field sequential EVF, can you actually get used to it?

[jyc860923]

I've used the
G5, with field sequential EVF
G6 with non field sequential OLED EVF
Oly VF-4, non field sequential EVF
and now the one on with the GX85

I can live with the tearing effect and lag, and actually I think the EVF on the GX85 is the best when it comes to lag time when compared to those three above, and the tearing isn't as obvious as the one on the G5 as the GX85 enables 60fps EVF mode.

BUT, it is the worst experience I've ever had with, non of those above three has given me a headache, I don't know if it's due to the small size or EVF lens or something, but I just do not feel like using it at all though I generally love EVFs, my question is, does this feeling go away over time? How do you like/accept the EVF on the GX7/85?

 

[wjiang]

I can't really compare that well, but the one in my GM5 feels like looking down a tiny tube, especially compared to the massive unit in my E-M1. I use it for static framing in bright sunlight only...

 

[PeeBee]

I've been using Panasonics with FS EVFs for 5 years and I can't say the experience has improved over that time. They're fine in good light, but I find them very unnatural, and in some scenarios, unusable in low light. I couldn't use my G5 for fireworks or tracking pets in lower light. I haven't tried anything newer than the G5, because my G2 / G5 experience has put me off buying another FS model. I did try a G80/85 in store over the weekend and the OLED is much better, but I still found it a little unnatural under store lighting, but maybe that's due to the dual IS jitter issue?

 

[jyc860923]

I can't really compare that well, but the one in my GM5 feels like looking down a tiny tube, especially compared to the massive unit in my E-M1. I use it for static framing in bright sunlight only...

thanks for sharing the experience, I think the GX7/85/GM5 probably use the same EVF, and the last thing I can understand is why they put a 16:9 panel in there.

I've been using Panasonics with FS EVFs for 5 years and I can't say the experience has improved over that time. They're fine in good light, but I find them very unnatural, and in some scenarios, unusable in low light. I couldn't use my G5 for fireworks or tracking pets in lower light. I haven't tried anything newer than the G5, because my G2 / G5 experience has put me off buying another FS model. I did try a G80/85 in store over the weekend and the OLED is much better, but I still found it a little unnatural under store lighting, but maybe that's due to the dual IS jitter issue?

indeed. Even the G6 OLED EVF feels much much more "steady" (but less sharp than an FS one) and although the colour is far from accurate, I find myself using it most of the time.

I noticed that under AC fluorescent lighting, the flicking in the FS EVF, even when less perceivable (perhaps synced to 50Hz), can cause me feeling sick, maybe in daylight doesn't hurt so much.

And I bought the GX85 specifically because I wanted to avoid the dual IS jitter issue, I haven't seen it in real life though. The G85 has the newer Dual I.S. 2 while the GX85 incorporates the first version, which makes me think it could be a hardware issue that I'm not 100% sure can be fixed with newer firmware, though possible.

 

[PeeBee]

As per my previous post above, I've been using Panasonic's FS EVFs for several years now, and I've always been very critical of them. My main problem has always been the lag / smearing in lower light. For this reason, I was very reluctant to buy another field sequential model. Whilst I thought the GX80/85 spec could offer a great upgrade to my G5, many of the reviews I saw condemned the EVF, and so I dismissed it as an option. That was until recent price promotions reignited my interest and I thought I should at least try out the EVF in store.

The store I visited was well lit and in those conditions I was pleasantly surprised by the GX80's EVF. It wasn't anywhere near as bad as the reviews had lead me to believe. So, I walked out the proud owner of a shiny new GX80. I took it home and made the obvious side by side comparisons to my G5. My initial conclusion was that the G5's VF was a marginally bigger, the GX80's was marginally sharper, but there wasn't really much in it.

Over the last 2 weeks, I've spent a lot of time looking through the GX80's EVF whilst I've acquainted myself with my new toy, and I can't say I've noticed any induced sickly feeling. Yesterday, I decided I'd better put the G5 away, as it was still sitting on my desk. Before I did, I switched it on a panned around the room. What I noticed is that whilst the GX80's EVF still exhibits some annoying lag in the lowest of light levels, at intermediate light levels, its massively improved over the G5's. The threshold of where the lag becomes an issue is much lower on the GX80. Also, the G5's panel looked milky and washed out in comparison. I don't even mind the 16:9 aspect ratio, which I'm guessing they used to maintain the flat top body style, whilst making the most of the available space horizontally. Imagine how small a 4:3 panel image would be subsequently cropped to 16:9.

Now whilst there is a massive improvement to lag at intermediate light levels, I'd still prefer to use my EM10 in lower light levels, but I'm talking theoretical conditions that I'd rarely shoot in anyway. Overall, I'm very happy with my GX80 purchase. The EVF performance may not be the best, but, in my opinion, it's not as bad as some reviews would suggest either.

 

[JNB]

As an owner of the E-M5ii, I wondered if I'd made a mistake when I first received the GX85 (ordered on-line). My main issue was the smaller EVF size, rather than anything else. After a few "walk-abouts", I've acclimatized, and the EVF seems fine, although not nearly so nice to use as the Oly.

Maybe it's because I only use the GX85 as part of the "small kit" with the tiny 12-32, 35-100 compact, and 20mm, whereas the Oly (and grip) gets used with larger lenses. So the smaller EVF of the GX85 seems quite acceptable in the context of the smaller overall package.

Also, I took my GX85 on a photo walk-about with a friend using a consumer-level APS-C DSLR. My friend was having some difficulty with her camera, so I had the occasion to look through the DSLR's viewfinder. EGAD! I'd forgotten how dark and tunnel-like they are. I'd much prefer the GX85's EVF.

 

[Turbofrog]

The only EVF that I've used for a long period of time has been the GX7, but I've never been particularly bothered by it. That might be just be a frame of reference thing, though. I definitely noticed that the E-M1, GX8, and G85 that I've tested had bigger EVFs, but I still don't mind the GX7. I'm sure it's just what you're used to.

I apparently don't have the susceptible eyes/brain to tearing artifacts, so I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.

One thing I will say that is that I was certainly not impressed with the Pentax K-S2's OVF (which it shares with the K-3 II), even in comparison to the GX7. The quality itself was nice, but it was small - despite being the 2nd biggest and best pentaprism APS-C OVF on the market, just behind the D500. It's so nice to have the size of the viewfinder decoupled from the size of the image circle. Just another one of the benefits of mirrorless.

 

[ean10775]

I've used the G5, G6 and GX7 as well as the EM5II and the VF2 (my first EVF experience). I definitely can see the rainbow tearing with the Panasonics, especially if I move my eye around the EVF, but in day to day use it never really bothered me. However, I certainly prefer the non-field sequential EVFs Olympus has used. The only EVF that I really was never able to get used to was the one in the Fuji XE-1 (which I believe is the same as the one in the Sony NEX7) - I found it very difficult to look through for extended periods of time (for example when trying to manually focus) and my eye would often start to water and tear up for some reason. Perhaps it was the extreme contrast of the OLED panel.

 

[pellicle]

Must vary from person to person, I have not observed it with my GH1 which is a sequential type if I am not wrong.

My brief (a few hours) use of a GX85 was not remarkable either.

Perhaps my eye "refresh rate" is lower?

 

[Leighgion]

EVFs can be better or worse and no doubt will improve over time, but at the end of the day you're staring at a little digital display and that brings the potential for issues that won't go away for some people with more sensitive brains/eyes.

My only experience is with my E-PM1's VF-2 and I'd rate it okay. No headaches, and I'm actually somewhat prone to them when it comes to digital displays, but I don't love it and I can't see ever preferring an EVF to a nice OVF with a real pentaprism like my D700's.

 

[kingduct]

I upgraded from a G5 to a GX85. As stated by others, the GX85's viewfinder is a bit smaller at 4:3, while the G5's is more washed out. Both are perfectly usable for me and I'd rate the GX85's as slightly better, though not nearly so good as some of the other models out there.

Now to answer the original question, "Can you actually get used to it?" I can. If I also owned a camera with a vastly better viewfinder, I imagine it would be harder.

One comment I have that I haven't seen others mention: the GX85 viewfinder has a hard plastic cup, rather than a soft rubber cup like on many cameras (including the G5). I think that makes it a bit uncomfortable if you hold your eye up to it for a long time (I don't wear glasses).

 

[timinsingapore]

I was apprehensive about the tearing effect when I bought my GX7. When I first got it, I could sometimes provoke the effect by darting my eye quickly across the image in the viewfinder, but really I had to try hard to achieve it. In reality it hasn't caused me any problems at all, and I simply don't see any tearing effect. Perhaps some people are more susceptible to it than others. I'm sure the VF on the GX8 is better (which is one reason I might buy one at some point); and the VF on my Fuji X30 is certainly bigger and better; but the field-sequential finder on the GX7 has caused me no buyer's remorse at all. It's an excellent camera, for my purposes.