The current "poll"...

I haven't seen a dpr poll yet with a comprehensive set of options. The current one on " What should a mirrorless (sic) cameras be called?" has terrible choices. It's obvious (to me) that there is only one half-a$$ good answer (MILC) and that the poll is rigged to ensure that answer is the "winner". I assume the dpr staff took an internal "poll" that decided what they wanted to call it and thus created this "poll" of their loyal readers to validate that choice? Alternately, a darker vision of the camera manufacturers dictating the name and dpr acting as puppet, could have some validity? Nah, you would never do something like that...

My first objection is that the title of the poll uses the word " Mirrorless" ...priming the participants to select the one choice that includes that word. Sheesh, how obvious!

My second objection is that the other 4 choices are so bad, it's amazing that anyone selected them. Rigged!

My third (biggest) objection is that "Mirror-less" is a loaded, negative term (like something is missing...which it isn't). There are several major differences in the new cameras that this poll is about...the lack of a mirror is a minor part. One major difference is that an eVF is used (at least on the ones that have a VF) instead of an oVF (but "eVF" is not a negative term, like "mirror-less" is). Another major difference is that they use (mostly) Contrast AF, instead of Phase AF. Again, CAF is not a negative term. Finally, "Mirror-less" and "Mirror" start with the same letter, so the acronym can be read two ways!!! Yes, I know in the 20th century someone dug up "Reflex" to imply that a mirror was involved (but I don't want you to use "Un-reflex" either...gag!)...and thus "R" and "M" are different. As Uwe commented in one of the hundreds of posts on this subject, "Mirror-less" doesn't necessarily result in a camera that has an electronic analog of a mirror...it might just have nothing .

Why not start your "polls" by asking US to suggest some choices? Take the ones that we most often mention and do a formal "poll" with those choices!

Why not offer a "write-in" box? I know that for most "polls", that won't generate any consistent winners, but in the case of the current "poll", it might (because of the terrible rigging you did!).

It seems to me that most people are being lead around by you and the industry. It's clear to me (and others) that the first word in any acceptable name must start with the letter "E", for "Electronic"...these new cameras are mostly "electronic" and will be more so in the future. It isn't their lack of a mirror, but their lack of most mechanical parts that makes them different. It isn't that they are"compact", but rather the reason they are compact (IE, the lack of most mechanical parts) that should be stressed. The "M-letter" should stand for "Mechanical", so these new designs might be termed "non-Mechanical"? SO, think up some acronyms that start with "N"?

I refuse to participate in the "poll"on the grounds that I may be sick if I do.

--
Charlie Davis
Nikon 5700, Sony R1, Nikon D50, Nikon D300
HomePage: http://www.1derful.info
"He had a photographic memory which was never developed."