To decide which one is better between Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) and Optical Viewfinder (OVF) usually end in and endless debate that has no solid answer. Some said that EVF is better because we can check exposure in real time, while OVF is better because we can see the surrounding of our frame. But, why not just get both advantage at one time?
I started as a person who believe in viewfinder so much. My reflex always raise camera up to my eye and click shutter after that. However, the more I shooting on the street, the more I feel that using EVF has its own restrictions, and that is why, currently I (almost) fully shoot with camera’s screen.
Using viewfinder has slower response
Because I need to raise camera to my eye level before I can start to take action (click camera shutter). As we know one second different could make great photograph turn into a boring one. By shoot with camera’s screen I can shoot a bit faster because my hand that hold my camera already in position to take shoot (usually I put my hand in front of my chest).
Extreme angle
I captured image above in front of office area. I can not imagine my self to lay on the ground in the middle of crowd to take a photo with viewfinder. Screen is our only hope to shoot from extreme angle and able to make sure our composition is still as what we prefer. I like to captured photo at extreme angle because it able to add dynamic looks. A creative way to create stronger image.
It does not looks professional
Here in my living place, the general term is if we took a shot with screen (like what everyone did with their smartphone) then we are just a tourist or someone who do snapshot casually. While shoot with viewfinder make us look professional like someone from media or news company. People tend to have (much) less problem when they think we just shoot casually, even when they realize we point our camera at them.
Confuse people whether we take photograph or not
If we point our camera at a person while we use viewfinder, then people will assume that we will take a picture, even though maybe we just check composition and not click shutter at all.
When we use camera screen to take a photo (like holding camera in front of chest), most people will confuse whether we really take a picture, of perhaps we record a video, or we just check something in camera’s menu.
Truth to be told, any normal people out there will never think there is a random stranger that want to take picture of them on the street. That is the main reason why take a shoot with “shooting video technique” is a discreet way to capture eye contact (read here for more about eye contact) without our subject aware that we shoot at them.
Shooting video technique: We keep walking while hold our camera in front of chest area and start shooting any attractive subject/object.
Great for fishing technique (read here for fishing technique)
Camera’s screen is the ultimate “Optical Viewfinder” because we easily keep watch our surrounding and able to track any subjects that will enter our frame. By use screen also gives us more freedom to play with angle and adjust our camera’s position based on subject’s position because we can see subject from further away before enter our frame.
Like in photo above, I was experimenting with a lot of angles before manage to capture this image. For fishing technique I will constantly use camera’s screen all the time.
Gives us more space
Really useful when we use wide lens and want to capture our subject from close distance. Using viewfinder would be (much) more intimidating because we put our face in position that really close to subject’s face. I found that only use my hand to click shutter and camera screen for framing also more useful for street portrait because we can keep making conversation with subject and at the same time keep photograph them to get candid facial expression.
Additional note:
I think in today’s market, most camera already have good quality of screen. They bright enough to use at daylight time, and have relatively fast frame rate so there is no movement delay. In my case (with Fujifilm X-T2, Fujifilm X100F and Fujifilm X-E3), I also got super short blackout time when shooting, which is very helpful to keep track of my subject’s activities that may lead to form an attractive gesture.
Do I still use viewfinder?
Well, the answer is yes. Mostly when I travel at daylight time, and I just want to capture any attractive landmark or building. For all of my street works, I only use camera screen.
That is all of my thought about using camera screen in street photography. Definitely a shooting style that I prefer right now. See you!
Keep shooting and stay inspired,
Nico Harold