Viewfinder or LCD screen?

[Rich]

So which do you use and is one better over the other? Since I've been using digital cameras I've always used the LCD screen. Researching DSLR's I've noticed some don't have live preview on the LCD, just the data...is there a reason for this?

[parthiban]

Viewfinder everytime, mine has live view, and only use it if I'm in a crowd and need to stick the camera over my head to take a photo. Not entirely sure why but the camera doesn't respond as quickly with live view on.

[phipck]

my sony does not have "live view" so its view finder every time for me. I prefur it this way anyway as you can select the focal point far better with your eye throught the camera lens than you can on what ever level of quality lcd your camera has.

 

on a propper dslr you will be seeing what the sensor will see when you take the photo by using the view finder. however i have noticed that my girlfriend and also my mother use the lcd on their snappy cameras to help frame the image better, so arguably that might be a benifit as i sometimes take squew photos as the camera sits wonky against my nose!

[Rich]

I'm gonna have to try using the viewfinder then see how I get on...a couple of the DSLR's I've looked at don't have live preview and I don't wanna buy a camera to find I don't like using it.

[Steve-O]

I've so far been using the viewfinder then checking the results afterwards on the screen... ultimately though until you get the image on the PC you can't tell 100% that the image is a goodun IME

[Sagitar]

So which do you use and is one better over the other? Since I've been using digital cameras I've always used the LCD screen. Researching DSLR's I've noticed some don't have live preview on the LCD, just the data...is there a reason for this?

 

I could imagine using live view with the camera on a tripod - for close up photography for example, but for hand-holding, a camera pushed hard against the face with elbows tucked well into the body is always going to be more stable than a camera held at arms length. Framing always seems more difficult to me when using live-view and I can't see how it can work at all when panning for action photography.

 

The whole point of a good viewfinder in action photography is to be able to look through the camera at the scene in front of you, with both eyes open and to move head and camera together to follow the action through as the shutter is released.

[Sagitar]

Researching DSLR's I've noticed some don't have live preview on the LCD, just the data...is there a reason for this?

 

SLRs use a mirror to divert the light path from the object onto the viewfinder screen. The electronic sensor is behind the mirror and only sees the object when the mirror lifts as the first part of the exposure sequence. The SLR with "live-view" that I own, lifts the mirror and opens the mechanical shutter when in "live-view" mode. It uses the output from the from the sensor to generate an image on the rear screen and a mechanism other than the mechanical shutter to control exposure. The difference in operation accounts for the different feel of the camera in use and I must say that I have yet to see a rear screen that gives as clear and bright an image as that from a decent viewfinder, especially when the sun is on the screen.

 

In order to operate with the mirror up some systems (autofocusing for example) may have to be duplicated, so the early adopters are likely to be expensive. I'm sure the option will become more common, but I have no fondness for it at present.

[Rich]

I could imagine using live view with the camera on a tripod - for close up photography for example, but for hand-holding, a camera pushed hard against the face with elbows tucked well into the body is always going to be more stable than a camera held at arms length.

 

That is a very good point actually and one I hadn't thought of, probably explains why some of my shots are abit blurry.

 

 

SLRs use a mirror to divert the light path from the object onto the viewfinder screen. The electronic sensor is behind the mirror and only sees the object when the mirror lifts as the first part of the exposure sequence. The SLR with "live-view" that I own, lifts the mirror and opens the mechanical shutter when in "live-view" mode. It uses the output from the from the sensor to generate an image on the rear screen and a mechanism other than the mechanical shutter to control exposure. The difference in operation accounts for the different feel of the camera in use and I must say that I have yet to see a rear screen that gives as clear and bright an image as that from a decent viewfinder, especially when the sun is on the screen.

 

In order to operate with the mirror up some systems (autofocusing for example) may have to be duplicated, so the early adopters are likely to be expensive. I'm sure the option will become more common, but I have no fondness for it at present.

 

Nice explanation...I suppose using live view will cause some lag as well due to duplicating the image. As you said above when panning it will be quicker with the viewfinder. I'm sure when I get my DSLR I will get use to using the viewfinder as these are larger than compact and bridge cameras.