Lcd vs viewfinder full#

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 see this if you use the viewfinder too by lowering the camera but it adds another action to the process.

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.

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.

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.

Convenience – Perhaps the main reason that people use the LCD is convenience.

Some optical viewfinders also offer this. Grid View: superimposes a grid on the screen to help keep your horizons level and buildings straight. Most cameras enable you to select from several viewing modes to aid your shooting, when using the LCD screen or EVF.ĮXIF Data: You can usually choose to have the shooting data visible on screen so you can see your settings, or turn it off so you get a clean view of your composition without distractions.

Lcd vs viewfinder full#

The Live View feature on those DSLRs that offer it has the same advantages over the viewfinder that an EVF does: full data display, and the ability to preview the effect that changing the exposure, white balance etc will have on your shot.ĭSLRs, however, are not best used at arm’s length – they’re heavier than compacts, for a start – so Live View is best used only for shooting at high and low angles where it isn’t possible to see through the viewfinder, or when using the camera on a tripod, when you’ve set up and focused and are waiting for the right moment to press the shutter. Optical viewfinders in DSLRs view directly through the lens Live View Most DSLR viewfinders only show around 95% of what the sensor will record, missing out the very edges, but some more expensive models show 100%.

The viewfinder enables you to compose and focus, and displays some shooting data, but doesn’t show the effect of exposure, and other settings on your image.

The image is bright, clear and almost like looking at the subject itself. On the downside, EVFs lack the degree of connection with your subject that DSLR viewfinders give you.Ĭameras with EVFs do not have an internal mirror Optical Viewfindersįew compacts have an optical viewfinder any more, but on a DSLR the optical viewfinder is the camera’s most distinguishing feature.īy using a 45° mirror and a prism assembly, a DSLR shows you the exact view through the lens. First, they show the same information as the LCD screen, so you get full shooting data etc.Īlso, EVFs enable you to see the effect that changing the exposure, white balance and other settings will have on your picture before you take it.Ĭameras with EVFs can be smaller than those with mirror assemblies. They offer several advantages over optical versions. Tilting LCDs make it easier to see when shooting at high angles Electronic ViewfindersĮlectronic viewfinders (EVF) are found on Micro System Cameras and some fixed-lens cameras and are essentially a tiny screen inside the camera. Some LCD screens can tilt and swivel, useful for high or low angle shooting. The brightness, and the quality of the anti-reflective coatings, determine how easy the screen is to use in bright sun. Screen resolution affects the sharpness and clarity, and how much detail you can see. Larger screens make viewing easier but size isn’t the only factor. LCD screens vary in size between 2.5 and 3.5 inches. Some, but not all, DSLRs enable you to use the LCD screen to shoot with – a feature known as ‘Live View’. All digital cameras have an LCD screen to review your pictures – on compacts they’re also usually the only means of viewing the scene.