The "New Gear/Willy Waving" thread

Picked up a Kirk MPA-2 monopod head
http://www.kirkphoto.com/images/MPA2a.jpg

Got a trip to Costa Rica coming up in March and wont have the weight or space to bring a tripod. Hope to still bring my 300mm f/4.0 although I am maybe tempted to upgrade that if I am still employed.

The only thing I don't like about the MPA-2 is that you have to use an allan key to turn the head 90*. You see on lenses the Arca plate is longitudinal while if you want to mount your camera to the tripod then it needs to be latitudinal. Thing is few monopod heads have such a design. Still, the head will mostly be used for longer lenses.
 
the_director said:
Best thing about EVFs is what you see is what you get. For me that was a huge change, optical viewfinders to an amateur meant I'd see something nice but the photo would come out completely differently. With an EVF I can see exactly what I'm achieving.

Main benefit is I only use manual focus lenses and the focus peaking and zoom to focus helps massively.
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The thing is you don't really see what you get, you see whatever processing and algorithms are going to to present you with an image, combined with any limitations of the EVF. The EVF has a far lower resolution, color depth, dynamic range, color accuracy than an optical viewfinder, and the RAW files form the camera itself. Plus as the light fades you can throw noise and latency into the mix.


Sure, if you apply exposure compensation or whatever the EVF will get brighter/darker but that isn't that helpful except for a complete beginner. Once you learn how to expose images properly, read the metering values, and understand light then you will rather have a good optical viewfinder than any current EVF.


Eventually EVFs will get good enough but they are still a long way behind an OVF.
 
D.P. said:
The thing is you don't really see what you get, you see whatever processing and algorithms are going to to present you with an image, combined with any limitations of the EVF. The EVF has a far lower resolution, color depth, dynamic range, color accuracy than an optical viewfinder, and the RAW files form the camera itself. Plus as the light fades you can throw noise and latency into the mix.


Sure, if you apply exposure compensation or whatever the EVF will get brighter/darker but that isn't that helpful except for a complete beginner. Once you learn how to expose images properly, read the metering values, and understand light then you will rather have a good optical viewfinder than any current EVF.


Eventually EVFs will get good enough but they are still a long way behind an OVF.
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Nicely said
 
D.P. said:
The thing is you don't really see what you get, you see whatever processing and algorithms are going to to present you with an image, combined with any limitations of the EVF. The EVF has a far lower resolution, color depth, dynamic range, color accuracy than an optical viewfinder, and the RAW files form the camera itself. Plus as the light fades you can throw noise and latency into the mix.
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I kinda see what you're saying, but at the same time an EVF gives you a view of what the sensor sees, and the sensor is what records the image, not the OVF. I've only used the X-E2's EVF but what I see in the EVF is basically a lower-res, (albeit high noise in low light) version of the camera output. In my case I shoot JPG 99% of the time, and the EVF even applies a preview of the film simulation. Latency has never been an issue for me. What I see really is what I get. It works for me anyway.

Also I'm not sure I could live without the real-time histogram and DOF scale now....
 
CGrieves said:
I kinda see what you're saying, but at the same time an EVF gives you a view of what the sensor sees, and the sensor is what records the image, not the OVF. I've only used the X-E2's EVF but what I see in the EVF is basically a lower-res, (albeit high noise in low light) version of the camera output. In my case I shoot JPG 99% of the time, and the EVF even applies a preview of the film simulation. Latency has never been an issue for me. What I see really is what I get. It works for me anyway.

Also I'm not sure I could live without the real-time histogram and DOF scale now....
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But the EVF has a lower quality than the RAW files from the sensor so you can't really make any informed judgement about highlight retention, shadow noise, etc.

Real time histograms are nice but the main times you really care about histograms you have the time to properly review and check.

DoF on an OVF you just press the DoF button!
 
Above&Beyond said:
Trying to manual focus with an OVF at f/1.4 with a DSLR is a pain, so in that respect an EVF would be nice to have. I do prefer the OVF overall though all things considered.
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You can do it, but you need to trust the focus points lights on the Viewfinder. It still lights up when it hits focus. It even works when the lens is tilted.
 
D.P. said:
But the EVF has a lower quality than the RAW files from the sensor so you can't really make any informed judgement about highlight retention, shadow noise, etc.
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I'd say informed judgements about highlight retention and shadow noise etc are even more difficult with an OVF!

Real time histograms are nice but the main times you really care about histograms you have the time to properly review and check.
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Not sure I understand your point- when I'm shooting a high DR scene, I check the histogram in real time- I find it very useful. And there's nothing similar I'm aware of in a DSLR OVF apart from a basic under/overexposure guide.

DoF on an OVF you just press the DoF button!
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I don't mean DOF preview, I meant an actual scale in the EVF- the X-E2 shows you focus distance on a sliding scale, with a line showing estimated DOF, updated in real time when you change aperture. I find it very useful.

And I forgot to mention the level guide as well. Given that when I take photos I seem to suffer from one leg being about 6 inches longer than the other, it's amazing.

Anyway like I say, at the moment I'm loving my EVF.
 
So well this is odd. the eBay seller replied to my question regarding where my flashes are and he said it shipped on the 12th and could take up to 35 day depending on how busy the postal services are this time of year.

A couple hours later he says they're really sorry and they are out of stock everywhere in China but as soon as they have stock they will ship.He said he'd refund me and message me once stock arrives so I can buy again and he'd use priority DHL so I get it faster.

So what is being shipped if they're out of stock :eek:

Free YN-600EXs? :eek:
 
mrk said:
So well this is odd. the eBay seller replied to my question regarding where my flashes are and he said it shipped on the 12th and could take up to 35 day depending on how busy the postal services are this time of year.

A couple hours later he says they're really sorry and they are out of stock everywhere in China but as soon as they have stock they will ship.He said he'd refund me and message me once stock arrives so I can buy again and he'd use priority DHL so I get it faster.

So what is being shipped if they're out of stock :eek:

Free YN-600EXs? :eek:
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I had some questions about mine too! I had been told they wouldn't be out of the factory till a Friday but the Wednesday before I received an email saying the flash had been dispatched.

When I queried whether the items had been delivered early or something, he just apologised and said he marked it as dispatched out of habit lol >.<

It still arrived pretty much when they'd originally specified it would but communication was not strong!
 
Above&Beyond said:
Trying to manual focus with an OVF at f/1.4 with a DSLR is a pain, so in that respect an EVF would be nice to have. I do prefer the OVF overall though all things considered.
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The actual issue is the viewfinders on modern DSLRs are not designed for manual focusing and don't even show DoF shallower than f/2.2 or so.

You can buy viewfinder screens that are good for manual focus.
 
D.P. said:
The actual issue is the viewfinders on modern DSLRs are not designed for manual focusing and don't even show DoF shallower than f/2.2 or so.

You can buy viewfinder screens that are good for manual focus.
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The problem for that is a lot of DSLR don't havt interchangable focus screen now.
 
CGrieves said:
I'd say informed judgements about highlight retention and shadow noise etc are even more difficult with an OVF!
An OVF wont be any worse than an EVF. My point is the EVF doesn't give an accurate indication of what is in the RAW file so it isn't that useful in those regards.

Not sure I understand your point- when I'm shooting a high DR scene, I check the histogram in real time- I find it very useful. And there's nothing similar I'm aware of in a DSLR OVF apart from a basic under/overexposure guide.
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My point is when you are shooting a static scene, e.g. landscape then you can check the histogram after the photo. I methodically scan the photos for highlight clipping as well, something an EVF doesn't really do well.
In a dynamic scene like shooting a weeding you don't really have time to look at histograms.

So although it is something I would like it is no a must have.


I don't mean DOF preview, I meant an actual scale in the EVF- the X-E2 shows you focus distance on a sliding scale, with a line showing estimated DOF, updated in real time when you change aperture. I find it very useful.
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That sounds more useful and would be pretty cool but again, when i really care about DoF is when I am using hyperfocal focusing for landscapes (on a tripod). I can check any DoF app to get a good enough number - sure it would be nice to have the camera report these numbers using the focus distance -but that might as well be on the back LCD screen anyway. So again, a nice feature but not a filler feature.
And I forgot to mention the level guide as well. Given that when I take photos I seem to suffer from one leg being about 6 inches longer than the other, it's amazing.

Anyway like I say, at the moment I'm loving my EVF.
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I have a level in my D800 anyway, so agian no advntage in the EVF.


Don;t get me wrong about EVF, they are usable now but for most work an OVF is still better IMO at the current state of technology. EVFs and mirror less will overtake OVF someday soon and mirrors will all disappear. there are many reasons for htis (mirrors are expensive, big, heavy, slow, complex, fragile, mechanical, cause VF blackout, cause AF blackout, etc, etc.
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mrk said:
So well this is odd. the eBay seller replied to my question regarding where my flashes are and he said it shipped on the 12th and could take up to 35 day depending on how busy the postal services are this time of year.

A couple hours later he says they're really sorry and they are out of stock everywhere in China but as soon as they have stock they will ship.He said he'd refund me and message me once stock arrives so I can buy again and he'd use priority DHL so I get it faster.

So what is being shipped if they're out of stock :eek:

Free YN-600EXs? :eek:
Click to expand...

I had something similar with a tripod once, was impossible to get ebay to take any action! The se person/company had multiple listings using multiple accounts for the same thing and despite me sending ebay all the evidence that no tripods existed they left all the auctions running.
 
I guess the main reason I love the EVF in the A6000 is that my 5N didn't have one and I spent a year using the rear screen, which in bright light was an absolute nightmare. The EVF was a revelation after this.
 
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