Today, the typical digital compact camera has a fully auto or “decision free” setting that is the choice of most users. Right next to it, on a dial or as a menu option is "P" (for program) allowing the same auto exposure as decision free, but offers selected overrides requiring some, ah, decisions.

These decisions include ISO settings, exposure compensation, fill-flash and other options that demand a certain knowledge of photo theory. This is already considered the deep end of the pool by many casual users.

To make matters worse, you will often find “aperture priority” and “shutter priority” (A/S/M or AV, TV,  M) choices that convert the camera to a semi-automatic device. This means you set one critical part (lens opening or shutter speed) and the camera tries to match the choice with the appropriate counterpart. Many users do not want to invest the time to explore this creative but complex area of photography. The designers seem to have forgotten that, since the 70’s,  nobody knows what f/stops are, and few understand what shutter speed is “fast” or “slow.”

And, of course, these same cameras offer fully manual exposure.  Fuggedaboutit.

 Happily, some camera models for non-enthusiasts are moving in the right direction. 

The camera (Left) has removed the dial and dropped the semi-auto and manual settings. What remains is the ubiquitous decision free mode, and the useful but overlooked “P” or program mode. Added is a kind of artificial intelligence mode that tries to assess the situation and do what photographers use to have to do! For example, if the subject is very close, the camera will move to “macro” close-up mode. If the camera senses extreme backlighting, it may try invoking exposure compensation.

(Below) Only two choices:  Decision Free AI and Programmed Exposure with some overrides.

In my experience, these auto-intelligent settings are not quite ready for prime time, but point to the future of photography.

I suspect that, in the near future, the “enthusiast” will be the person who knows how to use the “P” setting overrides to good advantage. The AI in cameras will do the rest, and also make the need to pick “scenes” irrelevant. No more icons of candles, puppies and mountains!

And eventually, many of the photographic conventions of the 19th Century will go away. First, we will discard flash as cameras become ultra sensitive.  Then, we will discard zoom as the megapixel count skyrockets and it is easier to crop the image without significant loss of image quality. F/stops and shutter speeds will be come irrelevant to users as the AI improves.  Exposure  charts  will  be as obscure as a dead language.

 

And finally, the entire concept of the single shot  will be discarded. We will shoot ultra high speed video, freeze frame the “decisive moment” and save it is a single file for display on our electronic frames or for those old-fashioned prints.

 

The camera of the (near) future may look a lot like the popular “Flip” video cameras of today. There a few controls and nothing to zoom! 

Note the ability in the included Flipshare program to "capture photos from video." 

Increased ISO and resolution will finally overcome the problem of shooting in less than optimum lighting.

Finally, when a parent asks me  how can he or she get a tight, sharp, frozen action indoor sports shot of their kid I can at last reply, “Easy! Just point and shoot!