shooting video through a viewfinder in a Canon EOS 700D

Unfortunately you cannot use the viewfinder to shoot video. The mirror has to be locked up to allow video recording and this blocks the view from the viewfinder.

Hoodman Loupe.

dixonchiang wrote:

Thank you all for your advise. I wonder if there is an anti reflective screen protector for the lcd touchscreen. Little has been said about these minus point of the dslr cameras. Regards.

It's not a issue particular to DSLR video.  Neither DSLRs nor regular digital video cameras offer optical viewfinders for video.

Rick Joz wrote:

This was the same question I was going to ask, i.e., "is it possible to use a viewfinder" to take video with a Canon EOS." At least one or more of the replies were condescending, rude, snarky and were basically saying the poster was asking a stupid question. Although I'm smart enough to realize that if the mirror locks up and is in the way of the viewfinder, this is a problem, but I don't understand why the mirror has to lock up in the first place. And I don't appreciate anyone saying this is a dumb question, akin to wondering why a pickup truck doesn't have a locking trunk (by the way, some DO).

When I joined a minute ago I was told the only rule was "be nice."

Enough said

Rick,

Yes, the replies were rude, but you have to realize that you are replying to posts that were made nine years ago.

As far as the mirror locking up, that's just the nature of the beast, I guess. That's just the way the technology works. On DSLR's, video only works in Live View.

One way you can get around it is to shoot remotely using a tablet or smartphone. You can position the camera out in the sun while you go sit or stand in the shade.

That doesn't help a lot though, if you are walking along and taking a video.

Steve Thomas

The problem with the mirror and video shooting is this; in normal day-to-day shooting the mirror is down, blocking the sensor - until you press the shutter button. Then the mirror flips up (blocking your view from the viewfinder) and the shutter/sensor takes the photo. Then, the mirror flips down, VF vision is restored, and then the cycle restarts.

Before digital, having this reflex mirror mechanism was the only way the photographer could see exactly the same framing the lens/camera was seeing. The "R" in "DSLR " (of which the Canon 700D is one) stands for "Reflex", referring to the mirror's movement.

Of course, once live-view was introduced, once the on-sensor AF became "good-enough", once electronic viewfinders were made "good enough", the mirror was in many ways made redundant. The mirror is also fairly heavy, hence the rise of the mirrorless-camera .

Dunlin wrote:

The problem with the mirror and video shooting is this; in normal day-to-day shooting the mirror is down, blocking the sensor - until you press the shutter button. Then the mirror flips up (blocking your view from the viewfinder) and the shutter/sensor takes the photo. Then, the mirror flips down, VF vision is restored, and then the cycle restarts.

Good explanation !

Before digital, having this reflex mirror mechanism was the only way the photographer could see exactly the same framing the lens/camera was seeing. The "R" in "DSLR " (of which the Canon 700D is one) stands for "Reflex", referring to the mirror's movement.

Not as good explanation:

DSLR … D for digital SL for single lens R for presence of the mirror.

There were actually DLR cameras first , DL for having two lenses, one for shooting and one for viewfinder; R for the presence of the mirror (motionless).
As to the vievfinder , it was on the top including the shade and loupe. Funny was, that if the object moves to left to right, you see it reversely.

Of course, once live-view was introduced, once the on-sensor AF became "good-enough", once electronic viewfinders were made "good enough", the mirror was in many ways made redundant. The mirror is also fairly heavy, hence the rise of the mirrorless-camera .

Mirror vs mirrorless is more about the body size containing the same sensor size.

guinness2 wrote:

Dunlin wrote:

The problem with the mirror and video shooting is this; in normal day-to-day shooting the mirror is down, blocking the sensor - until you press the shutter button. Then the mirror flips up (blocking your view from the viewfinder) and the shutter/sensor takes the photo. Then, the mirror flips down, VF vision is restored, and then the cycle restarts.

Good explanation !

Before digital, having this reflex mirror mechanism was the only way the photographer could see exactly the same framing the lens/camera was seeing. The "R" in "DSLR " (of which the Canon 700D is one) stands for "Reflex", referring to the mirror's movement.

Not as good explanation:

DSLR … D for digital SL for single lens R for presence of the mirror.

There were actually DLR cameras first , DL for having two lenses, one for shooting and one for viewfinder; R for the presence of the mirror (motionless).
As to the vievfinder , it was on the top including the shade and loupe. Funny was, that if the object moves to left to right, you see it reversely.

Really? I'm pretty sure it stands for reflex. That's what I've always been told and read.

Of course, once live-view was introduced, once the on-sensor AF became "good-enough", once electronic viewfinders were made "good enough", the mirror was in many ways made redundant. The mirror is also fairly heavy, hence the rise of the mirrorless-camera .

Mirror vs mirrorless is more about the body size containing the same sensor size.

Well, mirror or reflex, the same, I mean R has nothing to do with mirror movement, but with the mirror presence.
Ragefinders have no mirror, for example…
The terminology came from film cameras. (for stills, not video)

guinness2 wrote:

Well, mirror or reflex, the same, I mean R has nothing to do with mirror movement, but with the mirror presence.
Ragefinders have no mirror, for example…
The terminology came from film cameras. (for stills, not video)

There were 35mm SLR cameras that did not have a moving mirror. Instead it had apellicle mirror (partially transparent mirror).   These SLR cameras had optical viewfinders, no viewfinder blackout, and some could take up to 14 frames per second.

These cameras did not have moving mirrors, but were still called “SLR” cameras.  That suggests that the presence of the mirror is the defining feature of a SLR, whether or not the mirror moves.