There are custom firmwares for many DSLRs: http://www.diyphotography.net/the-ultimate-custom-firmware-for-any-camera-roundup/ http://www.diyphotography.net/the-

There are custom firmwares for many DSLRs: http://www.diyphotography.net/the-ultimate-custom-firmware-for-any-camera-roundup/ http://www.diyphotography.net/the-ultimate-custom-firmware-f... But the scenario you seem to lust for (a combination of high quality DSLR hardware and a competitive app market) will never manifest because the hardware is too fragmented. There never will be standard interfaces, and you won't get enough competition to develop the greatest possible camera app for a specific hardware model.