We had it in Frontier, and First Encounter, I want it here as well.
If the developers want to aspire to the greatness of the sequels I don't think they should offer less than were in those games.
I can wait for planet-landings, being able to walk around your ship and things and other features FD have suggested ahead for Elite Dangerous, but free use of camera? This is something I'd hope be there from day one.
To compare, the original Elder Scrolls game, Arena didn't have 3rd person camera, that was only added in the third installment, Morrowind (and it's sequels).
People didn't really expect it for Morrowind, a lot of Elder Scrolls players don't use that camera option for other things than screenshotting their player character.
Not having this functionality -is- a flaw in ED , in -my- (biased) opinion.
In the original Elite games I always sold the scanner, I never really familiarized myself with it, as I could pause the game, turn on ship-registration numbers and find my foe, while planning my next course of action. => ED's predecessors -felt- more tactical with the pause functionality, perhaps a bit more like playing a turnbased rpg ,or even chess.
Even in ED ,if given the chance I'd sell my scanner, the only thing I really use is the tiny radar-thingie with the bright blue dot
I want freedom to choose , I think choice most always is a good thing ,and Developers taking away Choice we're accustomed to being wrong to do so. Developers taking away these kind of choices should be called out on that decision and they -should- be criticized for it.
Frontier Developments, let us use the mousewheel to freely zoom in and out of Our ship ,and let those who think that breaks immersion choose not to use it.
At the very least give us this option in solo-mode, if the reasoning behind it's ommitance is pvp (something I've never found the slightest interest in