On May 12, 2009, Scott Loveless wrote:
For me it's certainly not the case.
A high quality EVF is simply a better viewfinder for manual
focusing than
any optical reflex viewfinder found on the market today.
That's the problem, isn't it? I have yet to use a "high quality" EVF
that's better than most 25 year old pentaprisms.
I find the G1's EVF provides better focusing capability than the
Pentax 645 medium format SLR viewfinder. Or my Nikon F3/Thp
viewfinder, which was The Best 35mm optical reflex viewfinder I ever
used.
and then Graydon wrote:
I much prefer using my nice old Pentax manual prime lenses on the G1,
where I can focus them extremely accurately, quickly and easily see
the choices in DoF.
This is impossible to argue with.
I agree that it's impossible to argue with.
My comment is based on testing various manual focus lenses. With
Pentax K10D or *ist DS, Panasonic L1 or Olympus E-1 using an M50mm f/
1.4 lens, reviewing thousands of exposures in varying light conditions
and dynamic situations, the percentage which are accurately in focus
is about the same for all these cameras, it varies by 1-2%. Fit the
*same* lens on the G1 and immediately the percentage of properly
focused images leaps up by a huge percentage difference (close to 40%
more consistently focused exposures). BTW, that's without using the
magnification focus assist with either L1 or G1.
Since my eyes and glasses haven't changed, I can only attribute the
improvement to the fact that the G1 allows me to see the focus
transition point more clearly with its larger, better illuminated,
clearer viewfinder.
BTW, you're worried about 250:1 lighting ratios? When doing color
portraiture, you normally work with lighting ratios in the 3:1
average, 6:1 for B&W. I don't see how that kind of extreme lighting
ratio is of any real interest at all.
WR seems to have eyes that are particularly sensitive to strobing. The
G1's EVF refresh cycle is roughly 60hz, I believe, and if that's
causing you eyestrain sure: it's not really a good viewfinder for you.
Someone else was concerned about battery life. The G1 has a 1100 maH
battery. A full charge is generally netting me about 500-800
exposures, about the same as my Pentax K10D did with a 1700 maH battery.
But this isn't about "G1 über alles!" or any such nonsense. What I'm
saying is that the difference switching to the G1 after using my SLRs
for a week is like night and day ... with the day being in the G1
viewfinder. It's simply a better viewfinder for the majority of what I
do with a camera. I wish that Pentax or your-favorite-brand-du-jour
would also get on the stick and make a camera with an quality
viewfinder like this. Not because I'm dissatisfied with the G1 but
because it's definitely an ultra-compact consumer grade camera and not
as nice for me to work with as the L1, E-1 or K10D bodies in terms of
other practical aspects having to do with control layout and body
ergonomics.
The EVF is not without its own foibles and oddities. I consider a
viewfinder as a tool for focusing and framing, I don't consider it as
some kind of viewing device which makes me swoon over the gorgeous
richness of detailing and fidelity, or that gives me the 'feel my
subject's warming nipples' sensual pleasures. Focus critically, frame
the scene accurately ... with today's technology, not that of thirty
years ago, the EVF does the best job I've found. I leave the luscious
viewing experience to the prints I make after I've rendered the
photographs.
Godfrey
--
PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List
[email protected]
http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow
the directions.
