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Why only 1 viewfinder?

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Camancha

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I tested a few compact digicams today. I really HATE using the LCD-display as viewfinder. Thank God for my k10d :)

However, why not two regular viewfinders (not LCD), one for each eye? I am pretty sure the designers could find a solution to make room for the nose. The only problem is that the LCD would have to be smaller I guess.

Kind regards
.lars
 
You're looking through a single lens at a single point, theoretically. What good would it do using two eyes to see it? I think it would affect more than just the LCD size. The prism would have to be huge taking almost the entire top of the camera.. I think if we need a stereo view of what we are looking at, it's best to just look at it.
--
http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q109/jjkyle/
 
--

Because you are shooting into one sensor through one lens. You would get an inaccurate image in the viewfinder if you are viewing it in stereo.
 
If you put a plastic tube in front of one eye and try to read a newspaper, and then you do the same with both eyes looking through the same tube......well it's quite obvious that it's more comfortable with two eyes.

Kind regards
.lars
 
You mean kind of like this?
http://www.amazon.com/Vtech-Kidizoom-Digital-Camera-Blue/dp/B000NZORB0/

or this?
http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Tough-Digital-Camera/dp/B000QULFQC/

or this?
http://www.amazon.com/My-Real-Digital-Camera-Boy/dp/B000TJ5WXW/

I'm not entirely sure why nobody has produced something similar for a "real" camera. With the right sensors, you may well be able to do pretty nifty things like determining the focus location and distance by measuring the positions of the two eyes--a biological rangefinder, if you will.
--
--DrewE
 
My guess is due to different nose & head sizes, they can't have them in a fixed position. What would you do if the 2 viewfinders are too close to each other, or worse, too far apart?
 
DrewE said:
I'm not entirely sure why nobody has produced something similar for a
"real" camera. With the right sensors, you may well be able to do
pretty nifty things like determining the focus location and distance
by measuring the positions of the two eyes--a biological rangefinder,
if you will.
--
--DrewE
Click to expand...
Yes, and you have more space to get a decent layout regarding shutterspeed/ aperture/Iso information.

The best thing would be to have a view that is larger than the actual frame.....so when looking in the viewfinder you'll see a square containing the area which is being photographed and then in addition a 20% frame around it. Then you can watch out for things happening outside the square and recompose if you want to include it. I mean, if I take a pic of a mouse and a cat appears just outside of what I can see in my K10d viewfinder, then I will most likely be so startled that the mouse would have been eaten before I got the chance to shoot. However, If I already saw the cat in the 20% frame I would be more prepared and simply shoot at the right moment.

Kind regards
.lars
 
1) Two separate viewfinders with stereo view would give parallax problems

2) having one eye free is practical to scout the scene around the frame for action. Not just for action shots, but also for approaching people that might walk into the frame accidentally during the exposure and thus ruin the picture.
3) imagine the size of such a camera
4) viewfinder accessories need to be doubled plus tuned to each other. Not easy.
5) loss of light plus much more complicated prism.

6) more complicated light meter (since this is located inside the prism) (not sure though)

If you really want this, why not look for a viewfinder accessory that does the job. Bound to be much simpler.

Wim

--
Belgium, GMT+1

 
jackbw said:
My guess is due to different nose & head sizes, they can't have them
in a fixed position. What would you do if the 2 viewfinders are too
close to each other, or worse, too far apart?
Click to expand...
Why not just include a minor adjustment feature....that you can slide the viewfinders 1-2 cm to the left of right. Yes, some people have big nose and some small.....but we're still talking about a couple of cm here, so it shouldn't be problem.

Kind regards
.lars
 
Perhaps instead of looking for a camera with binocular viewfinder, you should look at binoculars with a built-in camera. There are numerous examples of these, but I don't know how 'good' they get.
 
most of the technical diffculties could probably be overcome (at what cost?) and certainly having a stereo view would be comfortable except for...
...the portrait position :)

Cheers,

Al
 
Camancha said:
The best thing would be to have a view that is larger than the actual
frame.....so when looking in the viewfinder you'll see a square
containing the area which is being photographed and then in addition
a 20% frame around it. Then you can watch out for things happening
outside the square and recompose if you want to include it. I mean,
if I take a pic of a mouse and a cat appears just outside of what I
can see in my K10d viewfinder, then I will most likely be so startled
that the mouse would have been eaten before I got the chance to
shoot. However, If I already saw the cat in the 20% frame I would be
more prepared and simply shoot at the right moment.
Click to expand...
Um, how could you not see the mouse if you were looking through the viewfinder properly -- with both eyes open?

Closing one eye is a common mistake for marksmen and photographers. You're not supposed to do it. By keeping both eyes open, you can be ready for anything, especially when shooting sports.
 
Camancha said:
DrewE said:
I'm not entirely sure why nobody has produced something similar for a
"real" camera. With the right sensors, you may well be able to do
pretty nifty things like determining the focus location and distance
by measuring the positions of the two eyes--a biological rangefinder,
if you will.
--
--DrewE
Click to expand...
Yes, and you have more space to get a decent layout regarding
shutterspeed/ aperture/Iso information.

The best thing would be to have a view that is larger than the actual
frame.....so when looking in the viewfinder you'll see a square
containing the area which is being photographed and then in addition
a 20% frame around it. Then you can watch out for things happening
outside the square and recompose if you want to include it. I mean,
if I take a pic of a mouse and a cat appears just outside of what I
can see in my K10d viewfinder, then I will most likely be so startled
that the mouse would have been eaten before I got the chance to
shoot. However, If I already saw the cat in the 20% frame I would be
more prepared and simply shoot at the right moment.

Kind regards
.lars
Click to expand...
Rangefinders users already do this with one viewfinder....

The photographic image has two dimensions,so one eye is all we need.When it will becomes a three dimensions image,holograph or something else,two viewfinders(along with two sensors!!) might be the solution,but we are not there yet:)

As a model photographers,i shoot mainly vertical photos,thus two horizontal viewfinders are totally worthless.Don't forget,form follows function.
--
artphoto
 
When I learned to use a film camera, I was told to learn how to look through the viewfinder with both eyes open. Put one eye to the viewfinder but don't squint and close the other eye.

Try it for a DSLR- it's very possible, although doesn't have quite the advantages compared to a film camera viewfinder on its tube floating away from the main body. Use your dominant eye at the viewfinder, obviously.

It takes a bit of training, but it is pretty easy to do. It avoids the muscle strain of closing one eye, and keeps the face more relaxed. Using a film (or video) camera, you are often at the viewfinder for extended periods so the strain can become significant.

Another advantage of keeping both eyes open is that you can mentally shift your focus and use the other eye to see what is going on around you, catch people coming into or out of frame, etc.

What you are talking about is best dealt with by the system used in studio video cameras- a small monitor on top of the camera that can be watched from 10-20 inches away. You see the same thing on the mounted television cameras used at sporting events.

Using binoculars for hours on end watching birds, I can assure you that the dual eye tunnel vision has its own problems.

--
Dan Daniel

http://dandaniel.zenfolio.com/
 
redbird007 said:
Camancha said:
The best thing would be to have a view that is larger than the actual
frame.....so when looking in the viewfinder you'll see a square
containing the area which is being photographed and then in addition
a 20% frame around it. Then you can watch out for things happening
outside the square and recompose if you want to include it. I mean,
if I take a pic of a mouse and a cat appears just outside of what I
can see in my K10d viewfinder, then I will most likely be so startled
that the mouse would have been eaten before I got the chance to
shoot. However, If I already saw the cat in the 20% frame I would be
more prepared and simply shoot at the right moment.
Click to expand...
Um, how could you not see the mouse if you were looking through the
viewfinder properly -- with both eyes open?
Click to expand...
If, like me, you're left-eye dominant, you get great view with the right eye...of the camera's shutter release and neck strap lug. (You also get noseprints on the LCD screen, but that's another discussion.) I seriously doubt any amount of training is going to make my right eye dominant, just as no amount of practice could likely make me left handed.
redbird007 said:
Closing one eye is a common mistake for marksmen and photographers.
You're not supposed to do it. By keeping both eyes open, you can be
ready for anything, especially when shooting sports.
Click to expand...
That's certainly the conventional wisdom, yet there are at least a few good marksmen who wink when shooting.
--
--DrewE
 
ddan daniel said:
When I learned to use a film camera, I was told to learn how to look through the viewfinder with both eyes open. Put one eye to the viewfinder but don't squint and close the other eye.
Click to expand...
i "discovered" this with my film SLRs

i did this mostly to increase the success rate for moving about a foot or two w/o stumbling over something. i was never able to feel like i could focus well using this method. but, for composing it is great.
 
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