[top-quark]

I have a K-5 and a Fuji X-E1. The optical viewfinder of the K-5 is definitely better overall than the EVF of the X-E1. But here's the thing: the EVF is not bad and - due to the additional information that can be displayed - better in some ways.

The EVF is only going to get better whereas the OVF will remain what it is. Besides a strip of exposure information at the bottom, nothing much has really changed in sixty years. I've heard many views on the forum that the OVF will never be bettered. But I'm thinking that sixty years ago, received opinion would have had it that looking down and composing on a large sheet of ground glass would never be bettered. Yet the twin lens reflex is as obsolete as throwing a black blanket over your head.

At some point, the EVF experience will be just as good as the mirror-prism-finder combination. At that time, the single lens reflex will become obsolete. Before that happens, it will be limited to the highest-end gear. Given that the assembly costs a lot, weighs a lot and takes up a lot of space, it will surely go the way of the second lens.

[GabrielFFontes]

Lets project images on the OVF!

[boriscleto]

People have been predicting this for years. It's always 'within the next 5 or 10 years'...

[Winder]

I have a K-5 and a Fuji X-E1. The optical viewfinder of the K-5 is definitely better overall than the EVF of the X-E1. But here's the thing: the EVF is not bad and - due to the additional information that can be displayed - better in some ways.

The EVF is only going to get better whereas the OVF will remain what it is. Besides a strip of exposure information at the bottom, nothing much has really changed in sixty years. I've heard many views on the forum that the OVF will never be bettered. But I'm thinking that sixty years ago, received opinion would have had it that looking down and composing on a large sheet of ground glass would never be bettered. Yet the twin lens reflex is as obsolete as throwing a black blanket over your head.

At some point, the EVF experience will be just as good as the mirror-prism-finder combination. At that time, the single lens reflex will become obsolete. Before that happens, it will be limited to the highest-end gear. Given that the assembly costs a lot, weighs a lot and takes up a lot of space, it will surely go the way of the second lens.

The OVF still has many years of life left and we will probably see more hybrid OVF/EVF designs in the hear future. It is rumored that Sony is already moving away from SLT technology. Eventually the EVF will have a greater color range and DR than the human eye can detect and refresh faster than we can move them around. At that point the EVF will be better than the OVF.

No technical aspect of photography is permanent. From the "primitive" chemical technology of the 1800's to the Bayer color array. Everything will be replaced by something better. That doesn't mean old technology goes away. I still shoot 50% of my work with a Contax 645 and B&W film, that that % has fallen a lot from the days when it was 100%. Even when I had my Canon 5D, I still shot most of my work with my 645 on film.

[jatrax]

People have been predicting this for years. It's always 'within the next 5 or 10 years'...

It will happen, eventually. When the technology improves enough to be indistinguishable from an OVF. But I don't think it will be soon. Nor will it be all or nothing. As the tech improves more companies will try it. At some point the cost / benefit curve will tip in favor of EVF and eventually all (most?) cameras will move to EVF. The real question is will it happen in time to be installed on cameras or will cameras be replaced by something entirely different before the EVF is up to it.

[reeftool]

Since electronics are much cheaper to manufacture than mechanical devices, I think the EVF will eventually win out, especially since they can sell the cameras for the same price and add to the overall profits. They will have to at least equal or surpass the OVF in performance for that to happen and it will be a while before the technology is embraced. I think most photographers feel more comfortable with the thought that they are actually looking through the lens although we are seeing an image projected by a mirror and prism in the viewfinder which can go out of whack due to wear.

[MRRiley]

Of course the SLR will go the way of the TLR... eventually... eventually we probably won't need cameras at all, much less mechanical devices with electronic viewfinders (how quaint!). Every second of our lives will be stored live in the cloud via cybernetic implants collecting data directly from all of our analog living tissue system senses. And, you'll be able to immediately relive any past experience at a moment's notice simply by clapping your hands.

Until then, I will keep using my SLR... or my old TLR... or even my old sheet film camera... the fact that they are considered "obsolete" does not render them inoperable.

[Nesster]

Inverted Image under Dark Cloth > Reversed Image on Belly > Small Image in Hole Held To Eye > Small TV in Hole Held To Eye? Or is it the other way.

The viewfinder issue is definitely something I worry about with the EVF vs OVF. As is said above, perhaps the X-E5 will match a good OVF... and with electronics, one isn't limited by optics as to the size of the view.

But there are other considerations: Even though the K-5 is pleasantly svelte for an SLR, how's it compare for portability and unobtrusiveness to the X-E1?

[tclausen]

Of course the SLR will go the way of the TLR... eventually... eventually we probably won't need cameras at all, much less mechanical devices with electronic viewfinders (how quaint!). Every second of our lives will be stored live in the cloud via cybernetic implants collecting data directly from all of our analog living tissue system senses. And, you'll be able to immediately relive any past experience at a moment's notice simply by clapping your hands.

And, every second of our lives will be instantly available to marketeers, to better target their direct hooks into our finances....

[Kunzite]

Will the Sun collapse into a white dwarf? Yeah, eventually, but somehow that doesn't make me want to change the solar system, at least not yet

[top-quark]

But there are other considerations: Even though the K-5 is pleasantly svelte for an SLR, how's it compare for portability and unobtrusiveness to the X-E1?

No competition. If you've ever picked up an Olympus Pen camera, the Fuji is about the same size. You need to change your grip, however - holding it like a DSLR isn't quite right. The Fuji cameras don't suffer from the "small camera, big lens" syndrome. Not yet, anyway, although the upcoming telezoom looks like a bit of a honker. It's a lot more comfortable to carry around, that's for sure. Overall handling is in favour of the K-5. All those dials may make it look like an airplane cockpit but it means that everything is a lot more accessible. Some features that you may take for granted, such as more than three bracketed shots more than 1EV apart, are conspicuously absent from the Fuji for, as far as I can tell, no good reason whatsoever.

[Nesster]

And, every second of our lives will be instantly available to marketeers, to better target their direct hooks into our finances....

Now there's an idea! To ensure the EVF is developed faster and larger, make it wi-fi at least, so commercials can be inserted into your eye while you take pictures. You're geotagged anyway so the ads can be targeted - eg, brand recognition identifies there's a Mercedes in the frame and you get a Mercedes (or related) ad.
Of course clever camera makers will add a 'custom' button - like the ebay mode pioneered by Casio - that in reality everyone programs as the 'porn' button.

---

Top-quark, thanks for that... that was my general impression. I'm leaning toward the Fuji instead of an APS-C SLR

[wildman]

As primarily a nature photographer I have to wonder -

- by the time we have the perfect camera will there be enough nature left worth pointing the damn thing at.

[Clavius]

This discussion between OVF and EVF sounds awfully familiar. It looks and feels exactly the same as the discussions between film and digital, back when digital photography was still very new. According to the film orthodox shooters back then, digital would "never" become mainstream, "never" be as good as film, and "never" replace film. Some reluctantly admitted: "Maybe in 3 decades, but certainly not within the first decade of 2010 already!"

This is exactly the same. The orthodox shooters know what's comming, they know why, and they know it's comming pretty soon too, but they seem to think naysaying will help prevent it from happening.

Some people just fear change. I blame food additives for that.

[Kunzite]

That's because you want to believe EVF will "win", thus you're searching for a suitable analogy
I would say the EVFs as a concept will eventually "win", but the ones capable of doing that will be nothing like the current miniature TVs.

By the way, I work in an ever changing industry - IT, programming. An outsider could believe we'd gladly embrace change, and that being "cutting edge" is a way of life. On the contrary, the most hyped technologies at most would offer relatively modest improvements, some being old things under new, marketable names, others not being beneficial at all (this depends on the kind of work you're doing, but nothing is as good as the hype).
And the hype is supported by people interested on selling it and those who easily falls in their trap, instead of being promoted by practitioners who would find that technology particularly effective. Programming was supposed to be replaced by automated software generation; new methodologies would solve all the problems; new tools would dramatically improve processes, and our old ways would be quickly forgotten. Yeah, right.