RE: [Leica] Use film, or block the panel

["Phong" <phong@doan-ltd.com>]

It's not so much that there is anything mystical.  I find
that my view, if not my photos,  differs depending on the
type of viewing  - SLR, rangefinder, waist-level finder 
(Hasselblad, Mamiya RZ), large format ground glass, 
digital LCD.  Truth is, no matter what the viewing
mechanism, the final image is never the same as what 
I see in the camera.  My brain has to do a bit of 
translation, sort of pre-visualization, so to speak.
After a while, this translation becomes more automatic.

- - Phong



- -----Original Message-----

Johnny,

> >> It's like a mini ground glass (only right way up). The screen
> >> gives you a different image than the viewfinder - two dimensional
> >> rather
> >> than three. And psychologically different than the "tunnel"
> >> vision on an SLR
> >
> > I've used LCD viewfinders for quite some time on digital cameras, and
> > don't
> > find that to be true...for me...nor have I ever, in the many many
> > people
> > I've spoken to about the virtues/foibles of LCD finders ever mentioned
> > such
> > a "thing".
>
> Well, it's a commonplace amongst the CP5000 users I know.

I see why, the viewfinder is deficient in that camera, as it is in most
consumer digicams (cameras that use interline sensors).  This is a due to
simply a lower grade camera viewfinder, not because LCD viewing is better
than viewfinder viewing as a general statement, or somehow the LCD lets you
"see more" or for some other "mystical" reason...it's just these cameras
have bad viewfinders.

A good optical viewfinder outweighs an LCD viewfinder any day, at least
today...the LCD doesn't have the tonality or resolution or ability to do
critical focus as a regular viewfinder (say in a typical SLR) does, it is
also subject to smear and bloom in mixed or high lighting situations.  That
certainly doesn't mean you can't get a decent shot out of a camera when
using an LCD, but it really is only usable for P&S, and they typically only
exist on P&S cameras (that is ones that can view on the LCD in real time).

Austin

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