Panasonic might have found the last piece of the puzzle keeping many DSLR users from switching over to mirrorless cameras.
The above image is taken from a patent that diagrams the basics behind adding an optical viewfinder to mirrorless cameras. Even more interesting, the viewfinder would be able to change focal length when synced with any Micro Four Thirds lens.
If this video doesn't make you want to go out and buy a Pentax 67, nothing will. Paris is beautiful enough as-is, but there's something about exploring it through the viewfinder of a classic medium format camera that will tug at your photographic heartstrings and have you nostalgic for the good ol' days.
There are few gadgets as impressive and versatile as the GoPro. Small, lightweight, and capable, it packs a fairly mean punch into a very portable package. But small as the device is, there’s one notable thing missing: a viewfinder or LCD screen of some sort.
Fortunately, GoPro was wise enough allow you to use your smartphone as a live view for your camera, and now that feature is being taken to a more practical level by a new iPhone case/GoPro mount hybrid called Gorigit.
DIRE Studio has released an application for photographers and cinematographers alike that they've aptly named Mark II Artist's Viewfinder.
"Do-it-yourself" can mean a lot of things, but for camera dweebs, it's usually entailed some degree of scavenging and recycling parts from factory-made cameras. Grad student and specialty camera builder Kevin Kadooka understands the ease and accessibility of the practice but doesn't think it's sustainable -- eventually we'll run out of old cameras to cannibalize.
Chances are that over time you've accumulated a good amount of photos on that iPhone of yours, and that makes it rather difficult to find that image from that one time your auntie fell in the swimming pool after one too many cocktails.
Using the metadata attached to each of those images, though, a relatively new app called Viewfinder aims to making organizing, finding and sharing your images, well, easier.
Living in a tourist town like San Francisco, I have frequent opportunities to observe how people use their cameras. Inevitably, these lead to "Why, oh why?" moments in which advanced technology collides with general cluelessness.
When New York City-based photographer Jerrit Pruyn recently asked his girlfriend of 2 years to marry him, he did so in quite a photo-tastic way. Pruyn popped the question through the viewfinder of his old vintage SLR!
Google has been working some time now on a camera-equipped device that's worn over (or above) the eye. Olympus has something similar going on, but instead of a full-fledged camera, their device only serves as an external viewfinder for a separate digital camera.
Photographer Maciej Pietuszynski has posted a (hopefully tongue-in-cheek) …
Electronic viewfinders have become all the rage as of late through the rise of the mirrorless camera, but many photographers still prefer optical viewfinders due to certain weaknesses of EVFs. One major drawback is the fact that the scene is often laggy, especially in low-light situations, making it difficult to track a moving subject.
Nikon is apparently trying to combine the best of the OVF and EVF worlds by developing a new giant viewfinder that's see-through.
A Canon patent filed in May of last year and published last week reveals that the company has a new optical viewfinder up its sleeve that offers both a compactness and 100% coverage. While 100% coverage is a standard feature in high-end DSLRs, the new technology may help bring it to smaller and lighter cameras that have traditionally displayed less than what is actually captured.
One of the big complaints people have about the Canon EOS M (besides the horrendously slow autofocus) is the lack of a viewfinder. While autofocus can be improved through firmware updates, you can't simply add an EVF or OVF to a camera by rolling out a download. Luckily, there appears to be a second EOS M camera on the way that does offer an electronic viewfinder.
ClearViewer is the compact camera's equivalent of a DSLR viewfinder attachment. It's a folding high-diopter lens that lets you use your compact camera's LCD screen as an electronic viewfinder by putting your eye less than 2 inches away from the screen. This lets you see fine details in the shot, make precise manual focus adjustments, and avoid the problem of glare.
Photographs are usually captured through viewfinders, not of viewfinders, but photographer Meggan Gould has a photo project featuring the latter. Aptly named "Viewfinders," Gould's series turns old analog camera viewfinders into the subject of photos, documenting both the variety of viewfinder designs and the inevitable wear and tear that results from decades of use.
When we handled a pre-production model of the Fujifilm X-E1 at Photokina back in September, we noted that there seemed to be some strange pixelation, a little lag, and a delay after shots. We said at the time that those issues were likely due to the fact that it was an early demo unit of the camera, and that now appears to be true. A photographer named Andrew (apw100 on YouTube) recently got his X-E1 before most people by ordering through eBay from a company in Hong Kong. He then shot a series of videos showing the EVF quality by putting his iPhone up to the viewfinder.
LCD viewfinders are popular tool among DSLR filmmakers for shooting in sunlight and …
If you're creating a short film that requires a "through the viewfinder" clip, there's an easier way to create it than pointing your camera through an actual viewfinder (does anyone actually do that?). In the short tutorial above, Luke Neumann of Neumann Films shows how you can simulate the look of a viewfinder by overlaying your footage with some focusing screen images. All the necessary image and audio files are available as a free download.
One tip that instructors often pass onto the beginning photographers is to use their …
Here's an interesting idea by Oregon-based engineering consultant Paul Anderson called The Daylight Viewfinder. The patent pending invention, which is in the process of raising $44,000 on Kickstarter, is a suction mountable, sun blocking viewfinder/app combo that allows you to take great pictures with your phone (currently iOS only) even in bright daylight.
Greek silkscreen printer Manolis Angelakis was recently tasked with designing a new set of business cards for close friend and photographer Alexandra Stamopoulou. Given her profession, he decided to create a stylish card that emulates the viewfinder of an old Zenit camera. The simple but effective design was silkscreened onto sheets of transparent vinyl.
While many photographers swear by optical viewfinders, it’s clear that much of the camera industry is shifting over to …
Olympus has something big up its sleeve. In an interview with Impressjapan, manager …
Nikon is developing an X100-esque hybrid viewfinder for DSLR cameras. A recently published patent filing …
Barcelona-based design studio low ink created this …
Want a DSLR viewfinder but don’t want to pay big bucks for a professional one? …
Street photographer Eric Kim generated some buzz last month by recording …
If you've never used a rangefinder camera before, this video provides a visual look at how focusing works (a Leica M2 is used). Basically you're given a second (smaller) image of the scene, and your goal is turn the focus ring until the two images match up for the subject you'd like to have in focus.
Here’s a glimpse at how selecting an autofocus point works on the upcoming Fujifilm Finepix X100. The …
If you use the LCD on your DSLR for shooting images or video, you probably know how much of …