The evolution of the camera has come full circle and there is change in the wind, apparently thanks to a modest yet expensive compact camera from Fuji … the soon to be crowned X100 if its many (instant) fans have anything to say about it.
I feel that this may permanently shift the direction in which manufacturers go from here on. No longer satisfied to baffle us with so many complex features that only get in the way of the essence of photography, this new thrust will more and more connect the photographer directly to the instrument. This will truly embody the notion of the “camera just getting out of the way” to allow the capture of the perfect moment.
I can’t wait to see the response of the big guns … after all, they have been tortured by the appearance of many relatively compact cameras with lots of features and interchangeable lenses with the fairly small 4/3” sensor. Now, Fuji raises the stakes by increases sensor size yet reducing control … if Canikon were worried before, they must be expelling bricks with the X100 on the horizon.
I see it playing out rapidly … perhaps over two or three years … simplification being the hallmark of this new era, I think we can look to the past as our guideline. I foresee a wonderful renaissance for photography as a hobby for everyone …
![camera_evolution[1]](http://letkeman.net/Photos/invisiblephotos2/camera_evolution.jpg "camera_evolution[1]")
