Design vs. Function - Rangefinders Revisited


Over in Germany, all the camera companies are trotting out their latest concepts -- and a few actual cameras-- at the Photokina trade fair. Olympus served up this retro-looking concept camera, intended to evoke the 35mm, leather-clad rangefinders of the 1970s.

I am an enormous fan of those classic rangefinders. They had fast lenses, mirror-less shutters system that made for quiet photography, and they took great photos. Among the best: the Olympus XA, a very compact rangefinder that delivered superb user control and great photos in a camera slightly larger than a pack of cigarettes.

With the arrival of electronic autofocus technology, rangefinders quickly disappeared. C'est domage. Too bad.

Today's Olympus point-and-shoots, I've found, leave a bit to be desired. They're neither leading edge nor especially user-friendly. I've owned one or two, and found them a little on the sluggish side. Olympus seems to be gearing itself to be the Mazda Motors of the camera world: making cute, almost boutique-calibre digital cameras that look terrific, but don't always deliver the imaging experience you'd assume went with the slick package.

I hope these "Micro Four-Thirds" cameras prove me wrong. But I also hope that they deliver more than a leather-and-brushed aluminum feel, especially in terms of image quality.

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