracket anyway.
 
DeadpanDodo said:
Gramps - the Nikon DF looks just like what I'm after except no physical aperture settings on the lens, and no indication of depth of field on the lens barrel either. Certainly a thing of beauty, but probably out of my price bracket anyway.
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If you use it with a lens that has aperture settings on the lens (a large number of Nikon lenses have this) then you will be fine.
 
There are some great cameras with analogue controls from Fuji, and the Nikon Df is ace.
However, I think you're looking at this from the wrong angle, this is your question (ish):
I haven't driven a car since the 1920's, and I've looked at some modern cars and they seem to be removing all control from the driver. Where can I find a car which has the ignition timing advance lever on the steering wheel, a choice of foot or hand accelerator and a proper manual choke?
Modern cars have removed the need for all that nonsense, but they still give you a great driving experience once you have learned how to use them. Likewise modern cameras have don't need Aperture rings, Shutter speed dials or Manual Focussing aids.

Bridge cameras and even low end DSLR's rely too much on menus, so I wouldn't recommend them. But for most DSLRs, there's no difference between an aperture ring on a lens and a wheel on the back of the camera that does the same thing. And modern cameras are designed from the ground up to Auto Focus, which does mean that Manual focus is a pain - but really, you can still be in control of what you're focussing on (the important bit) and let your camera ensure focus is achieved (the fiddly bit). I hope that's enough to have you rethink your requirements.
 
I understand you feelings about menu driven controls but as mentioned above most DSLRs have physical controls for aperture and shutter speed. For example, in P mode on my camera, and I assume many others, the back wheel changes the aperture and the front wheel the shutter speed. Using both becomes second nature and using a wheel to change the shutter speed is a lot easier, I find, than the shutter speed dial on a more traditional camera.

Dave
 
Thanks for the further replies.

Phil V - I like the car analogy and there is a lot of truth in what you say. However I'd prefer to think of it as more like choosing a Triumph Stag with a manual gearbox, wind-up windows, and the AA Road Atlas, over a Ford Mondeo with automatic box, climate control, and the SatNav set to "fastest journey". Taking your car theme a stage further - all I'm going to say is "driverless cars" and surely nobody wants that!

The suggestions pointing me towards mirrorless cameras (especially the Fuji models listed above) combined with old lenses - is one I've now been looking at - and I think is going to give me the best of all worlds - so prepare for more questions as I try to confirm my thinking.
 
For me the Epson R-D1 is the only camera that fits the bill.I'm interested to hear if anything else comes close but I haven't found anything which can be used without looking at a screen at all. You can fold the screen on the Epson away and it functions exactly like a film camera except you can change the ISO on the fly (again via a manual dial) There's a reason it's still a classic although it's such a niche product prices are rather high but I've seen the body go for £500.

And don't listen to the nonsense about manual controls being nonsense. Some people like the feeling to taking a picture themselves rather than the feeling of pointing a computer at something. You either get it or you don't.
 
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Tringa - I think I need to get my hands on some cameras to have a play - I can't quite follow what back wheel and front wheel mean - are these both on the camera body - and not the lens?
Unfortunately the only independent camera shop in Pembrokeshire (Celtic Vision) closed a couple of years ago and it's nearly a 70 mile round trip to Carmarthen or 120 to Swansea. I had a look at the offerings locally within Currys and Tesco and was left uninspired.
 
DeadpanDodo said:
Thanks for the further replies.

Phil V - I like the car analogy and there is a lot of truth in what you say. However I'd prefer to think of it as more like choosing a Triumph Stag with a manual gearbox, wind-up windows, and the AA Road Atlas, over a Ford Mondeo with automatic box, climate control, and the SatNav set to "fastest journey". Taking your car theme a stage further - all I'm going to say is "driverless cars" and surely nobody wants that!

The suggestions pointing me towards mirrorless cameras (especially the Fuji models listed above) combined with old lenses - is one I've now been looking at - and I think is going to give me the best of all worlds - so prepare for more questions as I try to confirm my thinking.
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Except, I drive modern cameras and understand that a little automation doesn't detract from the point, which is to create the images that I want to create, the camera is just a tool that I use to do that. The important parts of the process are composition, lighting and timing, none of those things can be done by the camera, they need me and my brain. There's no need to follow the Sat Nav, you can enjoy driving a Mondeo to somewhere nice (the destination is much more important than the journey).

It really doesn't matter what kind of knobs I'm twiddling on the camera. I know I'd rather select my chosen aperture and let the camera stop down the lens at the point of exposure, than have to deal with stop down metering and fiddling with the aperture control and missing the shot. I'd rather pick my focus point and have the camera ensure it's right than mess with electronic focussing aids designed to bridge the gap between two incompatible worlds. But we're all different, and I appreciate your view (so long as you fully understand the choices you're making), personally I'd rather be enjoying the drive than trying to work out what the knocking noise means (for balance I own a 1963 Austin Healey and I waited until AF cameras had come of age before I bought my first one in 2001).
 
I think there is no substitute for a dedicated *marked* dial for both shutter speed, and aperture. Most DSLRs have a "control wheel" for setting aperture and shutter speed but to me this means having to squint at a digital LCD display while twiddling a plastic wheel rather than just glance at an engraved dial.

Some DSLRs have the aperture and shutter speed LCD and aperture LCD "time out" after a few minutes so it means having to first half press the shutter button again just to confirm what your aperture and shutter speed settings are!
 
Horses for courses.

boliston said:
I think there is no substitute for a dedicated *marked* dial for both shutter speed, and aperture. Most DSLRs have a "control wheel" for setting aperture and shutter speed but to me this means having to squint at a digital LCD display while twiddling a plastic wheel rather than just glance at an engraved dial.

Some DSLRs have the aperture and shutter speed LCD and aperture LCD "time out" after a few minutes so it means having to first half press the shutter button again just to confirm what your aperture and shutter speed settings are!
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When I'm using the camera I tend to be looking in the viewfinder (no better way to take pictures IMO), which means marked dials on the top plate or on the lens are in really inconvenient places. If I pick my camera out of the bag and want to see what the settings are, I just tap the shutter and the top LCD tells me all of that and more.

There's enough evidence to suggest I'm not alone in finding that useful here: as soon as cameras had a microprocessor built in, they added the exposure info in the viewfinder.

Like I said earlier, I like the feel of dials on a camera, but I want all the 'modern' conveniences even more, if Canon launch a Df alternative I'll probably want one. But I don't miss an aperture ring one bit.
 
Phil V said:
Horses for courses.


When I'm using the camera I tend to be looking in the viewfinder (no better way to take pictures IMO), which means marked dials on the top plate or on the lens are in really inconvenient places. If I pick my camera out of the bag and want to see what the settings are, I just tap the shutter and the top LCD tells me all of that and more.

There's enough evidence to suggest I'm not alone in finding that useful here: as soon as cameras had a microprocessor built in, they added the exposure info in the viewfinder.

Like I said earlier, I like the feel of dials on a camera, but I want all the 'modern' conveniences even more, if Canon launch a Df alternative I'll probably want one. But I don't miss an aperture ring one bit.
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To be honest, even in the days of shooting on my Canon F1, complete with dials and rings for setting pretty much everything, my first week or so of owning the camera was pretty muuch dedicated to operating the camera and "dry firing" it, until I was familar enough with all the controls to be able to set everything "by clicks" and know where I was... All so that I could keep looking through the viewfinder and not waste my time having to look at the dials. I do LIKE the feel of dials and the mechanical operation, but I have to admit that from an ease of operation point of view, modern kit makes more sense, putting the information you need in the viewfinder display.

The one thing that I do miss about modern lenses re: the aperture ring, was the really obvious DOF guides for the various apertures inscribed on the lens-barrel - for landscape work, it made it so easy not having to remember hyperfocal distances or any of that stuff... just decide how close the first bit of foreground you want in focus was from the film plane, set the aperture you wanted, and put the focus so that the "close" line was closer than your foreground, make sure that the "far" line was at or above infinity and you were good to go... and if not, stop the lens down and repeat.
 
The 'wheels' are on the camera body, Deadpan. I think the usual position for the front on is just in front of the shutter relase. The back one is just to the right of the viewfinder. All the info about aperture and shutter speed is in the viewfinder so you can see the effects of both wheels as you move them. I do agree with Mark about DoF scales on lenses they were very useful but apart from these I cannot think of anything on my old manual cameras that I wish was a feature on my DSLR.

Dave
 
Tringa said:
... I do agree with Mark about DoF scales on lenses they were very useful but apart from these I cannot think of anything on my old manual cameras that I wish was a feature on my DSLR.

Dave
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This^
Unfortunately, for AF to work well the 'throw' of an AF lens is very short, which means that the old DoF scales are almost unworkable on a new AF lens.

Would I swap awesome AF for DoF scales? Would I heckers like!
 
DoF scales on lens barrels were very useful. I learned a lot from using them in my Contax days. But they are only really feasible on fixed focal length lenses. These days the latter are almost specialised offerings.

Whatever you do, don't go mirrorless. You'll get far more of what you're looking for with a DSLR. I would imagine you can use them all with whatever degree of manual control you are looking for.
 
DeadpanDodo said:
The suggestions pointing me towards mirrorless cameras (especially the Fuji models listed above) combined with old lenses - is one I've now been looking at - and I think is going to give me the best of all worlds - so prepare for more questions as I try to confirm my thinking.
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I think that the cheapest way into this is a Panasonic G1 or G2. These can be found used for maybe £75. Add a £10 adapter and a £25 28mm f2.8 and a £15 50mm f1.8 (equivalent FoV of 56 and 100mm) and you can have great fun for not much money. The aperture is set on the lens and the shutter speed is set using a wheel on the camera. You can select auto ISO or you can change it yourself.

I find a G1 + old lenses to be a very film like experience, probably the closest to film that I've experienced with digital cameras.
 
Like you my 'education' was with a fully manual film camera (in my saxe Praktica). I now use a Canon 550D. There is no problem using the programme functions. I switch between P, TV, AV and manual all the time - whichever gets me what I want most easily. The only mode I've never used is Auto! With your background you will understand exactly what the camera is trying to do and make an informed decision whether to go with it or change something, unlike a lot of people. The only thing I miss at the moment is a distance scale on the lenses I'm using for landscape, but I think once I find the money to move on from the kit lenses I may get that. I get round it by autofocussing at the distance I want then switching the lens to manual to 'lock' it.
 
dpd. I think you have probably realised this by now but there are hundreds of options which will do part sort of what you want but not everything you want.
As has been said, pretty much any mid end or higher DSLR or compact system camera is going to give you half decent manual controls, just not necessarily in the form you are used to with your old zenit.

If I was you I would be thinking not just about this next camera but where you might want to go after that. If you get keen do you think size/weight/cost is going to be a big factor or are you going to be happy adding a lens here or there (for maybe a few hundred pounds each) or are you going to want to stick with something you can fit in a small bag/pocket and/or keep it cheap?

A couple of other comments:
1) don't get an electronic viewfinder camera without trying it first however good the reviews/comments are. In my opinion they still have a very different feel to them compared to a SLR. Not necessary better or worse but different and only you can say whether you find that a help or a hindrance.
2) if you want the feel of an SLR, get an SLR! ;)
Go for a second hand, mid range camera and it will have decent manual controls. perhaps not all on old fashioned dials but still easy to get used to.

My vote would be a 2nd hand Nikon D300. These are stupidly cheap for what you get (have a look in the classifieds here). They are semi-pro so are setup for ease of use without resorting to menus, have the screw type lens autofocus motor in the body (needed for Af on older lenses) and, most importantly, have no problem working with old Nikon AI and AIS manual focus lenses (which have DOF scales).
The great thing about the D300 is that, if you decide that AF and autoexposure isn't such a bad thing after all, you will have an excellent camera that should see many years of service.

Recently I realised I was spending too much time blaming my AF/AE system for not getting it right and not enough time concentrating on how to use the camera so now have a small camera bag with a D300 and a collection of old lenses bought on ebay. 50mm f1.8 AI, 28mm f2.8 AI, 100mm f2.8 AI. The D300 is always set on manual and I have found it excellent for reminding me what taking photographs is really about.

A couple of things to watch out for though.
- My widest manual lens is the 28mm f2.8 as they start getting expensive wider than that. Trouble is this is really only 42mm in 35mm terms. Not a big issue for me as I also have a 12-24 zoom that goes plenty wide enough, It might not have dof scales and feels pretty horrible to manually focus compared to the old lenses but I don't find either of those things a problem at wide angles where dof is huge anyway.
- No DSLR I am aware of (and certainly not my Nikons) have decent manual focus viewfinder screens as standard. By that I mean no split screen of fresnel lens focussing. I did fit an aftermarket split screen to my D80 but frankly found focussing with the plain screen was easier. On the plus side the D300 has a reasonably big and bright viewfinder so it is only really an issue in very poor light.
Again, some electronic viewfinder cameras simulate the split screen (or have some other sort of focus peaking indication in manual mode) but, with the quick play I have had, I haven't got on with them.

I hope this helps rather than hinders ;)
 
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Jan - try back-button focus, you might find out easier than having to switch the lens to manual.


There's no substitute for getting hands on with a range of cameras but it's not easy when there's not much in the way of variation in the stock held by the chain stores.

DSLR or mirror-less, they both have they're strengths and weaknesses. Mirror-less tends to be a lot more compact, DSLRs will generally track a moving subject better. But in terms of build quality, lens quality and image quality there's nothing on it when you compare like with like (sensor size/type).

The multi-megapickle full frame DSLRs are in a separate league (for price as well as image quality), but when you're looking at the typical APS-C sensor size the mirror-less systems more than hold their own - I'm biased but I'd say that the Fujis produce some of the finest APS-C images I've seen. But you do need to get your head around processing them as the unique sensor layout handles some processing options (notably sharpening) very differently to a standard sensor.

In terms of handling it is already going to be a personal preference. But both types offer PASM modes even if they don't both have a dial with those initials on it. One minor advantage of the Fuji way of doing it is that I can both set and confirm with a glance how the camera is set-up even when it's off. Is only a very minor feature though - I managed perfectly well without it when I had a DSLR.

If you do go the DSLR route, avoid the entry level models as you may find yourself with only one control dial and having to press-and-hold or press-and-turn when in manual mode. So with Canon for example, skip the ##0D models and go straight for the #0D or #D models. All the entry level models have a heavy ergonomic bias toward automatic/scene mode operation.


I've owned and used both DSLR and mirrorless cameras, I don't regret making the move from a 40D to the Fuji system. But, I don't take lots of photos of action sports, birds in flight and I'd already developed into a slower and more methodical photographer rather than a spray-and-pray shooter. Of I was into photographing a lot of action sports or birding I'd be shooting a DSLR.


And for what it's worth, I'm a former TR6 owner ;)
 
Nothing wrong with Nikon, but if you do still have a collection of older m42 lenses from your Zenit days going with a Nikon would be a poor choice as they have very limited compatibility with non-Nikon lenses. Due to the mount design they are distance-blind with m42 lenses and need a corrective optic in the adapter - the quality of the corrective optic is very much a matter of how much your prepared to pay for the adapter, but it will always be an extra piece of glass in the optical path that the lens designer did not intend.
 
Wow - Another collection of thought provoking posts since I last logged in this morning. Many thanks to you all.

I think I am going to dip-my-toe in with a second-hand mirrorless camera, an adapter mount, and some old legacy fixed focus lenses - for the reasons mentioned above by Alastair and WoofWoof.

The comments by BigYin and Jerry, and talk of "hyperfocal distance" have made me realize that it is the ability to have control over depth of field that I am most missing at the moment (and in particular the lack of depth of field markings and even a distance scale on my current bridge camera). I've also realized that the tiny sensor in the Fuji fd6500 is a limiting factor in producing anything approaching shallow depth of field and that whatever I get needs a substantially bigger sensor.

Perhaps someone can confirm that what I am aiming for is possible? If I fit say an old M42 screw lens with an adapter to a Fuji or Lumix mirrorless body and, put the camera in Aperture Priority mode, can I then manually select the desired aperture on the old lens, focus through the rear LCD / viewfinder / electronic viewfinder, read off the indicated depth of field from the lens barrel to ensure that the DOP is wide enough / shallow enough as desired, and then allow the camera to select the appropriate shutter speed to obtain correct exposure? I realize there will be no communication between body and lens, but presumably in "A" mode the camera will still be able to calculate exposure? Alternatively, in Manual mode, the through-the-lens metering system is presumably still going to operate with an old legacy lens fitted to allow me to ascertain the shutter speed for correct exposure? I also see that Depth of Field Preview is mentioned in several reviews of shortlisted potential cameras that I've read. This again seems absent from my current camera - and this in itself makes me optimistic about a change to something better suited.

I'd already started looking at the Samsung NX series, particularly the NX10 or NX11, as a cheaper alternative to the Fuji X series, but hadn't considered the Lumix G1 or G2 that WoofWoof has highlighted. Realistically, is the smaller sensor in the Lumix rather than the APS-C ones in the Fuji or Samsung going to be a significant disadvantage?

Again - all input very much appreciated.

PS. @brman - I'd love a look at the classifieds on here - but as a newbie I can't until I've served my probationary period - so eBay it will most likely be!
 
I use a variety of vintage/manual focus lenses with adapters (m42, QBM, Minolta, Sigma SA) - for what you mention I recommend the Fuji X-E2 (£360 as a factory refurb from Fuji). It's has an electronic viewfinder and can be set to provide an exposure preview image in the viewfinder, a WYSIWYG option that makes predicting the exposure very straightforward. Aperture priority mode works as you'd predict, and being able to set upper and lower values in autoISO as well as a minimum target shutter speed makes this mode very useful.
 
The fuji Xpro1 looks quite good in that it offers both optical and electronic viewfinders - very few mirrorless cameras seem to offer a true optical viewfinder. Might benefit some people more than others but I would not really like the idea of loosing an optical viewfinder.
 
Well - I've succumbed to Sunday evening eBay "itchy finger" syndrome and just bagged a Samsung NX11 for the modest sum of £103 including P&P. This includes the 18-55mm kit lens which should get me started. It seems a lot of camera for the money - especially in view of the original list price when it came to market in 2011. It is not exactly what I originally envisaged, but a lens mount adapter and a couple of fixed focus legacy lenses should hopefully give me something approaching what I'm after. I'll let you know and keep you posted.

Thanks for all the comments - they helped a lot - and made me soften to the idea of accepting a certain degree of automation. I'm not really a luddite - but like to be able to understand and control the process. That way I'll hopefully learn and improve.

I've enjoyed my first 24 hours on the forum - I intend to stick around!
 
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DeadpanDodo said:
... I'm not really a luddite - but like to be able to understand and control the process. That way I'll hopefully learn and improve.

I've enjoyed my first 24 hours on the forum - I intend to stick around!
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Glad you've enjoyed it, and at the risk of flogging a dead horse, I think you may have really misunderstood what 'automation' means on modern cameras (I'm not sure my car analogy helped).

On all but the worst DSLRs and the very basic modes you are in total control of the picture making process, it's just that the controls you'd be using aren't the same you used on a Zenit.
 
Phil - no, I think I understand your car analogy - and its helped along with other posters to give me a clearer idea of what I'm after. It is not automation itself that I'm fighting, but the temptation to click away unthinkingly that I want to avoid. I want to understand what is going on under the hood (back to car analogies I'm afraid) and thought that going back to basics and fully manual control is the only way but I appreciate that there may be a compromise solution instead.
 
I can only say that as a long-time film SLR user, and now DSLR user, I find using a CSC (mine's a Panasonic GX1) very frustrating, for various reasons. On the rare occasions that I use it my impression is that I get good results almost by chance, rather than intention!

Perhaps your SLR habit isn't as ingrained as mine, though; good luck with your new purchase.
 
There is more than one CSC system available.. experiences with one may or may not be transferable to another.
 
ped said:
Seriously NO digital camera comes close to the R-D1 for manual feeling. It even has a rewind lever. You NEVER have to use the screen. (guess it's not an SLR though) ;)
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id say its a close call between rd1 and leica m8 for "manual-ness" although the m8 is about £900 vs £700 for the epson rd1 - and the m8 has a 1.33x crop instead of 1.5x as an added bonus.
 
jerry12953 said:
I can only say that as a long-time film SLR user, and now DSLR user, I find using a CSC (mine's a Panasonic GX1) very frustrating, for various reasons. On the rare occasions that I use it my impression is that I get good results almost by chance, rather than intention!

Perhaps your SLR habit isn't as ingrained as mine, though; good luck with your new purchase.
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Then with all respect you're the problem.
I suppose one issue could be back screen shooting. I much prefer an EVF except for occasional and specific shots when the back screen has some advantage. When I first got my GF1 I loved it until using the back screen exclusively started to irritate me, I moved to a G1 and was much happier.

If you can give it some thought and detail what your issues are maybe someone could give some advice but if you are happy with an SLR then you could just accept that and move on... Personally I see nothing inherently magical in the SLR form factor or any other form for that matter.
 
woof woof said:
Then with all respect you're the problem.
I suppose one issue could be back screen shooting. I much prefer an EVF except for occasional and specific shots when the back screen has some advantage. When I first got my GF1 I loved it until using the back screen exclusively started to irritate me, I moved to a G1 and was much happier.

If you can give it some thought and detail what your issues are maybe someone could give some advice but if you are happy with an SLR then you could just accept that and move on... Personally I see nothing inherently magical in the SLR form factor or any other form for that matter.
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Complex and never-ending menus, lack of proper viewfinder (even tho' I have an EVF) , changing settings on back of camera with nose, or other parts of body when handling the camera, erm.....those are the ones that come to mind. I have long come to accept it and that's why I thought the OP might appreciate my experience.
 
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