One thing that people don’t always expect with the long march of technology is that things go away. We’re nearing the end of USB-A, for instance, with virtually everything now coming only with USB-C due to European regulations.
Frankly, the camera makers seem a bit behind the times. With my Insta360 and DJI devices, for example, they only have a USB-C port, but my current cameras have many. Too many. And badly placed ports, on top of that.
So let’s start today’s discussion with one about what ports are likely (or should) go away.
First up is HDMI. Be honest now: when was the last time you plugged something into your HDMI port? Before you say “but I plug in my Atomos Ninja all the time,” let me warn you, that’s not a good answer. HDMI was designed as a way to transfer video and audio simultaneously through a single cable (as opposed through the three cables it used to take in the RCA Jack era). The consortium that created HDMI had vested interests. One of those was copy protection of material being transmitted on the cable.
With USB4 currently being deployed, there’s really no need for HDMI, as via a single USB-C connector you can now do multiple things (power, data transfer, video display, etc.), and do them at the same or better speeds than the current typical state of HDMI.
I expect HDMI to be the first connector to be dropped from virtually all cameras in the future. While some might say that keeps users from directly plugging cameras into TVs, how many are doing that, and no, you may not even need a cable to do that.
Which brings me to microphone and headphone jacks. The 21st Century way—the Japanese camera makers are still dragging their feet in the 20th Century—is to use wireless connections. I rarely use wired mics any more. Bluetooth is currently at 2.1Mbps, which is more than adequate for compressed audio. But there’s always Wi-Fi, as well, which currently hits 1000+Mbps if you need faster communications.
Why would you drop connectors from cameras? For a number of reasons:
- Each connector costs money and often requires ribbon cables internally. Between the two, there’s a real cost per unit implied here, and while you might think it low, low adds up when you make a million devices.
- Everyone seems to want smaller cameras, and smaller cameras don’t have a lot of real estate to dedicate to connectors. The classic left-side location interferes with hand grips and articulating screens, adding a frustration level.
- Connectors are entry points for moisture. This requires more parts, typically a door or flap to keep water from ingressing into the vulnerable digital interior of the device.
- Reliability (and thus repair costs) goes down. Physical connectors can wear over time, but the real issue is related to the first bullet: the connector mounts to something, a ribbon cable connects it to something else. The more complex that warren of connections gets, the more likely that something works loose. In talking to service technicians, not only are a fair number of repairs related to connectors, but a number of “needs to be returned for a second fix” services are due to not getting everything properly set during the repair.
- Some connectors require licensing fees. Generally these are patent pool fees and relatively low per unit, but again, even a few cents a unit adds up when you ship enough product.
Quite frankly, the Chinese are eating the Japense for lunch right now when it comes to “connectivity.” All the latest gear coming out of China is basically a single USB-C connector for power and sometimes communication, and Bluetooth/WiFi to well designed mobile apps for everything else.
But the real issue lurking for the Japanese camera companies as they contemplate taking out parts is that the Japanese typically don’t address users directly when they do. They take something out because it makes sense from a production point of view, but not always from a user point of view.
I’ll give you a recent example: the Ricoh GRIV has internal memory and Ricoh suggests that the user doesn’t need a card. But Ricoh relies upon the user to understand how they might connect to that internal memory to get to their images. The Ricoh uses the old media transfer protocol, which may or not show the device on your computer when you connect it. On a Mac, for instance, you have to use Apple’s Image Capture application to see the camera, but how many people will know that without reading the manual thoroughly? (It’s in the Frequently Asked Questions for a GRIV, which should tell you something.)
Personally, I’m for removing connectors and maybe even cards. But not without directly addressing usability when things get removed. I still need to connect to mics, monitor audio, record video, move files to my computer, and so on. I want all those things done in ways that are seamless, reliable, and simple to use. That requires a software team that’s a good as the hardware team, and that is going to be the real issue for the Japanese as they start trying to simplify their product and make it more reliable, all while also making it cheaper to build.
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Bonus: A similar common complaint comes with phones and laptops: why are there no longer removable batteries, for instance? I can tell you that the design goal in Silicon Valley has long been “lasts a full day.” That, coupled with product reliability, has led to the demise of changeable batteries. It’s a long discussion around the “reliability” bit, including the fact that a lithium battery that’s not directly accessible by a user is less likely to develop problems, but I’ve seen the data, and it’s pretty clear: support issues went way down. Given that every internal battery these days is either USB-C and/or MagSafe chargeable, if you need “more batteries,” you can just buy a generic USB-C power bank.
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Double Bonus: If I were designing a serious camera these days, I’d be dropping a lot of things that you probably take for granted. Two USB-C connections only. If more connections are really needed, I’d do that through a proprietary hot shoe connection scheme, but frankly, excellent Bluetooth/Wi-Fi support with the right app is probably all that’s necessary. No cards; all internal memory (64GB; longer video can stream to the USB-C port). No user changeable battery (charge/power via USB-C). There’d therefore be no real doors on the camera, reducing the need for additional weather sealing, simplifying manufacturing, and increasing reliability. The real decision point would be the Rear LCD: I suspect that I’d make it attach magentically to the camera back and be fully removable. Need selfie position? Hot shoe stand for the Rear LCD facing forward.