Best cameras for live view?

mat_caves

mat_caves

Suspended / Banned
Messages
29
Name
Mat
Edit My Images
Yes
I'm finally looking to upgrade from Old Faithful (canon eos 300d :LOL:). Have got a bunch of old manual focus lenses which I struggle to get super crisp focus on through the optical viewfinder. Would love a camera that has a good live view mode that is quick and easy to magnify in on a small point of interest within the shot to allow for more accurate focus.

Ideally canon as that's what my adapters etc are fitted for. Video and aux mic input would be the icing on the cake.

Any suggestions folks? :ty:
 
Crop sensor lenses or full frame?


Budget.....
 
Mark twiglet said:
Crop sensor lenses or full frame?


Budget.....
Click to expand...

Budget around £2-400 used, so far have only been using crop but other than the kit 18-55 all my other lenses are designed for film so should work OK with full frame. Don't think I need full frame at this point yet though :) thanks!
 
mat_caves said:
Ideally canon as that's what my adapters etc are fitted for. Video and aux mic input would be the icing on the cake.
Click to expand...
You can always stack a mount-EOS adaptor for a non-Canon camera if the register distance works out.

With your budget I'd look for a used/refurb Fuji X-E2 (or X-E2S, same camera slightly different shell) and you should have enough left over to update your adaptors to direct-to-Fuji if you don't want to stack a FX-EOS adaptor behind your current ones.

With a bigger budget you could look at the Sony A7 series (full-frame) or Panasonic GH series (m43 but better video options).
 
Sounds from your description that one of the newer Canon cameras with touch screens would serve you best, very quick and easy to zoom in on specific details in liveview. Started with the 650D/70D and you should be able to find decent examples in your budget range.

Depending on the mounts of your old manual lenses, you may find problems with fullframe, some enter too far into the body and catch the bigger mirrors of fullframe.

Another to consider is the mirrorless EOS-M's, I really enjoy using mine with old manual lenses, but it does need an additional EF-M to EF adapter.
 
Meh, holding a DSLR or EVF-less mirrorless camera out in front of your face to look at the back screen isn't fun. Go for a mirrorless camera with a nice EVF and shoot with the camera to your eye :D

I've no idea about input plugs and the like but I do have a Sony A7 and it is simply superb to use manual lenses with and they'll produce sharper results than if used on a crop sensor camera, if sharpness is important to you. An A7 may push the budget though.

I also have Micro Four Thirds, they'ok but it's x2 crop which is nice for macro and reach but less so for a wider view.

Going for a camera with peaking may be an idea too.
 
Thanks for your help - think I've been a bit blinkered with just looking at Canon. Looks like there is a lot of good competition out there. The cheaper Canons feel pretty cheap (even if they aren't) and as superficial as it sounds I might be after something that feels more robust and classy to help me get excited about going out to shoot.

Steve B said:
Sounds from your description that one of the newer Canon cameras with touch screens would serve you best, very quick and easy to zoom in on specific details in liveview. Started with the 650D/70D and you should be able to find decent examples in your budget range.

Depending on the mounts of your old manual lenses, you may find problems with fullframe, some enter too far into the body and catch the bigger mirrors of fullframe.

Another to consider is the mirrorless EOS-M's, I really enjoy using mine with old manual lenses, but it does need an additional EF-M to EF adapter.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up about mounts - they are almost entirely M42 mounts (my dad was very big into Pentax bodies). Sounds like mirrorless may be way to go in that case... but the 70D also sounds pretty nice.

Alastair said:
You can always stack a mount-EOS adaptor for a non-Canon camera if the register distance works out.

With your budget I'd look for a used/refurb Fuji X-E2 (or X-E2S, same camera slightly different shell) and you should have enough left over to update your adaptors to direct-to-Fuji if you don't want to stack a FX-EOS adaptor behind your current ones.

With a bigger budget you could look at the Sony A7 series (full-frame) or Panasonic GH series (m43 but better video options).
Click to expand...

The Fuji X-E2 looks absolutely beautiful, very classy... it almost looks too beautiful (surely if something looks that great it must have some serious flaws somewhere?) Shame there's no touch screen. GH3 video is jaw dropping but I think I'll be after predominantly still shots for the time being.

woof woof said:
Meh, holding a DSLR or EVF-less mirrorless camera out in front of your face to look at the back screen isn't fun. Go for a mirrorless camera with a nice EVF and shoot with the camera to your eye :D

I've no idea about input plugs and the like but I do have a Sony A7 and it is simply superb to use manual lenses with and they'll produce sharper results than if used on a crop sensor camera, if sharpness is important to you. An A7 may push the budget though.

I also have Micro Four Thirds, they'ok but it's x2 crop which is nice for macro and reach but less so for a wider view.

Going for a camera with peaking may be an idea too.
Click to expand...

I didn't know that focus peaking was a thing but now that I do, I want it. :D

Is the A7 worth the extra money? It is payday tomorrow and I am entirely irresponsible with money (plus after a decade with Old Faithful I have some catching up to do!)... so could probably extend the budget, but at almost double the cost of some of the other models suggested, it'd have to be for a pretty good reason!
 
The canon 70D and 80D when used with STM lenses are the quickest focusing live view. I have the 70D and live view focussing is far quicker than other cameras I have used.
 
I would push the Canon 700D; I still use this model, and find it very good. The touchscreen is excellent - and way ahead of its time too - and the live view AF with STM lens is brilliant; the 18-135 STM is an absolute gem, can't recommend that lens enough!
 
mat_caves said:
I didn't know that focus peaking was a thing but now that I do, I want it. :D

Is the A7 worth the extra money? It is payday tomorrow and I am entirely irresponsible with money (plus after a decade with Old Faithful I have some catching up to do!)... so could probably extend the budget, but at almost double the cost of some of the other models suggested, it'd have to be for a pretty good reason!
Click to expand...

For me focus peaking works best at wider apertures where very little is peaking. At smaller apertures when everything is peaking I find it much less useful as there's too much play in the focus where nothing appears to change and accuracy therefore isn't that good if you pixel peep and go looking for ultimate focus accuracy. Once you get used to it it is very useful though and it's a useful guide for quick focusing, zone focusing and hyperfocal focusing.

Another focus aid is the magnified view which allows great focus accuracy. At wide apertures you can see the focus moving over your subject like a wave and you can focus on detail which you simply can't see through an optical viewfinder.

I'm not sure how much used A7's go for. I bought the original 24mp A7 when they fist came out and my criticisms are few and sometimes small... the AF performance is merely adequate (but probably the equal of or better than the Canon 20D and 5D DSLR's I had) and I'd really like a toggle switch to switch between the EVF and the back screen. However focus with AF lenses is very accurate and consistent, arguably more so than with a DSLR, there's no front / back focusing to be concerned about. Other than that the image quality is very good, the dynamic range is impressive and you get to use old lenses at their intended field of view whereas with APS-C and MFT cameras you don't.

I've taken a lot of pictures with manual lenses on my MFT cameras and my A7 and there's no doubt in my mind what so ever that for manual lenses the A7 is by far the superior tool. I enjoy using manual lenses on my MFT cameras but the A7 is just on another level.

Good luck choosing.
 
Last edited:
Used Fuji X-T1, really big viewfinder with great manual focussing aids such as focus zoom, split screen with focus zoom and focus peaking.
 
woof woof said:
I've taken a lot of pictures with manual lenses on my MFT cameras and my A7 and there's no doubt in my mind what so ever that for manual lenses the A7 is by far the superior tool. I enjoy using manual lenses on my MFT cameras but the A7 is just on another level.

Good luck choosing.
Click to expand...

snerkler said:
Used Fuji X-T1, really big viewfinder with great manual focussing aids such as focus zoom, split screen with focus zoom and focus peaking.
Click to expand...

Looks like it's boiling down to Fuji X-E2 or X-T1 versus the A7. Will probably go for the latter for the full frame sensor. Cheers guys :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top