The modern camera does a lot to flatter its ancestors. From using the same lenses to being designed like traditional film cameras, we haven’t seen much departure from the tried and tested. In some cases that’s probably a pretty good thing, but in others it doesn’t hurt to look at what options the less restrictive digital camera’s innards allow.
Plenty of designs have made it out in to the open and most get some things right and some things wrong. 
It seems it is time for another unusual camera design to come out and have us ask what makes a camera look the way it does. This time we see Ryan David Francis‘ design in Sony trim boasting design changes from the usual which are meant to be in response to how a user handles and shoots with a DSLR.
Instead of trying to change how a camera is used his design focuses on having the camera’s form better complement the way it is already used. The angled LCD is an interesting idea, it would help to eliminate the problem of no-nose room on many of the more compact cameras and he claims it is also designed to reduce smudges on the screen. I can’t help but think that it has a bigger impact on the size of the camera than it does on the smudge problem, and I wonder if simply extending the eyepiece might accomplish much the same without increasing the cameras bulk as much.
Placement of the strap lugs seems a bit odd as well, since it looks like they’ll fall right under the hand, possibly making the grip a bit uncomfortable. Speaking of grips… why aren’t there any? Holding on to this camera looks like it requires a bit of faith. There’s no recessed finger grip to enable a firm grasp on the camera and there’s no rubber or textured area to aid in keeping a firm grip. This design makes me curious what shooting with this camera in a vertical orientation would be like. To see more of this camera check out Ryan’s gallery, you can even see some very cool photos and a description of how the model was made!
I know these designs are usually exercises in finding what can be done differently and that their creators hope to improve on the dated designs behind modern DSLRs but eliminating certain features doesn’t sit well with me. Tilted LCD or not, the issue of camera ergonomics is certainly one that I think deserves more focus. Samsung thinks that a camcorder will be more natural to use if the thing shoots at a 25 degree angle, and their idea makes some kind of sense. Are we forever tied to the form factor of the 35mm SLR or are there other options? Some of the ideas out there are quite radical and may face resistance if brought to market but others could be implemented as small tweaks to existing cameras. Designs like this might make as many mistakes as they do improvements but they get the creative juices flowing and one day someone might just come up with something brilliant.
One thing this reminds me of is complaints from some people that their cameras hurt their hands & wrists after extended use. While I’ve never experienced this kind of discomfort, perhaps ergonomic improvements would lessen their aches.
