I’ll keep this post short. Some time ago I was curious why so many people don’t what to use the viewfinder anymore on their cameras these days. So I posted the question on reddit. I read some interesting answers but somehow I didn’t think about it anymore. Now when I was modifying my stereo camera for wet plate and thought of a way to integrate a ground glas, I remembered the posting again. Now it has about 500 comments and some of them surprised me. So I put them together in fitting categories and organized by popularity.
This is the original post, go there and read it, there are many funny answers as well.
click here
These are the topics I put together from the Reddit answers, please be aware that these are not my opinions, it’s what I collected from the posting.
Viewfinder pros | |
Stability | Lots of people find it provides stability by pressing the camera against the face, which minimizes motion blur, especially with telephoto lenses or in low light. More people that I thought were not aware of that. |
Immersive Focus | The viewfinder blocks out distractions, helping photographers focus solely on the frame. |
Old Habits/Comfort | Long-time photographers are used to the viewfinder and associate it with traditional photography. |
Outdoor Visibility | In bright sunlight, it’s easier to see through the viewfinder than an LCD screen. |
Prevents Smudges | Reduces fingerprints or smudges that might appear on the LCD screen. |
Privacy | Shots you don’t want to review on the screen |
Viewfinder cons | |
Ease of Use | Many prefer the LCD screen for flexibility in angling shots without needing to crouch or get low, especially for tall photographers. |
Influence of Smartphones | Younger photographers, familiar with smartphone photography, feel more comfortable using screens than viewfinders – Thanks to TikTok, Instagram and Youtube lots of stuff is vertical today (this really makes me feel old). Also because with using the lcd screen you can see what the photographer is seeing when captioning a video for social media. |
Eyeglasses Interference | Glasses can make using the viewfinder uncomfortable or impractical, leading many to opt for the screen instead. There are diopter adjustments, but if you can not adjust it to your needs, it gets frustrating. |
Ergonomics | Using the screen reduces strain on the neck and back for certain angles, such as overhead or ground-level shots. Similar to the first topic. |
Better Composition Options | With LCD screens, you see better what you get. |
Modern Autofocus Features | Features like touch autofocus and image stabilization in newer models make LCD shooting more efficient. |
Awareness of Surroundings | Using the screen allows photographers to maintain better awareness of their surroundings, avoiding potential collisions or distractions. |
Digital Transition | Mirrorless cameras’ EVFs often don’t match the screen’s quality, making the LCD preferable for many. Some people just prefer the OVF and don’t want to deal with the EVF. |
I just want to add one thing to the “Awareness of Surroundings” topic, because I discussed it on Patreon
As said in the video, I did reportages during tv recordings or during tournaments and had to be very careful, so I let my second eye open all the time and Ialso used the disabled viewfinder as a mirror sometimes. Again, thats how I learned it. But now after my discussion I have to agree, that people are on their phone screens all the time and are not aware of their surroundings at all. So maybe this can be a con as well.