Speaking Frankly

When Pros Are Cons

Do pros sometimes hold back equipment development?

It's a commonly held belief that professional photographers are asked to try out new camera models before production is finalized. Wrong. While pros may be among the first to see a new model, they have no more chance of altering camera features than you or I. During the design stage, pros (and trusted members of the photo press) may be asked for their opinions or ideas about features. But once the die is cast, we all take what the manufacturer gives us.

Looking back on the history of 35mm and medium-format film cameras, as well as digital SLRs, the manufacturers have a good record of success. Failures at retail have often been due more to a camera maker's financial problems than poor design.

But there have been some odd bumps and missed opportunities to advance camera design. And many have been caused by pros giving SLR makers misdirection during the design stage. Sometimes their opinions were (thankfully) ignored, but sometimes they were followed, resulting in problems that continue to this day. Here are some of my favorites:

Did Polaroid kill the perfect digital instant camera?

On October 22, 1979, during the dawn of early digital still camera prototypes, Irving Erlichman filed a patent for a "a hand-held, self-processing, electronic imaging camera" whose features, capabilities and sheer daring of concept went far beyond anyone else's envisioned camera, not only then, but perhaps even now. No, Erlichman wasn't a young geek off his rocker, but one of a small group of brilliant inventors working for Dr. Edwin H. Land, and the patent was indeed assigned to the Polaroid Corporation.

What combination of features could deserve such accolades? Picture a digital camera with integral printer producing as many 3 x 3 inch color prints of the same image, either immediately, or if you chose, at any later time, thanks to an interchangeable memory. Each picture snapped would first appear on a viewing panel to be examined, printed, duplicated, filed or destroyed. If you'd rather not take time even to look at the pictures snapped, you could bypass all of them and do your editing and or duplicating later.