The importance of ergonomics. M5 vs M6.
Jun 16, 2017
8
Background: I owned the M3 for a week to test out and in that time, the M6 was announced so I returned it in anticipation of the latter.
I go into Best Buy last night and they had the M5 and M6 on display. So naturally I had to check it out. I was dead set on getting the M6 to replace the M3 I had, so I picked it up in my hand and immediately everything about it felt familiar. The layout was the same with the exception of a few buttons here and there. And I'm really digging the new placement of the rear control dial. Nice.
So I thought my mind was made up on the M6. That is, until I picked up the M5 sitting next to it. Immediately the grip made a positive impression on me. My big hands felt readily at home. The camera just felt more secure as I was holding it. The size of the M5 also felt right. It wasn't as bulky as the Canon SL1 and yet didn't feel as cramped as the Olympus EM-5 I used to own. I don't know. It just felt...right. And the EVF? It didn't protrude as much as I thought it would. This was the main concern for me as I do mostly travel photography and size (and weight) are important factors for me. The only thing I didn't like about it is that the screen flips down. It doesn't feel intuitive to me. So now I find myself in a dilemma as I'm also considering the M5, which I didn't before.
Anyway, the point of this thread is to (re)emphasize the ergonomics of a camera. I get so easily caught up with all the technical aspects of a camera I often forget that something as simple as how it 'feels' in the hand plays just as an important factor in motivating me to take photos. I don't know if you can empathize but I thought I'd just put it out there.
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I'm a little left-brained and a little right-brained.