Why Do Mirrorless Cameras Have Viewfinders?.
Why Mirrorless Cameras Have Viewfinders: A Complete Guide for Beginners
Mirrorless cameras have taken the photography world by storm in recent years, and for good reason. They're smaller, lighter, and more affordable than DSLRs, and they offer a number of other advantages, such as silent shooting and faster focus speeds.
One of the key features of mirrorless cameras is the electronic viewfinder (EVF). An EVF is a small digital display that shows you a real-time preview of the image you're about to capture.
Why do mirrorless cameras have viewfinders?
There are a few reasons why mirrorless cameras have viewfinders:
- To frame your shots more accurately. A viewfinder allows you to hold the camera to your eye and see exactly what the lens is seeing. This is especially important when shooting in challenging conditions, such as low light or bright sunlight.
- To get real-time feedback on your exposure. An EVF can display a live preview of your exposure, so you can see how your settings will affect the final image before you take the shot.
- To use features like focus peaking and histogram. Focus peaking is a feature that highlights the in-focus areas of an image, while a histogram is a graph that shows the distribution of light and dark tones in an image. Both of these features can be very helpful for composing and exposing your shots accurately.
What are the advantages of an EVF over an optical viewfinder (OVF)?
OVFs are the traditional type of viewfinder found in DSLRs. They work by reflecting light from the lens up into the viewfinder, so you can see through the lens and see what the camera is seeing.
EVFs have a number of advantages over OVFs, including:
- Real-time feedback on exposure and other settings. As mentioned above, an EVF can display a live preview of your exposure and other settings, so you can see how they will affect the final image before you take the shot.
- The ability to use features like focus peaking and histogram. Focus peaking and a histogram can be very helpful for composing and exposing your shots accurately, and they are only available on EVFs.
- Better performance in low light. EVFs are better at performing in low light than OVFs, because they can amplify the signal from the sensor.
- The ability to see the effects of filters and other accessories. When you attach a filter or other accessory to your lens, you can see the effects on the image in real time through the EVF. This is not possible with an OVF.
What are the disadvantages of an EVF over an OVF?
EVFs also have a few disadvantages over OVFs, including:
- Potential for lag. Some EVFs can have a slight lag between what you see in the viewfinder and what is actually captured by the sensor. This can be a problem when shooting fast-moving subjects.
- Battery life. EVFs consume power, so they can reduce the battery life of your camera.
- Cost. EVFs are more expensive to produce than OVFs, so they tend to be more expensive to buy.
Overall, the advantages of EVFs over OVFs outweigh the disadvantages. This is why most mirrorless cameras have EVFs, and why they are becoming increasingly popular in DSLRs as well.
How to use a viewfinder effectively
Here are a few tips for using a viewfinder effectively:
- Hold the camera to your eye. This will help you to frame your shots more accurately.
- Use the viewfinder to focus. Most viewfinders have a focus point indicator that will show you where the camera is focusing.
- Use the viewfinder to check your exposure. Most viewfinders have an exposure meter that will show you whether your exposure is correct.
- Use the viewfinder to check your composition. Look for leading lines, symmetry, and other compositional elements.
Conclusion
Viewfinders are an important part of any camera, and they are especially important on mirrorless cameras. EVFs offer a number of advantages over OVFs, including real-time feedback on exposure and other settings, the ability to use features like focus peaking and histogram, and better performance in low light.
If you're new to mirrorless cameras, I encourage you to learn how to use the viewfinder effectively. It will help you to take better photos.