Has the mechanical shutter button been a frequent repair problem for Canon?
Is the mechanical shutter button a difficult place to weather/dust proof?
I'm sure we will get some interesting brainstorming in this thread. Maybe the touch-sensitive shutter pad could involve many functions, freeing our thumbs to...
The camera in that patent looks an awful lot like a 40D, and IIRC, shared the same mechanical shutter part as the 20D.
I fondly remember having to replace the mechanical shutter part on my 20D when it developed an annoying sticky button problem...It wasn't that difficult, but annoying nonetheless.
I'm intrigued by this,