07-04-2008, 09:35 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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SLR Viewfinders: An Overlooked Feature
"Ever since photography went digital, the popularity of photography has soared. In the past I'd maybe bump into no more than three random people holding a SLR camera even in an area considered to be "photogenic". Now, it's common to see someone proudly slinging a DSLR over their hip even on public transport. With such popular appeal it's also no wonder the Internet is now full of all kinds of sites discussing digital photography, and all new DSLR camera releases scrutinised heavily. Still, one feature that's rarely bought up on the Internet chatter of these hardware discussions is a simple and not very alluring sounding specification: The camera's viewfinder. Now, while it's not quite as sexy to talk about compared to ISO 204,800 (a favourite topic of many discussions) or 5 gigapixels, it's still something that's important. Like a computer monitor, it's one of the main interfaces (I like to think of it as the metaphorical “window” to the camera’s “soul&rdquo of the hardware, and how good or bad the experience is can make a difference in the photograph taking process. A small, dim viewfinder is not the most joyous of things to use, and can make composing more difficult than needed. Large viewfinders present details present in the scene better, and if one didn't notice that signpost sticking out of your subject's head from behind, well, a large viewfinder can help."
Our very own yslee has published a great article in our forums that talks about one of the most overlooked specifications on DSLR cameras: the viewfinder. Compared to my original first-gen Canon Digital Rebel, that was one of the things I loved about the D200: when I picked it up and looked through the viewfinder, it was like looking at "real life": big and bright. Conversely, when I was in Japan in March, a friend there had a Sony DSLR (no clue which model, it might have been one of those "fake" SLRs without a removable lens). At any rate, when I looked through the viewfinder, I was appalled at the tiny, dim view I had on the world looking through it. I couldn't imagine how much harder that viewfinder would make it to visualize the photos I wanted to take. Viewfinders matter! Check out the article and share your comments in the article thread.
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07-05-2008, 08:03 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,350
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So there's another reason to go from D300 to D700... ;-)
__________________
enjoy being here while getting there
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07-06-2008, 09:29 AM
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Review Coordinator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 451
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For the record, Canon isn't sitting still on viewfinder advancements, either. I don't have any specific points of comparison available, but Canon claims that viewfinder on the new Rebel XSi is larger and brighter. Several of the reviews that I've read have given the new viewfinder high praise, and I don't recall any negative comments on it.
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07-09-2008, 01:38 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 451
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Oh, there is one thing I neglected, but probably won't be a big deal to most readers; some very bright viewfinders (like those Canon low-end SLRS) are quite bright, but bloody impossible to manual focus through properly. They use a less matte focusing screen to achieve greater brightness at the expense of focusing quaility.
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11-04-2008, 10:31 PM
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Hybrid Mode
