Why are M43 lens release buttons on the wrong side?

[plevyadophy]

Pekuliar wrote:

That is indeed an interesting alternative and it is probably more safe, especially when handling heavy gear, however, it seems to have two obvious downsides. 1. It probably takes more time. 2. It requires you to have both a shoulder strap and a messenger style bag.

I think the two-lenses-one-hand technique works well if you don't: 1. have too small hands or 2. have too big lenses. Thus, I think MFT is better suited than others for this technique and it's for this reason I posted it here.

Yeah, that technique you posted may work well, with practise, when using mFT primes, which are generally quite small. But if you start using the long range zooms, which are about the size of the Canon APS-C lenses the guy in the video was fumbling with, then things get a little precarious.

Like I said before, the left hand side release button is ergonomically flawed (and it is pretty obvious that it is; that video shows that it is, and if one uses a camera with a right hand side release button one will clearly see this to be the case) but given that the vast majority of cams have this flawed mechanism, I think we just have to live with it and come up with techniques to make the process of lens removal as smooth and safe (from dust, and dropping) as possible.

Regards,

 

[plevyadophy]

Mike_PEAT wrote:

plevyadophy wrote:

Do you reckon that there have been numerous cases of their insanely expensive lenses disconnecting whilst shooting?

Even with the lens release on the left side, don't know how many times over the existence of 4/3 and m4/3 cameras I've read of people accidentally touching the lens release button while using the camera in normal use. Pressing the lens release button disables the electronics of the lens rendering it useless.

Well, that comes down to poor ergonomics.

The bodies are tiny so that when one holds the lens, one's lower thumb is pressed up against the release button thus engaging it and causing the disconnect you speak of.

Maybe manufacturers should redesign the button so that it requires a lot more DELIBERATE pressure to operate, or perhaps requires that, in order to engage the lens release mechanism, one pushes-in-then-slide-up (or down) a lever/button. And this type of mechanism I am suggesting here would be much better placed on the right hand side.

 

[plevyadophy]

Bob Tullis wrote:

Abrak wrote:

Ok I know that many people will think they are on the 'right' side but please bear with me. Pick up your camera - it is designed to be held 'one-handed' by the 'right' hand. There is far more space on that side of the camera and probably a grip.

Now look at the lens release. It is on the opposite side of the camera. You can only press it with your left hand. And if one hand is holding the camera and one hand is pressing the lens release then you are short of a hand to take out the lens.

So how do you change lenses? Well I tend to rather precariously hold the camera on the short side with my left hand so I can press the release with the left hand also and use my right hand to take off the lens.

Lens in left hand, take the mount cap off and palm it, press release with left hand, remove lens with right hand while having right wrist. . . heck, here's a video. . . the only video on the following link's page. . .

Use this link to find the page w/video

--
...Bob, NYC
http://www.bobtullis.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobtullis/
"Well, sometimes the magic works. . . Sometimes, it doesn't." - Little Big Man
.

............ small cams and small lenses. Much better than the technique shown here: http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/51750167

And it is a technique I may employ with my mFT system.

But still, it shows the clumsiness of having to juggle lenses like that because the lens release button is on the left rather than the right.

 

[plevyadophy]

PAUL TILL wrote:

My guess is because most people are right handed. Being right handed you tend to use your right hand to attach one object to another.

If I had a Fuji with the release button on the right I would still hold the body in my left hand and have to use my thumb to press the button! It's where it is because that's the natural place for it to be for most people.

 

[plevyadophy]

mh2000 wrote:

Makes you think more carefully about your lens choice!

 

[Digitall #107280]

Grzzl wrote:

I am holding the camera in my left hand, while pressing the button and holding the lens with my right. Seems natural for me.

The same opinion.