How do you shoot a camera without VF?

[DougK]

I've never had a problem framing a shot or holding my camera steady when I use the LCD panel, but then again I don't hold my camera out at arm's length, either. I actually have more issues with viewfinders because of my glasses.

 

[KoNickon]

i generally don't hold the camera away from me at arm's length...not very productive and it looks goofy to me.
i hold it close to my face, a few inches away i'd guess...except for when i hold it low or high...have you guys ever shot from the hip with your cameras?

Shooting from the hip, it's braced better than holding it out in front of you, even a few inches. And how does the LCD do in bright light? And what about the power drain of having the LCD on all the time?

Sorry, but I think we aren't demanding enough from the camera companies, and they're happily complying.

 

[GaryLH]

Sorry, but I think we aren't demanding enough from the camera companies, and they're happily complying.

I am not sure I get your point here. We are just talking about one segment of a very large variety of cameras that available. Camera companies need to target different market segments to survive.

This particular type of camera type is not your thing..

Gary

 

[sig]

I kind of hold in front of me, look at the screen, take photos and that is it.......

If you look in a user manual there will be tips and illustrations.

 

[back alley]

the lcd on the rx100 is great...works just fine in all types of situations.

my pics are sharp...not sharp enough but sharp!

 

[tomtofa]

i generally don't hold the camera away from me at arm's length...not very productive and it looks goofy to me.
i hold it close to my face, a few inches away i'd guess...except for when i hold it low or high...have you guys ever shot from the hip with your cameras?

I couldn't focus on it if I held it that close to my face - presbyopia.

Has anyone tried using an LCD hood/viewer? Other than making the camera no longer a compact, do they actually allow using the LCD as a (gigantic) viewfinder?

 

[KoNickon]

"my pics are sharp...not sharp enough but sharp!"

🙂 I think I know what you mean!

"I am not sure I get your point here. We are just talking about one segment of a very large variety of cameras that available. Camera companies need to target different market segments to survive."

Well, outside of DSLRs, viewfinderless cameras are the rule, apparently. So we're talking the largest single segment. The type of "serious" cameras that the folks here seem to gravitate to are a very small segment of the market.

 

[Pablito]

Has anyone tried using an LCD hood/viewer? Other than making the camera no longer a compact, do they actually allow using the LCD as a (gigantic) viewfinder?

yes - the clearviewer folds up nicely too so it does remain compact. Works very well.
http://www.clearviewer.com/
get the deluxe lens

 

[Rodchenko]

I don't much like using the LCD screen for shooting. On the G11, I like to flip the screen over and use the viewfinder, but there's no info in there, and it's only 77% !

I find it difficult to get away from using the forehead as a stabilising point. Firstly, for medical reasons, I shake a little all the time, which doesn't help, but can be eliminated by bracing the camera. Secondly, I am used to taking photos in quite low light, causing slow shutter speeds.

The latter I should just get over, with the range of ISO available on digitals these days. And the former could be overcome with good IS, I suppose.

It still feels weird holding the camera out in front. I'd like a rangefinder digital with good vf info display and good coverage of the view. But I know that's going to happen in my price range.

 

[GaryLH]

Since current version of rx100 has no hot shoe, I hold it around a foot away from my face. The image stabilization works great, it takes the brightest and worst case sunlight to partially wash out the LCD, even then it is quite usable. In normal situations the LCD is very bright and easy to c.

Gary

 

[GaryLH]

"my pics are sharp...not sharp enough but sharp!"

🙂 I think I know what you mean!

"I am not sure I get your point here. We are just talking about one segment of a very large variety of cameras that available. Camera companies need to target different market segments to survive."

Well, outside of DSLRs, viewfinderless cameras are the rule, apparently. So we're talking the largest single segment. The type of "serious" cameras that the folks here seem to gravitate to are a very small segment of the market.

So u don't consider evf cameras or ovf like the Fuji xp1 then.. The only camera for u is an slr.

Gary

 

[back alley]

it's not like i'm against having a finder...my fuji xp1 has 2!

 

[KoNickon]

By "ovf" you mean an optical viewfinder camera? Sure, that would work -- though I understand their coverage is like 80%, so that's not overly useful. The Fuji X20 looks nice, and the Canon G15 (sensor might be too small however). But you're right that an electronic viewfinder doesn't do it for me.

 

[GaryLH]

Dare I say Leica m digital (personally not interested in one) or the Fuji x pro 1 w/ the hybrid ovf/evf are examples of ovf cameras...

Gary

 

[Godfrey]

some of you guys are really keeping yourselves in a box!...
such creative people and you hold yourselves back!

Yup, I don't understand either.

While I like and use an eye-level viewfinder a good bit of the time, I find having a nice LCD display that I can look at with both eyes allows a great deal of flexibility in camera positioning that no eye-level VF allows. And having a view of what the camera sees that I can look at with both eyes (including through my progressive eyeglasses) coupled with the near-ubiquitous ability to utilize AF with various modes of operation allows both accurate focus and critical framing much more easily for any circumstance other than when you can easily hold the camera to your eye.

To me, more viewfinder types is a plus. Pick the camera that has the ones you want, that's all.

G

 

[GaryLH]

Yup, I don't understand either.

While I like and use an eye-level viewfinder a good bit of the time, I find having a nice LCD display that I can look at with both eyes allows a great deal of flexibility in camera positioning that no eye-level VF allows. And having a view of what the camera sees that I can look at with both eyes (including through my progressive eyeglasses) coupled with the near-ubiquitous ability to utilize AF with various modes of operation allows both accurate focus and critical framing much more easily for any circumstance other than when you can easily hold the camera to your eye.

To me, more viewfinder types is a plus. Pick the camera that has the ones you want, that's all.

G

Yep... Where an LCD comes into its own for me are the ones that rotate and/or flip.. Dslr w/ live view, csc, m43.. U name it.

Doing macro photography when the camera needs to be positioned low to the ground, it is great to be able to position the LCD as opposed to becoming a contortionist. 🙂

Gary

 

[SausalitoDog]

Yup, I don't understand either.

While I like and use an eye-level viewfinder a good bit of the time, I find having a nice LCD display that I can look at with both eyes allows a great deal of flexibility in camera positioning that no eye-level VF allows. And having a view of what the camera sees that I can look at with both eyes (including through my progressive eyeglasses) coupled with the near-ubiquitous ability to utilize AF with various modes of operation allows both accurate focus and critical framing much more easily for any circumstance other than when you can easily hold the camera to your eye.

To me, more viewfinder types is a plus. Pick the camera that has the ones you want, that's all.

G

Pretty much says it all... You don't like one of the particular modes of VF, just don't turn it on 🙂

 

[Keith]

Point and hope, as with pinhole cameras.

Cheers,

R.

I think you've coined a phrase for an entirely new type of camera ... 'point and hope!'

I like it. 😀

 

[L Collins]

I stopped composing my pictures years ago. Point and shoot. See what you get.

Much more interesting that the banality of pretty pictures. If I see another pretty picture In my life it will be one too many.

 

[shadowfox]

some of you guys are really keeping yourselves in a box!
such creative people and you hold yourselves back!

Preferring to use a viewfinder is not "a box."
It's a preference. Don't you have a preference on other things also?

LCD will always be there for the usages that you mentioned, but in normal shooting I *much* prefer using a viewfinder to compose.