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WOT no viewfinder?
OracleGod
Posts: 122 Forum Member
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After nearly 6 years use my 3MP Minolta DimageXt model has developed pixel faults. Time for a replacement!
I want :
At least 6MP
x4 zoom
720P recording
Optical Viewfinder
Small size.
Not asking much am I, seeing as the market is flooded with models..??
Slight problem.What's happened to the optical viewfinder?
I don't want to be forced to take pictures with the camera shakily held at least 12 inches away from me.
Also tested a friends brand new panasonic lumix and you can't see the screen in bright conditions.
Also tried a Canon+Casio..same result.
As far as I can tell there is not a single model on the market that can match my basic 5 requirements.
Maybe the 21st century definition of progress, is 'Replacing perfection with imperfection'.. brought about by worshipping at the mindless altar of fashion.
Someone wants a slap.
I want :
At least 6MP
x4 zoom
720P recording
Optical Viewfinder
Small size.
Not asking much am I, seeing as the market is flooded with models..??
Slight problem.What's happened to the optical viewfinder?
I don't want to be forced to take pictures with the camera shakily held at least 12 inches away from me.
Also tested a friends brand new panasonic lumix and you can't see the screen in bright conditions.
Also tried a Canon+Casio..same result.
As far as I can tell there is not a single model on the market that can match my basic 5 requirements.
Maybe the 21st century definition of progress, is 'Replacing perfection with imperfection'.. brought about by worshipping at the mindless altar of fashion.
Someone wants a slap.
0
Comments
There is a nice little Fuji I have seen (sorry cant remember the model!) and the Panasonic FZ18/28/38 may be worth looking at . Dont know what the recording quality is but they cover at least 4 of the 5 and weigh very little.
the 100 has 720p recording where as the 95 doesnt abd the 100 is 12megapixels and the 95 is 10
Still annoyed at the designers and marketing people who've removed this feature ...apart from the 2 canon models mentioned.
A more extreme form of this stupidity is supposedly intelligent people in the car industry who want to replace the steering wheel with 'left and right' push buttons.
Those loonies got their way with the wonderful 'space saver' 50MPH max spare wheel..great when you've a flat at the start of a 200mile motorway journey!!
If you grew up using film cameras and viewing what you were taking through an optical viewfinder with the camera held to your face, it can take a little adjusting to holding the camera in front of you, but once you are used to it it works just as well or possibly better because whilst you are taking the shot, you are still aware of what is going on outside the field-of-view.
As for the display brightness, my compact Panasonic Lumix has a button which can be used to dramatically increase the display brightness in two steps-- the first intended for bright daylight, and a second even brighter one intended for holding the camera above your head (so it is still bright enough for you to see what you are pointing it at, even from the very acute vertical angle to the display, though it must look incredibly bright from anyone standing behind you).
Yes, that was my problem as well, when the time came to upgrade from my old Olympus C-21. It's now ten years old, and the largest memory card it will take is 64MB capacity (Smartmedia).
Some manufacturers do still make digital cameras with optical viewfinders, and I bought a Canon PowerShot A1000IS. It's a terrific little camera in most respects, and handy for carrying around when out walking, but the viewfinder image is, for me at least, tiny and blurry compared to the old Olympus viewfinder.
I ended up buying a Pentax DSLR as well. Probably wouldn't have bothered if I could have found a modern digital compact with a viewfinder as good as my old C-21.
Don't agree with this - camera against the face is much more stable.
ALL OF THEM (apart from one or two Canons) have removed this feature.
Currently I can only focus to 10 inches (closer than this and I get eyestrain), so that's how far away I would have to hold the camera. With an optical viewfinder I can comfortably hold the camera right next to my eye and get perfect focus. Yes its small and the framing won't be brilliant, but at least I can see the subject. !!
In a few more years maybe I won't be able to focus to arms length..so then whenever I have to take a photo do I have to get out some special 'taking picture with stupid camera' spectacles ?? But then if it's a sunny day that would be pointless.
One other website suggested the feature has been removed due to customer demand! Are they mad?
This is simply not progress.
For now my cash stays in my account.
Might consider a secondhand camera until the industry get their act together
Plenty of 'someones' need a slap! (you know who you are!)
Thx. checked this out..wee bit on the big size. My minolta is only 85.5mm x 67mm x 20 mm. After something the same size.
Viewfinders going away is actually more because of lack of demand - most people seem to be perfectly happy with a screen and no viewfinder. Personally I'm with you, I much prefer to use a viewfinder, which is why I moved to bridge cameras a few years ago and have stayed there ever since. The tradeoff is size of course, but it works for me especially with the extra control you get.
Sorry to say it, but in the realm of compact cameras this is not a trend that's going to go away. There just isn't the demand out there.
Just seen on Trusted Reviews that latest Canon models also ditch the OV !
So I presume that means as soon as the old models are gone, there is not a single compact digital with optical viewfinder on planet earth?
Strange thing is as far as I can tell is that the all the camera companies removed them at the same time..?
Not suicidal about this but as a (practical) designer myself, I really really dislike what I know are daft product descisions and enforced trends.
OK then assuming I admit defeat....which is the best designed LCD viewfinder for use in sunlight OR are there any that use OLED yet which I hope will perform better than LCD..??
END