Brian Mosley
Administrator Emeritus
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2009
- Messages
- 2,998
Hello everyone,
as you may know, I've been using the E-P1/2/L1 pretty much daily since release, so have had the chance to build up quite a bit of practical experience... I thought it would be interesting to discuss the actual use patterns we have for the EVF introduced with the E-P2.
Personally, I love shooting with the LCD on the E-P1, and felt that the Pen had been designed from the outset not to require an eye level viewfinder... particularly since the LCD is so bright and clear - even in bright sunshine I can use it to frame my shots.
So, when the E-P2 was announced with an EVF - I was a bit surprised to say the least... thinking that a newly designed, inevitably taller body with built in EVF would have been their next step.
What I found, when I got the E-P2 in my hands and started to use it, was that the EVF does allow you to get 'tunnel vision' to focus on your composition when you need it, and give extra stability held against your eye... for long range wildlife shots like this, in high contrast conditions it is brilliant :
E-P2 + mZD 14-150mm f4-5.6
1/250s f/7.1 at 150.0mm iso200
View attachment 147005
One downside to using the EVF, is that the tunnel goes black while the image is being captured and processed before returning live view... by which time your subject may well have moved! If you're composing with the LCD, you're still aware in real time what your subject is doing - so you're less troubled by this 'down time'. Anyone coming from a DSLR used to pretty much zero delay in the OVF will be shocked by this delay in the EVF.
Another downside to using any eye-level viewfinder, is that it makes you stand out like a sore thumb out on the street... you can walk around in public here in the UK and use your camera with the LCD extremely casually - all the 'normal' people do this with their mobile phones / P&S cameras so you are far less likely to be tagged as a terrorist suspect/agitator.
Illustration of 'normal' people... beware, they're all around you!
E-P1 + ZD 8mm Fisheye
1/60s f/3.5 at 8.0mm iso200
View attachment 147006
I took this shot on the street in London, using the LCD with the camera out in front of me in classic 'tourist' pose... I was not arrested
:
E-P1 + mZD 17mm f2.8
1/320s f/5.0 at 17.0mm iso200
View attachment 147007
So, in actual use - I find that I carry the EVF in my pocket and the E-P2/E-PL1 on a wrist strap in my left hand ready to shoot. Yesterday I walked over 10 miles carrying the E-P2 + 20mm f1.7 and found the EVF completely unnecessary.
I do find the EVF being articulated quite useful - especially when I'm trying to avoid being spotted as 'one of those' when I'm shooting in the street with a longer lens. I took this image, looking down into the EVF to quickly frame and focus the shot before moving on...
E-PL1 + mZD 14-150mm f4-5.6
1/250s f/5.6 at 42.0mm iso200
View attachment 147008
So in summary, I still think the Pen is designed not to require an eye level viewfinder, but that having the option is very useful... when you have multiple Pen bodies in the family, having a single EVF you can use on occasion, shared between the users is ideal.
For the future, I think that removing the display lag while processing the image would be even more useful than incorporating an EVF into the camera body. Perhaps when we have a global shutter and more powerful processors this will become possible.
I'm quite happy with a smaller camera + removable EVF... maybe make the EVF swivel as well as tilt for easier use on a tripod - or a cable option to a larger live view off-camera?
I do think that a larger, higher visibility, higher resolution LCD would be even more useful for the Pen - ideally articulating too.
Does this view make sense to you? can you share your own experience with the EVF?
Cheers
Brian
as you may know, I've been using the E-P1/2/L1 pretty much daily since release, so have had the chance to build up quite a bit of practical experience... I thought it would be interesting to discuss the actual use patterns we have for the EVF introduced with the E-P2.
Personally, I love shooting with the LCD on the E-P1, and felt that the Pen had been designed from the outset not to require an eye level viewfinder... particularly since the LCD is so bright and clear - even in bright sunshine I can use it to frame my shots.
So, when the E-P2 was announced with an EVF - I was a bit surprised to say the least... thinking that a newly designed, inevitably taller body with built in EVF would have been their next step.
What I found, when I got the E-P2 in my hands and started to use it, was that the EVF does allow you to get 'tunnel vision' to focus on your composition when you need it, and give extra stability held against your eye... for long range wildlife shots like this, in high contrast conditions it is brilliant :
E-P2 + mZD 14-150mm f4-5.6
1/250s f/7.1 at 150.0mm iso200
View attachment 147005
One downside to using the EVF, is that the tunnel goes black while the image is being captured and processed before returning live view... by which time your subject may well have moved! If you're composing with the LCD, you're still aware in real time what your subject is doing - so you're less troubled by this 'down time'. Anyone coming from a DSLR used to pretty much zero delay in the OVF will be shocked by this delay in the EVF.
Another downside to using any eye-level viewfinder, is that it makes you stand out like a sore thumb out on the street... you can walk around in public here in the UK and use your camera with the LCD extremely casually - all the 'normal' people do this with their mobile phones / P&S cameras so you are far less likely to be tagged as a terrorist suspect/agitator.
Illustration of 'normal' people... beware, they're all around you!

E-P1 + ZD 8mm Fisheye
1/60s f/3.5 at 8.0mm iso200
View attachment 147006
I took this shot on the street in London, using the LCD with the camera out in front of me in classic 'tourist' pose... I was not arrested
E-P1 + mZD 17mm f2.8
1/320s f/5.0 at 17.0mm iso200
View attachment 147007
So, in actual use - I find that I carry the EVF in my pocket and the E-P2/E-PL1 on a wrist strap in my left hand ready to shoot. Yesterday I walked over 10 miles carrying the E-P2 + 20mm f1.7 and found the EVF completely unnecessary.
I do find the EVF being articulated quite useful - especially when I'm trying to avoid being spotted as 'one of those' when I'm shooting in the street with a longer lens. I took this image, looking down into the EVF to quickly frame and focus the shot before moving on...
E-PL1 + mZD 14-150mm f4-5.6
1/250s f/5.6 at 42.0mm iso200
View attachment 147008
So in summary, I still think the Pen is designed not to require an eye level viewfinder, but that having the option is very useful... when you have multiple Pen bodies in the family, having a single EVF you can use on occasion, shared between the users is ideal.
For the future, I think that removing the display lag while processing the image would be even more useful than incorporating an EVF into the camera body. Perhaps when we have a global shutter and more powerful processors this will become possible.
I'm quite happy with a smaller camera + removable EVF... maybe make the EVF swivel as well as tilt for easier use on a tripod - or a cable option to a larger live view off-camera?
I do think that a larger, higher visibility, higher resolution LCD would be even more useful for the Pen - ideally articulating too.
Does this view make sense to you? can you share your own experience with the EVF?
Cheers
Brian