# Screen Vs Eyepiece Composition. You Decide.



## gardenshed (Jan 18, 2007)

Many photographers are finding that the ability to compose via screen gives an added freedom to the process.

That the eyepiece is constricting and conspicuous in certain circumstances.

Feelings? Are you using your screen more than your eyepiece? When? And are you one of those who would go DSLR if it had a decent preview capacity?


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## castrol (Jan 18, 2007)

When I am using my P&S Canon, I turn the screen off and use the eyepiece
to compose simply to save battery life. It's amazing how much longer it will
shoot when you do it that way.

I am still amazed at how many people can't figure out how to look through
the eyepiece on either one of my cameras. I tell them it is just like a regular
camera and they continue to hold it out in front of them saying..."I can't
see anything, what's wrong?"


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## Big Mike (Jan 18, 2007)

My digital camera (DSLR) does not allow the use of the LCD screen for composing...and I prefer it that way.  When I look through the viewfinder, I'm looking into a mirror and right out the lens....no electronic interference.

I actually find it funny when I see people composing their shots with their camera out at arms length.  That's posibly the worst way to hold a camera because any shake will be amplified.  One bonus of looking though the viewfinder is that you can press the camera against your face and keep your arms against your body for stability.


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## fmw (Jan 18, 2007)

+1 here.


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## Arch (Jan 18, 2007)

Big Mike said:


> I actually find it funny when I see people composing their shots with their camera out at arms length.  That's posibly the worst way to hold a camera because any shake will be amplified.



+2


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## Sw1tchFX (Jan 18, 2007)

+3

the only advantage of the LCD is awkward angles. And I think we've all been in the position of letting freinds use an SLR who didn't know that you have to look through the viewfinder. One time, i let a freind take a few pictures at a football game with my 80-200 f/2.8 and SB-600 on my body and she was holding it at arms length trying to compose with the LCD. It was funny but a little embarrasing.


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## D-50 (Jan 18, 2007)

I agree holding the camera against your face definatly gives you more stability.  Also I dont think any DSLRs allow you to view the shot through the screen.  Its odd how people who once used a regular camera and had to look through the viewfinder now compose through the screen on their digital point and shoot.  I believe Ive even seen some newer point and shoots that do not even have eyepieces.


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## gardenshed (Jan 18, 2007)

D-50 said:


> I agree holding the camera against your face definatly gives you more stability.  Also I dont think any DSLRs allow you to view the shot through the screen.  Its odd how people who once used a regular camera and had to look through the viewfinder now compose through the screen on their digital point and shoot.  I believe Ive even seen some newer point and shoots that do not even have eyepieces.



You can get just as much stability viewing via the screen, it's just a matter of triangulation as it is when you're flattening your nose in the good old fashioned way. The camera should never be held at arms length, naturally. I don't know what that is about unless people were comparing taken shots with the reality. But then, the numbner of DSLR users I see with their arms sticking out sideways like tourists doesn't fill me with confidence for their stability either.

I find I can shoot and talk to a subject, as with a TLR, which is a great help. And having that much more peripheral vision in a changing location is also very useful.

Why don't top end DLRs have preview screens? I'd appreciate a shift up from my old Finepixes, but the revelation of a decent alternative to the Conk-Squasher holds me back.


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## Big Mike (Jan 18, 2007)

> Why don't top end DLRs have preview screens?



DSLR cameras have an actual shutter that covers the sensor, just like a shutter would cover the film....unlike digi-cams, which have light hitting their sensors all the time.  I think this is one of the factors in why a DSLR has a much shorter shutter lag.

I don't know if it's available yet...but I read somewhere that someone is developing a DSLR with an extra sensor that would be used to generate a preview on the LCD.


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## seanberry (Jan 18, 2007)

I believe one of the Olympus offers live preview on the screen, it may be a yet to be released model, but I know I've read it somewhere.  I also prefer using the viewfinder.  The battery life on my mom's camera (when using the LCD) is horrendous, but using the Viewfinder significantly lengthens that.  The only time I don't like the VF is when my contact isn't seated right (blurry) or I'm wearing my glasses, otherwise it's perfect for me!


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## gardenshed (Feb 1, 2007)

Sorry, I won't be convinced to return to routinely squashing my nose up against a camera back again, not in my line of work. 
Using my screen makes it so much easier to see other shots developing - and occasionally avoid the odd flying brick. The ultimate viewing screens are the tiltable ones which allow all kinds of angles which would be hardly practicable with a viewfinder.
As for battery life, that's a paltry price to pay for the added flexibility.
Stability is always a quaestion of triangulation, and this is just as achievable using the screen as a viewfinder. The nose is not a vital aid in this.
I really recommend that confirmed eyepiece addicts try a camera with a screen for general social and impromptu shoots. There is a definite difference to be made.


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## shingfan (Feb 1, 2007)

i think the shooting style depends on a person's preference....most ppl who uses P&S nowadays....they dont care too much about quality......is all about convenience......why the use of LCD screen for preview......for those who use the viewfinder.....obvious...they are aiming at quality....different perspective i think....no right or wrong.....this is another reason why they only provide LCD preview on P&S but not DSLR (althoguht i think there is one or two DSLR with this capability...which i think is kinda stupid....holding such a big camera away looking at the LCD screen would introduce a lot of hand shake and make image blur)

so i'll say this poll is not quite complete....it should also separate P&S and DSLR

for me....

P&S ---> Screen
DSLR ---> view finder


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## Sw1tchFX (Feb 1, 2007)

Just go out and use an E-330.


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## Jeff Canes (Feb 1, 2007)

DSLR don&#8217;t have a live screen, I&#8217;m on my second Canon dslr IMO the screen is a total waste, I can not tell if any thing is in focus or not


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## shingfan (Feb 1, 2007)

Jeff Canes said:


> DSLR don&#8217;t have a live screen, I&#8217;m on my second Canon dslr IMO the screen is a total waste, I can not tell if any thing is in focus or not


 
is hard to tell from the viewfinder no matter you use digital or film from time to time....that's why with digital...they have auto focus lense with different focus points to help focus better and faster.....and i dont think the live screen will perform any better than the view finder for focusing.....but after the picture is taken...then you can zoom in on the screen and check whether the picture is focus correctly or not......live screen doesnt help with focusing.....another use on the DSLR for me would be to check exposure....in case the exposure is wrong (who knows why)...then i would have a chance to take the shot again if i can view it on the screen to find out soon enough


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## Don Simon (Feb 1, 2007)

Current Olympus dSLRs do have the 'live preview'... apparently no one noticed that, guess someone should send their marketing department a note. 

It wasn't that long ago that composing on an LCD screen was a new thing... but I guess it's like having mobile (cell) phones - people can't remember what life was like before. If I was using a compact I would definitely use the screen over the crappy little viewfinders, and I like being able to use it at waist level as I can with a TLR, but yeah I'm happy enough with the viewfinder on my dSLR... though I'd be a lot happier if it could be as big and bright as the ones on older film SLRs (btw shingfan it wasn't always hard to tell with the viewfinder on film SLRs, not before they introduced autofocus and decided we didn't need to know if it was in focus and should place our faith in the camera... while autofocus _can_ focus better or faster, it doesn't mean it always does!)


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## shingfan (Feb 1, 2007)

ZaphodB said:


> Current Olympus dSLRs do have the 'live preview'... apparently no one noticed that, guess someone should send their marketing department a note.
> 
> It wasn't that long ago that composing on an LCD screen was a new thing... but I guess it's like having mobile (cell) phones - people can't remember what life was like before. If I was using a compact I would definitely use the screen over the crappy little viewfinders, and I like being able to use it at waist level as I can with a TLR, but yeah I'm happy enough with the viewfinder on my dSLR... though I'd be a lot happier if it could be as big and bright as the ones on older film SLRs (btw shingfan it wasn't always hard to tell with the viewfinder on film SLRs, not before they introduced autofocus and decided we didn't need to know if it was in focus and should place our faith in the camera... while autofocus _can_ focus better or faster, it doesn't mean it always does!)


 
of course..when i speak...is never 100% certainty....the reason i said it is hard to focus on viewfinder is because i have poor eyes.....so it is hard for me to judge whether it is in "perfect" focus....is more of a guess for me...and the way i use manual focus (when i need)...i find the middle of the DOF.....that is as best as i "SEE"...haha....terrible eyes are just not meant for photography


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## ksmattfish (Feb 1, 2007)

I use the viewfinder, but that's because my DSLRs don't have live preview.  I'd love to use a live preview LCD for composition.  It would be the same to me as using a camera with a ground glass, which I prefer for taking photos of people.  It would need to swivel, to be seen from other angles than just directly behind.  I'd mostly use it like a waist level finder on my medium format SLRs and TLRs.


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## Sw1tchFX (Feb 1, 2007)

the e-330 is the only DSLR with a live view. I could see it useful for macro photography, but that's it.


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## digital flower (Feb 1, 2007)

My P&S has the swivel screen and I love it. Great for incognito photography, you can take peoples picture without looking at them. I find it useful for flower photography it opens a whole new set of angles that I wouldn't have thought of if I had to have the camera up to my eye. When I got my DSLR I did enjoy going back to traditional eyepiece viewing but I still use my P&S with the screen 90% of the time.


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## seanberry (Feb 2, 2007)

My Photolife magazine says that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 is capable of Live Preview.  It does it by moving the mirror up and allowing the sensor to see the image.  However for autofocus, it has to move the mirror back down so auto-focus can be slow in the Live Preview mode.  Does anyone know how the Olympus does it?


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## Sw1tchFX (Feb 2, 2007)

the olympus has a 2nd sensor by the viewfinder:





in all seriousness though, it's got a small sensor (2x crop) so a 100mm lens is like a 200mm lens, so It's probably great for macro photography, and the live view i'd assume is handy when gettin' low, but that's all i can really see it's useful for. I absolutely hate the 4/3rd's format.


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