1:1

Here's what I want in a digital camera these days: no shutter lag, eyepiece that actually shows what the camera is taking, and most importantly, square format. Film cameras have been offered in square format for years, so why should digital be different? Maybe because the crop tool is so easy? But I want to compose a square photograph, not manipulate it later.

So I have a Rollei Mini-Digi made by Minox. I love it so. It's a 1/3 scale replica of the original (which I also have). The viewfinder on top is an LCD screen and my favorite part is that you have to "advance the film" before you take a picture. The quality is only 3MP, but it's a fun toy. The square images on this blog were shot with it. They also make a Leica flavor.

Recently nuprinboy did some digging and found two other cameras that have 1:1 as options: the Ricoh Caplio, which wins on looks and the viewfinder attachement, and the Nikon Coolpix P5100, which is more affordable. Mind you, these are not exclusively square, it's a format option on both. But it's a start.