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VF-4 vs EVF

Started Jan 12, 2018 | Questions
Oleksak Regular Member • Posts: 131
VF-4 vs EVF

What is the difference in FOV when using VF-4 on E-P5 comparing to EVF of E-M5 ?

Are there any advantages of one over another?

decided to add viewfinder due to vision becoming weaker - farsightedness, and wonder which option will be more convenient and useful? Your practical experience and suggestions are highly appreciated.

 Oleksak's gear list:Oleksak's gear list
Olympus PEN E-PL1 Olympus PEN E-P5 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm 1:4-5.6 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm F1.8 Panasonic Lumix G Vario HD 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS +3 more
ANSWER:
Olympus PEN E-P5
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Helen
Helen Veteran Member • Posts: 7,606
Re: VF-4 vs EVF
5

Oleksak wrote:

What is the difference in FOV when using VF-4 on E-P5 comparing to EVF of E-M5 ?

Are there any advantages of one over another?

decided to add viewfinder due to vision becoming weaker - farsightedness, and wonder which option will be more convenient and useful? Your practical experience and suggestions are highly appreciated.

The field of view is the same, since both are EVFs; however, compared with the E-M5 EVF, the VF-4 is equivalent to the EVF of the E-M5 Mark II, E-M1 and E-M1 Mark II in that it is higher in resolution (2.36M dots versus 1.44M dots), higher in magnification and with a bigger, more generous eyepiece. The original E-M5 EVF is equivalent to the earlier VF-2, aside from incorporating automatic eye sensor switching (a feature incorporated in all the E-M range and also the VF-4 but not the earlier accessory EVFs). The earlier Olympus EVFs (accessory and built in) were very good in my opinion, with excellent eyepiece optics, and the later versions are an even better version in all the above respects, probably with slightly more generous eye relief (I must look up the figures for that...).

The VF-4 can be said to be more flexible in that it can be angled, and indeed removed if desired, compared with an OM-D camera's built-in EVF, but it is arguably more ungainly and uses up the hot shoe.  Later models of the OM-D cameras also have auto brightness options for the EVF which the VF-4 does not, the VF-4 doesn't offer the DSLR-like display mode option that the OM-D cameras have, which allows a smaller image with all the graphics below it, and even an optional appearance of the horizontal level gauge on half-press of the shutter release.

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Jackson Bart Regular Member • Posts: 232
Re: VF-4 vs EVF
1

Oleksak wrote:

What is the difference in FOV when using VF-4 on E-P5 comparing to EVF of E-M5 ?

Are there any advantages of one over another?

decided to add viewfinder due to vision becoming weaker - farsightedness, and wonder which option will be more convenient and useful? Your practical experience and suggestions are highly appreciated.

The VF-4 is superior to the E-M5 I. (I don't have the E-M5 II so can't comment on that.)

I like the Pen-F viewfinder even better than the VF-4 even though the Pen-F has a little less magnification.

I don't have any other Olympus cameras cameras with EVFs so can't speak for any of them.

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My personal blog: https://jacksonbart.com/

OP Oleksak Regular Member • Posts: 131
Re: VF-4 vs EVF

Thank You for sharing Your experience. I think my decision to add VF-4 to E-P5 is more reasonable than buying E-M5.

 Oleksak's gear list:Oleksak's gear list
Olympus PEN E-PL1 Olympus PEN E-P5 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm 1:4-5.6 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm F1.8 Panasonic Lumix G Vario HD 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 Mega OIS +3 more
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