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Poll: How many time have you used optical viewfinder on G3?

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chocolate said:
Phil Douglis said:
Since I almost always use my G2 with a .75x wideangle converter in
place, the optical viewfinder is useless anyway, because my
converter lenses will block them. Since this requires me to always
use my LCD viewfinder, I've learned how to take advantage of its
astounding benefits.
Click to expand...
I took a look at your website, very nice! This is off topic but...
How has the quality of the wideangle converter held up for you? I
tried to guess wihich of the Alaska photos used the converter but I
didn't see any info. Also, have you used the teleconverter with the
G2?

When I went to Antarctica, I hauled my SLR and a few lenses. I was
thinking about heading for Alaska this fall with a Canon G3 or G5.
The batteries have excellent life (my G1 lasts forever), the CF
cards are very cheap, but I really need the reach on both ends, WA
and tele.

Thanks!
l
Click to expand...
Hi, chocolate:

Thanks for looking at my portfolios of travel photojournalism on worldisround.com. As for that Tiffen .75x wideangle converter, I've used it extensively on every trip I've taken since getting my G2 in November of 2001. Since you mentioned my Alaskan pictures, the following were definitely taken with the teleconverter in place:

Only in Alaska; Under the Flying Bear; Double Duty; In Harness; Abandoned Trestle; On the Bridge over the Kulskana River; Kennecott River Valley; New World Discoverer in the Bering Sea; Foggy Beach, St. Matthew Island; and A field of flowers on St. Matthews. A number of others may have involved this lens as well, but since it can be zoomed from an equivalent of 26mm to 76mm, it is difficult to remember the shots that were made at focal lengths other than at the full wide angle of 26mm with this lens. I probably used it for some of the Macros as well-- it is a very close focusing lens.

As for the Tiffen 2x teleconverter, I know I used it on the following Alaskan pictures: Moose near Anchorage Airport; Mt. McKinley, Denali National Park; Mt. Blackburn, wreathed in clouds; all six of the images taken from a ship while traveling through the Kenai Fjords National Park; Walruses haul up on Diomede; all pictures on St. Lawrence and Hall Islands; and all seven pictures on St. Paul Island. Many of these shots involved wildlife and birds -- and the 2x -- giving me the equivalent a 200mm lens --was essential. I could have used even more range if I had it!

And yes, both of these converters have held up very, very well. With each additional trip I find that I am using the wideangle more and more. In Africa, due to the all the wildlife shots, I used the teleconverter extensively. But in South America, Santa Fe, and Europe, I kept the wideangle on the camera constantly, since most of my subject matter fell with its 26mm to 76mm range, which is much more useful for my particular style of shooting than the G2's normal 35-102mm range, particularly when relating foreground, middleground, and background subject matter.

Speaking of the G5, I received an email from B&H today notifying me that it is now in stock. I've used my G2 heavily for the last 18 months, taking thousands of pictures with it. I did not opt for the G3 when it came out, because none of its features seemed that important to me. However the G5 offers me 5MP, which is important to me because I like to crop my pictures now and then to strengthen their meaning, and I think the extra megapixel will help me to maintain the quality of my images. So I ordered the G5 this morning, along with Canon's .7x wideangle converter and its 1.7x teleconverter. My new .7x wideangle on the G5 hopefully will give me the equivalent of a 24mm-168mm zoom range, significantly improving upon the 26mm to 76mm range of the Tiffen .75x wideangle on my G2. The new teleconverter probably can only be used on the G5 at its full 1.7x reach, which is equivalent to a 238mm telephoto lens. That should be ideal for the wildlife I hope to encounter when I go to Antarctica this winter.( I plan to keep my G2 and its Tiffen converters with me at all times as backup.)

I certainly agree with you that taking either a G3 or a G5 with you when you go to Alaska this fall is a smart move. I'd suggest you consider getting both of the converters that Canon has developed for the G3 and G5, which are an improvement over the .8x wideangle and 1.5x tele it produced for the G2. (That's why I went with Tiffen's converters for my G2). You can make excellent use of both wideangle and telephoto optics in Alaska, which offers great landscape as well as wildlife subject matters. Good shooting, and thanks for checking out my pictures.

Phil Douglis
Director, The Douglis Visual Workshops
Phoenix, Arizona
[email protected]
http://www.worldisround.com/home/pnd1/index.html
http://www.funkytraveller.com/Pages/travelogues/travelphotophild.htm
 
I have used the LCD for most of my shots. Can be a useful aid for gauging exposure/metering. Am considering getting a shade for the LCD as I find the image tends to be washed out (for me) in bright daylight. I like the clarity of the view-finder but don't use it much as it only provides about 84% frame coverage. It it covered 95% I would use it more often.
sillypoint said:
In the 2+ months I have G3 and over a 1000 shots, not a single shot
is composed with Optical Viewfinder.
Click to expand...
--
http://www.pbase.com/golfpic/tulips2003
 
On a recent vacation, in the Arizona desert, I had to use optical viewfinder. The sun was so bright there was no way to see the LCD.
sillypoint said:
In the 2+ months I have G3 and over a 1000 shots, not a single shot
is composed with Optical Viewfinder.
Click to expand...
 
Susan Watling said:
On a recent vacation, in the Arizona desert, I had to use optical
viewfinder. The sun was so bright there was no way to see the LCD.
Click to expand...
Susan:

I live in Phoenix, and am very familiar with that same bright sun you encountered here on your vacation. I give tutorials in basic digital photography to beginners here at my home, and we do a lot of our fieldwork in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve desert right in my backyard. I encourage my students to shoot with LCD displays -- not optical viewfinders -- for the reasons I discussed in my earlier response to this thread at: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=5343352

Those who use digicams with swiveling LCDs have no problems seeing their displays in the sun when using the techniques I have outlined in my response. Unfortunately, a lot of my students have cameras with LCD displays that are fixed on the backs of their cameras. They have a lot more difficulty viewing them in the sun. One possible solution for them would be to press a cardboard tub, (a toilet paper tube, for example) up to the LCD and look through that. Another, of course, is a hood from the Hoodman company. The owners of the Canon G1, G2, G3 and the new G5, however, can avoid using these contraptions altogether by using the waist level shooting style outlined in my earlier response.

Try out the techniques I suggest and see if they can work for you in the sun. I hope you'll have better luck on your next visit to our desert, Susan.

--
Phil Douglis
Director, The Douglis Visual Workshops
Phoenix, Arizona
[email protected]
http://www.worldisround.com/home/pnd1/index.html
http://www.funkytraveller.com/Pages/travelogues/travelphotophild.htm
 
@chocolate:

when you travel to cold places you might want to use the capability of the rapid and easy G3/G5 bajonet change rather than screwing and unscrewing a converter to an adapter. http://www.lensmateonline.com produces a high quality aluminium adapter and sells them in any mix per 1/2/3 in 2 sizes 58+52mm (Phil might be able to use his 52mm G2 converters, if that's what they are!).

The canonconverters sell w/protective 'leather' pouches, which fit the converter w/the lensadapter attached.

Daily carry my lot (+-G3+-Canon58LA+-UVprotector+-WC-+LMseeaboveLA+-TC+-LMseeaboveLA+-MAKRO52+-LMseeaboveLA+-420ex+-Hoodman+-StoFen+-etc) with me in a +-tamrac+-explore+-4+-rucksack+- (+-z to evade searchenginez), as 'the best camera is the one that's with you' (motto stolen from another dpreview-forumattender)

I wish you good 'hunting' on your next trip,

@Phil:

Same site also contains (links to) conversion tables showing exactly what optic/digital zoomrange the G3/G5 lenses+converters have, think you might be off a few 35mm-equivalent mm's ;-)

Thanks for the extra waist-level tips, find them most useful!

regards, nice weekend,

Max
--
Max@Home, Castricum, Netherlands

http://www.pbase.com/max_at_home (mind you, use underscores!)
 
Bart P. said:
Sometimes there is this last one picture that you absolutely want
to take when your battery is empty.
Click to expand...
when would that be??? can they go empty??? do they???
( =verrry happy G3+LBP512 user ;-)= )
--
Max@Home - G3 - 420ex, Castricum, Netherlands
 
Paul Leibowitz said:
I got confused between cameras (notably, with a Nikon). You really
are talking about a OVF, not an EVF.

Still, would you prefer a true SLR OVF to the LCD?
Click to expand...
Let me tell you this much.

Have to film cameras at home, Nikon N70 with 24-120 lens for me and a point-n-shoot for the wife.

Started out on the digital journey for the wife essentially. Went to the store and handled Sony F-717, Nikon CP 995 and G3.

Although the tiltable body of CP 995 and F717 looked really really odd, it didnt take more than 2 minutes for me to get convienced about their advantages.

When I had the large format Yashica years ago, loved the freedom of holding the camera at waist level or even above the head when needed. Then came the SLRs and all its advantages.

But, I found moving my head with the camera to frame the shots is not always convienent.

My first order for digicam was CP995, but I cancelled it the very next day and ordered G3 instead after reading the impressions here and a recommendation from a friend.

Like, Phil said, absolutely love the real-time emulation of the shot EVF gives me, in addition to decoupling my head and the camera.

Have to agree 100% with Phil on his impressions.

Couple of weeks ago, I decided to look into DSLRs. Man, I was so disappointed to learn none of them have EVF.

Why in this digital age, they are selling stick-it-in-your-eye OVF is beyond me. DSLRs actually are worse than prosumer cams like G series. Why in the world I would use an optical view finder which doesnt show me how my pic is going to look?

Next time you are out in the night, frame a night shot via EVF in manual mode and see how well the camera emulates what the shot is going to look like.

I can categorically tell you, I have produced more wonderful pics in the last 2 months, than I was able to do in the last 10 years with SLR.

Take a look at this macro. Brown Rescule was on the roof corner, above the dresser, 10 feet high. There is no way in the world I could take that shot with a SLR. Even if it was at an approcheable height, I would never get my head that close it it.



Guess what happened to N70. Collecting dust. Last weekend I took it out just to see how if feels in the hand. Absolutely love its fast focussing and fast shutter response, but will never revert back to OVF in my lifetime.
 
Max@Home wrote:
(Phil might be able to use his 52mm G2
Max@Home said:
converters, if that's what they are!).
Click to expand...
Thanks so much, Max, for this tip. At your suggestion, i have checked the Lensmateonline.com site and have purchased one of their G3/G5 52mm adapters along with a 53-43 thin step up ring, which will allow me to attach either of my two old Tiffen converters to the new G5 which I ordered today. I probably won't need to use my old Tiffen 26mm wideangle converter on the new G5, since I have purchased the wider Canon 24mm wideangle converter along with a Canon adapter. That lens will give me a zoom range of 24mm to 168mm on the G5. However I can certainly make use of my old Tiffen 2x teleconverter on the G5 now -- it will give me the equivalent of a 280mm telephoto lens on the G5, ideal for wildlife. (I also have purchased the new Canon 1.75x teleconverter, which will zoom from 136mm to 245mm without vignetting, according to the Lensmate site. This was a very pleasant surprise to me. I had no idea that a converter that long could do that much zooming on the G3/G5! This same Lensmate site did not, however, indicate if my old, and even longer, Tiffen 2x teleconverter can do much, if any, zooming on my new G5. It couldn't do so on my G2. I could only use it at its full length. I guess I'll just have to wait for the G5 and the Lensmate to arrive and try it out. If you or anyone else on this forum has already tried a Tiffen 2X on the G3, let me know if you get any zoom out of it before it vignettes. Thanks.

With your tip, I can now use three converters on my new G5 covering zoom ranges equivalent to 24mm-168mm, 136mm-245mm, and 280mm. That's excellent wideangle to telephoto coverage for virtually every need that may come up in travel photography. Thanks again, Max.
Max@Home said:
@Phil:

Same site also contains (links to) conversion tables showing
exactly what optic/digital zoomrange the G3/G5 lenses+converters
have, think you might be off a few 35mm-equivalent mm's ;-)

Thanks for the extra waist-level tips, find them most useful!
Click to expand...
As I said above, the zoom ranges listed on the Lensmate site were extremely helpful. And yes, my recent posting was off by a few 35mm-equivalent mms, because I had inadvertently computed the multiplier of my new G3/G5 Canon teleconverter at 1.7x, when it actually is a bit longer -- 1.75x.

Glad you found my waist-level shooting experience to be of value. Enjoy the results, and thanks again for encouraging me to pick up a Lensmate adapter in addition to the two Canon adapters I have just purchased. My plan is to keep the new Canon adapters attached to each of my two new Canon converters, and attach the new Lensmate adapter to my old Tiffen 2X teleconverter. With three adapters permanently attached to each of these three lenses, it should eliminate a lot fumbling around and keep me from losing critical shots as a result!

Phil Douglis
Director, The Douglis Visual Workshops
Phoenix, Arizona
[email protected]
http://www.worldisround.com/home/pnd1/index.html
http://www.funkytraveller.com/Pages/travelogues/travelphotophild.htm
 
Phil Douglis said:
One
possible solution for them would be to press a cardboard tub, (a
toilet paper tube,
Click to expand...
-------
...this one ;-)
Member said:
for example) up to the LCD and look through
that.
Click to expand...
  • McD.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canons G2 & S400 / Canon i950 / 40GB Tripper / Mac OS 9.2.1 / QPict
 
sillypoint said:
Couple of weeks ago, I decided to look into DSLRs. Man, I was so
disappointed to learn none of them have EVF.

Why in this digital age, they are selling stick-it-in-your-eye OVF
is beyond me. DSLRs actually are worse than prosumer cams like G
series. Why in the world I would use an optical view finder which
doesnt show me how my pic is going to look?

Next time you are out in the night, frame a night shot via EVF in
manual mode and see how well the camera emulates what the shot is
going to look like.
Click to expand...
Are we talking about the same OVF when we discuss SLR. I mean a TTL OVF on SLRs, not what is sometimes referred to as a range-finder OVF. I do agree that OVF on cameras such as the G series are less reliable than EVF for composing shots but (it is my impression) that EVFs are very hard to use for: (1) people like myself who must wear glasses; and (2) low light situations. In addition, I am told that the are less responsive to movement so that "real-time" framing of moving objects (such as with action shots) is harder than it should be.

My only experience with an EVF is on the Minolta 7hi in a camera store and, frankjly, I could get close enough to the VF to use it because of my eyeglasses. People who wear glasses need larger openings.

I find the TTL OVF on my SLR invaluable and wish the camera had an electronic LCD.

Last, were you really talking about the LCD when you wrote EVF?

Paul (PS, Your picture is GREAT!)
 
I use the OVF in two situations. First off, I always use the OVF in low light. I have a G3 and I became used to the partial blockage at wide angle after the first week of owning it. The second type of shot is when I have my camera in hand and want a fast shot of something or someone. Seems that many years of using OVF on SLR's and other digicams is a hard habit to break in a pinch.
RA

--
Rich Adamo
Long Island, NY
 
Thank you so much for your suggestions. I have been thinking about the hoodman as my poor eyesight somewhat precludes the waist level shooting technique. By the time the LCD is that far away from my eyes - I can't see very clearly. It's too bad Canon doesn't use an EVF with the camera. I know many people don't like them, but for me it ideal (for the reason previously stated). Their optical viewfinder is about 35% useless considering the fact that 1. you can't see the whole frame and 2. the field is partially blocked, especially when there is an added lens.

Actually, I don't consider that I had poor luck as the sights I saw were so fabulous. It was a lot of fun. Although by the time I had a grasp in certain areas like the Painted Desert on the best settings to use because of the sun, dust, haze and lack of contrast, it was time to move on to another beautiful area.
Member said:
Member said:
Those who use digicams with swiveling LCDs have no problems seeing
Click to expand...
their displays in the sun when using the techniques I have outlined
in my response. Unfortunately, a lot of my students have cameras
with LCD displays that are fixed on the backs of their cameras.
They have a lot more difficulty viewing them in the sun. One
possible solution for them would be to press a cardboard tub, (a
toilet paper tube, for example) up to the LCD and look through
that. Another, of course, is a hood from the Hoodman company. The
owners of the Canon G1, G2, G3 and the new G5, however, can avoid
using these contraptions altogether by using the waist level
shooting style outlined in my earlier response.

Try out the techniques I suggest and see if they can work for you
in the sun. I hope you'll have better luck on your next visit to
our desert, Susan.

--
Phil Douglis
Director, The Douglis Visual Workshops
Phoenix, Arizona
[email protected]
http://www.worldisround.com/home/pnd1/index.html
http://www.funkytraveller.com/Pages/travelogues/travelphotophild.htm
Click to expand...
 
I've had my G3 for over a month, and never did i use it. it's better to use the screen for review using the histogram. I hope you're using this feature.
sillypoint said:
In the 2+ months I have G3 and over a 1000 shots, not a single shot
is composed with Optical Viewfinder.
Click to expand...
 
Paul Leibowitz said:
sillypoint said:
Couple of weeks ago, I decided to look into DSLRs. Man, I was so
disappointed to learn none of them have EVF.

Why in this digital age, they are selling stick-it-in-your-eye OVF
is beyond me. DSLRs actually are worse than prosumer cams like G
series. Why in the world I would use an optical view finder which
doesnt show me how my pic is going to look?

Next time you are out in the night, frame a night shot via EVF in
manual mode and see how well the camera emulates what the shot is
going to look like.
Click to expand...
Are we talking about the same OVF when we discuss SLR. I mean a TTL
OVF on SLRs, not what is sometimes referred to as a range-finder
Click to expand...
Yes, I am talking about TTL SLR OVFs.
Paul Leibowitz said:
OVF. I do agree that OVF on cameras such as the G series are less
reliable than EVF for composing shots but (it is my impression)
Click to expand...
I am not worried about accurate framing.

Consider this:

If you are composing a shot in manual mode, does TTL OVF show you how the shot looks like at say, F8, 1/400 and F8, 1/200?
Paul Leibowitz said:
that EVFs are very hard to use for: (1) people like myself who must
wear glasses; and (2) low light situations. In addition, I am told
Click to expand...
Yes, when taking shot, I always war glasses, that makes EVF that much more accurate.
Paul Leibowitz said:
that the are less responsive to movement so that "real-time"
framing of moving objects (such as with action shots) is harder
Click to expand...
Prosumer Digital cams are not useful for fast actions shots anyway due to the shutter lag.
Paul Leibowitz said:
than it should be.

My only experience with an EVF is on the Minolta 7hi in a camera
store and, frankjly, I could get close enough to the VF to use it
because of my eyeglasses. People who wear glasses need larger
openings.

I find the TTL OVF on my SLR invaluable and wish the camera had an
electronic LCD.

Last, were you really talking about the LCD when you wrote EVF?

Paul (PS, Your picture is GREAT!)
Click to expand...
 
I've used the G1 and G2 and never once used the optical viewfinder. Then, cruising down the one, I see these cool "kite surfers":











It was bright enough that the LCD was useless, but the optical viewfinder was awesome! Since most were zoom pics, the lens didn't obstruct the view, but the clarity of the optical viewfinder vs LCD makes has made me appreciate it a lot more! I now use it far more often, but still use the LCD 95% of the time. However, that 5% makes it worth it to have!

--joe

--
Visit my rock store at http://www.saimport.com !
Happy G3 owner!

: )
 
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