Vento wrote:
For me, eye level doesn't necessarily mean standing upright.
Eye level and EVF are possible in many positions; you can just sit down or kneel, or if necessary, lie completely flat.
So it directly incorporates some gymnastics.
Fortunately, I'm still extremely flexible in that regard.
That's definitely one of the reasons for me too.
With the eyesight I had 20-30 years ago, I'd probably use the rear LCD more often.
Without my glasses, the rear LCD is completely useless to me, meaning I have to wear my glasses for the EVF as well, which is significantly worse and more uncomfortable than simply adjusting the diopter to the correct value.
The alternative is to put my glasses on for the rear LCD and take them off again when looking through the EVF, which is just annoying, even though I use a glasses strap.
Therefore, I almost exclusively use the EVF, especially since I'm still flexible enough to be able to squat very deeply.
So this leaves the rear LCD mainly for tripod work and positions where I would otherwise have to lie completely on my stomach in the dirt.
So the rear LCD is only needed for extreme positions.
Apart from that, the rear LCD is significantly less immersive, especially in bright ambient light; it doesn't allow you to immerse yourself in the scene nearly as much as looking through the EVF.
In that respect, I really miss the days of system cameras with their various interchangeable viewfinders.
With my Canon New F-1, everything was possible via interchangeable viewfinders: sports viewfinders, special viewfinders for helmet users (the entire image is visible up to 60mm away), various waist-level viewfinders, magnifying viewfinders, and special super-bright laser focusing screens for extremely fast lenses.
The camera was configurable down to the last detail for every conceivable situation.
Sure, some things are integrated now that used to require accessories, but the configurability was already first-class back in the days of the Canon New F-1 or Nikon F3.
There isn't even a suitable right-angle viewfinder available for the Z8 these days.
You know why there isn’t a right angle view finder for z8? I had a right angle viewfinder like 15 years ago… there is a reason why they went extinct. I really cannot imagine framing a waist level shot with the evf, it just feel so tiring. I bet 99% of people will use lcd screen for waist level shots, there isn’t really a market for external viewfinder anymore.
wind30 wrote:
ok.... I very seldom use the EVF because most of my pictures are not eye level.
I don't get it, you guys shoot mostly at eye level If the picture is eye level, I guess the EVF is easier to use but for almost all other kind of shooting, waist level, overhead, close to ground the LCD wins hands down.
Now I'm curious. What are you shooting a lot of that is not at eye level? I'm used to bending, kneeling, squatting, sitting, and raising a monopod overhead with remote shutter release. Granted, with the monopod, I'm using the LCD for that.
Oscarsmadness wrote:
Now I'm curious. What are you shooting a lot of that is not at eye level? I'm used to bending, kneeling, squatting, sitting, and raising a monopod overhead with remote shutter release. Granted, with the monopod, I'm using the LCD for that.
I mainly shoot my family portraits, a very popular use case. I am taller than my wife and far taller than my kids. My eye level really is not a good level.
I would not choose kneeling, squatting just to use the evf instead of the lcd. Waaaay too tiring and you cannot adjust your angle easily to track the moving subject. Seriously, just use the lcd, the framing is waaaay more important.
The rear display is for situations where you can't get your eye up to the viewfinder. Let's say you're holding the camera too low-down and far-out to get your eye to it, or you're shooting video with some sort of assistive device like a gimbal, or you're consciously trying to avoid shooting everything at eye-level. Still it's nice to have that option without resorting to some contraption like a right angle viewfinder, and nice to have a stills camera that's just as competent with video as with stills.
If the picture is eye level, I guess the EVF is easier to use but for almost all other kind of shooting, waist level, overhead, close to ground the LCD wins hands down.