[shuttertalk]

Hey DSLR users - just wondering if you miss the LCD Preview on your camera. It seems a bit strange that while it's technically feasible to do so, they don't provide such a function.

It's true that you're meant to use the viewfinder with DSLRs, but sometimes I think it would be useful to frame shots like overhead ones of people dancing...

[peter]

yeah ..
it would be usefull ..
you thinjk at first ...
no the mirror is in the way .. so how would it work ? ...
but then it could just hold up the mirror ..
but that would decrease respose time cause the mirror would have to drop down then come bak up b4 it takes the photo giving time delay..
also will limit the battery life ..

people have probably asked this question when designing the camera ..

the thing is ..
coming from using film SLRs alot alredy ..
the LCD screen there at all is already a big bonus ...

^____^

of course..
it would be nice to have a preview .. or even a movie capture mode..
but that defeats the pusrpose of it being in the SLR class ^_-

[adam]

It's funny when people say "can I use your camera" then they try looking at the LCD screen and say "its not working, how do i turn it on"
hgagghga

[peter]

uhauha yeah thats hilarious ..
they r too used to using digitals with the preview ..

they r like ..
"you paid what for this ???"
"and it doesnt have a preveiw or movie mode ???"

[shuttertalk]

Hahah, what's funnier is when I have to use the LCD preview someone else's digicam - I usually get disoriented as I'm so used to using the EVF on my S5000.

[peter]

uhahu the EVF sounds like a cool idea though ..
making the s5000 feel more like an SLR by retaining the optical viewfinder that correleates directly with what ur taking a photo of ..
the thing i lov emost about SLRs is that what u see through ur viewfinder is what ur picture will look like .. unline some P&S camera which have viewfinders that arent quite alligned right ..

[Lak]

heheheh who needs the lcd preview!! just eats up extra juice on your batteries!!! =P

[shuttertalk]

heheheh who needs the lcd preview!! just eats up extra juice on your batteries!!! =P

Sometimes it's useful, like when I'm doing "studio" work on a tripod - taking shots of test cameras and other things. Because the objects are at table height, I usually have to stoop down to look through the viewfinder. Better if I could frame using a LCD preview...

[Soundy]

no the mirror is in the way .. so how would it work ? ...
but then it could just hold up the mirror ..

Most DSLRs have a mirror-lock-up function, no? So this part is already solved.

but that would decrease respose time cause the mirror would have to drop down then come bak up b4 it takes the photo giving time delay..

Why would the mirror have to drop back down first?

This way would actually decrease response time by eliminating the extra fraction of a second it takes to flip the mirror up: lock up the mirror, open the shutter, compose your shot, hit the button... the camera needs only to close the shutter, then open and close it normally to actually get the shot.

Another option would be a small auxiliary sensor within the viewfinder to feed the preview display (doesn't have to be high-quality or high-density; a simple VGA CCD as used in most webcams would suffice).

[Rufus]

Off topic.........

Greetings Soundy.

I looked at your site, and found the Jukebox. I wish I hadnt. If I were a "youngster" (that is, between 16 and 35), I would have been a fan of some of that stuff, particularly Censure.
It reminds me, (I doubt you'll believe this), very much of some of the "underground" rock of the 1970's, which I was so involved in.........

Anyhow, hello from Rufus, the toughest moderator in town

[peter]

Why would the mirror have to drop back down first?

if you put it that way. why not eliminate the shutter altogether?

the largest problem still stands as eating battery life though.
electromagnets take a bit of power to hold up.

[shuttertalk]

Hi and welcome Soundy! Nice to have you onboard...

peter, is battery life really a problem with DSLRs? With the LCD preview - i would think the viewfinder would be used mainly as it's more natural... just in some odd occasions, having a LCD preview would be handy.

[peter]

haha yeah ..
well .. untill i get some sparebatteries it is sorta a problem when i want to go for an all day shooting ...

[RikWriter]

I don't really miss it. I prefer the SLR setup.

[Cailean]

the largest problem still stands as eating battery life though.

The LCD on my FZ10 uses hardly any more power than the EVF... 'course you SLR boys don't even have those, do you... hmmm. Why do SLRs still use mirrors instead of using an EVF? No worry about parralax (sp?) like P&S optical viewfinders... what the CCD sees is what you see... the mirror just seems like an extra moving part.

[shuttertalk]

Don't think you get parallax errors with TTL viewfinders on SLRs... what you see is what you get.

[Cailean]

Don't think you get parallax errors with TTL viewfinders on SLRs...

Sorry, I meant the alignment issues peter mentioned with p&s cams. Just wanted to point out that EVFs are as effective at eliminating parallax as SLRs are.

[shuttertalk]

Sorry, I meant the alignment issues peter mentioned with p&s cams. Just wanted to point out that EVFs are as effective at eliminating parallax as SLRs are.

Oh you're definitely right there

[pai]

read a discussion about this recently. here's a link:

http://www.cs.duke.edu/~parr/photography...slrpreview

quoting from the site:

Why don't digital SLRs have live preview on their rear LCDs like cheaper digital cameras?

The reason is that when you aren't snapping a picture, the mirror is reflecting the light away from the sensor and up towards the viewfinder. I'll briefly mention some approaches, real and proposed, for dealing with this issue:

Cameras like the Olympus E-10 and E-20 use beam splitter instead of a mirror to simultaneously direct light both towards the sensor and towards the viewfinder. This solution permits live preview and eliminates the mechanical complexity and vibration of a mirror. However, it does have disadvantages. Neither the sensor nor the viewfinder ever see 100% of the light. This leads to a dim viewfinder and reduces sensitivity.

Some have proposed splitting off some of the light used in the autofocus/exposure mechanism for a live preview. The difficulties with this are space and brightness. Most cameras use a partially reflective mirror to direct light towards the viewfinder and as secondary mirror behind this primary one to reflect the central portion of the image down towards the autofocus mechanism on the bottom of the camera. (Check the bottom of this page for a diagram.) There may not be room for a larger mirror to reflect the entire image. Moreover, any light directed away from the autofocus mechanism will reduce the sensitivity of the AF mechanism.

A third solution that would be plausible for camera bodies that permit mirror lockup would be to lock up the mirror, darkening the viewfinder, and using live preview off the LCD in lieu of the viewfinder. This approach also has some difficulties. Large CCDs like those found in digital SLRs don't have the ability to produce output at acceptable speeds for live preview. Most CMOS sensors lack this ability too, although Foveon's new sensor does offer a high speed, reduced resolution 25fps mode that might be enough for focusing. Assuming that the sensor speed problem could be overcome, the next difficulty would be dealing the fact that with the mirror flipped up, the AF and autoexposure mechanisms would no longer be receiving any light. The main sensor could be used for these purposes, as is done in non-SLR digital cameras. When in this mode, the camera user would sacrifice the superior phase detection autofocus mechanism used in most SLRs and be forced to use contrast detection autofocus off the main sensor. To my knowledge, no manufacturers have even proposed such a solution.

SLR afficionados will be quick to point out that with an optical viewfinder, there is no need for live LCD preview. They will go on to say that an optical viewfinder is much more accurate and a more reliable indicator of proper focus than any LCD. These points are generally true, but it is also true that LCDs, especially the tilt/swivel variety, permit the photographer to operate the camera without his head pressed against it. This can be useful in some situations.

[peter]

^_-
That clears everything up .. i think ..

[shuttertalk]

Nice one, pai. Thanks for the info.