A PERSONAL DISCUSSION ABOUT ELECTRONIC VIEWFINDERS AND REAR SCREENS
I started out with the Sony NEX-5 and had no real problem with the fact that there was no EVF. Later I purchased a Sony A7R and loved using the EVF and never used the screen for photography. Eventually I decided that I would never get a camera that did not have a top class EVF. As soon as it became available I purchased a Sony FX30 and until it arrived I did not realise that it did not have an EVF. After using it for more than a year I have formed the view that Using an EVF and depending only on a back screen/back-panel encourages two different styles, equally valid, of photography.
Here’s a breakdown of how EVFs (Electronic Viewfinders) and back screens can influence different photographic approaches:
EVF Photography: The Immersive and Deliberate Approach
Isolation and Focus: Using an EVF blocks out ambient light and distractions. This allows for heightened focus on the composition within the viewfinder.
Pre-visualisation: EVFs show real-time exposure adjustments, effects, and focus peaking. This gives photographers a precise pre-shot view, facilitating meticulous adjustments before capturing the image.
Stability: Bringing the camera to your eye creates a more stable shooting platform, especially helpful in low light or when using longer lenses. This reduces camera shake and potential blur.
Manual Control Affinity: EVFs often pair well with cameras that emphasize manual controls (dials, etc.). This encourages a slower, more deliberate shooting pace focused on intentional adjustments.
Back Screen Photography: Flexibility and Spontaneity
Adaptable Angles: Back screens, especially fully articulating ones, allow for shooting from perspectives that would be difficult with an EVF. This includes high-angle, low-angle, and candid shots.
Street Photography: Screens can be less conspicuous than raising a camera to your eye, ideal for street photography where you want to blend into the surroundings.
Videography: For video work, back screens are often superior for framing and tracking moving subjects.
Touchscreen Functionality: Many cameras offer touchscreen controls like focus point selection or menu navigation, enhancing ease of use for those accustomed to smartphones.
It’s Not Just About The Tool: Photographer’s Intent
It’s crucial to remember that the presence or absence of an EVF doesn’t automatically dictate a photographer’s style. Here’s why:
Experienced EVF users can be spontaneous as well: A photographer familiar with their EVF camera can develop quick reflexes and anticipate interesting moments.
Back screen users can be deliberate: A back-screen photographer can employ techniques like a tripod for stability. They might also rely more heavily on elements like depth-of-field visualisation to compensate for the lack of a real-time exposure preview.
The Takeaway
EVFs and back screens cater to different preferences and offer advantages in specific situations. Understanding these strengths makes a photographer more versatile. Rather than being mutually exclusive, sometimes the best approach is having a camera that offers both options!
20.1 MP Exmor R APS-C (Super 35mm format) image sensor with wide dynamic range
S-CinetoneTM for a cinematic look straight out of the camera without grading
Flexible ISO, Cine EI Quick and Cine EI Log shooting modes for optimized image quality
User LUTs can be applied to the LCD display and HDMI output and embedded in clips
Dual Base ISO and a 14+ stop range for wide latitude and low-noise images
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The Sony FX30 is a budget-friendly cinema camera that packs a punch. Here are the key points:
Features and Design: The FX30 is a video-first camera but can also capture 26MP stills. It outperforms Sony’s aging A6000 series and even gives the FX3 a run for its money. Cinema Line LUTs, log modes, and 4K 120p (with a crop) make it a versatile choice. Premium build quality adds to its appeal.
Pros: Cinema camera features and design. Cinema Line LUTs and log modes. Affordable price point. 4K 120p (albeit with a crop).
Cons: No built-in EVF (electronic viewfinder).[this did disappoint me] 3-inch rear screen feels small. IBIS (in-body image stabilisation) isn’t very effective.
FX30 vs. FX3 vs. a7R V Sony FX3: Essentially a reskinned A7S III for cinema users. Internal tech in the FX30 is all new. 26MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor.
Sony a7R V: 61MP sensor, more focus points, and higher resolution. Better for photography.
Why Choose FX30: Affordability: Full-on cinema camera at a mirrorless price. Stabilisation and AF technologies. Unlimited recording times and 4K up to 120p. New 26MP sensor matched with a fast BIONZ XR processor.
Lenses for Sony FX30 Wide-Angle Zoom: Sony E 10-20mm f/4 PZ G Lens or Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD Lens. Wide-Angle Prime: Sony E 15mm f/1.4 G Lens or Sony E 11mm f/1.8 Lens. Standard Zoom: Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens or Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD Lens. Portrait:Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens or Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS Lens. All-In-One: Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD Lens or Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens. Telephoto Zoom: Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS Lens or Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens.
Full Frame Lenses: If you’re already using full-frame lenses, consider the Sony 20mm f/1.8 or Samyang 18mm f/2.8.
Rathfarnham Road is a major road in South Dublin, Ireland. It runs from Rathfarnham Village in the north to Terenure Village in the south, and is a major artery for traffic between the two villages. The road is also home to a number of shops, restaurants, and businesses.
Some of the notable landmarks along Rathfarnham Road include:
Rathfarnham Castle, a 15th-century castle that is now a popular tourist destination. Rathfarnham Park, a large park with walking trails, sports facilities, and a playground. Bushy Park, a 100-hectare park with woodlands, lakes, and a walled garden.
For many years there was a derelict building between Paradise Place and Mountjoy Street and beside it is the famous Black Church.
It is now being redeveloped as the “Black Church View” project, which will consist of 114 shared accommodation units, a café, gym, co-working space and indoor and outdoor recreation and amenity spaces.
Below is a somewhat idealised description of co-living.
Each floor is seen as a single community and private resident rooms feed into shared residential communal facilities. According to the developer apartment sizes will be well in excess of the minimum floor area required under current planning regulations.
Co-living is a residential community living model that accommodates three or more biologically unrelated people living in the same dwelling unit. Generally co-living is a type of intentional community that provides shared housing for people with similar values or intentions. The co-living experience may simply include group discussions in common areas or weekly meals, although will oftentimes extend to shared workspace and collective endeavours such as living more sustainably. An increasing number of people across the world are turning to co-living in order to unlock the same benefits as other communal living models (such as communes or co-housing), including “comfort, affordability, and a greater sense of social belonging.”
Co-living as a modern concept traces its origins to shared living models of the 19th and 20th centuries such as tenements in the UK, boarding houses in the US, and chawls in western India, yet ancient forms of communal living such as the longhouse date back thousands of years. Its contemporary form has gained prominence in recent years due to a combination of factors including increased urbanisation rates, a lack of affordable housing options, greater rates of disability requiring group home or assisted living arrangements, and a growing interest in lifestyles not dependent upon long-term contracts.
The Viking house and its garden has been built to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the battle of Clontarf and is a permanent installation. The house is open to school and public tours to educate visitors on Viking life in Dublin 1,000 years ago.
The Viking house is a replica based on a 11th century type one Dublin house excavated in the 1980’s by Patrick Wallis and his team at Wood quay. The house is 8mtrs long and 4mtrs wide, with a ridge height of 3.5mtrs, it has an Oak trestle frame and a door at each end.
The Battle of Clontarf took place on 23 April 1014 at Clontarf, near Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland. It pitted an army led by Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, against a Norse-Irish alliance comprising the forces of Sigtrygg Silkbeard, King of Dublin; Máel Mórda mac Murchada, King of Leinster; and a Viking army from abroad led by Sigurd of Orkney and Brodir of Mann. It lasted from sunrise to sunset, and ended in a rout of the Viking and Leinster armies.
It is estimated that between 7,000 and 10,000 men were killed in the battle, including most of the leaders. Although Brian’s forces were victorious, Brian himself was killed, as were his son Murchad and his grandson Toirdelbach. Leinster king Máel Mórda and Viking leaders Sigurd and Brodir were also slain. After the battle, the power of the Vikings and the Kingdom of Dublin was largely broken.
The battle was an important event in Irish history and is recorded in both Irish and Norse chronicles. In Ireland, the battle came to be seen as an event that freed the Irish from foreign domination, and Brian was hailed as a national hero. This view was especially popular during English rule in Ireland. Although the battle has come to be viewed in a more critical light, it still has a hold on the popular imagination.
I highly recommend the spectacular circular rose garden at the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin.
Of the over 150 species of rose, the Chinese Rosa chinensis has contributed most to today’s garden roses; it has been bred into garden varieties for about 1,000 years in China, and over 200 in Europe. It is believed that roses were grown in many of the early civilisations in temperate latitudes from at least 5000 years ago. They are known to have been grown in ancient Babylon. Paintings of roses have been discovered in Egyptian pyramid tombs from the 14th century BC. Records exist of them being grown in Chinese gardens and Greek gardens from at least 500 BC. Many of the original plant breeders used roses as a starting material as it is a quick way to obtain results.