Main-sensor LiveView - your sentiment then and now

This 08 January 2008 poll thread was pretty interesting and had a lot of posts

http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/is-live-view-feature-something-you-wish-to-have_topic25483_page1.html?KW=point

If you see your post there, do you now look at things differently, and if so, how so and what specifically made you change your mind?

Just want to know how our outlook on the issue has evolved over time as a user base, and what actually influenced the evolution besides the passage of time.

Alex

Looks like I haven't changed much, but also my comment from the time is pretty fun to look back on.

"But still, I have no real interest in SLRs with LV.   I am a fair bit interested in an EVIL.   Go all the way, get rid of un-needed parts and bring smaller lenses so you can have a small camera with it. That would be of some interest to me. But LV as a bolt on/Afterthough, no thanks.

I also don't want anything with a camera with a movable screen. Keep it fixed. I think moving the screen is silly.   Give me an EVIL with a big fixed screen."

Basically I said make the new Sony EVIL cameras. Of course I've been saying PSP with a lens mount for a long time (someone did a Photoshop job of that over on DPR, I should get them for infringment )

Sony's LV was really of no interest to me. More bits to the camera is a bad path. As Sony's LV had a very negative impact just to not impact AF speed.   There has been some times when I wanted LV, but even as I said back then, a lot of it was for tethered shooting. I think on some levels I could accept a moving screen. But all I would really want it's the most simple of hinges where it just hinges the screen up. But even then I don't see much point. LCDs have about 160 degree FOV today. So you can see it from all directions except the other side of the camera, and almost no moving screen will help you there, and those that do are major add on's to the camera.

What matters more to me is the ergonomics on an EVIL. What I don't get is the 1 handed design. They need the grip on both sides.

I voted "not as currently implemented" and said that I saw uses for it for certain types of photography (anywhere you do manual focus) but that I have no real need for it. I pretty much stand by that. I expect it in any future models and might make use of it occasionally.

However, I also wrote:

For what I'm doing now - casual stuff, mostly candids of people at parties/events, both indoors (often low light) and out - I don't think live view as currently implemented would be that great. I focus manually a lot, but can't imagine shooting candids with 85 at f/2 (shallow DOF) out where I can see an LCD as opposed to with the camera pressed against my face ... though I can see some "stealth" use of it. Again, I guess a decent implementation would be "ok" but not a must-have.

And here I have to say that I would love fast AF LV for a good bit of what I shoot. I've found that in a lot of my candid shooting, people tense up and kids in particular don't cooperate when I have my camera up to my eye. I sometimes frame a shot, try to hold the camera still while moving my head away to make eye contact with a child, interact with them, or just watch inconspicuously, then shoot when ready.

I would not want to see the A330-A550 fast AF implementation in an A7xx class camera, however. It seems too fiddly, requires a pentamirror VF. Rather, I'd prefer an in-between camera (an A550 with better controls) or a fast-focusing EVIL camera. A GH1 would be perfect (though I'd be more inclined to compromise and go for the more compact GF1).

SerdarA,

that would be sooooo cool.

I only use live view and the A300. As long as auto focus works properly it makes sense for my usage.

I do see a lot of usages for live view even without auto focus, and video without auto focus. Why they have to be so stubborn on dropping anything without "auto" in font of it, I simply do not get.

Frode