p.1 #1 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
In a discussion thread on the future of the Fuji X-Pro camera line there was some discussion about how many users are actually using the OVF, with the suggestion that many/most users seem to prefer using the EVF. Personally I use the OVF setting almost all the time. I thought it would be appropriate to have a poll on this...if only to see how strange I am
p.1 #2 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
I chose EVF primarily, but the story is a bit more nuanced than that.
I had the XPro2 for a number of years. When I got it, the hybrid viewfinder loomed large as a reason for choosing it, since I was not satisfied with the performance of EVFs at that time.
At first I'd say that I probably used the OVF 90% of the time. But since I had some lenses that don't work well with the OVF (big zooms, for example, or my 80mm macro), I got used to switching to the EVF. Doing handheld night street photography also pushed me toward the EVF, as I can see the scene much more clearly there than in the OVF.
Eventually, without really thinking about it, I found myself using the EVF more than the OVF, and in the end the EVF became my default and I rarely used the OVF any more.
p.1 #3 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
With my first X-Pro2, I made very little use of the OVF.
Now I have two X-Pro3 - and my whole approach to the X-Pro has changed. Today, I see it as a tool that is meant to be used with the small Fujicrons and the OVF. The only four lenses I use with that camera are the 23/35/50 f2 and the 27f2.8 pancake.
When there is enough light, I use the OVF only. When it gets darker, I am switching to the EVF. The advantage of the OVF in bright daylight is the limited brightness and contrast range of today's EVFs. Using the OVF means that I can see what's in the shadows since it is my eye that adjusts to the large range in contrast between the darkest and the lightest part of the image.
The X-Pro3 "forces" me to concentrate on the three basic focal lengths which my father and many photographers already employed. Moderate WA, normal and short tele. It is liberating.
Using the OVF is a different and special shooting experience. However, should the OVF go away, it is not the end of the world. And X-EPro with a state of the art EVF would do just fine.
So to answer your poll: 95% OVF - but in a very special use case. I doubt that there are many using their X-Pro as I do. And once other lenses like wider, longer, bigger (obscuring parts of the OVF) and with variable focal lengths enter the picture, I would use the EVF more if not exclusively.
p.1 #4 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
When I had the original X100, I only used the EVF. Why choose a viewfinder that doesn't show where focus ends up, that gives parallax error, and doesn't allow you to compose accurately, when you have a better alternative?
p.1 #5 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
Makten wrote:
When I had the original X100, I only used the EVF. Why choose a viewfinder that doesn't show where focus ends up, that gives parallax error, and doesn't allow you to compose accurately, when you have a better alternative?
Since you pose this as a question I'll respond. The OVF shows the area around the frame that I find useful in framing a shot. You can't really replicate this with an EVF unless you crop the shot.
I recognize the strengths and weaknesses of both the EVF and the OVF and I'm interested in how this choice plays out in practice...hence the poll.
p.1 #6 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
CVickery wrote:
Since you pose this as a question I'll respond. The OVF shows the area around the frame that I find useful in framing a shot. You can't really replicate this with an EVF unless you crop the shot.
The X-E5 can w/o cropping - if I understand correctly. It shows the area around the active frame just like an OVF. But I need to find a manual to look it up.
p.1 #7 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
INielk Mike wrote:
The X-E5 can w/o cropping - if I understand correctly. It shows the area around the active frame just like an OVF. But I need to find a manual to look it up.
It does do this, but my understanding is that it is when you use cropped views on the camera, say a square format instead of the native 3:2. Perhaps it also works with the digital teleconverter? (See “Surround View Mode” on this page.)
It can’t do what the OVF/EVF hybrid viewfinder can do, which is to show an area larger than that which will be captured by the FULL dimensions of the sensor.
(In my case, while I understood the reasoning behind wanting to use an OVF to see beyond the captured frame area, after using it for some years I decided that it was of more interest theoretically than it was in the real world. Of course, the EVF has its own advantage, which is showing with 100% accuracy what will be captured in the photo, where the OVF frame lines only provide an estimate.)
p.1 #9 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
Nielk Mike wrote:
The X-E5 can w/o cropping - if I understand correctly. It shows the area around the active frame just like an OVF. But I need to find a manual to look it up.
Interesting. It's similar to the OVF, but not quite the same, which makes sense. Viewing outside the frame in an EVF requires some cropping of the sensor but this implementation could provide a similar result to the OVF, at least for different crop ratios. You are throwing away data though (assuming you stick with the set crop ratio...I know the crop isn't destructive in the Fuji bodies)
p.1 #10 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
The evf shows the whole sensor by default, you can see outside the superimposedf rame if you use a cropped format. This has been available as 'sports node' on Xt cameras since the Xt3 as far as I remember
Being quite keen on the Xpro2 OVF I thought it would be useful, but I practice I don't seem ever to use it.
p.1 #11 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
gyoung143 wrote:
The evf shows the whole sensor by default, you can see outside the superimposedf rame if you use a cropped format. This has been available as 'sports node' on Xt cameras since the Xt3 as far as I remember
Being quite keen on the Xpro2 OVF I thought it would be useful, but I practice I don't seem ever to use it.
Gerry
Although I apparently have a camera that includes this “sports finder mode” feature, I did not realize that, and I thought it was a new feature on the XE5!
p.1 #12 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
I use the evf for precise framing and eye detection, and I use the ovf for nailing timing and just a different, fun experience. I find I can nail exact timing way better with the ovf (on the xpro3). Especially with that little sub monitor zoomed out to the full frame, the ovf is really cool, I love using it. But, I suppose if I had to choose one it’d be the evf.
p.1 #13 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
That's interesting, may explain why I used to have little trouble nailing the right moment with the optical finder of my Nikon SLRs (as well as the Leica Ms) for sports, I am less successful with Xt3 and 5. I put it down to old age!
p.1 #14 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
gyoung143 wrote:
That's interesting, may explain why I used to have little trouble nailing the right moment with the optical finder of my Nikon SLRs (as well as the Leica Ms) for sports, I am less successful with Xt3 and 5. I put it down to old age!
Gerry
There’s a whole chain of things that can contribute to latency on your camera. (Leaving aside the speed of our own reaction time.) Some of them favor mirrorless cameras and some favor cameras with optical viewfinders.
On DSLRs delays come from how long it takes for the shutter press to communicate to the camera and start a sequence of autofocusing, flipping the mirror, stopping down the aperture, operating the shutter.
On mirrorless cameras, the natural (and unavoidable) latency of digital displays comes into play — it has been reduced but it can’t be dropped to zero. On the other hand, there’s no longer a mirror to flip and some cameras already have the aperture closed down.
It would be interesting to see someone total up all of these things.
p.1 #15 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
Bit of a mix really. I use probably 70-30 the finder vs the screen. Of the 70% on the finder, I will use the OVF pretty much all the time, unless I have the teleconverter on, which is when I switch to the EVF since the TCL blocks out too much of the view.
Why do I prefer the optical finder? I spend enough of my life looking at screens, if I can avoid it I will, even if it is a crap one with as much distortion as the X100F OVF has. Saves a bit of battery too (I don't have preview on anyway).
I never use the little EVF window.
I guess if I wanted to use an EVF all the time there are better cameras for not much more money nor size nor weight.
p.1 #18 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
gyoung143 wrote:
Thanks. Like @gdanmitchell@ I would be interested to know what the 'lag' is on the EVF, I.e what is the delay between actual mo event and display, and a comparison of the SLR mirror delay too.
Gerry
One lag that is present on an EVF camera that isn’t present on a rangefinder-style OVF display is the unavoidable time it takes for a video system to sense the scene, convert the data to a monitor data, send it ot the EVF, and draw the display at whatever frequency the display uses.
No video display can ever be literally “real time.”
p.1 #19 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
If the lighting is even and I am mainly optimizing DOF than OVF all day long. But since I live in high contrast LA sun I have to worry about back lighting and deep shadows..... EVF.
Also since I don't trust Fuji critical focusing as much as my Sony I am often using EVF when shooting f2-4. Also I have only used Xp3 and X100F (five of them though!).
When I owned Leica's I didn't have this crutch and the glass had more character. So happy accidents abounded. I should really just shoot -1 stop on the Fuji like I did the Leica.
p.1 #20 · Fuji Hybrid Viewfinder - What do you use the most?
The reason I bought the Xpro3 was because of the fact that it could AF with the OVF. If I just wanted it for the OVF I would just use a Leica.
The downside was that it missed focus wide open more than I expected when using AF in the OVF mode. I found AF to be far more accurate when using the EVF.
Whether you use EVF or OVF, it is/was so cool that Fuji gave you that built in option in one camera body.
