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Canon SX10 IS Eye Level View Finder.

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Dan Hudson

Dan Hudson

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First post failed. The eye level viewfinder on my new SX10 IS seems defective. The view is very grainy and looks as if you were looking through a screen. The LCD is fine. My previous camera, the Samsung DMC-FZ28 had a really good viewfinder. Is mine bad?
--
Christian Amateur Photographer
 
Your previous camera must have been a Panasonic DMC FZ28 (not a Samsung)

I have a SX10 since August 2009 and I have no complaints about the EVF. However I don't have anything to compare it with, as it is my first camera with an EVF. In a "Super Zoom" test here in dpreview which included the SX10 and the FZ28, the reviewer writes and I quote:

"The electronic viewfinder is a real 'standout' feature on the SX10 IS: it is considerably larger than any of the others (it looks about 4x bigger in a side by side comparison). Next to the SX10 all the other cameras in this group have viewfinders that look like peering through a long tunnel."

So SX10 viewfinder isn't supposed to be bad relativelly to competition and specifically to the Panasonic, but the contrary seems to be the case.

On the other hand Electronic viewfinders (EVFs) are really tiny LCD screens so you're in fact looking through a screen, which is always grainier (it has a limited amount of pixels) and contrastier than a Optical Viewfinders (OFVs), especially the better ones on DSLRs.

If I was you, I would find another SX10 and look through its EVF to see if yours is not performing as it should.

Good Luck!
 
You are right, the viewfinder sucks quality wise. But it does let you turn your head into a tripod (actually a bi-pod, I guess), which is why it's there. I think the same thing every time I look through it after using a 20d. Your cam is fine.
 
Dan Hudson said:
My previous camera, the Samsung DMC-FZ28 had a really good viewfinder. > --
Christian Amateur Photographer
Click to expand...
--Sorry about that....It was a Panasonic.
Christian Amateur Photographer
 
I also would like to suggest you check the diopter adjustment.......

As a reply this has already been suggested,however you didn't not respond to that
suggestion....

So once again.....
While holding the camera as if you were about to bring it to your eye to use the
viewfinder.
You will notice a small wheel located just to the left of the viewfinder on the
camera body.

While looking through the viewfinder,rotate the wheel until your view becomes clear.

If this attempt at diopter adjustment does not make your view better....

Send me the camera,I'll take care of it.....
Either way...my reply will one way or the other take care of your problem.

No charge.
--
Being blessed with sight,does not bestow seeing.
Sir,Hamington
 
hamx15 said:
I also would like to suggest you check the diopter adjustment.......
If this attempt at diopter adjustment does not make your view better....

Send me the camera,I'll take care of it.....
Either way...my reply will one way or the other take care of your problem.

No charge.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info, however I did that when I first got the camera before I knew that my viewfinder was defective. I wish I had known of your offer before I sent the camera to the Canon repair facility. The cost was $149.70 plus shipping. I expect to receive my camera tomorrow.

An interesting note...While at Wal-Mart, I checked out a couple of DSLR cameras. One was a Canon Rebel XS. It had a very poor viewfinder, really worse than mine. Image always fuzzy. No way to focus through that viewfinder. I did adjust the diopter to very little avail. Incase you are thinking that I have eye trouble, the views from these two camera's were not impared in the same way. Mine was like looking through a screen door while the Rebel was just out of focus. Thanks again, Dan
Christian Amateur Photographer
 
--My viewfinder has been repaired by the Canon Repair Facility at the cost of $149.70 plus shipping to them. It is now marginally better. It does not even approach the quality of the viewfinder in my Panasonic FZ28. It is servicable now, but not pleasing to use. The camera now has a small white piece of trash on the back side of the front lens element. It did not have this before. Maybe it got shaken loose during shipping. I guess I will have to live with that.
Christian Amateur Photographer
 
Are you sure the dslr you checked out was focused? On a dslr you are looking through the lens and when lens is properly focused view should be much sharper than any evf. When the lens is not in focus on a dslr the view will not be in focus either, that is one of the purposes of viewing through the lens so you can focus manually.
 
Dan Hudson said:
--My viewfinder has been repaired by the Canon Repair Facility at the cost of $149.70 plus shipping to them. It is now marginally better. It does not even approach the quality of the viewfinder in my Panasonic FZ28. It is servicable now, but not pleasing to use. The camera now has a small white piece of trash on the back side of the front lens element. It did not have this before. Maybe it got > shaken loose during shipping. I guess I will have to live with that.
Click to expand...
I'd send it back! How long have you had this and why is it not under warranty? And I'd let them know that it's now obvious that there was nothing wrong with the view finder to begin with so why should you have to pay for nothing?
Dan Hudson said:
Christian Amateur Photographer
Click to expand...
--
'I don't necessarily believe everything I say'!
 
--Dan-- I wasn't going to touch this one but I can't resist. The EVF on a "good" SX10is is superior to the Pana FZ28. If this is not so you have a bad sample. I have trifocal glasses and have no problen getting a clear 100% view through my EVF. Rarely use the LVD.

Don V. Armitage
 
dona2 said:
--Dan-- I wasn't going to touch this one but I can't resist. The EVF on a "good" SX10is is superior to the Pana FZ28. If this is not so you have a bad sample. I have trifocal glasses and have no problen getting a clear 100% view through my EVF. Rarely use the LVD.

Don V. Armitage
Click to expand...
--Sorry, that should read "LCD"
Don V. Armitage
 
I agree. I used to have an FZ35, but I got rid of it solely because of the EVF. I went with a SX20is (same EVF as a SX10is) because it has a vastly superior EVF. Not superior to a VF on a DSLR, but superior to EVFs on most bridge cameras.
 
The things I learn here!

One of my many problems with my SX20 is that it's so easy to press a random button on the panel to mess things up. On Sunday we went to see a castle and I was mad because I thought my EVF died and I had to use to OVF (which resulted in some interesting-angle shots NOT being taken). However, I could not see through the OVF properly and I almost threw the camera in the sea afterwards. Fortunately, I soon found out that I accidentally pressed the display button, which resulted in the EVF going blank. Reading your post I now know why the OVF was so crap and I have adjusted it. :)

Thanks!
 
I find that the SX20 EVF often shows vastly superior pictures on its screen than the way the pictures turn out on the computer monitor. :)
 
Dan Hudson said:
Dan Hudson said:
I also would like to suggest you check the diopter adjustment.......
If this attempt at diopter adjustment does not make your view better....

Send me the camera,I'll take care of it.....
Either way...my reply will one way or the other take care of your problem.

No charge.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info, however I did that when I first got the camera before I knew that my viewfinder was defective. I wish I had known of your offer before I sent the camera to the Canon repair facility. The cost was $149.70 plus shipping. I expect to receive my camera tomorrow.

An interesting note...While at Wal-Mart, I checked out a couple of DSLR cameras. One was a Canon Rebel XS. It had a very poor viewfinder, really worse than mine. Image always fuzzy. No way to focus through that viewfinder. I did adjust the diopter to very little avail. Incase you are thinking that I have eye trouble, the views from these two camera's were not impared in the same way. Mine was like looking through a screen door while the Rebel was just out of focus.
Click to expand...
So to ask a dumb question, did you attempt to focus the Rebel either with the camera turned on and AF enabled, or by manually focusing the lens?
 
dona2 said:
--Dan-- I wasn't going to touch this one but I can't resist. The EVF on a "good" SX10is is superior to the Pana FZ28. If this is not so you have a bad sample. I have trifocal glasses and have no problen getting a clear 100% view through my EVF. Rarely use the LVD.

Don V. Armitage
Click to expand...
--Are you telling me that my SX10 EVF should not appear as if looking through a moderately fine screen? My FZ28 did not appear as if looking through a screen. If you answer yes to this, then please tell me how to get it corrected. Canon already improved it by giving me a finer screen. It truly looks like the screen is made up of tiny round holes. Sure would be a great camera if it only compared with the FZ28 in respect to the EVF. Thanks for your help.
Christian Amateur Photographer
 
RAL said:
Are you sure the dslr you checked out was focused? On a dslr you are looking through the lens and when lens is properly focused view should be much sharper than any evf. When the lens is not in focus on a dslr the view will not be in focus either, that is one of the purposes of viewing through the lens so you can focus manually.
Click to expand...
--I am pretty sure the camera was turned on, because I was surprised that it would being in a Wal*Mart display. I would say that I manually focused. This camera could have been mistreated. I should be well versed in SLRs since I used a Minolta film SLR while teaching photography. I taught this course and darkroom techniques for several years. However, the DSLRs are different and I have forgotten a lot over the years since retirement. Thank you for being willing to help.
Christian Amateur Photographer
 
Mark B. said:
Dan Hudson said:
Member said:
I also would like to suggest you check the diopter adjustment.......
If this attempt at diopter adjustment does not make your view better....

Send me the camera,I'll take care of it.....
Either way...my reply will one way or the other take care of your problem.

No charge.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info, however I did that when I first got the camera before I knew that my viewfinder was defective. I wish I had known of your offer before I sent the camera to the Canon repair facility. The cost was $149.70 plus shipping. I expect to receive my camera tomorrow.

An interesting note...While at Wal-Mart, I checked out a couple of DSLR cameras. One was a Canon Rebel XS. It had a very poor viewfinder, really worse than mine. Image always fuzzy. No way to focus through that viewfinder. I did adjust the diopter to very little avail. Incase you are thinking that I have eye trouble, the views from these two camera's were not impared in the same way. Mine was like looking through a screen door while the Rebel was just out of focus.
Click to expand...
So to ask a dumb question, did you attempt to focus the Rebel either with the camera turned on and AF enabled, or by manually focusing the lens?
Click to expand...
--Mark, the diopter was adjusted repeatedly on my SX10 until arriving at the best image. Please share with me how you can fix my EVF? I am very curious. Thanks, Dan
Christian Amateur Photographer
 
chrisfree said:
The things I learn here!

One of my many problems with my SX20 is that it's so easy to press a random button on the panel to mess things up. On Sunday we went to see a castle and I was mad because I thought my EVF died and I had to use to OVF (which resulted in some interesting-angle shots NOT being taken). However, I could not see through the OVF properly and I almost threw the camera in the sea afterwards. Fortunately, I soon found out that I accidentally pressed the display button, which resulted in the EVF going blank. Reading your post I now know why the OVF was so crap and I have adjusted it. :)

Thanks!
Click to expand...
--Have you adjusted the EVF to the point of getting a good view without the screen effect? Are there other adjustments other than the diopter adj? Thanks, Dan
Christian Amateur Photographer
 
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