Why do modern DSLR cameras need a mirror?
Discussion
i see no reason as to why the quality of an electronic view finder (EVF) shouldn't match or exceed that of the conventional optical view finder anytime soon. Look to the latest Apple iPads and the Samsung tablets to appreciate that they can already display more information than the eye can see, so it stands to reason that it's only a matter of time before the EVF surpasses the optical equivalent.
The auto focus (AF) systems may need to be adapted, but with the massive cost savings of doing away with a clumsy mechanical mirror and perhaps the shutter mechanism by adopting the LCD, I can't honestly see how any camera manufacturer can ignore the future sales potential by being able to reduce quite substantially the manufacturing costs and improve the functionality of the camera in one foul swoop.
The auto focus (AF) systems may need to be adapted, but with the massive cost savings of doing away with a clumsy mechanical mirror and perhaps the shutter mechanism by adopting the LCD, I can't honestly see how any camera manufacturer can ignore the future sales potential by being able to reduce quite substantially the manufacturing costs and improve the functionality of the camera in one foul swoop.
Edited by rich888 on Thursday 20th November 00:01
rich888 said:
i see no reason as to why the quality of an electronic view finder (EVF) shouldn't match or exceed that of the conventional optical view finder anytime soon.
Possibly, or excede it, but at the moment especially in low light they suffer.Also most of them have a lot of lag, I think the new samsung is down to 5ms though?
I prefer a TTL optical path but should have my a7r soon and an evf again , last one I owned was on a minolta A2 10 years ago!
Elderly said:
If Nikon or Canon made APSC or FF with EVFs, I bet pros would you them.
Few pros use mirrorless cameras, not necessarily because they are mirrorless but because so far, the mirrorless camera manufacturers do not offer a professional service.
As a pro for over twenty years (in the analogue day) I used Nikon for my 35mm cameras; if I had equipment problems, I knew Nikon would always get me out of trouble fast, I also had the ability to be able to hire any exotic lens or part of their system in any part of the world for those jobs when it was not worth purchasing outright.
I still have my old sound blimps from when Working as a film and TV stills tog but I would love to have had the advantages of a good EVF instead of working almost blind inside of a blimp.
When I shot commercial architectural interiors, I would have loved to have been able to work tethered.
Peering at a large dim ground glass screen (slow lenses) with the camera in a position where sometimes my head didn't want to be was literally a pain.
And yes of course my screens had etched grids but I still had to get both horizontal and vertical planes level with the aid of spirit levels; a pair of electronic levels would have been bliss.
I really like looking through a FULL FRAME optical viewfinder, but the size (compared to APSC) and information that you can get with the latest generation of EVFs is very impressive.
The fact that Nikon & Canon aren't offering EVF on their pro bodies suggests that they don't yet consider the technology to be robust; and if it ain't robust pros won't want to use them, no matter what 'advantages' they may offer. SLR technology has a fifty year plus pedigree and, although EVF may be useful for some limited applications, it doesn't yet begin to match the overall competence of OVF. The problem of EVF lag isn't yet solved and you can shoot tethered with an OVF. You can even attach a DSLR back end to a LF front end. Few pros use mirrorless cameras, not necessarily because they are mirrorless but because so far, the mirrorless camera manufacturers do not offer a professional service.
As a pro for over twenty years (in the analogue day) I used Nikon for my 35mm cameras; if I had equipment problems, I knew Nikon would always get me out of trouble fast, I also had the ability to be able to hire any exotic lens or part of their system in any part of the world for those jobs when it was not worth purchasing outright.
I still have my old sound blimps from when Working as a film and TV stills tog but I would love to have had the advantages of a good EVF instead of working almost blind inside of a blimp.
When I shot commercial architectural interiors, I would have loved to have been able to work tethered.
Peering at a large dim ground glass screen (slow lenses) with the camera in a position where sometimes my head didn't want to be was literally a pain.
And yes of course my screens had etched grids but I still had to get both horizontal and vertical planes level with the aid of spirit levels; a pair of electronic levels would have been bliss.
I really like looking through a FULL FRAME optical viewfinder, but the size (compared to APSC) and information that you can get with the latest generation of EVFs is very impressive.
I've been a pro since the late 70's and used everything from Leicas to LF through to MF digital and I still hire gear on a regular basis. I'll adopt whatever technology helps me to do the job with greater efficiency; thus far the need to use an EVF hasn't arisen.
The camera is just a tool to do a job. Personally I'd love to be using something much smaller, lighter and more discrete than my pair of 5D mk iii's to shoot weddings. Probably mirrorless cameras will be the answer at some point in the future but at the moment the AF performance isn't quite there and the bigger killer for me is battery life. I can take well in excess of 1000 images on a DSLR without ever having to think about changing the battery (or having to add a big clumsy battery grip). With a mirrorless camera I'd have needed to change batteries 4 or 5 times by then.
Elderly said:
King 
said:
said: If EVFs met pro users requirements, they'd adopt them wholesale without hesitation. They haven't and don't look like doing so anytime in the near future.
If Nikon or Canon made APSC or FF with EVFs, I bet pros would you them.Few pros use mirrorless cameras, not necessarily because they are mirrorless but because so far, the mirrorless camera manufacturers do not offer a professional service.
As a pro for over twenty years (in the analogue day) I used Nikon for my 35mm cameras; if I had equipment problems, I knew Nikon would always get me out of trouble fast, I also had the ability to be able to hire any exotic lens or part of their system in any part of the world for those jobs when it was not worth purchasing outright.
I still have my old sound blimps from when Working as a film and TV stills tog but I would love to have had the advantages of a good EVF instead of working almost blind inside of a blimp.
When I shot commercial architectural interiors, I would have loved to have been able to work tethered.
Peering at a large dim ground glass screen (slow lenses) with the camera in a position where sometimes my head didn't want to be was literally a pain.
And yes of course my screens had etched grids but I still had to get both horizontal and vertical planes level with the aid of spirit levels; a pair of electronic levels would have been bliss.
I really like looking through a FULL FRAME optical viewfinder, but the size (compared to APSC) and information that you can get with the latest generation of EVFs is very impressive.
rich888 said:
LongQ said:
The simple answer to the title line has to be that if the DSLR lacked an R it would probably need to be called a DSLEV.
Not a happy thought but I suppose things could be worse.
Digital Single Lens, or DSL might be more appropriate Not a happy thought but I suppose things could be worse.
(Electronic Viewfinder, Interchangeable Lens)
Mr Will said:
rich888 said:
LongQ said:
The simple answer to the title line has to be that if the DSLR lacked an R it would probably need to be called a DSLEV.
Not a happy thought but I suppose things could be worse.
Digital Single Lens, or DSL might be more appropriate Not a happy thought but I suppose things could be worse.
(Electronic Viewfinder, Interchangeable Lens)
Just imagine walking into PC World, Jessops, or John Lewis and asking for a demonstration of the latest 'Evil' Camera!!!
The end of the world (maybe?) for some: http://nikonrumors.com/2014/12/16/interesting-niko...
Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff