An interesting topic on unused camera features and general food for thought has been discussed in a recent video from YouTuber and Photographer, Matti Sulanto, (sulantoblog) based in Helsinki, Finland.
Sulanto has shared his thoughts on how various new and exciting camera features have people eager to purchase the latest flagships, yet many of these settings can be considered as useless – especially in his own practice of photography.
• Read more: Best camera settings for video
He does start with a disclaimer that some of the features on his list aren't useless and impractical for every photographer, and can be perfect for specific areas of photography. His opinions are based on the usability of settings during his own area of focus in photography.
That said, Sultano says in his video (below) that the most useless feature is in-camera double or multiple exposures. He explains that during the days of film and before Photoshop he would make double exposures in the studio, but now it is not something that he would consider as a useful tool in the digital age.
Notable other "useless" features in Sulanto's list include high speed continuous shooting mode, in-camera RAW developers and exposure bracketing. His argument for the frivolousness of in-camera RAW is that it seems unnecessary unless you plan on immediately sharing your images to a social network or through email directly from the camera, which he almost never does.
The first thing many of us will do when purchasing a new camera is to sift through the settings to customize the menu layout, and assign various functions to external buttons, depending on the system. It's certainly interesting to think of all the advanced menu settings and fun features built-in to modern cameras that can make our lives easier as photographers, yet many of us seem to ignore.
The comment section on Sulanto's video provided some insight into other modern features that many photographers deem useless or unnecessary. Touchscreen monitors and top panel LCDs are features that a few said they turn off as a distraction that contributes to overloading the basic mechanics of a camera.
Some strong opinions suggested that DSLRs shouldn't have video modes altogether, and that those who only shoot stills and images would benefit from having video functions removed. Which may be a topic of debate for another article, but Sulanto has certainly given us some interesting things to think about here. Be sure to leave a comment on his video letting him know your thoughts!
Read more:
DSLR vs mirrorless cameras
10 tips on getting the best out of your Sony camera
50 Canon camera tips
The 6 best new features in Photoshop Elements
