digital camera without lcd screen supplier

It"s true: Leica is really releasing a high-end, luxury digital camera without an LCD for reviewing snapped photos. The company is breaking away from what"s usually seen as a fundamental piece of modern cameras so that it can "bring back the joy and anticipation of waiting to see how pictures turned out." See, I"m the kind of person who would substitute "joy and anticipation" with "anxiety," so clearly this camera isn"t for me. Anyway, the Leica M-D (Typ 262), as it"s officially branded, doesn"t include a screen of any sort. Where one would normally go, you"ll instead find an ISO dial. It"s certainly... different looking. Looking beyond that, the M-D has a pretty great all-black design that omits Leica"s famed red logo in the name of consistency.

Without a screen or any kind of Live View, there"s also no menu system to be found. You get physical controls for the essentials (shutter speed, aperture, and ISO), but producing quality images is all up to you. Sure, some of those dials have an automatic option, but without any way of reviewing your photos on the fly, there"s really no way of telling whether you got the exposure you were trying for — other than sheer intuition and hope, maybe. Then again, most people buying this will probably be incredibly well-versed in manual photography.

And this is still a Leica, so the images that it puts out look rather stunning. As far as the technology inside, the M-D is largely similar to the Leica M Typ 262, with the company"s Maestro image processor and a 24-megapixel CMOS sensor. That"s for stills only; did you expect this LCD-less camera to record 4K video? You don"t even get the option of shooting JPGs; the M-D automatically saves all images in RAW DNG format. If you want to see what a $6,000 camera with no LCD can do, Leica has put together this gallery with some sample shots by photographers far more skilled than you or I. At least some people can pick up the M-D and capture incredible shots; I"ll have to stick with my Fuji X-T1 with not one but two screens; one on back, one in the viewfinder. But if you"re in the market for this, you can order one beginning right now for $5,995.

Why even entertain such thoughts? Often in product development subtracting an essential component is, paradoxically, an existing product is a route to innovation (an iPhone is like a Blackberry without the keyboard; a mirrorless camera is like a DSLR without the mirror box). Specifically, getting rid of the rear LCD screen might have some direct benefits (e.g. lower cost, lower weight, lower battery consumption, more room on the rear of the camera for direct manual controls, such as switches for focusing and metering modes) as well as some indirect effects (e.g. preventing "chimping", forcing the cameras to be coupled wirelessly to smartphones to set custom settings, improving the user interface so that all needed functions could be accessed without resort to menus, etc.) Clearly, there"d be some disadvantages, such as the inability to review exposure and framing, check live histograms or focus via liveview and more. In a mirrorless camera with an eve-level EVF but without a rear LCD screen some of these disadvantages are removed, while the benefits of simplifying the user interface might remain.

Other than some Minox digital cameras and the Japanese lineage of very small USB keychain cameras, of which a recent iteration is the Fuuvi Pick USB Mini Camera, I can"t recall a digital camera without a rear LCD screen. Even the diminutive Sony Qualia 016 had a diminutive LCD screen!

As you might be able to tell, I would like something like a Nikon Df without the rear LCD screen. I realize that would be a gutsy move for a manufacturer, but would also open up interesting opportunities, both for forcing more integration between the camera and smartphone (I already carry around a nice LCD screen in my pocket, why do I need another one on my camera?), for adding more room on the camera for more mechanical switches and buttons, and for changing the way we interact with the camera in use. Just wondering what other people think.

German camera manufacturer Leica has announced a new M digital rangefinder that has no LCD panel. The Leica M-D (Typ 262) will be almost exactly the same as the existing M (Typ 262) but without a rear screen for reviewing images and working the menu. The company says it has produced a camera with only the ‘essentials of photography’, or ‘Das Wescentliche’, and that it will help photographers concentrate on the important elements of image making rather than getting distracted with the camera functions.

This isn’t the first time Leica has produced a digital M with no rear screen, as the company launched the limited edition M Edition 60 to mark the sixtieth anniversary of its rangefinder camera system. Leica made only 600 of these models, and they sell for about $18,000/£12,000, but the M-D (Typ 262) will be the first full production model without a rear LCD.

This new model will feature the standard 24MP CMOS sensor, will have an ISO range of 200-6400, and will have brass base and top plates. The viewfinder has a magnification of 0.68x and offers bright-frame markings for 35/135mm, 28/90mm and 50/75mm lenses. The body has no traditional red dot as Leica says it wants the camera to be discrete, and the single frame mode uses a particularly quiet shutter cocking system.

The Leica M-D (Typ 262) will go on sale in May with a price of $5995/£4650. The M (Typ 262), which does feature a rear screen, actually costs less, at $5195/£4050, but it doesn’t have the quiet shutter or brass top and bottom plates.

Leica Camera has extended its iconic rangefinder camera series with a new model: the Leica M-D (Typ 262). The fifth product in the Leica M range, the Leica M-D joins the Leica M and M-P (Typ 240), the Leica M (Typ 262) and the Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246), offering a greater choice for photographers looking for specific functionality from their rangefinder camera.

The Leica M-D is the first serial production model of the digital M family to be made without an LCD monitor screen. The standard location of the screen on the back of the camera is taken by the ISO sensitivity setting dial – one of the few, but essential, features of the camera. Although the Leica M-D embodies the entire range of technical developments perfected over decades for the Leica rangefinder system, it intentionally omits all but the most vital features. Concentrating entirely on the key parameters required for photography: shutter speed, aperture, distance and ISO sensitivity, the Leica M-D focuses the user on the most essential aspect – the picture they are taking – and brings back the anticipation of discovering the results later in the process, as when shooting with film.

Jason Heward, managing director, Leica UK, said, “With the exclusion of the ubiquitous LCD screen, photographers must return to the principles of photography when shooting with the Leica M-D: accurate framing and composition, selecting the appropriate parameters and settings, and ensuring that they capture the decisive moment with the thought and consideration that has always been necessary in analogue photography. This unique rangefinder camera also brings back the fascination and expectation associated with film – returning photography to its origins during the capturing process, whilst maintaining the obvious convenience and benefits of digital technology.”

Principally, the technical features of the Leica M-D are based on those of the Leica M (Typ 262). As with all other digital Leica M cameras, the Leica M-D (Typ 262) features a high resolution CMOS full-frame sensor, which has been designed exclusively for rangefinder photography, and supports neither video recording nor Live View. Its 24 megapixel resolution delivers exceptional image quality and extreme sensitivity, making it perfect for available light situations. At the same time, the camera’s Maestro processor guarantees fast processing of image data. Exposures are captured exclusively as RAW data in DNG format, enabling photographers to apply the required adjustments in post-processing software.

Leica’s focus on ‘Das Wesentliche’ (the essentials of photography) is immediately recognisable in the design of this camera. The Leica M-D expresses purely functional, formal clarity, and features characteristics such as a brass top plate with a ‘step’ at the end, referencing the design of the Leica M9. The Leica ‘red dot’ logo has been omitted from the front of the camera for ultimate discretion.

Furthermore, the barely audible shutter of the Leica M-D ensures the camera is inconspicuous when shooting: an invaluable advantage in scenarios where the photographer wishes to remain unobtrusive. As an aid to this, the camera features a shutter cocking system that is particularly quiet in single exposure mode, and enables a shutter release frequency of up to two frames per second. In continuous mode, the Leica M-D has the same sequential shooting speed as its sister model and shoots up to three frames per second.

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.

An articulating or vari-angle LCD – commonly called a flip screen – is a useful addition to a camera. The screen is mounted on a swivel, allowing you to flip the screen away from the camera body and rotate the LCD 360 degrees.

Flip screens have traditionally been useful for taking photos at unusual angles. For instance, framing a bug’s-eye view from ground level used to mean setting your camera down low and awkwardly trying to see through the optical viewfinder. There was usually a lot of guesswork involved.

With a vari-angle, or flip screen, you can now set the camera up at ground level and angle the articulating LCD up towards you and frame the scene in live view.

Likewise, a flip screen allows you to shoot overhead by swivelling the screen down. Street photographers might also appreciate a swivel screen because it can let you shoot more discreetly. Shooting from the hip is a lot easier with a flip screen and gives you more control. Hold the camera against your body and angle the swivel screen upwards so you can frame your shot, then shoot discreetly.

Despite all these advantages for shooting stills, it’s probably the rise of vlogging that has seen the popularity of cameras with flip screens soar. Like shooting self-portraiture, vlogging requires placing yourself on the other side of the camera, and before flip screens were a thing this required a lot of careful setup and trial and error.

But swivel LCD touchscreens mean you can now place your camera in front of you, frame your shot accordingly and simply tap the screen to take a picture or start recording. If you have even modest ambitions to post videos on YouTube, a camera with an articulating screen will undoubtedly be the best option for you. In this guide we’ll round up the best cameras with flip screens.

The Canon EOS R5 leaves little doubt that Canon is now serious about the mirrorless camera market. It has phenomenal specification with features like a 45Mp full-frame sensor, phase detection autofocusing that covers the whole frame, eye AF for humans and animals that works in video and stills mode and a class-leading viewfinder paired with a vari-angle touchscreen.

The Canon EOS R5 is built to a similar standard to the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and has a magnesium alloy construction along with weatherproof seals. Its handling is also similar, but the control arrangement has changed to accommodate the vari-angle screen.

It’s great to have a vari-angle screen on the EOS R5. It makes it much easier to shoot video from above or below head-height while keeping the kit size and weight down. Also, as the screen is touch-sensitive you can control the camera with a few taps.

While the R6’s viewfinder is the same size as the R5’s (it’s a 0.5-inch type), its resolution is lower at 3.69million dots instead of 5.76million. That’s the same as in the EOS R and on par with the electronic viewfinders in the Sony A9 and Nikon Z7. It’s a great EVF specification for a camera of this level.

There’s also a 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen with 1.62million dots. We’re a fan of vari-angle screens because they make shooting portrait or landscape format images from above or below head-height much easier than a fixed screen. And a tilting screen is only of help with landscape format images.

Both the viewfinder and the screen provide an accurate preview of the image as it will be captured. Overall, Canon’s control arrangement on the R6 and use of touch control is excellent and the vari-angle screen is a real asset.

After we reviewed the Sony A7 III, a flip-out touchscreen was at the top of our wishlist for improvements we’d like to see on the next iteration of Sony’s full-frame all-rounder. Sure enough, Sony has given the A7 IV a vari-angle screen that can be flipped face forward or be angled to help compose low- or high-level shots in either landscape of portrait orientation.

What’s more, the A7 IV’s 3-inch 1,036,800-dot screen is touch-sensitive and users can now navigate the menus and settings with a tap. In previous Sony touchscreen LCDs, you were limited to setting the AF point via touch.

Sony has also carefully thought through the design, as well, placing the A7 IV’s mic port just above the screen on the side of the camera so it can still move freely when an external mic is plugged in.

OM System has given the OM-1 a very bright 1.62-million dot vari-angle touchscreen. It’s a 3-inch screen and like on the OM-D E-M1 III and OM-D E-M1X and it’s mounted on a vari-angle hinge. This vari-angle hinge means the screen can be angled for clear visibility whether you’re shooting in landscape or portrait orientation.

Like the screens on existing Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras, the OM-1’s screen is touch sensitive. It responds quickly to a tap and it’s a shame that OM System’s hasn’t extended the touch control to the new main menu.

In overcast conditions and indoors, the OM-1’s screen gives an excellent view it also performs well in brighter conditions. my toughest test for this was when skiing on a bright sunny day trying to video my companions ahead of me. Keeping them framed as we all moved over the piste was challenging, but thankfully, I was able to see them on the screen.

Although Panasonic Lumix S5 is smaller than the GH5, it has a well-proportioned and ergonomically shaped grip. A rubber-like coating also ensures that the camera feels secure in your hand. It’s also weather-sealed so you don’t need to worry if the weather changes when you’re out on a shoot.

Despite the shrinkage in size and weight, the Panasonic Lumix s5 has both a 3-inch 1,840,000-dot vari-angle touchscreen and a 2,360,000-dot OLED electronic viewfinder built-in.

The Panasonic GH5 has a vari-angle screen and it was high on the request list for the S-series camera when their development announcement was made. However, the S1 and S1R have 3-way tilting screens. These are useful if you’re shooting in landscape and portrait format images, but they’re not as intuitive or flexible to use as a vari-angle screen and they can’t be seen from in front of the camera.

Happily, the Lumix S5’s screen delivers what many were hoping for and it can be flipped around to face forwards. It means that the S5 could also be a good full-frame vlogging camera.

Further good news is that, like the viewfinder, the S5’s screen provides an excellent preview of the image. If you’re shooting outdoors in bright conditions it’s worth activating the Live View Boost to brighten screen to make the scene easier to see. The screen is also very responsive to touch.

The Panasonic GH6 has a 3.0-inch 1,840K-dot tilt and free-angle touchscreen with an aspect ratio of 3:2 on its rear. The tilting aspect of the screen isn’t immediately obvious, but pressing the button underneath the monitor’s bottom left corner releases the mechanism so the screen can be tilted up from the bottom.

There are two stop points in the screen’s tilt movement. The first one is at the right point to enable the screen to be flipped out to the side of the camera without catching on the viewfinder while the second one at about 45° gives a more comfortable viewing able when shooting at waist-height.

To the uninitiated, the tilt and free-angle combination may seem a bit over the top but it means that the screen can be flipped out and twisted to face forwards, up or down, without fouling on any of the cables that may be connected to the ports on the left side of the camera (mic, USB-C and full-size HDMI).

With 1.84-million dots, the 3-inch screen gives a good view of the scene and doesn’t suffer to badly from reflections even in sunny conditions (at least not in March in the UK). However, even when shooting video, there are times when it’s preferable to use the 3,680k-dot 0.76x OLED viewfinder. This has a contrast ratio of 10,000:1 and gives a sharp, accurate preview of the scene.

The GH5 is Panasonic’s flagship compact system or mirrorless camera and it has a mini-DSLR design, featuring a high-quality electronic viewfinder and vari-angle touch-screen. As a Micro Four Thirds camera it’s compatible with an extensive collection of Micro Four Thirds mount lenses from Panasonic and Olympus as well as third-party manufacturers.

Panasonic has also upgraded the rear screen and it now measures 3.2-inches across the diagonal and has 1,620,000 dots. It’s still a vari-angle unit but instead of an OLED screen it’s an RGBW LCD. It provides a nice sharp view and the revised menu, which has fewer pages but more lines, is clear. The screen also responds quickly to tap of your finger.

The GH5 is a complex camera and it will take some getting to know, but all the main controls that you want on a shot-by-shot basis, for example to adjust exposure and white balance or to set the AF point are within easy reach. There are also plenty of customisable buttons to help you get it working as you want.

As well as a host of improvements to its video specification, the Sony A7S III introduces the highest-resolution electronic viewfinder we’ve seen to date and it’s the first Sony A7-series camera to feature a vari-angle screen.

According to Sony, the 3-inch vari-angle screen wasn’t a request for the A7S III, it was a demand. It’s certainly something I’ve mentioned on many occasions.

In the past, the argument against one has been that a vari-angle hinge is less robust than a fixed screen and that ‘most dedicated videographers use an external monitor’. Those two points may still be true, but one of the key benefits of using a camera like the A7S III is its small size. If you start having to add an external monitor it makes it bigger and heavier.

It’s good to see that there’s an option to show a red outline around the on-screen image when the camera is recording. There are times when this is more useful than the usual flashing red dot.

After the 8K-capabilities of the Canon EOS R5, the Sony A7S III might seem a bit of an anti-climax. We’re sure some videographers were hoping for a big jump in resolution from the 12mp A7S II. However, Sony already has the 61Mp A7R IV and the 24Mp A7 III, so sticking with 12Mp means that the A7S III has even better low-light capability than its predecessor but with a much better autofocus system, a vari-angle screen and the highest-resolution viewfinder around.

As with Canon’s full-frame mirrorless cameras, including the flagship Canon EOS R3, the R7 has a vari-angle touchscreen. This is great for composing low- and high-level shots in landscape or portrait orientation. Because Canon has embraced full-touch control, it’s also useful for changing camera settings with a tap.

Overall, Canon’s new flagship APS-C mirrorless camera has a layout and design all of its own, yet it retains some of those signature Canon design marks that will help people quickly adapt to using it.

Although the 0.39-inch 2.36million-dot electric viewfinder on the Canon EOS RP doesn’t match those in recent high-end mirrorless cameras for resolution, it still provides a decent preview of images. And let’s not forget, the RP is much more affordable than other new full-frame mirrorless cameras.

With Exposure Simulation activated, you get an accurate view of the final image’s brightness as well as the colour. However, if you want to see the depth of field, you’ll need to customise one of the camera’s buttons to that purpose. Or of course, you can take a quick shot. That could be avoided, however, if Canon showed the preview with the selected aperture applied.

Like the EVF, the 3-inch screen’s 1.04-million-dot resolution doesn’t really wow these days, but the fact that it’s mounted on a vari-angle hinge is great. That means you can twist it around to give you a clear view whichever angle you’re shooting from. And unlike a tilting screen, it’s useful if you’re shooting in portrait or landscape orientation.

We love that Canon has enabled the RP’s touchscreen to be used for browsing the Quick and main menu, selecting settings and browsing through images as well as setting the AF point. It really speeds using the camera and makes it more intuitive. It’s also good that this isn’t at the expense of physical buttons and dials.

Among the many improvements Fujifilm put into the X-H2S over the X-H1 is an upgrade of the LCD screen. Instead of the 3-way tilting screen of the X-H1, the X-H2S has a vari-angle screen that can be flipped out and rotated to face forward for vlogging. This means it’s useful when the camera is above or below head-height in landscape or portrait orientation.

There are a number of handling changes in the X-H2S in comparison with the X-H1, and anyone looking at the camera with fresh eyes cannot fail to be impressed by its build and capability.

When you say “…when i take pictures it shows nothing but black screen.” do you mean that the screen stays black but the pictures are OK when you download them to a computer? (I realise that you cannot see in the camera’s LCD screen what you are taking but that doesn’t mean that the camera is not taking a picture)

If the downloaded pictures are OK then there is a problem with the LCD screen or perhaps the backlight power supply from the motherboard to the LCD screen. To test this, with the camera turned on and the LCD screen displaying a black screen try shining a torch at an angle close to the screen to check if you can “see” an image at all. It will be very faint if it is there, so try this in a darkened room to help see it.

If you can detect an image you have a backlight problem. It may be that the LCD screen’s backlight flex cable is loose or that the backlight has failed in the screen or that the motherboard backlight power supply circuit has a fault condition.

I couldn’t find a guide or video for your model camera but here’s a video that shows how to replace the LCD screen in a Coolpix camera which may be of some help. At least enough for you to be able to inspect the flex cable connections or to replace the screen if you think it is the problem etc.

A lot of camera manufacturers have started to move away from including or even making EVFs. There are lots of reasons why. Some of these reasons presumably range from:

I have always used an EVF when shooting and I always will. I still find it the best way to judge exposure, focus, and composition. My eyes are not as good as they once were and I can not use a small-sized LCD screen that comes on a lot of cameras.

EVF choices are extremely limited. If you compare monitors to EVFs there are lots of options to choose from. With an EVF you either have to buy a proprietary model that only works with one or a couple of cameras from that same manufacturer, or you choose an EVF that can be used on any camera that has an HDMI or SDI output.

Proprietary EVFs tend to be expensive, but on the flip side, they have been specifically designed to work with a particular camera or cameras from that manufacturer. They are also a one-stop-shop where power and the video signal are sent over one cable. With a lot of these EVFs, you can also control operational aspects of the camera directly from that EVF.

A lot of mirrorless cameras come standard with a built-in EVF. While this is great they are almost always fixed and therefore their usefulness is limited. You can only really use these types of EVFs if you are hand-holding the camera and have it right up against your eye. This makes it virtually useless when trying to shoot at a low angle or when you are using a camera on a tripod.

A lot of smaller-sized digital cinema cameras and camcorders, at least up until recently, came with a rear-mounted EVF. With this type of design, you could normally move the EVF up, but not down. Again this severely limits its usability and if you wanted to use a rear in-built EVF like this you were forced to use the camera in a certain way or place it at a certain height on a tripod.

With cameras such as the C200B, Panasonic EVA1, Canon C70, Sony FX6, Sony FX3, and all of the BMPCC offerings there is no EVF. The main reason for this is that manufacturers will tell you that from their own market research people weren’t using rear EVFs. The main reason for this is probably because of where they were positioned and their lack of movement or adjustability.

The problem with almost all of these cameras that don’t have an in-built EVF is that their LCD screens are not nearly bright enough to be seen correctly outdoors. They are also so small in size that you can’t see anything in any real detail.

I have tried so many cameras that didn’t have an EVF of any kind and found them all to be completely unusable outdoors in a lot of situations. Everything from focus, to exposure, to composition, to color, has to be judged by what you are monitoring with. I personally can’t understand how so many people seem to be ok with getting all of this correct by looking at a tiny LCD monitor that you can’t see correctly outdoors when it is sunny. Are people actually ok with working this way or is that just what they are used to dining and they have become accustomed to working that way? I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts in the comment section.

Well, as I previously mentioned in this article there are lots of reasons why this can be just as problematic as not using an EVF. The small size of a lot of cameras has made it harder to utilize a proper EVF that can be moved around positioned correctly depending on how you are shooting.

I have always used EVFs with cameras, and that has presented its challenges over the years when using certain cameras. The first digital cinema camera I ever owned was the Sony F3 and I bought the Kinotehnic LCDVFe in 2012 to use with that camera. I also used it with the Sony FS700 as well. I loved using this EVF because it came with a clever mounting solution and you could power it with AA batteries. This meant you only had to hook up one cable to use it.

Now, both of the F3 and FS700 were mid-sized cameras so an EVF this size actually worked reasonably well, however, it wouldn’t work with a smaller sized camera.

The next EVF I bought was the Zacuto Gratical. I used this with the Sony F3, Panasonic EVA1, and Kinefinity MAVO 6K, but I haven’t used it with any other camera since. I still have it, but it doesn’t come out of the box that often.

The gratical is a really nice EVF with a lot of features, but it is large, you need to power it from either a Canon battery or a dummy battery, you have to run either an HDMI or SDI cable to it, and it can be tricky to mount on some cameras. Above you can see how I had to mount it to a Panasonic EVA1.

Zacuto eventually replaced this EVF with the Gratical Eye and the Kameleon Pro EVF. These were physically a lot smaller, but they required you to run an external power source which a lot of smaller-sized cameras are not capable of providing. The Gratical Eye was also only SDI so you couldn’t use it with a lot of cameras.

Two EVFs made by camera manufacturers that can be used on other cameras are the Z CAM 2.89″ EVF101 Electronic Viewfinder and the Blackmagic Design URSA Viewfinder. Now, you need to be aware that technically both viewfinders can be used on other cameras, but neither solution is ideal. The Z CAM option is not a bad one, but you do need to be able to power it via a 2-pin LEMO power input. Again this makes using it problematic with some cameras.

The Blackmagic URSA Viewfinder does have an SDI input so you can technically send a feed and use it, however, it requires a 4-pin 12V power input, and good luck mounting it on any other camera other than an URSA.

There is a reason that most of the good EFVs are proprietary. This is mainly due to the fact that they only utilize one cable that sends power, the video signal, and all the necessary camera information without tying up any of the camera’s outputs. They are also purposely designed for a particular camera so you don’t have to frankenrig up anything to use one.

When I bought an ARRI Amira that camera came with a very good EVF. This is what I almost always use with the Amira unless I am indoors doing long interviews and then I hook up a monitor.

I have used proprietary EVFs with the Panasonic Varicam LT and the Kinefinity MAVO LF. Both of these options were also excellent choices for both respective cameras.

That totally depends on you. While an EVF may be a requirement for one person, another person may have no need for one at all. What your requirements are will depend on how you like to operate, what type of work you are doing, and what camera you are using.

If you just work indoors under controlled conditions then I can see why people may not want or need to use an EVF, but from my experience, if you are outdoors you really do need an EVF with most cameras. I often come across a lot of vision that was shot handheld where someone was just using a camera’s in-built small LCD screen where a lot of the material is out of focus. If you are using fast lenses and shooting at higher resolutions then good luck trying to nail focus from a small LCD screen outdoors.

Looking into a crystal ball it is hard to see anything changing when it comes to EVFs. We will still see proprietary EVFs for more expensive cameras, but it is unlikely that smaller-sized digital cinema cameras will come with anything more than an LCD screen. When it comes to mirrorless hybrids, there really isn’t that much more you can do other than to include a built-in EVF. Their small size makes it problematic to add anything else and if you were to use an EVF with a camera like that you almost have to go down that Frankenrig path. While there is nothing wrong with doing that, in my personal opinion, it defeats the purpose of buying a small camera in the first place.

I definitely believe there is a market for an affordable, good quality EVF that works well with smaller-sized cameras, but the question is, who will make one? Making an EVF that is suitable for use with a wide variety of cameras is not an easy task.

Choose a digital camera or camcorder to take photos and videos that work for you. Camcorder choices vary based on whether you want to be a hobbyist or a professional since some require more technical expertise than others. Digital compact cameras are simple to use because the standard point and shoot feature requires very little technical knowledge. Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras grab photography aficionados" spirits with a feature that lets you see what the camera shoots before capturing the image. The mirrorless digital camera falls in the middle, as it offers a quick point and shoot style that requires some technical expertise for proper settings.

Pick a professional camcorder based on technical applications so you achieve the footage you need based on the high-definition standards. If you require higher quality with extra options, consider a full-sized model. If you want a smaller, more manageable option, pick an action camera that is half the size of standard pocket camcorders. Most full-size camcorders are small and lightweight, making them simple for on-the-go video. Digital camcorders are for the technical user who understands the extra features, including UHD, 4K resolution, pico or projector and geo-tagging. Consider a camcorder with a 10x optical zooming potential for sharp images captured from a distance.

Pick digital camera accessories like lenses, filters, remotes and tripods that help improve your photography skills and create interesting images. Use spotlights for accenting specific parts of a photo or scene, and incorporate LCD head screens to instantly see what is in the viewfinder. Adding an extra memory card gives you more storage space for extended photo shoots. Standard camera bags organize the device, UV filters, lens protectors, extra batteries and other essentials for easy access. Flashes help ensure crisp images in low-light conditions, and provide image freezing when subjects move quickly. Tripods lessen the chances of movement when taking photos or video, providing clearer shots. Upgraded lenses can change the point of view of a digital camera, and give users more creative control for dynamic photographs. Consider zoom lenses that keep the f-stop constant for optimal brightness throughout the range, even when tackling far-away subjects. Wide-angle lenses make capturing group portraits and landscapes simple.

Speed up the overall photography process by using a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera. The DSLR camera gives you instant feedback on each shot, which allows you to decide to keep or delete it. When you consider the shot, you determine the shutter speed, aperture size and brightness for quick adjustments. The DSLR camera also lets users download new technology as it becomes available, offering long-term use without additional purchases. High image quality and improved light sensitivity offer sharp photos. Flexible controls and adjustable shutter and focus speeds let users tweak every image. Most DSLR cameras accept different lenses, letting you change the viewing fields and angles as you go.