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The Advantages of an Electronic Live Viewfinder

For anyone who has ever been galled by a photograph returned from the lab that is underexposed, that chops the head off the subject or that has other problems, the electronic viewfinder (EVF) is something to cheer. The EVF gives you the actual, digital image in the eyepiece, as opposed to an optical viewfinder, which only approximates your picture. While all EVFs are not created alike, most do a good job of rendering the picture on a small screen inside an eyepiece in real time, allowing you to see what your image will look like, and make any adjustments prior to shooting.

Lighting
- Lighting problems can be seen and corrected right away with the real-time, WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) EVFs that come with digital cameras. If the shot will be too dark or light, or if there are areas blighted by shadow, you can tell immediately. In high light situations, an EVF allows you to see the shot better, as an external LCD may not be as visible.
Composition
- Your picture is not much good if your subject is cut off, or if some important element on the side of the frame gets left out. An EVF shows you what the layout of the shot will be as you are setting it up through the eyepiece. This is more accurate than the estimated view provided by an optical viewfinder.
Positioning
- Most EVFs allow you to take a picture from different positions, as many EVFs can be rotated in different directions. This means you can be looking directly down, for example, to take a shot that is in front of you. Having extra positioning options for shooting is useful in tight spots or for dramatic angles.

Photography