Help. Need camera with good viewfinder.

[program]

I do not own a digital camera. I need one now. I have looked, a lot. I like Canon products, and have a film AE1 Program and a Snappy. With my bi and tri focal eyeglasses, I hate the LCD screens, and because I shoot a lot in wildnerness areas, I need to save battery life anyway and prefer not to use them. Therefore - the problem: Where, in a Canon digital, of not extremely large size, can I get a decent viewfinder that does two things - has enough quality to see the subject clearly, not blurrry, and is centered so when the photo is taken, it is what I think it will be without checking the "screen" beforehand?

If this is a hopeless task, which camera has a larger and higher quality screen which I might actually use, instead of being so stubborn and set in my ways in thinking I hate the screens?
Thanks from this Iowa farmer.
DFM

[LisaMarie]

Hi program- I might be a little confused here - what I think you are asking is for a digital camera that the images on the lcd won't be fuzzy and compare to what you'd see in the view finder like with the SLR camera you already use. With a DSLR you use it just like a regular camera now- you look though the view finder to make the the photo. It's not like some other digital camers where you can hold the camera out in front of you and watch it live in the screen as you compose it the lcd screen on . IMO a DSLR is not really meant to give you a totally reliable representation of your final image via the image preview on the lcd- that IMO has been better for histograms. P&S are fairly representative of the final image b/c they do all in camera processing.One of those might be what you'd like if you are not much in to digital post processing. What models have you been looking at in the Canon line ? I can only comment on the 20 D as far as a dslr and I think you'd adapt to any kind of dslr easily since you already are familiar with an SLR.

[Belmondo]

Any DSLR should accomplish what you're asking. Most have a decent viewfinder, and in every case, you're seeing what your lens is seeing. Also, there is a diopter adjustment that allows you to adjust the viewfinder for your individual eyesight.

Some viewfinders crop the image just a bit, but usually only by a couple percentage points. I'm not sure why they do this, but I know it's the case on my 20D as it was on the 10D. I'm not sure about the 1D MkII.

Anyway, you should be okay with any of the Canon DSLRs. You don't have to use the LCD screen. In fact, you can't use it for composing your shot anyway, so you might as well just turn it off if your trying to save batteries.

[JohnnyE]

Also, with the Canon EOS DSLRs, you can purchase corrective viewfinders for your eyesight. You can also have your optical prescription fitted into a viewfinder if you'd prefer.

[Don Schaeffer]

My wife also has a problem with viewfinders because she can't close one eye. She wanted a big viefinder. The best ones are still on film cameras. Check out the line of Canon point-and-shoot film cameras.

[program]

Thanks to all for your responses, some have been helpful, but maybe I need to ask a more specific question. Without going to a high priced SLR Digital, but just the smaller, more compact digital cameras like Canon PowerShots, A95, S410, etc. - are there any of these smaller, cheaper digital cameras (of any brand, for that matter) that have a usable viewfinder? Most seem tiny, blurry, and hard to see through. It is like they were not intended to be used, and most people do not use them. Besides that, it seems that when you do compose the photo in these poor viewfinders, if I can even see well enough to do it, the final photo is often off-center or composed differently than if it was viewed on the LCD for composition.

Is this just the nature of these cheaper cameras - if so, are there some better than others in this regard? I would like a camera much smaller than a Digital SLR, because of backpacking, hunting, etc. in the wilds where weight and size are a concern.

If lousy viewfinders are a fact of life with the small cheaper digital cameras, maybe I should look at LCD's that are really good instead, so that I can actually see them and use them to take a photo. I am so put off by trying to compose a photo on a tiny screen, but maybe I will have to get used to it.

You see, I want to take great photos when I click the shutter, quickly and effortlessly like I am used to with my old film AE1. I don't want to spend time cropping, resizing, etc. although digital gives me that opportunity, I realize. I want to enter the digital age, but do things the "old way".

Any further advice will be appreciated, and thanks again.

DFM

[solveg@aol.com]

Has anyone ever tried something like this?

http://extremetoysforboys.com/index.php3/item/item/i-Scape%20II%20Head%20Mounted%20Display.html

[LisaMarie]

Program ,


While thumbing through the March edition of OutDoor Photographer I noticed an article for the Canon Power Shot G 6- you might want to check this out.
One interesting comment in the article was " The Powershot G6 includes a two inch lcd. The more common 1.8 inch monitor doesn't seem much smaller in specs, yet when you use a larger monitor like this one, you'll definitely notice the difference"

I've seen it listed at $584. not sure how cheap you think is cheap when compared to the specs of this camera- this IMO is very cheap and a good bang for you buck )

Resolution 7.1 Megapixels
Lens 7.2-28.8mm, f/2.0-3.0 zoom ( 35 mm equiv: 35-140mm )
Modes: auto, creative( P, AV,TV, M ) as well as the image zone modes
Exp Comp: +/- 2 in 1/3 steps
Metering sys : Eval, Center weighted
Shutter Speeds: 15-1/2000 second ( 1-1/2000 on auto )
ISO Eqv: 100-400
Digic internal processing


The street price is listed as $699 but like I said I found it at reputable sellers like B & H, Hunts for $584

the power shot a95 specs are here http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=367233&is=REG

[program]

LisaMarie,

I will take a look at a G6 locally if possible. It is more money and physical size than I wanted, but it might just be the best choice - it certainly is a lot smaller than a full size SLR. I will consider it, thanks for the info.

I noticed you also included a link to specs on the A95. Is this another camera you thought might be a possible choice for me? I am not sure if I have tried the A95 viewfinder, but I see they say it has a "real image viewfinder", so I will check it out also.

David M

[LisaMarie]

Hi Program- the link to the A95 was so you could look at those specs and see if it interests you. I have a friend who uses a A95 and wouldn't personally describe it as for what you are looking for view finder size wize. Good luck in your search and let us see the results when and if you do take the digital plunge ! :D

[Jon]

The PowerShot Pro 1 and S1 IS both have electronic viewfinders (SLR-like) in addition to the LCD screens. Other than that, the optical viewfinder on my A80 (and the successor A95) does pretty well at showing the framing except when I'm working very close-in to a subject, when parallax gets to be a problem. I would expect that this will hold for most of the other PowerShot cameras. But any viewfinder that isn't using the taking lens will give you parallax, which will get worse as you near the subject.

[program]

Thanks, I am beginning to understand this viewfinder business much better now that several of you have answered me. I appreciate it very much, and I feel I know what direction to head now. I just need to get a couple of these camera suggestions in hand to try them out. Thanks again.