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Why do EVFs keep getting worse?

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somephotoguy

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I had a Canon S3IS, and its EVF was low-resolution but it still looked good for composing photos in autofocus mode. Then I upgraded to an SX20, and its EVF had higher resolution but just didn't look as natural. There was some distortion and fringing around the edges. For autofocus, it felt like a step backwards from the S3. Now I've upgraded to the SX40 and the EVF is horrible. It has tremendous distortion and fringing around the edges, and it seems to have some sort of diagonal pattern in the screen itself. It's uncomfortable to even look at it for more than a few seconds and is almost a dealbreaker for this camera.

My question is WHY does Canon continue to downgrade this differentiating feature? Am I the only one who even uses the EVF anymore? I can count on one hand the total number of times I've even opened the LCD screen on any of these cameras. The EVF is an important feature that sets these cameras apart from their cheaper competition and I don't understand how something as awful as the SX40 viewfinder even made it into production.

(Note: The diopter adjustment was properly set on all of these cameras.)
 
I completely agree with you and that is one of my pet peeves! Arrrrgh! I suspect that the reason they do this is that they have put more money into making the LCD larger and assume most folks will use the LCD to frame and shoot. So they cost reduce the EVF, because not many people will use it anyway. Wrong! The EVF is my preferred way of shooting -- like my DSLR's. So I am in agreement with you.
somephotoguy said:
I had a Canon S3IS, and its EVF was low-resolution but it still looked good for composing photos in autofocus mode. Then I upgraded to an SX20, and its EVF had higher resolution but just didn't look as natural. There was some distortion and fringing around the edges. For autofocus, it felt like a step backwards from the S3. Now I've upgraded to the SX40 and the EVF is horrible. It has tremendous distortion and fringing around the edges, and it seems to have some sort of diagonal pattern in the screen itself. It's uncomfortable to even look at it for more than a few seconds and is almost a dealbreaker for this camera.

My question is WHY does Canon continue to downgrade this differentiating feature? Am I the only one who even uses the EVF anymore? I can count on one hand the total number of times I've even opened the LCD screen on any of these cameras. The EVF is an important feature that sets these cameras apart from their cheaper competition and I don't understand how something as awful as the SX40 viewfinder even made it into production.

(Note: The diopter adjustment was properly set on all of these cameras.)
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--
kind regards
Dale
 
somephotoguy said:
I had a Canon S3IS, and its EVF was low-resolution but it still looked good for composing photos in autofocus mode.
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I was so frustrated by the low resolution of the S3 and the trouble in using it at full zoom that I had to sell off the camera. I shudder to think that it's getting worse.
 
The camera itself and images are worlds better. The EVF leaves something to be desired however. But taken all together, it is a huge step up.
kelpdiver said:
somephotoguy said:
I had a Canon S3IS, and its EVF was low-resolution but it still looked good for composing photos in autofocus mode.
Click to expand...
I was so frustrated by the low resolution of the S3 and the trouble in using it at full zoom that I had to sell off the camera. I shudder to think that it's getting worse.
Click to expand...
--
kind regards
Dale
 
--The main reason I hold back on "upgrading" to the SX40 from the SX10 is the EVF. Well, there is a couple more but that is a biggy. The competition does a better job. Canon has always given a little to take a little. Sony and Panasonic is looking better all the time but they too have a few irritants, including price if a bigger sensor is added to the mix.
Don V. Armitage
 
somephotoguy said:
I had a Canon S3IS, and its EVF was low-resolution but it still looked good for composing photos in autofocus mode. Then I upgraded to an SX20, and its EVF had higher resolution but just didn't look as natural. There was some distortion and fringing around the edges. For autofocus, it felt like a step backwards from the S3. Now I've upgraded to the SX40 and the EVF is horrible. It has tremendous distortion and fringing around the edges, and it seems to have some sort of diagonal pattern in the screen itself. It's uncomfortable to even look at it for more than a few seconds and is almost a dealbreaker for this camera.
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Interesting read. I didn't know about that, I just assumed that the EVFs were getting better and better. Does anyone if it's the same story on other brands? I've heard that the EVF on the Panasonic G3 should be pretty decent, for example.
 
dona2 said:
--The main reason I hold back on "upgrading" to the SX40 from the SX10 is the EVF.
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Yes, the SX30/SX40 EVF is a big step backwards, when compared to the bigger and brighter EVF of the SX10, but surprisingly, after using it for a little while, I hardly notice it anymore.
 
Steen Bay said:
dona2 said:
--The main reason I hold back on "upgrading" to the SX40 from the SX10 is the EVF.
Click to expand...
Yes, the SX30/SX40 EVF is a big step backwards, when compared to the bigger and brighter EVF of the SX10, but surprisingly, after using it for a little while, I hardly notice it anymore.
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I agree that the EVF is not all that bad. I have a corneal deterioration called keratoconus, so maybe my poor vision (especially in my dominant eye) makes me not so critical of the EVF. If I can see the image well enough to compose, I'll live with it, even though it isn't a big bright OVF !

What I do like about the SX40 EVF is the fact that it shows critical shooting info, and that is a huge step up from the G12 which shows nothing but the image to be shot, and leaves off the outer edges of that.

carolyn
--
Ranger a.k.a chammett
http://www.pbase.com/chammett

'elegance is simplicity'
 
that's all it is, cost cutting . they must have decided that EVFs were getting used less and less so used that area to cut cost . as it happens, only the SX10 and 20 had decent ones of the pinhead megazooms - the S1-S5 had ones just as trashy as the SX30/40 only with less pixels and more magnification

--
A Problem is only the pessimistic way of looking at a challenge

 
I also agree. I have an aging Pansonic fz8 superzoom, which has a large and fairly decent EVF. I understand that in the last several years they have gotten no better or even worse. Too bad, I won't take worse in a new camera because I found using an LCD to be a nuisance with tri-focal glasses. If it's worse, then no sale. I'll stick with my d-slr or cameras with a tolerable optical finder. I only accept an LCD only camera in a shirt pocket size type. Aging baby boomer...

Greg
 
Coming from the S3, I think the EVF in the SX40 is a real improvement. It may be not as good as the one in the SX10 or SX20, but I didn't own one of those models to compare it with.
 
Unfortunate, because framing a pic is very important and some new cameras have very good EFVs. Less zoom (tele) and better EVF would make me interested in this camera... not interested now. I bought the Vixia M41 camcorder (top model) for its EVF, and found it to be disappointing at best. With glasses, the image washes out in bright light and the reflection off the eyepiece glass is distracting. To use the EFV, I need to remove my glasses, which I don't like to do. Again, my nearly ancient Panny FZ8 superzoom has a better EFV. Discouraging.

Greg
 
Same here. I have an SX-10 and recently did some shopping around just to make sure I wasn't missing anything. When using the SX I constantly use the EVF, it's one of my favorite features of the camera. All else being equal, the EVF will make or break the deal for me on a camera. I expected to find that they had improved the EVF's on these units - instead they've gone backwards.

The SX10 and my HZW30 (Samsung) both take incredibly good shots. I may stick with those two for the duration or when they break whichever comes first.

The technology exists to put a really fine-grained "retina" type display in an EVF. If someone would come out with one like that I would definitely consider going to it. Until that happens I'm staying put.
 
The Fujifilm x-S1 coming out in January will have a much larger 1.44m EVF (similar to ones found in m43/x100). Hopefully this will start a trend. Even the 900k EVF from the Olympus VF-3 would be better than any past bridge camera.
 
SHood said:
The Fujifilm x-S1 coming out in January will have a much larger 1.44m EVF (similar to ones found in m43/x100). Hopefully this will start a trend. Even the 900k EVF from the Olympus VF-3 would be better than any past bridge camera.
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The Fuji X10 has a very nice glass OVF.

--
Don
http://www.pbase.com/dond
 
SHood said:
The Fujifilm x-S1 coming out in January will have a much larger 1.44m EVF (similar to ones found in m43/x100). Hopefully this will start a trend. Even the 900k EVF from the Olympus VF-3 would be better than any past bridge camera.
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Well, Canon is usually a bit slow, but maybe, with a bit of luck, we'll see an improved EVF in SX60. ;-)
 
SHood said:
The Fujifilm x-S1 coming out in January will have a much larger 1.44m EVF (similar to ones found in m43/x100). Hopefully this will start a trend. Even the 900k EVF from the Olympus VF-3 would be better than any past bridge camera.
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I compared an SX30 side-by-side with a Sony A55, and the SX30's EVF implementation was actually better in some ways.

--
Lee Jay
(see profile for equipment)
 
Steen Bay said:
SHood said:
The Fujifilm x-S1 coming out in January will have a much larger 1.44m EVF (similar to ones found in m43/x100). Hopefully this will start a trend. Even the 900k EVF from the Olympus VF-3 would be better than any past bridge camera.
Click to expand...
Well, Canon is usually a bit slow, but maybe, with a bit of luck, we'll see an improved EVF in SX60. ;-)
Click to expand...
--This is the one item where Canon dropped the ball. Sony managed to develop their OLED EVF making it one of the best as view finders go. Why not Canon? Marketing. The buyer will always accept one shortcoming if the rest is a bit better than the competition.
Don V. Armitage
 
I bought the SX10 for the zoom, obviously, but also for improved EVF/LCD over my S5, for the purpose of checking focus. The focus check blow up is my default setting for review of SX10 shots. There is so much good about the SX40 from user comments here and pro reviews, but cut corners like this make me hold off.

I'd be willing to pay one or two hundred dollars more for a real "all in" bridge camera from Canon, I know Canon can do it, but we haven't got it yet.
 
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