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The Mavica suffers from the curse of most of the digital cameras
designed by non-camera companies complete and utter reliance on an LCD panel as the
viewfinder.
Not one that I've ever used, has been very convenient
and the odd contortions one has to make to ensure accurate framing are tedious. More
serious is that fact that most, and that includes the one on the Mavica, are so difficult
to see in bright light. I didn't like it at all.
The photograph of the airship was a case in point. I could
see the bright yellow thing hovering but the glare of the sun on the LCD panel made
it impossible to see and even moving into a patch of shade didn't help all that much.
Just lining up on the thing was a trial - I had to point the thing in the general
direction of the blimp with the lens at its widest setting; find it then zoom in
tight while shifting the camera to keep it centre frame. So much more complicated
than a direct vision viewfinder.
The framing for this shot took some seconds to line up properly
using the LCD panel in the shade, yet would have been almost instantaneous and instinctive
with a conventional viewfinder. In bright sun it was almost impossible to see the
airship.
Sony is aware of the problems with viewing and have taken steps
to address some of the drawbacks to the LCD. The LCD has a panel above it which is
intended to make the viewing panel brighter in some lighting conditions. It works,
too.
Under more controlled conditions, such as indoors, some of my
objections to the use of the LCD disappear but it remains a cumbersome way to do
things. Ever since the introduction of the first Sony Viewcam the company has been
addicted to the external LCD but I notice that it has not fitted to either of the
DV camcorders.
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