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EYE BALL VIEW FINDER VS. LCD SCREEN

PETENOW
Contributor

I don't know what they called it but in the old days when you wanted to take a picture you put the camera up to your right (or left) eyeball. You looked at your subject and you took a picture. With most of todays cameras there is an LCD screen on the camera. Now you hold the camera away from your head and take the picture. While there are advantages to this like being able to view the image from remote locations and also being able to work controls on the same screen, there is a big disadvantage that makes me want to go back to the eyeball view finder. 

 

The first is that on a bright sunny day with an eyeball VF you can see the subject. With the LCD screen the sunlight and glare hits the screen and it's anybody guess what the camera is pointing at. My wife took a picture of me and all she got of me was my hat. I stared at the picture a long time until I figured out it was a picture of me. 

 

Also with an eyeball VF it is easier to hold the camera steady. Since it's braced with at least one arm and my head there is very little camera shake as apposed to holding the camera out about a foot away from my face. 

 

Since both have advantages I want to see more cameras with both eyepieces. I will settle for a  camera with a eyeball VF and use it for the bright sunlight while I use my Canon Vixia HFS200 video camera for all other uses. 

 

Any comments on this would be appreaciated. This is my first post and I don't know how I will know if anybody responds. My email is [Removed personal information per Forum Guidelines]

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION


@PETENOW wrote:

I have an idea about some kind of attachment that would hook up to the lcd  screen. It would taper off to an eyepiece that is adjustable. I have to find the eye piece and and the material and somehow make it stick to the lcd screen.


there are companies that make these.  

 

There are LCD "hoods" (to protect the LCD from getting washed out with the sunlight)

There are also LCD "viewfinders" (covers the LCD but provides an eye-cup and loupe so you can put your eye up to it and treat it like a viewfinder on cameras that only have an LCD screen.)

 

I've seen versions of the "hood" that are hinged so you can swing them out of the way when not using it.  Typically they attach to the tripod socket.

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

View solution in original post

18 REPLIES 18

Most entry-level cameras have abandoned the eye-level viewfinder in favor of the LCD screen. Most of the more expensive cameras have both.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

Love your name. You echo what I suspect.

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

I never use the LCD screen.  As far as I am concerned they can stop putting one on the camera.  I rarely chimp either but admit doing so once in a while so I guess it can stay.  Don't do video either.  I am a stills photographer.

If you grew up in the olden days when the 1D and 1D Mk II was king the LCD display was of little to no help even for chimping. Just never got use to depending on it.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

What is chimping? 


@ebiggs1 wrote:

I never use the LCD screen.  As far as I am concerned they can stop putting one on the camera.  I rarely chimp either but admit doing so once in a while so I guess it can stay.  Don't do video either.  I am a stills photographer.

If you grew up in the olden days when the 1D and 1D Mk II was king the LCD display was of little to no help even for chimping. Just never got use to depending on it.


 

Chimping is looking at the picture(s) you just took to see whether you should a) celebrate with a glass of beer, b) attempt to do them over, or c) throw the camera in the river.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

"... a) celebrate with a glass of beer, b) attempt to do them over, or c) throw the camera in the river."

 

Been there done that!  Smiley Very Happy

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

TCampbell
Elite
Elite

For a DSLR camera, most people do use the optical viewfinder ... and not the LCD screen.  There are a few exceptions and types of photography where the screen is handy ... but those are corner cases.  The majority of uses favor the optical viewfinder.

 

You are right about the stability... holding a camera out in front of your body with your arms isn’t nearly as stable as bracing it against your face with the camera supported by your arms ... elbows tucked in low toward your stomach so they “brace” the camera (especially useful when it’s a heavy camera).

 

But few “point & shoot” style cameras still have optical viewfinders (there are a few).  Also, many of these aren’t “single lens” (there’s a seperate small finder lens for the viewfinder in most point & shoots that still have an optical viewfinder ... whereas in an SLR (DSLR) it’s a “single lens” ... a series of mirrors means you are actually looking through the camera lens and not a seperate lens.

 

If you want a camera that still has an optical finder but you want a point & shoot style camera instead of a DSLR, there are a few of the Canon Powershot “G” series models that either have an optical finder *or* you can attach an EVF (Electronic View Finder) to the hot-shoe port.  This is basically a mini video monitor that you put your eye up to (just like a true optical finder) except it is electronic (it’s showing you what the LCD screen would have shown you).  

 

A couple of the Powershot “SX” series models also have the eye viewfinder.  But most models do not.  You can quickly see it in most images if you browse the marketing info ... because you’ll see the viewfinder in any images that show the back of the camera.  But keep in mind some “G” series cameras that have a hot-shoe, but no optical finder, can take an optional accessory that gives them a viewfinder (it’s an electronic viewfinder).

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

"you can attach an EVF (Electronic View Finder) to the hot-shoe port.  This is basically a mini video monitor that you put your eye up to (just like a true optical finder) except it is electronic (it’s showing you what the LCD screen would have shown you)."

 

This is of interest to me howerer, The hot shoe on my video camera is not hot. It's just a shoe. I guess you could call it a cold shoe. Will the EVF work with that? 


@PETENOW wrote:

"you can attach an EVF (Electronic View Finder) to the hot-shoe port.  This is basically a mini video monitor that you put your eye up to (just like a true optical finder) except it is electronic (it’s showing you what the LCD screen would have shown you)."

 

This is of interest to me howerer, The hot shoe on my video camera is not hot. It's just a shoe. I guess you could call it a cold shoe. Will the EVF work with that? 


No, the EVF has to be able to communicate with the camera. What it shows you is what the sensor sees.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
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