d7 focus thru viewfinder

[Scott Wanta]

I recently decided that the d7 is my pick for my next digital camera based on what it has to offer. However when i finally found it in a store i was unable to actually take a picture with it and see the results.I noticed that when looking thru the digitally enhanced viewfinder, i found it difficult to see the scene in a good focus. I undestand that i am not used to the camera and it is also a small vid cam type digital display, but i have seen quality lcd digital displays as on the coolpics 995 which i was able to get a good focus with. The focus was poor and i found it hard to estimate what the picture would look like. Is this just from using the viewfinder, is it better to use the lcd screen? Or is it just me, and my inexperience in using the camera. I uderstand this could be a hard question to answer cause it could also be a problem with the floor model, but any help understanding this would be apreciated.

 

[Bob Williams]

Did you use the diopter adjustment to set the EVF to
match your vision?

I recently decided that the d7 is my pick for my next digital
camera based on what it has to offer. However when i finally found
it in a store i was unable to actually take a picture with it and
see the results.I noticed that when looking thru the digitally
enhanced viewfinder, i found it difficult to see the scene in a
good focus. I undestand that i am not used to the camera and it is
also a small vid cam type digital display, but i have seen quality
lcd digital displays as on the coolpics 995 which i was able to get
a good focus with. The focus was poor and i found it hard to
estimate what the picture would look like. Is this just from using
the viewfinder, is it better to use the lcd screen? Or is it just
me, and my inexperience in using the camera. I uderstand this could
be a hard question to answer cause it could also be a problem with
the floor model, but any help understanding this would be
apreciated.

 

[Andrew Cruickshank]

I noticed that when looking thru the digitally
enhanced viewfinder, i found it difficult to see the scene in a
good focus. I undestand that i am not used to the camera and it is
also a small vid cam type digital display, but i have seen quality
lcd digital displays as on the coolpics 995 which i was able to get
a good focus with. The focus was poor and i found it hard to
estimate what the picture would look like. Is this just from using
the viewfinder, is it better to use the lcd screen? Or is it just
me, and my inexperience in using the camera.

There's a small dioptre adjustment on the left of the viewfinder
that has quite a large range of adjustment. If it's not set properly
you could find the viewfinder very blurred indeed.

Check you'r happy with the EVF before buying one. If you can't
get on with the D7's viewfinder then there is no point in buying.

---------------
Andrew.

 

[Bob Williams]

The one I played with again this past week was very clear.
I could read the print on boxes 20 yards or so away thru the
EVF. I was a little put off by the gravelly sound of the auto
focus mechanism on that sample tho. As it focused it was
pretty noisy, and it caused quite a bit of vibration.

I noticed that when looking thru the digitally
enhanced viewfinder, i found it difficult to see the scene in a
good focus. I undestand that i am not used to the camera and it is
also a small vid cam type digital display, but i have seen quality
lcd digital displays as on the coolpics 995 which i was able to get
a good focus with. The focus was poor and i found it hard to
estimate what the picture would look like. Is this just from using
the viewfinder, is it better to use the lcd screen? Or is it just
me, and my inexperience in using the camera.

There's a small dioptre adjustment on the left of the viewfinder
that has quite a large range of adjustment. If it's not set properly
you could find the viewfinder very blurred indeed.

Check you'r happy with the EVF before buying one. If you can't
get on with the D7's viewfinder then there is no point in buying.

---------------
Andrew.

 

[Scott Wanta]

Hey thanks for your imput! Im new to the forums so i have been learning this as i go. What you said makes sense ill try that tonine when i go back. Ill also see if i can get the guy to let me take a shot and download it to one of thier pcs. I want to see my results. Thanks again

I noticed that when looking thru the digitally
enhanced viewfinder, i found it difficult to see the scene in a
good focus. I undestand that i am not used to the camera and it is
also a small vid cam type digital display, but i have seen quality
lcd digital displays as on the coolpics 995 which i was able to get
a good focus with. The focus was poor and i found it hard to
estimate what the picture would look like. Is this just from using
the viewfinder, is it better to use the lcd screen? Or is it just
me, and my inexperience in using the camera.

There's a small dioptre adjustment on the left of the viewfinder
that has quite a large range of adjustment. If it's not set properly
you could find the viewfinder very blurred indeed.

Check you'r happy with the EVF before buying one. If you can't
get on with the D7's viewfinder then there is no point in buying.

---------------
Andrew.

 

[Basil]

I had the same problem the first time I tried one, it is most likely the diopter adj.. I like focusing threw the evf. Basil

I noticed that when looking thru the digitally
enhanced viewfinder, i found it difficult to see the scene in a
good focus. I undestand that i am not used to the camera and it is
also a small vid cam type digital display, but i have seen quality
lcd digital displays as on the coolpics 995 which i was able to get
a good focus with. The focus was poor and i found it hard to
estimate what the picture would look like. Is this just from using
the viewfinder, is it better to use the lcd screen? Or is it just
me, and my inexperience in using the camera.

There's a small dioptre adjustment on the left of the viewfinder
that has quite a large range of adjustment. If it's not set properly
you could find the viewfinder very blurred indeed.

Check you'r happy with the EVF before buying one. If you can't
get on with the D7's viewfinder then there is no point in buying.

---------------
Andrew.

 

[StephenB]

I know it sounds dumb, but did you half press the shutter release? Until the AF is activated, the image is not in focus. You may be used to range finder cameras in which the image focus is independent of the lens focus.

 

[Norman Woollons]

I use the EVF all the time. I sometimes use auto focus to get the picture somewhere near, then switch to manual with the digital zoom feature to get pin sharp resolution. Most of the time I just keep the D7 on manual focus and do the work myself.

It takes a bit of getting used to, but the buttons all fal to hand, and I find that I can keep the camera on manual settings and change the F stop or speed with the thumb wheel, while still using EVF.

These are some of the pictures I have taken in various modes:

http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder.tcl?folder_id=146428

Keep trying it. The camera will grow on you.

Norman Woollons