Let me see if I am understanding this rather strange discussion or not. Are some of you guys seriously dismissing (or reveling) in an as yet unreleased camera/system because of the number, placement and style of control buttons??? Folks, get real. Do the lack or abundance of control buttons really make that much difference if the camera is able to be operated by the user after they gain familiarity with it?
I do understand personal preferences, but they do not make one design "better" or "worse" than another.....to the opposing individual maybe, but from a functional standpoint, they really do not. Sure, there is the ongoing beef about a lack of an easy to use MLU button on the Canon cameras (notably by complaints by Michael Reichmann in all of his reviews), but has that feature ever prevented folks from getting the shots and using the camera? Hardly.
I happen to presently shoot Canon, after shooting Nikon for 25 years or more. I also shot Minolta, Leica, Hasselblad, Exakta and others. Each had its own design and quirks for use. They all work quite well, and after using any of them for a bit of time, the placement and number of controls became second nature. Some things may be easier to use for some, but all the needed features were there and accessible to get the job done. Personally, I like uncluttered, but I also like practical functionality for the way I use things. My M8 is not a speed demon, nor does it have ready access to control features, except through the menu system, while my Canons have what some describe as obscure button combinations and stuff in order to change things. They both work. Neither is the epitome of design for utility, if there is such a thing. Use either for more than a few days, and everything is pretty easy to figure out and make it do what you need it to do. There is not "perfect camera", nor "perfect design" for use. All are design compromises or plans to accommodate the builder's objectives. In the case of Canon and Nikon, some things are vestigial carryovers, others are designed by committee to some extent. In the case of Leica, there is a drive toward sleekness and apparent simplicity or lack of clutter, but maybe at the expense of some greater utility by some users. Everything is that way....cars, steering wheels, radios, cell phones, etc. What is the big deal? We each have our personal preferences, but that surely does not make one design or function "better" or "worse" than another....just different.
LJ