[shuttertalk]

This is... different. You know, for those compact shooters who find it awkward doing the twisty thing when shooting in portrait orientation... or those that want to look like those pro-shooters with their fandangled battery grips and such.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/01/25/...Optio_VS20

Bonus points for trying - basically this 20x compact zoom has a second shutter button and zoom lever/ring to facilitate portrait shooting. In addition, they've added a second tripod socket for vertical tripod mounting, and it also automatically rotates the rear display to suit the orientation.

[Toad]

Hmm. Kudos for thinking outside of the box, but this still feels like Pentax is solving a problem that doesn't really exist. I do like the second tripod mount though - that removes the need to have a ballhead on your ultra mini tripod solution. On the other hand, who carries a tripod with a compact point and shoot?

While we are talking about mini tripods, I bought the Gorillapod SLR Zoom before I went to Italy and Iceland last year. Used it once in Italy and it never came out of the pack in Iceland. My learning: you either use tripods or you don't. If you don't use them, carrying a small one won't encourage you. Sorry to hijack the thread.

[matthew]

I'm with Robert on this one – all of it. Putting a second release on a little candybar of a camera – that has a 20x zoom but no EVF – solves a problem that doesn't really exist. Part of me is glad to see some innovation beyond the usual feature-squeezing, but another part is sad that this is what they came up with.