I really dislike EVF ‘s

SsSsSsSsSnake

SsSsSsSsSnake

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I’ve gone back to using DLSR’s plus the x100V optical VF.
They affect my eyes negatively and I dont feel I’m connecting to the scene I’m trying to shoot.
I’ve accepted this now and won’t be buying any more mirrorless cameras.
Does anyone else struggle with them?
 
Also I read a while back now but can’t find the article that using an FX lens on a DX body magnify’s the view through the viewfinder.
Is this a fact and if so why?
Thanks
 
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I struggle with optical viewfinders now (on SLRs, not rangefinder).
Both are harder to use with glasses, but optical are harder for me to focus now.
On the EVF, the focus area is enlarged, making it possible to see when it is focussed as opposed to equally out of focus each side then go to the middle, and of course with peaking, you don't even need to wear glasses :)

I have never used a viewfinder to look at the final scene, just to see what I am getting in it, except on a TLR with a large ground glass screen, so the number of pixels doesn't worry me, though the new ones are as clear as optical to me.

I do however like the Canon compacts with the zooming optical viewfinders.
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
I’ve gone back to using DLSR’s plus the x100V optical VF.
They affect my eyes negatively and I dont feel I’m connecting to the scene I’m trying to shoot.
I’ve accepted this now and won’t be buying any more mirrorless cameras.
Does anyone else struggle with them?
Click to expand...
It all depends on what mirrorless camera you use.
 
Same here I nearly gave up on my first mirrorless camera but made a few alterations in menu and got it working my way , these days they work faultlessly out of the box. Might help if you listed the actual camera model causing problems as others might know a work round
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
Also I read a while back now but can’t find the article that using an FX lens on a DX body magnify’s the view through the viewfinder.
Is this a fact and if so why?
Thanks
Click to expand...

No, it's not a fact, and Dx or FX lenses of the same focal length give exactly the same view.
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
I’ve gone back to using DLSR’s plus the x100V optical VF.
They affect my eyes negatively and I dont feel I’m connecting to the scene I’m trying to shoot.
I’ve accepted this now and won’t be buying any more mirrorless cameras.
Does anyone else struggle with them?
Click to expand...
With limited experience, I would have said the same at one time, but I now have a Nikon Z8

I've followed the years of marketing where it's been proclaimed that "finally a camera with an EVF as good as a DSLRs" and I'd trot along to a shop to check it out, always to be disappointed.

I haven't "owned" anything more modern than an Olympus EM1 mkIII, which I found pretty awful, but I've looked through more modern options, especially Fuji, and although they were definitely getting better, none felt very good to me.

I certainly haven't checked out every possible modern option. but the Z8 is different to everything else I've tried. With the Z8 you get that feel of looking "through" the camera at the subject rather than looking at a screen "inside" the camera. I really like it., and for me, well worth the years I've been saving up for it.
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
Also I read a while back now but can’t find the article that using an FX lens on a DX body magnify’s the view through the viewfinder.
Is this a fact and if so why?
Thanks
Click to expand...
I don't know about all mirrorless, but this is how the Nikon Z8 works, taking advantage of the electronic viewfinder to simulate the viewfinder on a DX camera.

With a DSLR the viewing screen is obviously fixed at a 36 x 24 size, and if you put a DX lens on you get a frame showing you the area of the sensor being used and you need to remember to compose within the frame.

With digital, as it's an electronic viewfinder, they don't need to go this "frame in the viewfinder" approach, as they can still make use of the whole viewfinder for composing, even though you are still only exposing a cropped part of the sensor.

It makes composing that much easier as regardless of whether you are using an FX lens or DX lens, the "entire" viewfinder accurately reflects the field of view, you don't need to compose with only a section of the viewfnder.
 
An EVF is inherently more accurate than other eye level finders as it shows the actual pixels . It can also show the actual exposure that will be captured after all adjustments and settings. Early versions could be somewhat jumpy if sweeping them across a subject thought that is not something that I have noticed on recent models, which have real time refresh rate. Some cameras could do with more eye relief but that was a problem for DSLRs too.
These days we become so used to looking at electronic screens of one sort of another, that having them on cameras seems only natural.
 
the black fox said:
Same here I nearly gave up on my first mirrorless camera but made a few alterations in menu and got it working my way , these days they work faultlessly out of the box. Might help if you listed the actual camera model causing problems as others might know a work round
Click to expand...
Hi Jeff ,going back to early Fuji’s and upto and including the V, that is a bit better but still not right for me.used some Olympus .Sony early ones like A7 and a6000 ,the best one I’ve used so far which actually suprised me was the Z5, which wasn’t too bad.
 
Terrywoodenpic said:
An EVF is inherently more accurate than other eye level finders as it shows the actual pixels . It can also show the actual exposure that will be captured after all adjustments and settings. Early versions could be somewhat jumpy if sweeping them across a subject thought that is not something that I have noticed on recent models, which have real time refresh rate. Some cameras could do with more eye relief but that was a problem for DSLRs too.
These days we become so used to looking at electronic screens of one sort of another, that having them on cameras seems only natural.
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I think the eye relief you mentioned could be a lot of the problem for me and the magnification or rather lack of
 
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I rarely realise that the R6 vf is electronic. Sometimes fast sideways movement, and occasionally when using it in low light, I get an unpleasant reminder.

But as others have said, the advantages far outweigh these niggles for me at least.
 
I like using the optical viewfinder of my 5D Mk1 but I would never go back to just using cameras with OVFs.
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
Hi Jeff ,going back to early Fuji’s and upto and including the V, that is a bit better but still not right for me.used some Olympus .Sony early ones like A7 and a6000 ,the best one I’ve used so far which actually suprised me was the Z5, which wasn’t too bad.
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I think you need to look at more recent cameras :thinking:
 
When I close my left eye looking with right through evf my left eye after a while starts to get dry and feel a bit sticky,I have to put some drops,I might be squeezing it too much as I try and see a clearer view,I don’t get this with the optical on the V.i might get an eye patch for left eye so I can keep it open and try that
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
When I close my left eye looking with right through evf my left eye after a while starts to get dry and feel a bit sticky,I have to put some drops,I might be squeezing it too much as I try and see a clearer view,I don’t get this with the optical on the V.i might get an eye patch for left eye so I can keep it open and try that
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I usually keep my left eye open anyway, helps me see where I am, especially with a long lens
 
Whilst I dont overly enjoy using EVFs they do make it easier to get the job done, the WYSIWYG makes exposure and composition easier but it also makes me lazier. Using my Leica M9s or my Bronica SQ-B film cameras takes more consideration for exposure (and composition on the Leicas).

I more enjoy using the Leicas/Bronicas but I'm reasonably content to use my EVF cameras when I need to be quick and precise.
 
dcash29 said:
If you enjoy the struggle in direct sunlight :LOL:
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Yes, I won't buy a camera without a viewfinder for that reason, and it is the reason why I rarely use a phone as a camera.

As most of my family live in places where the sun shines, LCD screens as a viewfinder are a pet hate.
 
Over sixty years I've used many cameras and found that viewfinders vary a great deal; one man's terrible finder is another woman's perfect tool.

When there were camera shops everywhere, you just kept looking until you found the camera that worked for you. Now you'll just have to make your best guess, try it and return it in 14 days, if it doesn't work for you.
 
I guess it depends on what camera you are using. EVF's have come a long long way in a relatively short space of time with early models being pretty poor.

I have a Canon G1X mk2 with a add on EVF which attaches to the hot shoe and it's pretty rubbish but easier than the rear screen on a sunny day.
My R5 on the other hand, is just brilliant.
 
A non-issue. I have a DSLR and a ML but the ML is used at least 90% of the time because it is much lighter in weight. I did own a Panasonic Bridge camera st one time but the image quality was too poor for my needs and although the EVF was not that high resolution, I did not find it prevented me from capturing images.

Dave
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
I’ve gone back to using DLSR’s plus the x100V optical VF.
They affect my eyes negatively and I dont feel I’m connecting to the scene I’m trying to shoot.
I’ve accepted this now and won’t be buying any more mirrorless cameras.
Does anyone else struggle with them?
Click to expand...

The only time I've struggled with an EVF was with my G1 in low light as it pumped out so much light it hurt my eyes any I could project the image onto a wall and it did all this whilst failing to show detail which was easily visible by eye. I loved that camera but in low light the EVF was a disaster. Since those days I've never had a problems an indeed I'd hate to go back to an ovf because of the limitations.

I've briefly had two X100 cameras, S and F and although I liked the idea of the dual VF in practice I never used the OVF as the jumping focus point annoyed the **** out of me. On the emotional and connected to the scene aspect, I feel more connected both to the process and the scene with an EVF because I can see it better including the technicalities including accurate framing. I'm sorry you're having this problem but if adjustments can't get you comfortable then maybe you have no choice but I think it's a shame as you're giving up a lot of advantages.

Good luck going forward.
 
woof woof said:
The only time I've struggled with an EVF was with my G1 in low light as it pumped out so much light it hurt my eyes any I could project the image onto a wall and it did all this whilst failing to show detail which was easily visible by eye. I loved that camera but in low light the EVF was a disaster. Since those days I've never had a problems an indeed I'd hate to go back to an ovf because of the limitations.

I've briefly had two X100 cameras, S and F and although I liked the idea of the dual VF in practice I never used the OVF as the jumping focus point annoyed the **** out of me. On the emotional and connected to the scene aspect, I feel more connected both to the process and the scene with an EVF because I can see it better including the technicalities including accurate framing. I'm sorry you're having this problem but if adjustments can't get you comfortable then maybe you have no choice but I think it's a shame as you're giving up a lot of advantages.

Good luck going forward.
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Thanks Alan,I understand and appreciate your points but it’s not a problem for me sticking with a dlsr,plus good prices second hand.
I’m more than happy and enjoying my photography again which sadly I wasn’t,so everything is Kool.
 
I had problems with headaches and eye strain in the early days with the Fuji XE-1 which then improved when I changed to the Fuji Xpro-1 when it was launched and due to the EVF and Optical VF. IIRC my optician put it down the the EVF refreshing and then causing the headaches and eyestrain. When released the XT-1 was a slight improvement but it wasn't great for me. I then changed back to Nikon DSLR until a few years ago when I dropped my D850 & D500 so I tried mirrorless again with the Panasonic S1R which had a great EVF apart from the blackouts, which was really noticeable when I compared and then bought the Nikon Z8... No problems for me know with the Z8.
 
Swanseajack said:
I had problems with headaches and eye strain in the early days with the Fuji XE-1 which then improved when I changed to the Fuji Xpro-1 when it was launched and due to the EVF and Optical VF. IIRC my optician put it down the the EVF refreshing and then causing the headaches and eyestrain. When released the XT-1 was a slight improvement but it wasn't great for me. I then changed back to Nikon DSLR until a few years ago when I dropped my D850 & D500 so I tried mirrorless again with the Panasonic S1R which had a great EVF apart from the blackouts, which was really noticeable when I compared and then bought the Nikon Z8... No problems for me know with the Z8.
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bit too expensive for me Simon but thanks for helping realise its not just me :)
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
I’ve gone back to using DLSR’s plus the x100V optical VF.
They affect my eyes negatively and I dont feel I’m connecting to the scene I’m trying to shoot.
I’ve accepted this now and won’t be buying any more mirrorless cameras.
Does anyone else struggle with them?
Click to expand...
I wouldn't say "struggle" but I used to find that EVF's weren't as nice or as easy to look at compared to looking at the scene through an EVF but now with the advancements of tech I have no issues with EVF's and prefer them to OVF's. Not all EVF's are created equally and the 9.44 million dot EVF's I've now got are great.
 
The Lumix S1 is my first proper mirrorless camera and I had no problems using the EVF unlike the earlier Lumix DMC-FZ38 bridge camera that I hated. That was awful. On the S1 if I adjust the focus manually part of the EVF image is magnified and that part can be moved around the view using a small joystick. I also have vintage film cameras and have no problem swapping from one to the other.
 
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