I enjoy photography as a hobby, and felt frustrated by the experience that I had with my personal camera (Fujifilm XT-2). The UI was clunky, and the hardware had too many knobs and dials. Overall I felt that there is an opportunity for a camera system which considers the hardware and software in a more integrated approach.

Above are some more key detail sketches of the handle. I wanted to afford a confident grip, without stipulations of ergonomic appropriateness (too much grip definition for instance).

The fingerprint scanner would allow users to automatically be recognized when holding the camera, and also support a layer of encryption whereby the photo-takers own unique imprint is layered as a meta-data level within the photo's that it takes. This would support a system of better photographic ownership to be established.

For the hardware, I tried to create a form that was clean and absolved of unnecessary elements. Using consistent values for radii, and central alignment of elements wherever possible. The large grip affords a confident hold. And markings around the camera communicate functionality while tie-ing in font's between the software and hardware.

The design incorporates two control dials that each combine multiple pieces of functionality into a single component, made possible by the on screen UI conveying modes and relevant options through a press or slide.

A unique feature of this concept is it's control dial. Cameras today have multiple dials for separate functions, like for controlling the ISO, or Shutter Speed, or the Exposure compensation values. The problem with this approach is as you're taking a photo you need to be constantly playing with each of these dials, requiring a user to remember locations while positioning a shot. Viewfinder takes a simpler approach, with one dial that can toggle between each of these functions with a push.

I 3D printed the body in PETG to get an idea for the basic proportions and wether I hit the mark with the grip size and position. The result felt surprisingly comfortable. If I was to spend more time on the project, I'd print more elements (baseplate, the lens, and the dial) and get it in some photographers hands to get some unbiased feedback.

I had a lot of fun building out the UI. I tried to go for something aesthetically modern, while allowing the cameras sight to show through the background with blur effects and semi-opaque surfaces.

The video below brings some of the UI elements together with the hardware, allowing for a more convincing representation of the package on the whole. This was built in Figma, using some of the prototyping functionality.