Let start with improvements that seem to be within the capability of present technology. Setting up a camera for a particular task involves and incredible maize of menus and sub-menus, and the tiny LCD screen has no room for explanations. Once a setup is achieved, however, it can be attached to a function button for recall. what is needed is a way to move the setup function from the camera to a friendlier environment that has a large screen and help features.

One need look no further than the USB port already on the camera for uploading images to a computer. We should be able to plug in the camera to a computer and use a software package designed to make the setup process easy, with help keys and online access to the manual and general reference materials. For example, setting up exposure bracketing on a Nikon D80 does not require a soldering iron, but it might be easier if it did. We have a web page that explains the procedure. Instead, one might have the camera attached to a computer, access “bracketing” from a menu, and then be led through the process step by step.

Having a computer-driven process makes it reasonable to present a greater range of options. For example, one might want bracketed exposures of -4, -1, and +2 stops for taking high dynamic range photos from the interior of a room that has windows in daylight. That sequence is impossible to automate with most cameras, but it would be easy to set it up with some sliders on a computer display.

Camera setups could be saved as named “packages” and downloaded to the camera. A desired package could then be selected by name from a menu on the camera’s LCD. The most-used ones could be selected for association with function buttons.

Some cameras now allow remote operation via a computer. This is another potential use for the USB port. Remote operation, including viewing video from the camera in real time and triggering still and video sequences, should be included as a standard feature on cameras costing more than a few hundred dollars.

I had a camera some years ago, a Casio if I recall correctly, that had a built-in tilt sensor. It automatically marked the images as being framed horizontally or vertically so they were properly rotated when they were uploaded. It worked perfectly. It ought to be revived as a standard feature. Better yet, a sensor in the camera could operate a virtual bubble level appearing in the viewfinder so you could easily tell when the camera was being held level. The angle could also be put into the frame data, so if you didn’t want to fool with the leveling when the picture was taken, software could do the small rotation to level automatically after uploading.

In an earlier blog post I pointed out a problem with saturated colors being overexposed. The problem is that, for example, the saturated red of flower in a scene often hits its maximum value when the scene is exposed for the average. Cameras should have a “preserve bright colors” exposure mode that computes the exposure based upon keeping pure colors in bounds. This would help keep the colors vivid in flowers, sunsets, polyester sweaters, and laundry detergent boxes.

Another way to handle the overexposure problem is to automate the taking of high dynamic range imagery. Some new cameras are able to take images in a very quick sequence. HDRI is now done, most often, by putting the camera on a tripod and either taking a backeting sequence or adjusting the exposure manually for each shot. Instead, the camera could analyze the scene and determine what, if any, exposure sequence will cure blocked highlights and lost shadow detail. The camera would then automatically take one, two, three, or four shots in sequence to cover the exposure range of the scene. The camera could actually follow through and compute the combined image, but it should keep the originals as well in case one of the long exposures was blurred or the sequence was not fast enough to catch a moving object.

An HDR light mode might just take on extra exposure to cure blocked highlights. Underexposures can be guaranteed to be faster than the original, so subject blur should be rare. This might be a good feature for a total point-and-shoot camera.

Audio messages can be added to photos with many cameras, but usually only after the image is recalled from memory. There should be a button on the camera that adds audio to the last image taken. That would make it practical to takes notes using audio during a shoot.

The GPS idea is now out there, but the implementation is poor. Needless to say, camera GPS should be automatic, the receiver should be able to lock on satellite s in normal outdoor conditions, and the GPS shouldn’t take more than 20% of the battery charge for a day of operation. If this is not possible, then a reasonable alternative is to equip the camera with a bluetooth connection that would talk with a separate car or hand held GPS receiver. The photo would be tagged with the the most recently obtained position, up to, say, an hour old.

Nikon introduced a hardwired Ethernet connection on its camera line. Unfortunately, it only works for uploads to the Nikon site. An Ethernet connection should be programmable to work with any ftp address. Interactive setup should be part of a USB setup system. A wireless connection would be more useful than a wired connection.

Edging beyond the capabilities of current technology, we start by noting that face recognition technology is now unreliable. the software finds faces in just about everything. Maybe attention to picture composition aids would be better spent. This would be an optional mode where the camera suggests how to move the camera to avoid large expenses of empty sky or to use the rule of thirds.

Why not do all this? The camera should be your friend. Having the features suggest would not impact anyone who just wants to point and shoot. The would aid the quickshot artist principle of minimizing the effort spent in the taking of pictures, while allowing fooling with them afterward.