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How important to close E-** optical viewfinder for shutter?

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Wayne Reibold

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I just bought an E-20 and actually read the manual and it warns about using the lever to close the optical viewfinder off from getting light in it when taken outdoor pics in the sun with the cable release to where light can get in the optical viewfinder otherwise and wash out pics.

Is this a mandatory thing to do in that it will significantly wash out pictures otherwise? I pretty much always use a tripod and cable release (and most pics are landscape) so I read the statement very carefully. I'm just curious E- owners who have had their cameras for awhile and know firsthand how significant leaving the optical viewfinder open when using a cable release in sunny situations is.

If it is a significant concern I guess I'll have to try myself to always flip the level just before taking the pics.

Thanks in advance!
 
Wayne Reibold said:
I just bought an E-20 and actually read the manual and it warns
about using the lever to close the optical viewfinder off from
getting light in it when taken outdoor pics in the sun with the
cable release to where light can get in the optical viewfinder
otherwise and wash out pics.

Is this a mandatory thing to do in that it will significantly wash
out pictures otherwise?
Click to expand...
Have you forgotten you have a digicam? You can run a cost-free, nearly instant experiment and decide the matter for yourself. At one time I had believed that while shooting indoors, I could ignore a semi-bright window behind the camera (i.e., not bother to close the viewfinder). I few seconds spent taking some test exposures showed I was wrong.

One easy way to test is by using Manual mode and shooting a "proper" exposures (for the bright outdoor scene) but with lens cap on. Comparison of the histograms ought to easily show the effect of opening/closing the viewfinder's shutter.
Phil
 
I just bought the camera but am taking it on a 2-week trip to Hawaii in a couple of days and won't have time to play with it since I have to work non-stop from now to then. So I thought I'd fire off a topic here to find out from those who know.

It sounds like it is a significant concern and I should get in the habit of using the lever to close off the viewfinder for all shots.

Thanks!
Phil Rose said:
Wayne Reibold said:
I just bought an E-20 and actually read the manual and it warns
about using the lever to close the optical viewfinder off from
getting light in it when taken outdoor pics in the sun with the
cable release to where light can get in the optical viewfinder
otherwise and wash out pics.

Is this a mandatory thing to do in that it will significantly wash
out pictures otherwise?
Click to expand...
Have you forgotten you have a digicam? You can run a cost-free,
nearly instant experiment and decide the matter for yourself. At
one time I had believed that while shooting indoors, I could ignore
a semi-bright window behind the camera (i.e., not bother to close
the viewfinder). I few seconds spent taking some test exposures
showed I was wrong.
One easy way to test is by using Manual mode and shooting a
"proper" exposures (for the bright outdoor scene) but with lens cap
on. Comparison of the histograms ought to easily show the effect of
opening/closing the viewfinder's shutter.
Phil
Click to expand...
 
Wayne,

Even though I read the manual and understood about closing the viewfinder shutter, I took a bunch of photos on the 4th of July with the camera held over my head. They were all ruined. It took me a while to figure out why.

This is something you must always remember to do.

Normally I have my eye to the viewfinder, so it is too easy to forget.

--
Lawrence
 
I'm going to have a hard time training myself to do it, then when I have lapses of time where I don't use the camera, to remember to do it once I start using the camera again. It's almost like it would be better if the camera automatically closed the optical viewfinder (automatically did the latch vs. manually having to do it), or at least providing an option for it to work that way. That's what automation is all about, to make things easier!
Lawrence Keeney said:
Wayne,

Even though I read the manual and understood about closing the
viewfinder shutter, I took a bunch of photos on the 4th of July
with the camera held over my head. They were all ruined. It took me
a while to figure out why.

This is something you must always remember to do.

Normally I have my eye to the viewfinder, so it is too easy to forget.

--
Lawrence
Click to expand...
 
Wayne Reibold said:
I just bought an E-20 and actually read the manual and it warns
about using the lever to close the optical viewfinder off from
getting light in it when taken outdoor pics in the sun with the
cable release to where light can get in the optical viewfinder
otherwise and wash out pics.

Is this a mandatory thing to do in that it will significantly wash
out pictures otherwise? I pretty much always use a tripod and
cable release (and most pics are landscape) so I read the statement
very carefully. I'm just curious E- owners who have had their
cameras for awhile and know firsthand how significant leaving the
optical viewfinder open when using a cable release in sunny
situations is.

If it is a significant concern I guess I'll have to try myself to
always flip the level just before taking the pics.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
--

Lets face it. If the viewfinder cover wasn't necessary, then Olympus would not have taken the time, trouble and expense to design and provide it !

Geoff
Olympus C3030Z + E20
 
Other DLSR's also have a viewfinder cover for exactly the same purpose. My Canon D30 has a slip on viewfinder cover and the D2000 (EOS1n based) has a lever just like the E-10.
--
John W
 
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