digital cameras
A simulation of an EVF view in low light
(central portion magnifi ed to aid manual focusing)Manual focus when using an EVF
Fuji offers a focus check that enlarges the central information so that you can get a clearer picture of
the pixel-starved fuzz - not at all helpful. The depressingly dark EVF on the Sony R1 automatically
switches to double magnifi cation when you attempt to focus manually (automatically switching back
to normal magnifi cation when focusing is complete). These features would be highly appreciated
if the manufacturers were then to quadruple the pixel count. Another feature that adds to the
diffi culty of focusing is that the manual focus rings on the digicams typically have no stops. They
do not stop at infi nity or the minimum focusing distance of the lens. Photographers using SLR
lenses can, after practice, instinctively move the lens to the correct distance after appreciating the
amount of twist they need to make from the stop. The lack of stops on the digicam lens precludes
the use of this technique. The long and short of it is that focusing manually using a digicam is a
tiresome affair that most users will hand over to the autofocus setting. With some mobile phones
offering higher resolution LCD screens than the typical digicam EVF this is a situation I hope will
be rectifi ed in the not too distant future. It is perhaps the last real problem that is stopping the
prosumer cameras making serious in-roads into the DSLR market.
Conclusion
Who then will be buying a high-end prosumer camera instead of a DSLR? They can be as
expensive and as big as a small DSLR. The lack of an optical viewfi nder or good EVF takes the
shine off the experience of capturing images in some situations. They are slower when you need
to capture bursts of images and can be noisier when you need to hand-hold images in low-light
conditions. If on the other hand you are not adverse to using a tripod in low-light conditions and
really can’t be fussed with the whole ‘lens-swapping, manual focusing, kit carrying’ saga then you
may be just the sort of person prosumer digicams have been designed for. These cameras will
probably go from strength to strength over the coming years so if you are not quite ready to part
company with traditional SLR technology just yet be sure to keep an eye on the high-end prosumer
digicam market (or whatever they eventually become known as).