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Hmm, what's the purpose of this? It's a cool hack, but waiting 30 seconds to see the photo I took doesn't really give me anything more than the camera I already have.

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Digital displays draw a lot of energy, and need to be bright enough to be visible in direct sunlight. A more advanced version of this could increase the battery life of a camera substantially.

On the other hand, DSLRs from 20 years ago had mediocre screens, mediocre batteries (on today's standards), yet could deliver pro performance for weeks. Some never turned them off, as a camera on standby barely took any power. As a bonus it was (IMHO) peak electronics usability: ultra fast, always ready, could be used with eyes closed/full dark, sturdy, expandable, repairable mostly. 2-3 displays for different purposes were normal.

I got a used nikon from 2008 recently, with a bright lens, and am marveled how great it is. I was about to replace bad baterry, but honestly... Even a bad one thats easily 10 year old, gives me a solid week of fun.

True, I might just be inventing a problem for a solution. Maybe it would be useful for rugged long-term trekking situations, but with the size and efficiency of solar, that might not even be necessary either.

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