Why the OM-D Viewfinder Blackout

Dave Jenkins

Dave Jenkins

Loose Canon
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When I press the shutter release of my OM-D, the viewfinder goes black momentarily. Since the OM-D is a mirrorless camera, I see no reason for the blackout. Is there a setting which would allow me to eliminate the blackout?
 
It has a physical second shutter. Since the finder is showing what the sensor is picking up, there will always be a blackout when the shutter closes.
 
Okay, that's understandable. However, it does seem to me that the blackout period is quite long -- much longer than on my Canon 5D. Is there any way to shorten the blackout?
 
An SLR is faster to recover because the blackout lasts only as long as it takes to drop the mirror back in place; the OM-D has to read the captured image from the sensor and then reset the sensor before it's ready to record anything new (and so have something to display on its rear LCD and/or viewfinder). Not sure what you can do (if anything) to speed this up.
 
yeah, I love my OM-D very dearly - this blackout delay is probably the one thing I don't like about it. Sometimes it's quite brief, but I find in certain conditions - prob data from previous shot(s) still clearing from the buffer - this blackout can last 1 - 2 seconds. Hopefully a faster sensor/processor pipeline in the next OM-D significantly reduces this.

My Fuji X100S, which has a very snappy processor, uses this time to show a 0.5 second preview of the image just taken, which I find quite useful.
 
FYI, using the optional electronic shutter in the G5, there's no viewfinder blackout at all. This might be of interest to those concerned. However, there are limitations to using the e-shutter, namely maximum shutter speed and the so-called "rolling shutter" effect.

~Joe
 
Its just the nature of the first generation electronic viewfinder. There is a huge difference on my a99. With Sony and Olympus being a team I am sure the next generation will fix it.
 
Better Progress to Come...

Better Progress to Come...

+1 - Yeah, I agree Greg... the Sony/Olympus "Joint~Venture",
Must produce great new innovations... :cool:

Ed
 
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