camera viewfinder vs lcd screen factory

The benefits of the viewfinder and LCD screen are often compared with one another. Depending on whom you ask, you might hear remarkably different opinions on the usability of the two.

As discussed above, photography is all about precision. Viewfinders have been around long before LCD screens, and therefore many photographers find viewfinders more comfortable to work with.

Viewfinders offer much more precision when you are shooting, especially on a bright day. It allows you to focus on the small details. Viewfinders reduce image distortion and capture an accurate image. That’s why most DSLRs and high-end mirrorless cameras today still have viewfinders.

Running out of battery is a nightmare for photographers, especially if you don’t have any spares. That’s why viewfinders are considered optimal in these situations. Viewfinders use comparatively much less battery than LCD screens.

If you are shooting in an area where electricity is scarce, or don’t have access to a charger or backup batteries, the viewfinder will be a better choice for you.

Viewfinders are very convenient to use and provide smooth handling. When looking through the viewfinder, it’s easy to keep the camera steady. This makes the viewfinder an optimal choice when you need to zoom in or have a slightly heavier camera.

For many people, this extra effort of adjusting your eyeglasses is troublesome. However, some viewfinder cameras have a built-in diopter that can help make it easier to use with glasses.

Viewfinders can be much smaller compared to LCD screens. As a result, you may not be able to see everything you’re capturing in the viewfinder accurately. This drawback is very important for photographers who want to preview every single detail when taking a picture.

To see details on viewfinders, especially the electronic ones, you have to zoom in on the frame. However, this can lower the resolution of the preview. Luckily, if most of your shots consist of zoom shots, this may not bother you much.

What sets LCD screens apart from viewfinders is their ability to provide 100% image coverage to the photographer. In comparison, cameras with a viewfinder offer around 90-95% of the image, sometimes less.

What you see through the viewfinder doesn’t always end up in the final result. Small details can be crucial. That’s why this 5-10% difference in image coverage can be a significant reason why you might choose an LCD screen over the viewfinder.

When you are in a lower field-of-view, framing can be much more difficult. Many people can’t take a picture while lying on the ground using a viewfinder. This is where LCD screens come in. Flexible LCDs make it easier for you to capture images when you can’t reach awkward angles.

LCD screens produce great results for night photography. LCD screens are often used for night photography due to their bright image playback quality. They help you focus on the small details when you are shooting at night.

An evident shortcoming of the LCD screen is its lack of utility on a bright day. Because of the glare, many people cannot use their LCD screen at all on a sunny day. It’s hard to see anything on the LCD except the reflections.

Another drawback to using an LCD screen is its difficulty in handling it. Holding the camera while looking through the LCD screen is difficult and takes a lot of effort, especially when you are zooming and trying to be precise.

Another disadvantage of LCD screens is the fact that they can easily overexpose your image. This should not be a problem for seasoned photographers who can improve the quality of the image with better handling and precision.

Those were some of the benefits and drawbacks of using a viewfinder and LCD screen to consider. So, which one is best? The answer depends on your personal preferences and budget.

If you’re a traditional photographer, you’ll probably be more comfortable with the viewfinder. If you are a photographer who likes to focus on small details and image quality, you should opt for the LCD screen.

LCD screens are great, and the quality improves with each new generation of DSLR cameras appearing on the market. But, many professional photographers prefer to use a camera"s viewfinder. We explain the benefits and disadvantages of each.

LCD screens have advantages, but so do optical viewfinders. When it"s time to frame a photo with your DSLR camera, you need to decide which side of the viewfinder vs. LCD debate you lean. Unlike the optical viewfinder, the LCD screen displays the entire frame that the sensors capture. Optical viewfinders, even on a professional level DSLR, only show 90-95% of the image. You lose a small percentage on the edges of the image.

Digital SLRs aren"t light, and it"s easier to produce a crisp, sharp image when you hold the camera up to your eye to use the viewfinder. That way, you can support and steady the camera and lens with your hands. But, viewfinders are generally smaller than LCD screens. Viewfinders are also less convenient to use, especially if you wear glasses.

At the end of the day, though, as intelligent as digital cameras are, the human eye can resolve more detail than an LCD screen. You get a sharper and more accurate view of your image by using the viewfinder.

The biggest drawback with LCD screens is probably shooting in sunlight. Depending on the quality of the screen, you may not be able to use it in bright sunshine because of the glare. All you see are reflections off the screen. Also, the crystals contained within LCD screens tend to flare in bright sunlight, making the situation worse.

Holding the camera at arm"s-length while looking at the LCD screen—and then keeping the camera steady while zooming in on a subject—takes effort. When you use the LCD screen this way, you often end up with a blurry image.

No matter how good an LCD screen is, it"s unlikely to give an accurate overview of the image you took. Most overexpose an image by as much as one full stop. It"s best to acquire the technical knowledge about photography, rather than rely on the LCD screen to determine image quality. With this technical knowledge, you"ll have the confidence your settings are correct, and your images are properly exposed. So, in most cases, it"s best to use the viewfinder. But, if you like the convenience of an LCD, or you wear glasses, use the LCD. It"s mostly a matter of personal preference.

Should I use the camera viewfinder or LCD? More importantly, in the age of iPhones and touchscreens, is the viewfinder now obsolete? Read on, and you may just discover a need for both.

Should I use the camera viewfinder or LCD when capturing an image? Indeed, this debate will no doubt continue into the foreseeable future. At any rate, long before the liquid crystal display (LCD) came into the picture, the viewfinder was the only game in town. Thus, it certainly stands to reason why many seasoned photographers prefer the viewfinder over the LCD. However, in light of the miniature camera revolution, one might consider the viewfinder outdated or even obsolete; consequently, many contemporary photographers appear to favor the LCD. In any case, the LCD has changed the game and offers distinct advantages and new possibilities for photography. Regardless of your current preference, a bit of experimentation may help improve your game.

Above all, composition is the most crucial element in any photograph. Indeed, everyone enjoys a stunning well-exposed tack sharp photo. Of course, the methods used to capture an image play an essential role in the quality of the image. For example, during hand-held photography, using the viewfinder draws the camera closer to the body offering a lower profile thus providing a better foundation as opposed to extending the camera forward to compose an image. Naturally, getting the shot is what counts! Deciding between using the LCD or viewfinder boils down to personal preference.

Although wearing eyeglasses can exacerbate the situation, it’s still possible to use the viewfinder. However, whether farsighted or nearsighted, fumbling around with eyeglasses can take the fun out of photography. Fortunately, many cameras offer viewfinders with a built-in diopter that permits one to compensate for optical shortcomings. In fact, some camera models offer additional diopters for those requiring further correction. Honestly, while wearing reading glasses, I do find it a bit cumbersome to bounce back and forth from the viewfinder to the LCD. I sometimes wear my glasses tethered around my neck. At any rate, I find using the viewfinder worth the extra effort.

No doubt, shooting at ground level can make framing an image extremely difficult. Composing a photograph with the viewfinder while lying on wet grass presents an unacceptable challenge for some people. Still, using the LCD does not guarantee the user will remain completely dry, even with a tilting LCD. Plus, not all cameras have an adjustable LCD. Nevertheless, the increasing popularity of the adjustable LCD suggests many people may favor the LCD over the viewfinder. Although I prefer the viewfinder in most situations, the LCD occasionally has its advantages. Regardless of one’s preference, an adjustable LCD has an undeniable ergonomic benefit when shooting at low levels. On the other hand, for the diehard viewfinder fan, it is possible to retrofit many camera models with an angled viewfinder.

While composing an image, a mindful photographer pays careful attention to every detail in the frame, especially distracting elements near the edges. Unfortunately, excluding high-end cameras, most DSLR viewfinders do not offer 100 percent coverage. For example, when using a DSLR with only 95 percent coverage, during post-processing one is likely to discover overlooked articles near the edge of the image. Whereas the articles would have been visible if composed on an LCD. In other words, unlike the LCD, what you see in the viewfinder isn’t necessarily what you get in post-processing. As for myself, this is an outright deal-breaker. Although many camera models offer viewfinders with greater than 95 percent coverage, nothing beats 100 percent. On the other hand, is five percent more coverage worth the added expense? Honestly, the deciding factor comes down to personal preference and budget.

Viewing an image on an LCD in brightly illuminated situations may prove difficult indeed. When shooting under extremely bright conditions, one may find it impossible to actually see the image on the LCD. Although I certainly prefer the viewfinder in bright situations, purchasing an LCD hood or shade provides a simple solution. Though an LCD hood will help reduce glare, these devices are bulky and require removal to use of the viewfinder. Honestly, the LCD has its benefits, but in this case, why add an additional device if it’s not necessary.

I occasionally hear the notion that bright light from an LCD impairs night vision. Of course, staring at any bright light source will affect one’s night vision. Be that as it may, I would not rule out using the LCD for night photography. In fact, I often use the LCD at night for image playback, and I’m yet to stumble over my gear from loss of night vision. In any case, both the viewfinder and LCD are beneficial for night photography. Incidentally, while shooting a moonbow at Cumberland Falls State Park near Corbin Kentucky, I found the LCD indispensable in reviewing the color span captured in the moonbow. Due to sparse lighting, the human eye has a difficult time discerning the colors of a moonbow, and thus it appears white to the naked eye. Nevertheless, during image playback on the LCD, the colors in the moonbow are evident. See the moonbow here.

Depending on the camera model, the information available in both the viewfinder and LCD will vary. Regardless of the camera data, with today’s technology, most people have no trouble pointing and shooting a camera with satisfactory results. However, being acquainted with the exposure triangle can open new possibilities with the potential for boundless creativity. Hence, the ability to observe shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and exposure is paramount. One advantage of the LCD is the ability to view a live histogram in live view. Indeed, a live histogram is pretty impressive, but not available on all cameras. In any case, I prefer to use the histogram during image playback.

Now, this is extremely important for those that need to squeeze every ounce of life from a battery. I often hike and camp in primitive areas where electrical power is a luxury. That being the case, the difference in battery life is monumental! An LCD requires far more energy compared to an optical viewfinder. In fact, the LCD requires 100 percent more energy. However, poor battery life is easily mitigated in most cases. For example, carry extra batteries and take advantage of charging opportunities while traveling near power sources or while dining in a restaurant. Also, consider investing in a battery grip.

Depending on the type of photography, both the viewfinder and LCD have distinct advantages. For example, live view employs contrast detection to analyze image contrast pixel by pixel, thereby significantly improving focusing accuracy. Furthermore, live view provides additional focusing points allowing more versatility, especially handy when the camera is mounted on a tripod. Utilizing the LCD, one can zoom in and precisely focus on a specific detail. Consequently, a landscape photographer may favor using the LCD to enhance the focus of still subjects. However, the focusing speed is at a snail’s pace compared to using a viewfinder which employs phase detection for focusing.

For this reason, a sports photographer would likely opt for the benefits of the viewfinder. In fact, because of its quick and reliable focusing, phase detection yields better results for fast-moving subjects. Indeed, a sharp image is the benchmark of any serious photographer. With this in mind, understanding the fundamentals of phase detection and contrast detection is instrumental.

Indeed, whether using the LCD or viewfinder to compose an image, covering the viewfinder eyepiece on a DSLR is an excellent idea. In fact, in backlit situations, light can enter through the viewfinder and appear on the image as a solar flare. Moreover, light entering through the viewfinder can fool the camera’s light meter resulting in an underexposed image. Despite manufacturing attempts to protect against light leakage, even the most expensive cameras can leak light back to the sensor. In fact, with the mirror in the up position, the light may still pass through and find its way to your image, especially during a long exposure. Consequently, and for a good reason, many manufacturers deploy the use of built-in eyepiece shutters or external eyepiece covers. Why leave your masterpiece to chance?

A DSLR utilizes a mirror to reflect an image through the lens and onto the sensor. Obviously, a “mirrorless” camera does not use a mirror to reflect an image to the viewfinder. Instead, a mirrorless camera projects an electronic or “digital” image to the viewfinder. I think an electronic viewfinder (EVF) is much like an LCD only smaller. As a matter of fact, an EVF is analogous to having a tiny TV screen extremely close to your eye. Alternatively, an optical viewfinder (OVF) allows the user to look straight through the lens via the mirror. Nevertheless, both the OVF and EVF provide the user with a practical view; however, the two views are entirely different.

Nevertheless, the EVF does have a few advantages. For example, like the LCD, the EVF offers 100 percent coverage, so what you see in the viewfinder is what you get in the image. Also, the EVF is illuminated and thus beneficial in low-light situations.

Although I do my best to remain objective when writing, I’m sure it’s apparent that I prefer the viewfinder over the LCD. Despite that being the case, you may have noticed that I practice both in my photography. Honestly, I suspect many people do the same. Indeed, I very much enjoy the connection to nature that photography affords. Although an LCD has its benefits, I prefer viewing my subject through the sharp clarity produced by an optical viewfinder. In short, if forced to decide between one or the other, I choose the OVF. At any rate, these are mere opinions and should be taken with a healthy portion of common sense and personal experience. As I always like to say, it’s genuinely a matter of personal preference.

While some photographers like the natural view offered by an optical viewfinder, an electronic viewfinder brings the advantage of being able to see the effect of the exposure, white balance and Picture Style settings being applied. If you apply the Monochrome Picture Style, for example, the image you see in the EVF will be mono, while with an OVF it will remain colour. This means you can use the image in an EVF to assess whether your settings suit the scene and to be confident you will get the result you want before pressing the shutter button. That"s especially helpful if, for example, the subject is backlit and you might need to use some exposure compensation.

In this way, an EVF is especially useful for relatively inexperienced photographers, because it enables you to see the effects of camera settings at the shooting stage, not just assess them afterwards. For many, it makes photography more intuitive.

Another advantage of an EVF is that it can compensate for low light levels, which means you always have a clear view of the subject. Conversely, with an optical viewfinder you"re seeing the scene with the ambient light level, which means that in dark conditions it can be difficult to compose a shot or to focus.

On the other hand, because the image you see in an EVF has to be processed before it can be displayed, all EVFs suffer from some degree of lag. Although the latest mirrorless cameras such as the EOS R5 have EVFs with a refresh rate of 120fps and the lag is only a matter of milliseconds, this can still matter if you"re shooting fast-moving action and split-second timing is critical. As technologies continue to develop, the lag is likely to get shorter and shorter, but an OVF works at the speed of light, which means in effect no lag at all. For this reason, many photographers shooting sports, wildlife or other subjects involving fast action still prefer a DSLR.

In addition, when you"re using an EVF you"re actually looking at a small screen, and even though this has a very high refresh rate, an OVF can be more comfortable over a long period of usage. This means that if you"re shooting wildlife or sports where you have to keep your eye to the viewfinder for a very long time waiting for the action to happen, an OVF could be preferable.

The LCD screen on digital cameras cuts out the need for this process as images can be viewed immediately after they are taken and adjustments can be made to improve your shots straight away.

If you like to record your images settings for future analysis, most digital cameras will do this for you – to be viewed later either on your camera (using the ‘info’ function when in playback on many cameras) or on your computer.

One question I get asked a lot by readers is whether they should use their digital camera’s LCD screen or viewfinder to frame their shots. I suspect that the majority of camera owners do use the LCD but there are a number of arguments both for and against it. Let me explore a few:

Convenience – Perhaps the main reason that people use the LCD is convenience. Rather than having to fire up the camera, raise it to your eye, squint through it (on many point and shoot models it’s quite small) etc… using the LCD means you simply switch the camera on and from almost any position you can snap a shot.

Size – As I hinted above – many models of digital cameras have very small view finders and when compared with the LCD (usually between 1.5 and 2.5 inches these days) there is really not that much of a comparison.

Instant Playback – shooting with the LCD means that after you take your shot you will immediately see the shot you’ve taken flashed onto the screen. You can see this if you use the viewfinder too by lowering the camera but it adds another action to the process.

Creativity – using the LCD opens up all kinds of creative opportunities for your photography by meaning that you don’t have to have the camera at eye level to be able to get your framing right. You can instead put it up high or down low and still be able to line things up well.

Framing Inaccuracy of Optical Viewfinders on Point and Shoots – one of the most common complaints about using the viewfinder on digital cameras is that what you see through it is slightly different to what the camera is actually seeing as the view finder is generally positioned above and to the left of the lens which means it is slightly different (a problem called parallax). Most viewfinders that have this will give you a guide as to where to frame your shot but it can be a little difficult – especially when taking close up/macro shots. (note that not all point and shoot cameras have optical viewfinders – some have electronic ones (see below).

Obstructed View – on some models of point and shoot digital cameras a fully extended zoom can actually obstruct the view from your viewfinder. This can be quite frustrating.

Glasses Wearers – if you wear glasses you might find using the viewfinder of your Digital camera more difficult. Many these days do come with a little diopter adjuster to help with this.

Battery Killer– the LCD on your camera chews up battery power faster than almost any other feature on your camera. Use it not only for viewing shots taken but lining them up and you’ll need to recharge a lot more regularly.

Camera Shake – when shooting with the LCD as a viewfinder you need to hold your camera away from your body (often at arms length). This takes the camera away from your solid and still torso and into midair (only supported by your outstretched arms) – this increased the chance that your camera will be moving as you take the shot which will result in blurry shots.

Competing Light – one problem that you will often have with framing your shots using the LCD is that for many cameras, shooting in bright light will make it difficult to see the LCD – leaving it looking washed out. Digital camera manufacturers are trying to overcome this with brighter and clearer screens but using the viewfinder instead of the LCD will generally overcome the problem.

DSLRs – most DSLRs do not give you the opportunity to use the LCD as a viewfinder at all. I suspect that this feature will become more available however as I hear it being asked for quite a bit. I’m not sure I’d ever use it though as DSLR view finders are generally larger and are a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) meaning you can be sure that what you’re looking at through the view finder is what the image will be when you shoot.

Electronic View Finders (EVF)– another type of view finder that is found on some point and shoot digital cameras is the EVF one. This overcomes the problem of your viewfinder and camera seeing slightly different things by giving you an exact picture of the scene you’re photographing in the viewfinder. This happens simply by putting a little LCD in the viewfinder.

Ultimately the choice in using the LCD or viewfinder will come down to personal preference. I have used a variety of digital cameras over the past few years and find myself using both methods depending upon the shooting situation and the camera. Some cameras have large and clear viewfinders (like my DSLR) and so I use them. Others have tiny viewfinders (in fact my latest point and shoot, the Fujifilm Finepix F10, doesn’t have one at all).

Given the choice between a great viewfinder and great LCD I’d probably opt for the viewfinder – call me a traditionalist but it just feels right for me.

Hope you caught the first line of my last post as a joke, and that you recognize that most of my ire about camera design is reserved for whomever else might have the power to change it.

Melissa, there will come a time in your growth into photography that you may begin to recognize that some of the most important stuff happens before you look through the viewfinder. The viewfinder will come to be mostly a confirmation of what you expect from your picture. It"s more of a final, but important, check.

There have been many good photos made with little more than a peephole and a wire frame for viewfinding. I have, and still use, one such camera. It can take a little more time, but once you get there, you may not notice. You"ll probably be too busy composing and visualizing before you make the picture.

The newer versions. Well, you can see I"m not a big fan. Yet, not only should the structure of the viewfinder not be too influential; there will come that time when non-reflex work, pictures without a look through the lens, will be important. The oldest of cameras were like this. We"ve just seen a computerized simulation of the return to these practices, except the contemporary kind is hybridized into that LCD interface in the point and shoot.

Back when, George Eastman needed plenty of ladies to gather chicken eggs and cook "em up in order to build his empire. In his first camera, I think there was no viewfinder at all. I think it was in the second camera that they added a mirrored window to help people aim the camera. Its screen was small enough to fit on the face of a dime.

The thinking before you use the viewfinder will come to be more important as you start to round out your basic skills as a photographer. You might find that this thinking may be one of the most influential segments of your creative process, later. The more I make pictures, the more before the camera work occupies me quite a bit.

While some photographers like the natural view offered by an optical viewfinder, an electronic viewfinder brings the advantage of being able to see the effect of the exposure, white balance and Picture Style settings being applied. If you apply the Monochrome Picture Style, for example, the image you see in the EVF will be mono, while with an OVF it will remain colour. This means you can use the image in an EVF to assess whether your settings suit the scene and to be confident you will get the result you want before pressing the shutter button. That"s especially helpful if, for example, the subject is backlit and you might need to use some exposure compensation.

In this way, an EVF is especially useful for relatively inexperienced photographers, because it enables you to see the effects of camera settings at the shooting stage, not just assess them afterwards. For many, it makes photography more intuitive.

Another advantage of an EVF is that it can compensate for low light levels, which means you always have a clear view of the subject. Conversely, with an optical viewfinder you"re seeing the scene with the ambient light level, which means that in dark conditions it can be difficult to compose a shot or to focus.

On the other hand, because the image you see in an EVF has to be processed before it can be displayed, all EVFs suffer from some degree of lag. Although the latest mirrorless cameras such as the EOS R5 have EVFs with a refresh rate of 120fps and the lag is only a matter of milliseconds, this can still matter if you"re shooting fast-moving action and split-second timing is critical. As technologies continue to develop, the lag is likely to get shorter and shorter, but an OVF works at the speed of light, which means in effect no lag at all. For this reason, many photographers shooting sports, wildlife or other subjects involving fast action still prefer a DSLR.

In addition, when you"re using an EVF you"re actually looking at a small screen, and even though this has a very high refresh rate, an OVF can be more comfortable over a long period of usage. This means that if you"re shooting wildlife or sports where you have to keep your eye to the viewfinder for a very long time waiting for the action to happen, an OVF could be preferable.

Second, now many digital camera"s LCD is designed to be rotatable, so that the digital camera will have more viewing angle, and it can be very intuitive to achieve self operation.

First of all is the power consumption. For a long time, the LCD viewfinder is a power hungry digital camera. It will greatly shorten the working hours of digital cameras for a long time. Fortunately, now the new digital cameras have adopted a large number of low-temperature polysilicon LCD screen, so the power consumption of the LCD viewfinder has been significantly improved, but calling it "power hungry" is still not excessive.

Second, in the intense sunlight, the LCD viewfinder display will be greatly affected, and you need to use your hands or other things to hide the light before you can see it clearly.

The LCD determines the size of his overall consumer groups, especially for the elderly or eyes from time to time good people, LCD means they can more clearly see the captured images, but also indirectly makes them for photography to generate interest, presumably this is one of the important factors of large businesses have launched the LCD view screen.

Second, now many digital camera"s LCD is designed to be rotatable, so that the digital camera will have more viewing angle, and it can be very intuitive to achieve self operation.

First of all is the power consumption. For a long time, the LCD viewfinder is a power hungry digital camera. It will greatly shorten the working hours of digital cameras for a long time. Fortunately, now the new digital cameras have adopted a large number of low-temperature polysilicon LCD screen, so the power consumption of the LCD viewfinder has been significantly improved, but calling it "power hungry" is still not excessive.

Second, in the intense sunlight, the LCD viewfinder display will be greatly affected, and you need to use your hands or other things to hide the light before you can see it clearly.

The LCD determines the size of his overall consumer groups, especially for the elderly or eyes from time to time good people, LCD means they can more clearly see the captured images, but also indirectly makes them for photography to generate interest, presumably this is one of the important factors of large businesses have launched the LCD view screen.

If you want to turn off the EOS R eye sensor on this Canon digital mirrorless camera to stop the screen from turning off whenever you or another object comes close to the viewfinder, here’s what to do.

The electronic viewfinder on your Canon EOS R mirrorless camera will now be disabled and you can use the camera’s LCD screen for your video shoot without the screen turning off whenever you or another object get too close to the viewfinder proximity sensor.

If you look just below the viewfinder of the Canon EOS R mirrorless digital camera you will see a small dark shiny rectangle. It looks not unlike the window over infrared emitters on remote controls.

However, on the EOS R, it is the viewfinder sensor or proximity sensor. It is designed to detect your face as you put your eye up to the electronic viewfinder.

Having it built-in to the camera makes a lot of sense. Obviously, while you’re looking through the viewfinder you do not need the screen to be powered on.

By blanking the screen battery power is conserved. It will also prevent peripheral light from the screen distracting you when shooting at night or in low light level situations.

Of course, there are times when using the viewfinder makes sense, like shooting outdoors on a sunny day when the screen is difficult to see clearly. I tend to use the screen most of the time.

That’s especially true when using the touch screen to quickly change focus points. So, when using the screen to watch what’s being recorded the last thing you want is for the screen to go blank.

For instance, it can detect my hand, a mug, or a piece of clothing. When it senses something close by it switches the display from the screen to the viewfinder. So, I don’t need to bring the camera’s viewfinder to my eye for the sensor to detect me.

At one point I needed to shoot a tilt-up on the front of a cardboard baling machine. Now had I done the shot hand-held using the viewfinder I wouldn’t have had a problem.

The real problem was I hadn’t spent enough time reading the manual or checking out the camera’s menu settings. Talking of which, here’s the download link for the latest EOS R Advanced User Guide.

The electronic viewfinder on your Canon EOS R mirrorless camera will now be disabled and you can use the camera’s LCD screen for your video shoot without the screen turning off whenever you or another object get too close to the viewfinder proximity sensor.

But hang on. Sometimes being able to use the viewfinder during a video shoot is useful. It is great to have the ability to quickly switch between the screen and the viewfinder.

Perhaps the screen is difficult to see properly because of the sun. Alternatively, maybe you want to shoot at night without the screen lighting you up as a distraction behind the camera. With the Canon EOS R mirrorless digital camera, it’s not a problem.

You can easily toggle between the viewfinder and screen by customizing the button of your choice. It’s mentioned on page 558 of the Canon EOS R Advanced Users Guide.

It’s conveniently positioned on the top of the camera body, just up from the shutter button. It’s also the quickest button to customize since it’s the first in the camera’s button customization list (at least for video).

So, you manually selected the screen as your display in the wrench menu but say you didn’t customize a button to toggle between the viewfinder and screen. But what if you happen to be in a situation where you’d like to switch to the viewfinder only.

If you want quick access to the electronic viewfinder here’s what to do. Simply flip the LCD screen over and snap it into the back of the camera body. The display will automatically switch to the viewfinder and the screen will turn off.

The electronic viewfinder on your Canon EOS R mirrorless camera will now be disabled and you can use the camera’s LCD screen for your video shoot without the screen turning off whenever you or another object get too close to the viewfinder proximity sensor.

The Canon EOS R is a full-frame 30.3-megapixel mirrorless digital camera, the first camera to feature Canon’s RF lens mount. It has been compared to the Canon 5D Mk IV and has the same Dual Pixel AF system. In photo mode, it can shoot at 8 fps, or 5fps with continuous autofocus.

EF and EF-S lenses can be used on the Canon EOS R mirrorless camera by using a Canon EF-EOS R mount adapter. Canon provides 4 different adapters, each offers distinctive features, but all are 24mm deep and allow you to use your existing EF and EF-S lenses on an EOS RF mount. They do not have any lens elements so there is no loss of image quality. The standard adapter only allows EF and EF-S lenses to be used on cameras with an RF mount with full functionality. The other three adapters. The next model is the Control Ring Adapter, which adds an extra control ring. The third adapter is a Drop-in Filter Mount Adapter within a drop-in circular polarizing filter. The fourth is a Drop-in Filter Adapter with a drop-in variable ND filter.

The Canon EOS-R is a weather-sealed camera. The buttons and dials are sealed, and rubber flaps protect the camera’s sockets and connectors. Some of the RF lenses, such as the RF 24-105mm f/4, have weather-sealing gaskets that provide a snug fit of the camera’s mounting ring. The weather sealing does not make the camera waterproof, and additional protection would be necessary for wet conditions.

Tosh Lubek runs an audio and video production business in the UK and has been using the Canon EOS R since it was released in the Autumn of 2018. He has used the camera to shoot TV commercials for Sky TV, promotional business videos, videos of events and functions, and YouTube creator content. He has also won international awards for his advertising and promotional work. You can meet him by visiting his “video booth” at HashTag business events across the country.

It’s a tough question, and one that photographers have spent many years debating. Some photographers swear by their optical viewfinders, and refuse to work with an electronic viewfinder; other photographers claim that optical viewfinders are obsolete and that electronic viewfinders are the future.

It gives you a preview of the scene that you’re shooting, and it does this optically. When you look through an optical viewfinder, you’re viewing the actual scene before you, simply reflected by mirrors inside your camera.

In fact, most optical viewfinders include a number of helpful overlays on top of the image, such as a rule of thirds grid, your active (and sometimes inactive) autofocus points, and your exposure information.

Electronic viewfinders also display autofocus points and exposure data, the same as optical viewfinders, though they sometimes come with helpful extras (such as focus peaking features, as I explain below).

And while electronic viewfinders are becoming more and more present in mirrorless camera lineups, there are still hobbyist mirrorless models, such as the Canon EOS M100, which doesn’t include any viewfinder at all; instead, it only offers a Live View screen for previewing (and reviewing) images.

(Note that there are also mirrorless cameras that offer optional viewfinders that mount onto the camera, but these are pretty rare. And there are other mirrorless cameras that include bothan electronic viewfinder and an optical viewfinder, though these are even rarer.)

That’s really a whole other can of worms, but the truth is that both camera types have their place at present. DSLRs offer a robustness and lens selection currently not available in most mirrorless lineups, whereas mirrorless cameras offer a compact, travel-ready form and blazing-fast autofocus.

However, mirrorless cameras do seem to be the future, and camera manufacturers are turning their engineering divisions away from DSLR systems, so if you’re looking to future-proof your camera gear, then a mirrorless camera is probably the better option.

Whereas electronic viewfinders are giving you a digital preview of the scene, one that’s limited by the resolution and frame rate of your mirrorless camera.

Now, some electronic viewfinders look really, really good. At the time of writing, the highest resolution electronic viewfinder available in a mirrorless camera is over nine million dots (found in the Sony a7S III), followed by several 5.76M-dot EVFs (found in the Canon EOS R5 and the Sony a7R IV, to name just two).

Much more common in mirrorless cameras is a 2.36M-dot EVF, which looks good but not great, while cheaper mirrorless models use even lower resolutions, many of which just don’t appear crisp at all.

Whereas electronic viewfinders with 3.69M-dot resolutions and above feel very real to me, to the point that I often forget that I’m looking at a digital, rather than optical, display.

All in all, if you’re after the best possible resolution, an optical viewfinder is the way to go. But if you can afford to purchase a camera with a higher-end viewfinder, you may not notice much of a difference!

It means that, when you dial camera settings into a mirrorless camera, you’ll get a preview of the resulting image in your EVF, a preview that includes exposure simulation.

But if you’re anything like me, shooting into the sun with an optical viewfinder is physically painful. Sometimes, I come away with spots in front of my eye as well as a headache.

You see, technically speaking, you can preview depth of field through optical viewfinders. Most DSLRs offer a depth of field preview button; when you press this, it closes down the aperture and lets you view the expected depth of field for the image.

The problem is that the DSLR depth of field preview button makes the viewfinder far darker–to the point that I find it truly unusable. It’s difficult to evaluate whether parts of your image are sharp when they’re dim, and that’s why I almost never use the depth of field preview on my DSLRs.

Otherwise, the aperture doesn’t close until you fire the shutter button, which means that the depth of field won’t be reflected in the electronic viewfinder.

Note that this is also true for some lenses that mount on OVF cameras, but the viewfinder brightness will darken, as with the depth of field preview button.

Fujifilm lenses, for instance, offer manual apertures, which is why you get a highly accurate depth of field preview when looking through a Fujifilm viewfinder.

But most other camera manufacturers (e.g., Nikon, Canon, and Sony) don’t include a manual aperture ring. In such cases, the camera sometimes offers a depth of field preview button, which works like the DOF preview on a DSLR, except without the light loss in the viewfinder.

Cameras using electronic viewfinders, on the other hand, have to convert the light into a digital image and then display it via the EVF. And that can take time, which manifests as viewfinder lag.

And lower-end viewfinders, or viewfinders in older mirrorless cameras, are much worse. You’ll often end up with significant, noticeable lag–which isn’t a big deal if you’re a landscape or portrait shooter, but can become a huge issue if you shoot sports, birds in flight, or street images.

If you think you might want an electronic viewfinder but you’re concerned about lag, I’d recommend that you read reviews of the particular camera you’re after. Most will discuss the electronic viewfinder, and should give you a sense of whether the EVF is plagued by lag, or whether you’ll be able to shoot comfortably in fast-paced scenarios.

Pretty much all electronic viewfinders include a group of “filters,” ranging from sepia overlays to black and white overlays to color film simulations.

For those who shoot in black and white, I’d say that the black and white overlay alonemakes electronic viewfinders better than optical viewfinders. Because it allows you to see the world in black and white, which is far easier than trying to mentally convert between color and black and white through an EVF.

Instead, you can view your images in the EVF, which is helpful for getting an accurate understanding of colors, lighting, and exposure (since you don’t have to contend with reflections on the rear LCD, etc.).

While all of this is also possible on the rear LCD provided by cameras with OVFs, the problem is that rear LCDs are difficult to work with unless you’re shooting in complete darkness. They’re prone to reflections, and they’re affected by ambient light levels. Images often look well-exposed on a rear LCD viewed in bright, when in reality they’re too dark or too light.

Now that you’re familiar with the pros and cons of optical viewfinders versus electronic viewfinders, you should hopefully have a better idea of whether an optical viewfinder is right for you.

I’d recommend you grab a camera with an optical viewfinder if resolution and clarity are of utmost importance to you–or if you frequently shoot in low light, where EVFs can become frustratingly noisy.

If you’re an action photographer, you should also consider optical viewfinders. Because while EVF-laden mirrorless cameras will generally offer higher continuous shooting speeds than DSLRs, EVF lag is a problem, and one that some sports photographers find prohibitive.

Electronic viewfinders allow you to preview exposure and (sometimes) depth of field in real time. They allow you to do manual focusing with great precision, and they offer incredibly useful artistic simulations.

Now that you’ve finished this article, you should have a sense of whether an electronic viewfinder or an optical viewfinder makes sense for your needs.

An EVF is an electronic viewfinder. It’s essentially a digital display that comes straight from the camera sensor; with an EVF, you can preview images before you even press the shutter button! Note that an EVF doesn’t just show you the scene–it should also give you access to camera settings, the camera menu, image histograms, and much more.

An OVF is an optical viewfinder. OVFs let you see directly through your camera’s lens, but optically (rather than digitally). So when you look through an OVF, you’re viewing the scene as your lens sees it. OVFs also include helpful overlays, such as camera settings, but they’re more limited than EVFs in what they can display.

That depends on the type of photography you do. Electronic viewfinders offer some features that optical viewfinders can’t match, such as exposure simulation (where you see your exposure in the viewfinder before you take a shot). And electronic viewfinders include focus aids such as focus peaking, so that you can see what areas are in focus before pressing the shutter button. However, electronic viewfinders suffer from (often very slight) lag, which makes them less desirable for sports and action photographers. And optical viewfinders perform far better than electronic viewfinders in low light, where EVFs tend to get clouded by high-ISO noise.

Yes, electronic viewfinders do work in low light. However, they struggle far more than optical viewfinders, because they’re forced to boost their internal ISO for a bright video feed. So while it’s possible to use an electronic viewfinder indoors or at night (and I’ve done this quite a lot, myself), you’re not going to get the same clear image that an optical viewfinder offers.

Absolutely! Electronic viewfinders on low-end mirrorless models tend to offer very low resolutions and have other issues (such as color shifts and lag). Whereas electronic viewfinders on higher-end models tend to be quite impressive, with lots of resolution and strong capabilities overall. In fact, the difference between a low-end and a high-end electronic viewfinder is night and day, so I definitely recommend you think about this before buying.

Electronic viewfinders offer previews of your image before you ever press the shutter button, which is absolutely invaluable for many photographers. EVFs also include useful technology such as focus peaking and live histograms, which allow you to evaluate your point of focus and your exposure, respectively. EVFs aren’t perfect, however; as I talk about in the article, electronic viewfinders suffer from high-ISO noise in low light, which can be a big issue for nighttime shooters.

ABOVE: The pentaprism assembly of an SLR camera, which allows you to view what the camera sees through the lens. The focusing screen is the flat screen with red markings.

The eyepiece is a small magnifying lens and it is this which enables you to focus your eye on the screen. This is crucial, as otherwise you wouldn’t be able to focus on anything that close to your face.

Additionally, because the image is formed on the focusing screen, this means that your eye doesn’t need to change focus because you are constantly looking at a fixed point, regardless of which area of the frame you are looking at.

Digital and film SLR cameras come factory-fitted with a focusing screen that has few, if any, markings. It is designed to give you a clear view of the subject and your camera’s autofocus points, with a reasonable balance between viewfinder brightness and manual focusing capability – Canon call it a standard precision matte focusing screen.

There are times, though, when some markings in the viewfinder could help you out. The most common situation is when photographing landscapes or architecture – a grid in the viewfinder would help you keep horizons and buildings straight. Some EOS cameras offer the option for interchangeable focusing screens, meaning that you can opt for a screen which offers markings.