difference between viewfinder and lcd screen free sample

Whether you"re shooting with a DSLR or a mirrorless camera, there are times when it"s easier to use the camera"s viewfinder rather than the LCD screen, and vice versa. For example, it"s usually easier to hold the camera steady when it"s held to your eye because it"s braced against your face. It"s also easier to follow a moving subject in a viewfinder than it is on a screen with the camera at arm"s length.

However, when you"re shooting landscape, still life, macro or architectural photography with the camera mounted on a tripod, the larger view provided by the LCD screen is extremely helpful. Similarly, when you want to shoot from above or below head height or at an angle, it"s very convenient to frame the image on a tilting or vari-angle screen instead of trying to use the viewfinder.

It"s also very helpful to use the LCD screen when you"re focusing manually because the Live View image can be zoomed in to 5x or 10x magnification. This provides a very detailed view of any part of the image, making critical focus adjustments much easier.

On the EOS 90D in Live View mode and on mirrorless cameras including the EOS R5, EOS R6, EOS R, EOS RP, EOS M6 Mark II and EOS M50 Mark II, you can also enable Manual Focus Peaking (MF Peaking), a visual aid to show which parts of the image are in sharpest focus. In theory, areas in focus will coincide with the greatest contrast, so the image is evaluated for contrast and these areas are highlighted on the display in a bright colour of your choice. You can see the highlighted areas of the scene change as you change the focus.

Bear in mind, however, that using your camera"s rear screen for extended periods will have an impact on battery life. Using Live View on a DSLR is also not recommended when you want to take fast bursts of shots, because it will usually reduce the continuous shooting speed. At the other extreme, if you"re shooting an exposure that lasts for multiple seconds or minutes, an optical viewfinder can cause a particular problem: stray light can enter the viewfinder and interfere with the exposure. To prevent this, use the eyepiece cover provided on your DSLR"s strap.

EOS cameras with an EVF have a proximity sensor that will automatically switch from the rear screen to the viewfinder when you raise the camera to your eye (although you can optionally disable this).

Whether you"re shooting with a DSLR or a mirrorless camera, there are times when it"s easier to use the camera"s viewfinder rather than the LCD screen, and vice versa. For example, it"s usually easier to hold the camera steady when it"s held to your eye because it"s braced against your face. It"s also easier to follow a moving subject in a viewfinder than it is on a screen with the camera at arm"s length.

However, when you"re shooting landscape, still life, macro or architectural photography with the camera mounted on a tripod, the larger view provided by the LCD screen is extremely helpful. Similarly, when you want to shoot from above or below head height or at an angle, it"s very convenient to frame the image on a tilting or vari-angle screen instead of trying to use the viewfinder.

It"s also very helpful to use the LCD screen when you"re focusing manually because the Live View image can be zoomed in to 5x or 10x magnification. This provides a very detailed view of any part of the image, making critical focus adjustments much easier.

On the EOS 90D in Live View mode and on mirrorless cameras including the EOS R5, EOS R6, EOS R, EOS RP, EOS M6 Mark II and EOS M50 Mark II, you can also enable Manual Focus Peaking (MF Peaking), a visual aid to show which parts of the image are in sharpest focus. In theory, areas in focus will coincide with the greatest contrast, so the image is evaluated for contrast and these areas are highlighted on the display in a bright colour of your choice. You can see the highlighted areas of the scene change as you change the focus.

Bear in mind, however, that using your camera"s rear screen for extended periods will have an impact on battery life. Using Live View on a DSLR is also not recommended when you want to take fast bursts of shots, because it will usually reduce the continuous shooting speed. At the other extreme, if you"re shooting an exposure that lasts for multiple seconds or minutes, an optical viewfinder can cause a particular problem: stray light can enter the viewfinder and interfere with the exposure. To prevent this, use the eyepiece cover provided on your DSLR"s strap.

EOS cameras with an EVF have a proximity sensor that will automatically switch from the rear screen to the viewfinder when you raise the camera to your eye (although you can optionally disable this).

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.

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.

Let’s go through some of the pros and cons of both and present you with an objective case for why you should pick one over the other. Keep in mind that this isn’t meant to dictate which shooting method you should use. There are valid reasons to use both; it just depends on the situation.

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.

The viewfinder is your window to the world as a photographer – despite advancements in camera technology, the humble viewfinder remains relatively unchanged.

An electronic viewfinder is a small display that shows the scene you have in front of the camera. With an electronic viewfinder (EVF), you can see exactly what your sensor sees.

This means that you have a live version of the image you’re about to shoot. If you change the settings, the exposure changes on the viewfinder before you take the picture.

With some cameras, you can connect an external camera screen (see our guide) which mimics the EVF’s display, allowing you to see fine details and colours even clearer.

With optical viewfinders, the image may be different from the view because you’re not seeing the effect of the settings. In other words, if you change camera settings like aperture or shutter speed, it won’t be reflected in the viewfinder.

They display the settings information and focus points though, so you don’t have to take your eye off the viewfinder while focusing and taking your shot.

When the light comes in through the lens, it hits a mirror that sits in front of the sensor. Thanks to the angle of the mirror, the light bounces up towards a pentaprism. Here it’s directed towards the eyepiece to show the scene in front of the lens. Electronic viewfinder

When the light comes in, the sensor registers and processes the scene, which then sends it to the electronic viewfinder’s small display. Because it’s an electronic representation, you can see the exposure settings live.

It depends on the type of photography that you do, but the general answer would be yes. We’re getting used to taking a picture using only an LCD screen because of our smartphone cameras. However, in most situations, a viewfinder will help you improve your framing and composition.

Most DSLR cameras have an optical viewfinder. That means that you see the same thing as your lens, which means that it’s not affected by the exposure settings.

Photographers look through the viewfinder to get a better view of what they are shooting. For example, when you’re shooting on a bright sunny day, you can’t see many details on the LCD screen.

Normally, photographers use their dominant eye. That’s to say that a right-handed photographer will look through the viewfinder with the right eye, and a left-handed photographer will use the left eye. Of course, you’re welcome to use whichever one you prefer.

Yes, you can buy an external viewfinder for your camera. There are electronic and optical viewfinders on the market, and they can be attached to your camera via the hot shoe.

The main difference between viewfinders and LCD screens is in the way you see the scene that’s in front of you. On the LCD screen, you can see a digital representation of it, like looking at the tv. With an optical viewfinder, you’re seeing things through a piece of glass – it can be compared to looking through a window or a pair of binoculars.

Also, with a viewfinder (both OVF and EVF) you don’t have to deal with glare, you have a steadier hold of the camera, and you get better peripheral vision when you shoot.

The viewfinder helps you to frame and compose in the best possible way. Many photographers can’t live without a viewfinder on their camera, whether it’s electronic or optical.

It depends on the camera brand and model. Most entry-level mirrorless cameras don’t have a viewfinder. However, if you can spend a little bit more, you’ll find mirrorless cameras with built-in electronic viewfinders.

Hopefully, this article cleared up some of your doubts about viewfinders and how they can be used to take the possible image with your camera – whether it be analogue or digital.

I know it’s a lot of information and it can be confusing, so if you have any other questions about viewfinders, feel free to post them in the comments section below.

Having trouble making focus and framing decisions based on what you see in your DSLR viewfinder or LCD screen? You may need to think about an external version.

With more and more digital SLR cameras supporting high-definition video, many prosumers as well as professionals are favouring DSLRs over expensive, bulky, heavy and more limited dedicated video cameras.

But using what was initially designed as a replacement for 35mm film cameras is not without drawbacks. The very nature of SLR cameras with their moving mirrors means that the built-in viewfinder of a DSLR is useless when capturing video – the mirror is flipped aside to allow the sensor to capture the light – so videographers have to use the onboard LCD to monitor exactly what they are recording. These built-in screens drain camera batteries, have relatively low resolutions and are often all but unusable when used in strong ambient light. While they’re fine for a quick check of framing and exposure or to review footage once you can get into the shade, you really have to consider an external monitor or viewfinder to view video clearly and consistently at a resolution and scale where you can be certain what you have captured.

Monitors are LCD screens powered either by a built-in battery or, in some cases, the same batteries you use for your camera via adaptor plates (which means one less thing to pack). They attach to the camera using cables (HDMI, Composite, Component 3G or SDI) and can be mounted either on the camera or wherever is most convenient. The flexibility of mounting is especially important when using stabilisers, jibs, shoulder rigs, or any other arrangement where the camera may be placed at a distance from the operator. These screens, being self-powered, reduce the load on the camera batteries, giving you more shooting time between charges/changes. They can be larger than the built-in screens so you can review footage without straining your eyes, and often also have a higher resolution, allowing for a truer representation of what’s being shot.

There are various focus and exposure guides available on some models. Peaking Filters provide visual feedback on which parts of the frame are in focus. We’re all accustomed to Autofocus guides when shooting stills, but keeping a scene in focus with video is another task altogether. Adding zoom and focus for more dimensions to your shot makes it almost impossible (without a lot of practise) to get the shot you want on your first take. With Peaking Filters, you get instant feedback on where the shot is focused as the monitor identifies any sharp edges within the frame, helping you keep the shot (and the viewer’s attention) on the action.

Provides feedback on the exposure of the shot using exaggerated and bright colour scales. As our eyes can quickly and seamlessly adapt to differences in light and dark, being able to see these coloured scales of exposure ensure you’re not stuck with hours of unusable footage that ‘looked alright when I shot it’. (If you want to feel like The Predator, just leave this mode on all the time.)

Monitors also come in a range of sizes. The smaller units are more tailored to on-camera use and can be mounted on the hot shoe. Primarily designed to replace the built-in screens, they provide additional focus and exposure feedback. The larger units offer more features and are designed for mounting elsewhere. They tend to offer HDMI pass-through, as well as audio monitoring via 3.5mm headphone sockets and waveform monitoring.

As you can see there is a huge range of prices, resolution and features, and these are just a small sample of the monitors available. From this selection though, if you are looking for a smaller monitor, the ikan VL5 or Marshall Monitors V-LCD51 are your best bets. If you’re looking for something on a jib or in another application where weight and size are not issues, then the ikan VH8 with its larger screen and greater features might be suitable.

Viewfinders are a hood and eyepiece that can be attached to a monitor, blocking out ambient light. Some models are designed to attach to external monitors, while others connect directly to the LCD screen built into the camera.

Kinotehnik provides a range of viewfinders and appropriate mounting frames for most popular camera makes and models ranging in price from $135 to $165. Zacuto also offers viewfinders for use with or without their monitors. The Z-Finder Jr ($345) and Z-Finder Pro ($515) can be used without a monitor via a baseplate that screws into your DSLR’s tripod mount and uses the built-in screen. They can also be used in conjunction with the EVF Snap (US$641) or EVF Flip (US$736) monitors.

Regardless of whether you choose to use a monitor, a viewfinder, or a combination of the two, anything that helps ensure you’re getting the highest quality video is a worthwhile investment. After a day of shooting, there’s nothing worse than finding talking shadows or a polar bear in a blizzard.

After evaluating major pros & cons of each and impactful will one be for a photographer, our team at AfterShoot will lay out the key differences for you, between a DSLR camera and a mirrorless camera.

Their prices may vary based on the level of photography you do. The entry-level cameras are cheaper, and the price and the performance of the camera increase as you move up the level. Not to be fooled by “entry-level,” all the models have powerful sensors that allow you to capture detailed and beautiful pieces of art.

This speed is due to the autofocus modules that are already implemented in DSLR cameras, while mirrorless cameras rely on sensors for the same job, which results in slower speed. Although it is safe to assume that those sensors will be improved as time flies, and with them, the speed.

If you are the type of person who likes to use a wide variety of lenses and accessories, you should go for the DSLR. It also gives you the confidence of the better autofocus cause of its traditional viewfinder.

If you want a light and easy camera to carry but still can interchange lenses, you should go for the mirrorless. The gap between DSLR and mirrorless cameras is constantly closing, so you won’t be compromising on picture quality. Although it would help if you kept an eye on that the older version of mirrorless cameras may have a laggy viewfinder, and the same issue is noticed in the entry-level.

When it comes to specs, yeah, the mirrorless cameras are better than the old DSLR cameras, but it doesn’t mean that your DSLRs are useless, and it’s safe to assume that they may be good to go for a couple of more years, depending on the type of work you do.

When it comes to composing your shots, photographers now have a couple of options: a viewfinder (optical/electronic/hybrid) or a rear LCD screen (most cameras feature both) – using your camera"s LCD opens up possibilities, so that"s what we"re going to discuss today.

For example, I’m sure you’ve encountered those who insist on using a camera with a viewfinder and grouse at the very thought of having to use an LCD to compose. There’s certainly nothing wrong with sticking to a tried and true approach, but it also doesn’t hurt to try something new.

This point is of particular interest to street photographers who value the ability to blend in with the crowd. I know some of you are nauseated by the idea of holding your camera at arms length and looking like a tourist, but this can work in your favor!

The general public traffics in certain misconceptions about photographers and their cameras, with a common fallacy being that “professionals” use “big” cameras — you know, the ones where you have to look through the viewfinder.

When shooting portraits or cityscapes, I prefer the tunnel vision that the viewfinder provides. But one of the advantages of shooting street photography with an LCD screen is that you can compose your shot while still being able to see what’s going on around you.

You’d be hard pressed to find a current-market digital camera without an articulating LCD (to be sure, there are a few exceptions), thus allowing you to alter your perspective with a flip of the screen.

I’ve written before on the visual and optical characteristics that one should be aware of when looking to create successful black and white images, such as contrasty scenes, textures, well-defined shapes and moody light/shadows.

It’s a good thing to know how to spot monochrome-worthy scenes with your own two eyes, but your camera’s LCD can definitely make it a more convenient process.

I am not suggesting that using an LCD is objectively better than using an optical or electronic viewfinder, but there are indeed situations where an LCD has distinct advantages over a viewfinder, some of which are stated above (a few of these advantages may be mitigated especially by an electronic viewfinder versus an optical viewfinder).

Perhaps the best trick accomplished by an LCD is putting the user in a more relaxed frame of mind; when you’re unencumbered by the perceived gravity of your work and the tools used to carry out that work, you can simply enjoy the process of shooting.

To make sense of all these LCD-viewing ideas and put them into practice, be sure to have a look at this professional guide on Advanced Composition – it really is a fantastic guide that could propel your photography skills beyond the limits you thought possible!

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The viewfinder is the device you look through when taking a picture. It shows you what is in your frame, alongside your settings and other helpful information.

In old twin-lens reflex cameras, viewfinders were a small Galilean telescope placed in the camera body. It gave you a general idea of the scene you wanted to capture, but it had no connection to the lens.

As they framed with one ‘lens’ and shot with another, the images were never accurate. The closer the subject, the worse the error. This is the Parallax Error.

There are two types of viewfinders: optical and electronic. The optical system is almost the same in both, as you can see the autofocus points and the same field of view.

The viewfinder was at waist level. Unlike SLR cameras, they remained open during exposure. This allowed photographers to apply effects while the exposure was in progress.

Rangefinder cameras worked with a zone-focusing system. This looked through the camera instead of the lens. It meant the camera did not focus on the subject itself. The camera located how far the subject was and determined the focused area.

Most cameras used nowadays are SLR cameras. They use a mirror to reflect the image, which is then transferred through the pentaprism. The image going through the prism is what the photographer sees in the viewfinder.

SLR cameras meant a huge technical development from TLR and rangefinder cameras. With this technology, the picture taken could be different from the one in the viewfinder.

In the case of SLRs, the mirror and prism allowed the introduction of optical viewfinders. This resulted in getting accurate and non-distorted final images.

The viewfinder is what we use to compose an image. For this reason, we would expect it to show the exact scene in front of us. This is almost the case, but there are a few things we have to look out for.

We have to deal with the viewfinders’ magnification. It is 1x, which means the viewfinder shows our subject in the exact size we see it. There may be minor differences with different cameras. The photographer has to count on this when framing their image.

What happens when you look through the viewfinder (optical) or EVF screen (electronic)? You see a lot of information. Some of this information is your camera settings.

We use the viewfinder not only to frame but also to direct our focus and metering values. A flashing or blinking dot lets us know where the focus lies.

This focus can be automatic. The user can change the focus zone and mode, depending on the subject. There are separate focus modes for still and action photos.

Your viewfinder shows you the scene in which you are metering light. Different metering modes take different parts into account when determining the correct exposure.

Picture Style:Picture style allows you to adjust your images the moment they are taken. It is like applying basic editing to every photo, in-camera. You can usually adjust contrast, sharpness, saturation, and color tone. You can save these settings as custom styles.

Battery Level: You can see your battery level in the viewfinder. You will see a battery shape filled with three diagonal blocks. As your battery loses its full charge, the blocks will disappear one by one. Flashing means you are running on fumes and can expect to need a new battery very soon.

The optical viewfinder is the part of the camera you look through when composing and taking a shot. It is ‘optical’ because what you see comes from the image that the camera sees. As light enters the camera, it hits the mirror, then gets reflected up to go through the pentaprism. The eyepiece, thus the viewfinder, shows the exact image that the camera sees. There are no electronic elements involved.

The benefits are basic. Apart from showing you the scene, it gives you a lot of information about how the camera works. It does not limit the dynamic range and draws no power from the battery. You can even use it while your camera is off.

It is not uncommon for modern digital cameras to have optical and electronic viewfinders. In that case, the LCD screen’s Live View functions as the electronic viewfinder.

The problem with this system is that the viewfinder gets blocked when you capture an image. This is not a big deal when capturing an image at a few thousandths of a second. But for time-lapses and long exposures, it can be frustrating. As soon as you press the shutter, the mirror flips up to reveal the sensor, blocking out the light.

The electronic viewfinder in mirrorless cameras is equal to the LCD screen in DSLRs. It gives you all the advantages of Live View mode. This means that it shows you an active preview of what is in your frame.

Electronic viewfinders have some benefits over optical viewfinders. You can use them for focus peaking to reach the most accuracy during manual focus. There is also various live information available. You can see the histogram in the electronic viewfinder. It will help you notice under or overexposure. There is also a possibility to use grids to level your images.

Due to their digital nature, they do not perform well in low light situations. They also have a worse resolution than optical viewfinders and drain the battery more.

The two main types of camera viewfinders are optical and electronic. They both have advantages and disadvantages worth considering before buying a camera.

You will not choose a camera type only based on the type of viewfinder it has. We recommend you go through more significant features when making a decision. After that, you can get familiar with its type of viewfinder.

This is, for many, a tool that makes photography a lot easier as it has a great impact on your in-field workflow (and it makes it easier to understand the fundamental camera settings)

Live View is a neat function that uses the LCD screen to display exactly what the camera sees at any time. This tool is available in the majority of modern digital cameras, though additional functions or modes might vary from camera to camera.

This might sound similar to the Optical Viewfinder but when using Live View, you can see the real-time impact adjusting a camera setting has on the photo. For example, if you change to a quicker shutter speed, the Live View displays a darker image than before. This is a real-time change.

You might not use all the extra functions at once but know that each of them can have a big impact on your workflow. For example, the Grid View is good to use when setting up a composition, the Live Histogram is good for making sure that you’re not over- or under-exposing, and the Spirit Level is useful to make sure the image is level.

Exactly how great Live View works will depend on the camera you’re using. It’s no secret that some cameras (often entry-level cameras) don’t have high-quality LCD screens. Monitors of low quality may lack detail and have a lot of grain, making it hard to exploit many of its advantages.

Since the quality of the LCD screen has such a big impact on how well the Live View work, it’s important to understand that it might not perform as well in dimmed light.

Personally, I tend to use Live View when my camera is mounted on a tripod. I’ll still turn it on when photographing at night just to see if there are any light sources I can use as a reference for my composition (even though I know I can’t rely on it for exposure and focusing purposes)

That being said, the main reasons I use Live View is because of the Live Histogram, Live Exposure, Grid View, and Spirit Level. These tools allow me to make sure that I’ve got a well-exposed image that’s perfectly level.

Whenever you’re photographing a quickly moving subject, such as a moving car, birds or a person running, Live View is unnecessary and will not be helpful.

You should also avoid using Live View when photographing in burst mode (i.e. multiple images immediately after each other) The reason is the slight delay, or buffer, that happens between the shots. In some cases, that will result in you missing the shot.

Let’s say that you’re doing seascape photography and are trying to capture the perfect wave. This means you shoot many images with the shortest possible interval.

Live View isn’t ideal in that case. You can of course use it to find your composition and to set the exposure but turn it off before beginning the “rapid fire”.

You might be wondering how a visual representation of the image displayed on the back of your camera will affect the sharpness of an image. Well, a benefit of Live View is that you’re able tozoom in on the LCD screen.

This allows you to take full advantage of manual focus and make slight adjustments until you find the sharpest point. That would’ve been very difficult if you were using the Optical Viewfinder.

Most lenses and cameras have good autofocus functions but I still tend to focus manually. At least whenever the camera is mounted on a tripod and I’m not in a rush. Is there still a difference now that technology has evolved so much? I don’t know. But some habits are hard to change.

When you’re at an image simply press the information button (this might vary from camera to camera) and switch between the different playback modes until you find the histogram.

If you don’t know what the histogram is or how to interpret it, I strongly recommend reading our article How Understanding the Histogram Will Improve Your Photography.

I know that every photographer has their own workflow and process when setting up their composition. That’s something to be respected and I’m not going to pretend that there’s only one way to do it. That would be a lie.

At that time I didn’t have a camera with Live View so, naturally, I relied on the viewfinder. This became a habit and when I years later purchased a camera with Live View, it took a long time for me to start using it.

It’s extremely convenient to have a live representation of the image on the camera’s display. This allows me to see the changes I make to the composition live and without having to stand in an awkward position while adjusting the tripod and looking through the viewfinder.

Another compositional benefit of using Live View is Grid View and the Spirit Level/Level View. Unlike the Grid View, Level View isn’t available on all camera models.

Grid Viewis an excellent tool to use when working on your composition. A grid is placed on the LCD screen which allows you to align elements in your image and work with the composition.

This is even more true for mirrorless cameras that have an EVF and LCD, but no Optical Viewfinder. In other words, Live View is on all the time and you can’t turn it off.

A suggestion to those with a DSLR or camera with an Optical Viewfinder is to turn Live View off when it’s not being used. You can even turn it off after you’ve found your composition and camera settings. There’s no reason to leave it on if you’re sticking to that shot for a while.

Live View is a great function that many photographers rely on for their in-field workflows. There are several advantages of using it but the most important for landscape photographers is being able to see the Live Exposure and Live Histogram. That does wonders when it comes to nailing the perfect exposures.

Other tools such as the Grid View and Level View are there to help improve your compositions and make sure that small details such as a straight horizon are in check.

The beauty of photography is that every photographer has their own habits, preferences, and workflows. There are many who still swear to the Optical Viewfinder and their photos are not less because of it. At the end of the day, it comes down to what feels right for you.

Photography is the art of capturing light. To photograph your scene effectively, you need to know how light plays in the environment you wish to capture. In this way, a viewfinder is a simple and effective tool that every budding photographer needs to know. Hence, this article walks you through the basics of a viewfinder, its types, and how you can use it to understand your camera and its settings to click exemplary images.

The little rectangle you find inside the rubbery eyepiece on top of your camera is the viewfinder. It serves as the camera’s eye, allowing you to look through the scene you intend to photograph along with the settings and other helpful information. Therefore, it is the point of origin of your creative instincts in photography. Unfortunately, its presence often goes unnoticed.

Despite many upgrades to existing camera models, viewfinders have always been an integral part of the camera. They began their journey from the old twin-lens reflex camera viewfinder.

These cameras were constructed using two lenses. While one of the lens photographs, the other belongs to the viewfinder system. The lenses projected their images onto a glass screen with the help of a large 45-degree mirror. Since this camera uses two different lenses to capture an image, they never produce accurate images. This resulted in the accumulation of errors in the pictures called the parallax error. Consequently, these cameras only give a general idea of the scene.

These cameras work on the foundations of zone-focussing. Therefore, they focussed on the distance between the camera and the focus area to photograph the subject. However, the later versions were designed to remove the viewfinder from these cameras.

SLR cameras were a breakthrough in photography as they worked with the concept of a single-lens reflex. As a result, they produced accurate and non-distorted final images.

Thus a viewfinder helps improve composition and framing. Further, a viewfinder is handy for photographers who prefer to capture images using a smartphone. These viewfinders come with a provision that attaches them to the smartphone.

A viewfinder plays a pivotal role while you frame and compose an image. Therefore, it showcases the exact scene you intend to photograph in front of you. But while using a viewfinder, you must consider its magnification while framing the image. As a result, a viewfinder often shows the exact size of the subject, but it may differ based on the camera you use. In addition, a viewfinder also shows you what is in the frame, along with your camera settings and other helpful information.

DSLRs are built with optical viewfinders. It is one of the reasons why a DSLR is named Digital Camera Single-lens Reflex (DSLR). As per the single-lens reflex mechanism, the image’s light reaches the lens. A system of mirrors and prisms called the pentaprism redirects the light to the viewfinder. Hence, the moment you release your camera’s shutter, the mirror lifts, allowing light to hit the sensor and record the image.

The EV scale is found at the bottom of the viewfinder. It consists of negative and positive scales separated by 0 in the middle. The EV scale or exposure value combines aperture and shutter speed, offering a single value.

You need to change the aperture and shutter speed to achieve the correct exposure so that the EV scale needle sits around the ‘0’ mark. Alternatively, if you are in aperture or shutter priority modes, you must change it in exposure compensation settings.

You can also use the viewfinder to direct your focus. You can follow the flashing or blinking dot for this. In addition, you can either opt for auto-focus or alter the focus zone and mode. Finally, depending on your subject’s movement, you can opt for separate focus modes for still or action photos.

Your camera uses a light meter to determine the correct exposure. However, sometimes your camera might calculate the wrong direction. To prevent such occurrences, you must know about the different metering modes that take other parts into account to determine the correct exposure. This is because modern digital cameras allow you to choose between them. These modes include:Center-weighted average metering

The viewfinder also lets you know of the custom settings that you can alter; they include:Picture Style: This setting allows you to adjust your images once you click them. You can change controls, including contrast, sharpness, saturation, and color tone.Picture Mode:This mode allows you to select the format of your photo and include:JPEG

With a viewfinder, you know your camera’s battery levels and the remaining shots left over.Battery Level:The viewfinder indicates your camera’s battery level with the help of three diagonal blocks. These blocks disappear one at a time as the battery depletes. You can expect to get a new battery when your camera flashes.

A viewfinder helps you capture a scene as you see it through a piece of glass. However, LCD screens show you the live version of the location you are about to click.

Yes, you may need a viewfinder, and it is essential. However, using a viewfinder depends on the photography genre that you pick. Viewfinders improve your image quality, framing, and composition, unlike android settings captured with an LCD screen.

A  viewfinder offers an excellent opportunity to understand your camera; play with exposure and render mind-blowing images that will feast your eyes. Of course, before investing in a camera, you must consider the viewfinder type, like the optical or the electronic one. However, it shouldn’t be the only deciding factor.

Mirrorless cameras have been around for a while now but they’re getting a lot of press at the moment with Canon and Nikon entering the full-frame mirrorless market with Canon’s EOS-R and Nikon’s Z6 and Z7. Alongside Sony’s A7 range, there is now a choice of top-end mirrorless cameras available on the market. So, for those of you trying to figure out exactly what is a mirrorless camera, here’s our expert guide.

The clue is in the name! Mirrorless cameras don’t have a reflex mirror-like DSLRs. In a DSLR the mirror reflects the light up onto an optical viewfinder, whereas in a mirrorless camera there is no optical viewfinder. Instead, the imaging sensor is constantly exposed to light, giving a digital preview of the image on either the LCD screen or through an electronic viewfinder (EVF). The term mirrorless is actually a little disingenuous as it relates to mirrorless digital cameras with interchangeable lenses (ILCs). However, there are and have been many other styles of camera that haven’t had a mirror. But in modern terminology mirrorless describes ILCs. You will find that mirrorless cameras are significantly smaller and lighter in construction than DSLRs.

You might be thinking that because mirrorless cameras are smaller than DSLRs they can’t have the same sensor sizes. But actually they can! As with DSLRs, you’ll find both crop frame and full-frame options and some manufacturers such as Fujifilm are taking it further and producing medium frame sensors. It certainly seems that manufacturers are investing time and effort in pushing the boundaries of mirrorless technology.

One of the areas where mirrorless cameras excel is with video. The EVFs can also be used in video mode and the manufacturers have also put a lot of effort into building in 4K capabilities to the cameras. Autofocus capabilities have also improved immensely on mirrorless cameras. Many mirrorless cameras also have touchscreens, meaning that you can literally ‘tap’ a point on the screen to focus on. However, good as the systems are I don’t believe that they can currently compete with the traditional DSLR AF systems. This is particularly noticeable when it comes to low light and tracking moving objects. However, the systems are improving all the time and it’s quite possible that they will surpass DSLRs one day.

Battery life on modern mirrorless cameras is excellent. But if you come from a DSLR background, you’re going to notice that the batteries don’t quite last as long. This is because of the constant use of the sensor and either a live view LCD or EVF.

Mirrorless cameras, particularly at the top end, have controls, menus and dials that are very similarly laid out to DSLRs. If you’re already using a DSLR and decide to switch to the same manufacturer’s mirrorless version, you should find the transition smooth.

Though some DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras have EVFs, a major consideration when selecting between an MILC (Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera) and a conventional DSLR is that the MILC will not have an optical viewfinder (OVF).

As more MILCs become available and advanced, and as this camera type gains in popularity, these questions are becoming more important ones for this site"s audience to answer.

Safe to say is that all high-grade cameras produced today have an LCD that can be used for mirror-up, live view of an image that is about to be captured.

A big advantage of an electronic viewfinder is the WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get) image preview (including with no viewfinder alignment issues).

Able to be included in the LCD image preview is the actual exposure brightness, optionally including a histogram, focus peaking, and over/underexposure warnings.

The mirror assembly has moving parts and moving parts may eventually require replacement (though the life of a DSLR mirror assembly is usually a very significant number of actuations).

Take the lens off of an electronic first curtain shutter MILC (a common design) and the imaging sensor is right there, easily accessible for cleaning (note that some mirrorless cameras now close the shutter when powered off).

The lack of a mirror forces another primary differentiator between non-OVF vs. OVF cameras, and that is, without a mirror, the imaging sensor must be used for all pre-shot calculations, including auto focus and auto exposure.

While there were initially some disadvantages to the mirrorless design in these regards, primarily related to AF speed, the latest mirrorless cameras focus extremely fast, and technology continues to move forward in this regard.

Another is that, with focusing taking place precisely on the imaging sensor, AFMA (Auto Focus Microadjustment) is rarely needed and lens focus calibration becomes a non-issue.

With the tremendously detailed information the sensor makes available, completely game-changing technologies, including subject, face (even a registered face), eye, and smile detection, can be implemented.

While intelligent optical viewfinders have shown great advances in recent years, complete with transparent LCD overlays, they don"t come close to the capabilities of LCDs in terms of the information that can be shown.

A high-resolution LCD panel with a huge palette of colors available provides designers great flexibility in creating a camera"s graphical user interface and also in the customization capability of that interface.

Though a bigger advantage for true EVF cameras, LCD displays can provide an immediate display of a captured image precisely where the photographer is looking at time the image is captured (such as directly through the viewfinder).

However, I must note that this review interrupts the capture of a subsequent image, and I now turn off the EVF image review feature on the mirrorless cameras I"m using.

While some manufacturers (including Canon and Nikon) contend that image stabilization technology works best in the lens vs. in-camera (and there is validity to this claim), inarguable is that the effects of in-camera

However, in bright daylight, even the best rear LCDs become very difficult to see and I find it especially challenging to compose using the rear LCD under direct sunlight.

In contrast, viewfinders make it easy to critically view the composition under even the brightest conditions, giving them a huge advantage over a rear LCD under bright daylight conditions.

Dioptric adjustments provided by viewfinders resolve this issue, permitting a clear view of what I"m about to photograph and review of what I already photographed if it is an EVF.

A camera"s primary LCD tends to collect fingerprints and other smudges at a rapid pace, and these can interfere with visibility of the display, especially in bright light.

However, a viewfinder, with its inset glass, is harder to clean than a primary LCD that, especially if properly coated, easily wipes clean with a microfiber cloth.

A downside is that LCD loupes are not nearly as well integrated into the camera design as EVFs are and built-in EVFs are considerably more compact and less intrusive.

With resolution not limited by dots of pixels (that can appear to flicker as they change colors when framing is adjusted with lower-end EVFs) and refresh rates not limited by an electronic display, advantages of an OVF include higher resolution and speed-of-light responsiveness.

Though the dynamic range of the image captured via an OVF system will similarly be limited by the imaging sensor (and seeing the final result may be advantageous), seeing the full brightness range of the scene is different.

While an LCD can make low light composition easier, a photographer"s eye must constantly adjust between the bright display and dark ambient light levels.

While not directly related to the viewfinder type, MILCs are very commonly given EVFs with reduced camera size and weight being two of the common design targets.

Especially with the smaller MILCs, using large lenses and full-sized flashes can lead to a tail-wagging-the-dog scenario where the provided grip is inadequate or only marginally adequate to maintain control of the overall setup.

While on the size topic, if considering an MILC for size and weight reduction purposes, make sure that the MILC lenses you need do not make up for some of the camera footprint and weight difference.

While most of these cameras indeed have a smaller footprint than their DSLR equivalents, the size of the lenses needs to be considered, and these are not necessarily smaller.

Though mirrorless cameras often utilize a short back-focus lens design and some lenses are indeed smaller, some of the smaller lenses also have narrower maximum apertures.

And, it makes the camera (or each lens) effectively larger and heavier in use, with, for example, the EF to EOS-M adaptor adding a modest 1" (26mm) and 3.77 oz. (107g) respectively.

With the imaging sensor required to be powered up for an EVF to function and because an EVF"s full-color LCD requires its own share of power, EVFs require more battery capacity for an equivalent number of photos to be captured.

Additional batteries add to the system cost, carrying extra batteries adds to the system weight, and maintaining the charge of additional batteries requires maintenance and logistics – and probably at least a second charger, as you can potentially drain batteries faster than you can charge them.

Initially, most OVF systems had a significantly shorter viewfinder blackout time during the image capture, and if following action, this is a critical factor.

The difference was significant enough that one may find EVF cameras practically unusable for tracking/framing a moving subject even with image review turned off.

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