No LCD screen needed

I realised that I hardly ever use the LCD screen on my X100s. Mainly when showing photos to someone else. I definitely don't need it for shooting. So I'm thinking that I'd rather have my camera without LCD. The Hybrid Viewfinder is enough for everything; shooting, viewing, changing settings etc. A camera without lcd would be cheaper to produce, more durable, better looking and would have room for more and bigger buttons. And it might trick people to think that it is a film camera which of course would be as useless feature as the good looks.

Would anyone else be interested about such a camera?

I prefer the LCD screen for holding the camera above my head or low to the ground. I would rather not lie on the ground to look through a viewfinder. Sometimes the perspective of an image shot different from eye level can make all the difference.

I'm kinda-sorta on the same page as you. I definitely prefer using the viewfinder to shoot. But I find navigating through the menus or adjusting settings with the EVF to be sort of awkward, and I much prefer the rear LCD for doing that.

That being said, I'd be more bugged by a camera with no viewfinder than by a camera with no rear LCD. So the X-M1 would be a complete nonstarter for me.

Jason M Stone said:

Jason M Stone wrote:

I'm kinda-sorta on the same page as you. I definitely prefer using the viewfinder to shoot. But I find navigating through the menus or adjusting settings with the EVF to be sort of awkward, and I much prefer the rear LCD for doing that.

That being said, I'd be more bugged by a camera with no viewfinder than by a camera with no rear LCD. So the X-M1 would be a complete nonstarter for me.

Click to expand...

I agree. No viewfinder is a deal breaker for me. Having no LCD would be just like shooting with any of my DSLR's except that it would be a slightly more painful to perform tasks like reformatting cards. All the important setting are in the viewfinder or top display anyways. Reviewing and showing images to others on a rear LCD is a nice feature, but I wouldn't discount a camera for not having one.

Personally, I would very much like to see a digital camera with no rear LCD display for the reasons outlined (cheaper, lighter, smaller, thinner etc...). The X100 is pretty compact as is of course, but dSLRs could benefit from this reduction in bulk. In fact, now that cameras are able to 'project' their displays onto smartphones / pads, the need for a built in display (for playback and complex menu diving) diminishes further IMO.

I really don't want to try to change menu settings in the viewfinder - way too hard. Even the last few Nikon pro and prosumer film SLRs had LCDs on the back.

I use my XE-1 viewfinder a lot. When I first got it, I was used to using the LCD screen from my previous camera, so I would have to remind myself I have a viewfinder. Lately I find myself bringing it up to my eye without even thinking about it. But I do appreciate having the LCD screen when I need to be able to reach someplace my eyes can't easily go. Wouldn't mind having a swivel mount screen, but seems like that would add bulk and weight.

When shooting handheld, I always use the viewfinder, but when the camera is on the tripod, I find the lcd screen to be much easier to use. If I had to choose between the two I would take the viewfinder but I think cameras with both options are the best choice.

There's really no other option. The vf is so good, be it the ovf or evf. It helps isolating the situation to what you see in the vf and minimising the ambient distraction. For me it's like this with the X100 or XPro1.

I would like an articulating lcd screen in addition to optical and eve

I think it's a very good idea to forgo the LCD in a 'special' model. For me the benefits would be first a more compact camera and second sturdiness since you get rid of the most fragile part of the camera.

My addition to this discussion would be to use your smartphone/tablet as the LCD in order to review pictures and in cases where you need to shoot at weird angles.

I can't tell whether you are being ironic, haha

but - yeah I suppose I can see an appeal of such a camera even just because of certain purist sentimentality...

It could be an instant cult classic if it were to cost $199 for body only!

which reminds me: some 10 years a go a friend gave me a miniature copy of a leica M3, it was minox branded, if memory serves. It was about the size of a credit card, and an inch thick (incl. lens). Tiny OVF, no lcd, no controls. It took pretty bad pictures but everyone loved it due to kawaii factor

Exactly my thought. If Fuji could implement Wi-Fi and smartphone compability like Canon does in their DSLRs, the rear screen could be dropped altogether. You get live view and basic settings on your smartphone or tablet: fully tilt able and rotating 360 degrees - take that Sony NEX

In return they could skip the built-in flash on my X-E1 and replace it with a small B&W display only for the settings, just like on prosumer DSLRs.

To complete the perfect body switch the EC dial for an ISO dial and give it an the shutter speed dial 1/3 increments - without additional markings! Add weather sealing, center the tripod mount, seperate the card slot from the battery and move it to the side of the body.

On the rear of the camera, put the AF-L where the dial is in the top right corner. On the raised part where now the flash release and view mode reside put four buttons for self-timer (in picture review mode: delete), macro-mode (zoom in), EVF-enlargement for manual focusing (zoom out) and the view mode (customizable through Wi-Fi on the smartphone). As a sixth control: a small joystick - just like the big Canon's - to move the focus point or navigate through pics in review. For me, the fn-button next to the shutter release could then be assigned permanently to DOF-preview. All other buttons could be skipped, because as somebody else already suggested: RAW-only!!!

But not your average RAW format - DNG! If it is even possible with X-trans... I guess, if the processor and software are tuned right, loosing the JPEGs could make the camera quicker in operation. The film simulations would be great as separate plug-ins for LR and Aperture - free for registered Fuji users, $30 for everyone else (including an $30 mail in rebate for the purchase of a Fuji camera ;-).

Oh my, I drifted away from the subject... Well, ehmm... No LCD would be fine under some conditions

Best,

Mike

I would like to see an X-100 with a rear LCD that flipped up to use as a waist level finder. Otherwise I use the OVF/EVF exclusively for taking pictures. LCD is used for chimping & menu changes.

Heck, even Leica provides an LCD on the rear of their genuine, full-optical rangefinder cameras... ;-)

I would like to see one of two things on an X-Series style camera:

1. Top mounted small LCD which is uncovered when opening the 'hood'. It can also be used for settings but makes the camera shorter by not having to accommodate the rear LCD height. Doesn't need to be big, just a small screen with sunshade.

2. Have a smaller rear screen of around 2" to remove height again, or no LCD at all. Then add e-ink top mount display for main parameters this way (in addition to the physical aperture, shutter and exp comp) you can see your settings even when the camera is off (e-ink retains its state even without power). This way at a glance you can see exactly what the camera is set to at a glance at the top plate including metering modes, AF modes, shots available, RAW/JPEG, film sim, DR expansion, even battery status (last time it was on).

A third thing that is slightly less related is I've always wanted a 'multi function dial' with small OLED display in the middle of it. Pulling up on the outer ring switches between functions and the display changes state to represent the current setting of said function such as metering, WB, AF, ISO etc. so you still look at the dial itself when changing settings, but that one dial can serve many functions. You could then also use it while looking through the viewfinder as that display would also update as you pull up the dial the 'custom dial box' changes visible options and turning the dial cycles through options. You could even animate the display to operate like the dials on film SLRs that used to be 'dials under dials' with a small plastic window.

Lastly further expanding that last idea is to have two or three dials that do this, making configuring what each dial does at any given point in time (and any mode) really easy and not require any menu delving. It also means that dials such as shutter when in aperture priority no longer become redundant.