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#1
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Highest resolution Viewfinder.
I am beginning to be convinced that lcd viewfinders are the trend of
the future even if that sounds like a pompous prognostication since I don't even own a zlr (g). However, am I correct in thinking that Minolta currently makes the highest resolution viewfinder? I was rather impressed by their "superfine evf" which seemed almost good enough for someone, like me, used to a film slr. -- James V. Silverton Potomac, Maryland, USA |
#2
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James Silverton wrote:
I am beginning to be convinced that lcd viewfinders are the trend of the future even if that sounds like a pompous prognostication since I don't even own a zlr (g). However, am I correct in thinking that Minolta currently makes the highest resolution viewfinder? I was rather impressed by their "superfine evf" which seemed almost good enough for someone, like me, used to a film slr. On the Minolta A2 they have a viewfinder which is VGA resolution - 640 x 480 pixels. This is (in my opinion) highly misleadingly described as "900,000 pixels" on the camera box and elsewhere - it is just over 300,000 pixels. The is the same resolution as a standard TV. In use, it was definitely better than lower-resolution finders, although I suspect you would may need something approaching 1024 x 768 pixels to be as good as an SLR. [The lying about the EVF resolution was one reason I sent the camera back for a refund]. What is useful in some cameras (such as the Panasonic FZ20) is the ability to enlarge the central section of the EVF (and LCD) when manual focussing is engaged, allowing for a finer adjustment. Cheers, David |
#3
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Hi David, you say
[The lying about the EVF resolution was one reason I sent the camera back for a refund]. With or without lie, A2's EVF is the best I am aware of on the market. Being interested in photography rather than in biblical punishment, and at least as far the EVF is concerned, I would happily take the A2 with lies than another camera with a worse EVF without lies. The best! Julio. |
#4
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J.S.Pitanga wrote:
Hi David, you say [The lying about the EVF resolution was one reason I sent the camera back for a refund]. With or without lie, A2's EVF is the best I am aware of on the market. Being interested in photography rather than in biblical punishment, and at least as far the EVF is concerned, I would happily take the A2 with lies than another camera with a worse EVF without lies. The best! Julio. Well, I didn't. The LCD swivel finder was very tinny (not robust), the JPEG in-camera conversion was poor, etc. etc., and those factors together outweighed any positive rating for the viewfinder. For a wide-angle camera, you can't beat the Nikon Coolpix 8400 (24mm wide-angle) and the best value telephoto stabilised camera is, in my opinion, the Panasonic FZ20. David |
#5
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On Tue, 11 Jan 2005 17:18:40 -0200, J.S.Pitanga wrote:
Hi David, you say [The lying about the EVF resolution was one reason I sent the camera back for a refund]. With or without lie, A2's EVF is the best I am aware of on the market. Being interested in photography rather than in biblical punishment, and at least as far the EVF is concerned, I would happily take the A2 with lies than another camera with a worse EVF without lies. Indeed. Not only that, it's *the same* lies that all manufacturers use. If they use a QVGA (320x240) display do they call it 75k or 230k? Look them up. Minolta's 900k for a VGA display is only lies if we say *everybody* is lying. -- John Bean What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing (Oscar Wilde) |
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John Bean wrote:
[] Indeed. Not only that, it's *the same* lies that all manufacturers use. If they use a QVGA (320x240) display do they call it 75k or 230k? Look them up. Minolta's 900k for a VGA display is only lies if we say *everybody* is lying. Indeed. This should be brought out more clearly. I don't think there should be one standard for image pixels (a pixel has R G & B components and can represent a full colour spectrum) and a different standard viewfinders. Cheers, David |
#7
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#8
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Larry wrote:
In article , says... John Bean wrote: [] Indeed. Not only that, it's *the same* lies that all manufacturers use. If they use a QVGA (320x240) display do they call it 75k or 230k? Look them up. Minolta's 900k for a VGA display is only lies if we say *everybody* is lying. Indeed. This should be brought out more clearly. I don't think there should be one standard for image pixels (a pixel has R G & B components and can represent a full colour spectrum) and a different standard viewfinders. Cheers, David Actually there isnt a double standard... Comparing the Mpixels of the camera with the pixels in a viewfinder is an apples/oranges comparison. Yes, I agree. The camera typically has sensor quads (e.g. GRGB) and interpolates to pixel quads, resulting in an 8MP camera having 2MP red, 2MP blue and 4MP green (arrangements can vary). The typical 1024 x 768 display has 786,432 sites each providing independant R, G and B pixels. The mp the camera is capable of is in reference to the finished photograph, which USUALLY (but not always) ends up in a print. I think there is a deliberate attempt to mislead the consumer. The viewfinder is simply an LCD monitor, and is judged/measured as such. It is a SHAME that evf technology hasnt caught up to camera resolution, but until it does catch up, changing the way the evf is labeled isnt going to help. If you cant put a 6 or 8 megapixel image at 100% size on a 19" LCD monitor on your desktop (and you cant), how are you going to do it with an EVF???? Yes, you can put 9.2 Mpixels on the desktop: http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/intellistation/t221/ although you do need 22.1 inches to reach that incredible resolution! What we are getting is the best they can do so far. Are they good enough to use when manually focussing??? The short answer is NO. Is it likely to be better in the near future??? NO! Logic and reason needs to be used in the purchase of a digital camera (just like when you buy anything else). No camera manufacturer claims a full resolution EVF simply because they dont exist, and are not likely to exist with current technology. Its the major difference between a "ZLR" camera and a DSLR camera, and one of the biggest reasons that a lot of people went DSLR. With a DSLR you get a reflection of the actual image in the viewfinder NOT an electronic reconstruction of the view. In order to get this, you must sacrifice "live preview" and histograms (the histograms are only available on REVIEW in a DSLR) All things being equal the highest pixel count in an EVF will be the highest resolution. The only time there would be any confusion in this area would be if the manufacturers started counting them differently. The way they count them now is just fine, as long as they dont change it, the highest number is STILL the highest number. Well, I dispute that - if a monitor is VGA resolution (the best I've seen to date) then it should be described as 640 x 480 pixels, i.e. 307,200 pixels, not "900,000 pixels" as promoted by one manufacturer. Being honest about the display resolution is something the consumer deserves, I believe. I do agree with you that this is one area of the EVF that needs drastic improvement. Cheers, David |
#9
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