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LACK OF VIEWFINDER A DISASTER! (Note to Ricoh)

C

cliffand

New Member
I joined this forum in the hope that my comments will be passed on to Ricoh. Approx 7 yrs ago I purchased 2X Ricoh Caplio R1 cameras. One for myself & one for my then 14yr old. They have been great Cameras & I still use mine although I would dearly love to update to one that is supported on 64bit Windows. The reason the Caplio R1 is such a great Camera is that it has a PROPER through camera View Finder -- something my 66 yr old eys need! Plus of course wide angle lens & ease of use. It has been trouble free.

I would buy another Ricoh in a heartbeat IF it had a proper built in veiwfinder -not a mickey mouse clip on which takes right away from the ease of use + time to clip on. What a crock.
Also if a proper built in View Finder was offered at an additional cost -then I would pay that cost without a thought! There must be a huge market for a manufacturer to offer this as a package -I note that there does not appear to be any compact Camera being offered with a view finder. Even with bifocals my eyes cannot adjust to seeing an LCD screen at focusing distance & also if there is bright sunlight then forget it -the screen is a blur.
Ricoh --there is a huge market out there in folks over 50 who need a proper view finder. I have spoken with staff at local Camera House to ask if they knew of any developements re a new model coming out with built in View Finder. They said no BUT agreed that they should be available as they were being asked for this all the time.

Please Ricoh -take note. Thank you
 
I do not have any idea what the actual sales numbers are with regard to older purchasers : compact cameras, having said that I am certain that the inclusion of a vf would be beneficial and could be a major sales point. If one searches for solutions on the WWW it becomes obvious that there is a minor niche market that tries to emulate the OVF experience. The current p&s configurations make an OVF very difficult to incorporate but a high res DVF can be extremely effective.
I would love to see a Gen 2 GXR body with any type of built in vf!
I currently have a Nikon P7000 and Canon G12 that both have OVFs. The OVF is one of the major reasons I purchased these cameras. Neither attempt is very good but they are both better than nothing.

So, I agree..........let's see some cameras that include a vf.

wj
 
Wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. If the market was that big I'm pretty sure we would still have viewfinders with every major vendor's point & shoots.

Today only the Nikon P7000, Canon G12 come with optical viewfinders but those cover only around 80% of the image. The Super Zooms typically come with Electronic viewfinders. Both types are bigger than the R1.

For me the clip on is a decent solution with my GX100. Today that includes the Ricoh GXR and the Panasonic LX5 to the mix. The clip on allows me to choose to take it when I want to, another benefit is that it also can swivel upwards which can be handy when shooting from a low tripod for example. The current clip ons have very decent resolution and if you want you can leave them on of course. Benefits are that the view is 100% and also includes all the shooting info in the viewfinder. Is this the same as an optical, no.

On the other hand just hang on to the R1 while it still works. I always plug the memory card into my computer to offload the images then the 64-Bit support is also fixed.

I know the issue with close focussing and LCD's, also the better stability when holding the camera to your eye counts. Let alone that I typically compose more carefull when photographing via a viewfinder (probably just me).

Regards Remko
 
Remko wrote: I know the issue with close focussing and LCD's, also the better stability when holding the camera to your eye counts. Let alone that I typically compose more carefull when photographing via a viewfinder (probably just me).

No, it's me, too! I stated that already several times here and on dpreview -- but nobody replied to that (that is, seemed interested in my statement)... I could prove the better stability when using an EVF versus the LCD: While my colleague's portrait photos were are a little but fuzzy, mine were not -- she used the LCD, I used the EVF.

And I also find composing easier when using the EVF. But maybe, that's because I am used to (D)SLRs...

However, an EVF is still far from an (D)SLR optical viewfinder and this will probably not change for a while... In particular, I find it hard to focus manually using an EVF with my GXR.

Best regards, Gerd
 
Thanks to every one for the replies. No I won't hold my breath:) but lets hope that someone listens. It would be well worth paying $200 extra to get this feature. over & out -mission at least attempted.
 
It would be my number one request too as have been for some time now. I currently try the GXR with the 28mm lens and a CV 28mm optical viewfinder. It is decent, but not optimum since the hotshoe is not properly placed above the lens. Not an issue for subjects further away, but does hinder for anything really close.

Ricoh is a small company stubborn enough to do it differently. I would love to see a GRD with an OVF (or even an EVF) that reminds me of the GR1. And if Fuji can do it with their upcoming X100 why could/should Ricoh not do it?
 
Question: for those that use either OVF or EVF, do you think you have some extra stability and can make a sharper image?
I feel arms length viewing on LCD may contribute to some blurred images for me, I am a long time VF user with film SLRs. I have to concentrate with LCD framing, and sometimes revert to the 2 sec timer where I can at very low TV settings.
 
My personal experience is that I make sharper image with the OVF, because I can also stabilize the camera against my head. Last night for instance I took several images in low light at 1/5 sec with the GXR+A12 28mm combo and the CV 28mm OVF. With an external OVF or an OVF placed on the left side you can keep both eyes open which is great for street photography.
 
I just tested holding the camera( GXR) away from my body and using the screen vs the evf with exposures of 1/5 to 1/10 of a second. My conclusion is that holding the camera to the eye ( using the evf) doubles the probability of getting a clear shot. I tested a total of 40 pictures, 20 with the P10 and sensor stability on, and 20 with the A12-50. I used LR-3 and a full size crop to make this very unscientific comparison. I wear glasses but remove them for the evf because my right eye lens has been replaced with a plastic lens that gives very clear vision with the evf. Tests done sitting in a chair and holding the camera either away from me or to my eye.

And yes I think using the evf slows my whole process down so I am more careful when taking a picture. For me care does not always lead to a better picture! ;)
 
My reason for buying a GX200 was because i could attach an electronic viewfinder i keep the camera in its leather case so leave the viewfinder on. Now my son uses a Nikon and never uses the viewfinder he as always used the screen so perhaps its a younger thing but as a retired gent i am so used to holding a camera to my check. When i use the viewfinder i am seeing the shot and feel involved in the shot but holding a camera at arms reach and looking at a screen just does not feel right and i feel detached from the subject. So i would like to see more cameras looking like real cameras and with a viewfinder but as said i can manage with a plug on one that is digital.
Recently i have owned a Leica D-Lux but the add on viewfinder was only optical and a bit hit and miss then i tried an Olympus E-P1 again the viewfinder was optical at least the Ricoh's is a fully electrical one so of great use. I have noticed now that more manufactures have started to add the electronic parts to allow a EVF to be added instead of the almost useless optical ones.
I have seen some lovely small 35m film cameras with a built in viewfinder so why cant they make them today but using the digital technology to process the image.
Who knows in years to come perhaps everyone will be wondering around with their arms out taking photos and anyone seen holding a camera right up to their face will be seen as an odd one out, me i will always be the odd one out.
 
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