Viewfinder vs LCD

[Grant]

I will change, but I have to ask you, if the blue text is hard to read, what about thread titles and captions , etc, that are part of the site's format?

Thread title and captions are not blue in the dark style therefore they are not impossible to read.

 

[BobBill]

Blue on Gray

Must be individual setting...?

Your name and most of the site's captions thread author name, log in etc and the thread link outline at near top and the background of tabs etc are in dark blue or Navy on my screen. In fact, the site logo and name and header and separators are all dark blue...

No matter. Sun will be out tomorrow and days are lengthening, so life is good.

Soon my sailboat will be in garage for finishing work and the water will be waiting for my water borne beer carrier:]

BTW, using the bw screen on camera is great. Now all I have to do is practice working with RAW. Have a few rolls of 620 from 1940s and 50s to develop first...

 

[Grant]

This is just standard Dark Style with no tweaking.
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[DHart]

BobBill.... I don't understand the deal with changing the text to blue. Seems to have created a bit of a distraction from the topics at hand. Do you change it to blue for any particular reason? Just curious.

Ray... interesting to hear of your experience with the NEX screen. I can't see that I would necessarily choose a NEX in addition to my fleshed-out m4/3 system, but from your comments, I think I'll check one out next time I get to a shop that carries them. Thanks.

 

[Mellow]

Seeing this thread resurface, I have to jump back in having bought a Nex5 in the interim. I noted in the above that the only times I still prefer an eye-level view finder is in the case of very bright light and for long lenses. Having had the Nex for just over a week, I can't imagine a situation where I'd prefer one with this camera. Its rear screen is both incredibly legible in even the brightest sunlight and it tilts up 90 degrees. The ability to compose and see the details even in bright light is self-explanatory. The ability to tilt the screen 90 degrees means you can (and I almost always DO) shoot in the old twin lens reflex manner with the camera braced against my chest or belly. I don't own a long lens for this camera (and probably won't since the 18-200 is already pretty big and anything that would compete with the focal lengths available for my m43 cameras would necessarily be even bigger), but I played around with one pretty extensively before I bought the camera. And holding the camera the same way, braced against my body, I was able to get several very good shots off at the long end of the 18-200. And this was indoors in decent, but far from great light, so pretty challenging circumstances for an effective 300mm focal length.

Not all cameras have arrived at this place (and the Nex is not without faults, primarily in the lens department, for now) but I suspect it won't be too long before all rear screens are this good and lots of them will be tilt-able. This being the case, I don't feel ANY need for an evf or other viewfinder going forward. At least I won't within another couple of years when I suspect more cameras will meet my criteria for not needing one.

-Ray

Interesting. I remember reading your post about the NEX (either here or the other place) and, as I was in BestBuy for another reason a couple of days ago, picked one up and played with it. You're right--it feels very natural to shoot looking down on the viewfinder with the camera at your stomach. I wonder, though, how many shots would suffer because of the changing point of view. One of the things I like about many photographs is that appear to catch a moment as seen from an observer--i.e., at eye level.

 

[Ray Sachs]

Interesting. I remember reading your post about the NEX (either here or the other place) and, as I was in BestBuy for another reason a couple of days ago, picked one up and played with it. You're right--it feels very natural to shoot looking down on the viewfinder with the camera at your stomach. I wonder, though, how many shots would suffer because of the changing point of view. One of the things I like about many photographs is that appear to catch a moment as seen from an observer--i.e., at eye level.

Hmmm. Hasn't bothered me, but I've been shooting from the chest or belly when I do street stuff with my other cams too. The difference being I was flying slightly blind before (although I got reasonably good at knowing what was in the frame) and now I can actually SEE what I'm shooting. But the perspective is about the same. Its more like from a kids eye view - the world looks perhaps a bit taller but its never struck me as un-natural looking... Probably just personal taste, but I'm good with it.

-Ray

 

[Michael]

To quote a few of you wonderful people I'm a VF guy too! Down here in the antipodes it is impossible to shoot without a VF. Its so funny to watch Chinese and Japanese tourists straining to see into their digicams and phones in our bright light. The older they are the funnier it gets a sort of tai chi with camera... They have proved to be a constant source of very good photo subjects
It took a while to get use to my EP-2 with view finder and now I like it very much. I am hoping that the next version will have a faster refresh rate. From what I have read thus far the X100 system would be great the best of both worlds...

 

[AlanT]

I've had my GF1 for a year and have lived without a viewfinder the entire time, but have spent the last few days deliberating over a viewfinder purchase because, despite living in Scotland, we do actually get many bright sunny days where the LCD becomes very difficult to use, particularly when focusing manually.

At £149 the LVF1 for the GF1 seems rather overpriced, and the Hoodman Houdloupe while somewhat cheaper is a rather bulky alternative which doesn't seem quite ideal. While I love the look of my (red!) GF1, it just isn't always practical so I've purchased a used G2 which I hope to take delivery of in the next couple of days. I'm not sure if I'll bother keeping the GF1 or sell it and just use the G2.

 

[BobBill]

Viewfinder and blue text

BobBill.... I don't understand the deal with changing the text to blue. Seems to have created a bit of a distraction from the topics at hand. Do you change it to blue for any particular reason? Just curious.

Ray... interesting to hear of your experience with the NEX screen. I can't see that I would necessarily choose a NEX in addition to my fleshed-out m4/3 system, but from your comments, I think I'll check one out next time I get to a shop that carries them. Thanks.

Well, it was better for my screen, but since so many objected...

 

[BobBill]

Viewfinders etc...New Cameras

I went out the other day in the snow and bright sunlight on snow-covered lake and without the EVF, I would have not been able to take one pic properly. Without it, I found it impossible to reset some parameters and so on...

Who decides, maker or market demand?

 

[Ray Sachs]

Ray... interesting to hear of your experience with the NEX screen. I can't see that I would necessarily choose a NEX in addition to my fleshed-out m4/3 system, but from your comments, I think I'll check one out next time I get to a shop that carries them. Thanks.

Be careful - I didn't exactly PLAN it either!

I was trying to save money by exchanging the A33 I'd been trying out and thereby avoiding the restocking fee for returns, figuring I'd return the Nex a week or two later and take a much smaller hit. But then I started using it. Big mistake. Big BIG mistake!

Now I'm thinking I'll probably transition to Nex for wide to medium focal lengths as they bring more lenses out over the next year or so. The Zeiss 24 f1.7 should be out in a couple of months, making my m43 17 and 20 all but redundant. And then when they bring out a wide angle zoom within another year or so, the 9-18 probably goes and I'll carry the GH2 with a zoom and/or telephoto and the Nex with the 24, 16, and wide angle. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. For now, its my street camera, but I'm use it for a lot of walkaround stuff too with the kit zoom.

-Ray

 

[DHart]

I think the camera will come into it's own in time. Right now I just don't feel it's there enough. I handled one at Best Buy for just a minute and I can see having one, but its just ot at the point yet where I'm compelled. More lenses and an EVF option and I'll probably buy one.