June 17th, 2009
Retro is the wave of the future for camera design
On the heels of the announcement of the July release of the Olympus EP-1, on first glance, it would look like there’s a new wave of camera design. But it’s a design we’ve all seen before. The EP-1 digital SLR look is based on the Classic F film SLR look issued 50 years ago.
Olympus isn’t alone in looking to the past for innovative design. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 exhibits retro style, even evoking memories of an old Brownie camera for WSJ writer Nikki Waller. The Canon Powershot G10 also has that box-like feel up front, but still appearing completely like any typical digital SLR on the back.
What is it about the old-school camera look that is still so captivating? I, myself, adore the retro camera look. Sleek, modern styles are attractive, but there’s a character seen in cameras like the Olympus EP-1 that really heralds modern photography’s roots. Is this reflective of a trend to move digital SLRs to the style of old-fashioned film SLRs? Probably not, but it does reflect that digital SLR makers are branching out and emphasizing a new importance on design, almost as much as point-and-shoot designers.
Do you prefer the retro or sleek, modern look when it comes to buying a camera? Or is there another design that piques your fancy more?
Rachel started playing with her mother's old Brownie camera when she was just a toddler, working her way up from a Hello Kitty point-and-shoot to training on both film and digital SLRs. See her full profile and disclosure of her industry affiliations.
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