Dumb question about DSLRs

Well, I've never used one. Never even held one in my hands. So
that's why I ask...

I assume the optical viewfinder - pentawhatever - lets you see how
the focus looks as you are composing. But what about depth of
field? Is the aperture setting actually in effect as you compose,
or does it stay wide open? It seems like you would need it wide
open to have enough light to see anything. But then you would be
guessing at what it would look like at any smaller aperture.

 

It stays wide open for maximum brightness but almost all SLRs have a
button which lets you close down the aperture so that you can see the
depth of field.

 

Both. The camera has a button which will close the apperture when
pressed.

And that's exactly why you got that button

jue

 

Such are the joys of a good EVF. No longer am I crippled with the
antiquated and dimmed-down and useless DOF-preview gymnastics required of
an OVF. Now I see my DOF preview in real-time in fully lit conditions no
matter the light-levels. I'd never go back to an OVF even if my life
depended on it. I picked up my old SLR gear last year when moving it to a
new storage spot and bothered to glance through the viewfinder. Even though
that model of SLR was admired for having the brightest viewfinder display
possible on any SLR camera ever made, I was appalled at the dim image I had
put up with those many years of its useful life, compared to what I now
enjoy in all my EVF equipped cameras. No pun intended, it literally is like
night and day. When it comes to viewfinders on cameras it's so much nicer
living in this century that gives you the vastly superior EVF option.

 

Not used very many cameras, eh?

You might want to rethink handing out photography and camera advice with
you having now displayed so little experience and knowledge about the
field, as well as the operation and capabilities of the required equipment.

The bit of egg is on your left-cheek this time. I think I see a smear of
ketchup on your chin too that you left there yesterday. Better wipe them
off. I bet it sucks to be so unaware of what you've spastically,
ignorantly, and unknowingly smeared on your face in public; doesn't it.

 

Just out of interest, because I am genuinely interested, which of the
current crop of EVF cameras give a DOF preview? I'm looking to buy my
grandson a camera for his birthday and that would be a nice feature to have.

 

This is a fairly moot point on EVF cameras since their small sensors(*)
gives them a large DOF anyway.


(*) unless you are looking into the quite expensive four-thirds cameras
that have both an EVF and a decent sensor size.

 

You fell for another personality of our good old P&S troll.
So the answer to your question is obviously a yes.

jue

 

You might want to check yourself into a mental health facility.

 

Doesn't work too well on a small and low-res LCD screen.

 

Yep, although it'll show you what the scene looks like with the lens
wide open.

If your camera has it, that's where you use the DoF preview function.

Wide open.

Also correct. Again, if you're being picky, that's where you use the DoF
preview. Personally, I know how my lenses work, so I can usually predict
the results.

 

*snort!* EVFs have maybe 100th of the resolution of an OVF.

 

I shoot wide open so often that DoF preview would be pretty useless for me.

 

Pfft. What are 'normal purposes'?

 

And you, my friend, might like to actually back-up the "facts" that you
spout off. I'm still waiting for some examples of EVF cameras that give
DoF previews ... but I'm not holding my breath.

 

Bona fide Trolls always want others to do their homework for them.

Pay me. My time, and I'll give you a break, is $500/hour for you. I might
then consider listing the information that you request. Information that is
readily available by testing or buying any number of cameras in any store.
All of my EVF equipped cameras provide an instant DOF preview on a
half-shutter press. If you can't find one that does, you're lying. Or just
another troll by another name. Which I already know you to be.

 

anything he does is normal, anything he doesn't is not. what other
people do is irrelevant.

 

And the troll demands that others pay him to refute his lies.

 

Oy plonker. I was trying to demonstrate that dozy-bollock (aka sam_d)
was talking out of his arse, just like you are. EVFs don't have the
resolution to demonstrate anything more than you're pointing your camera
at something. You can come back with all sorts of spurious information
and data you like but as Mr Scott would say - ye kanna defy the laws of
physics.

Just because I disagree with you and have the intelligence, education
and training to understand how opto-electronic devices work doesn't make
me a troll.

 

You may have the education, but you most certainly do not have the
experience with real cameras, cameras that do have a very useful DOF
preview in their EVFs.

That leaves everyone to believe you're nothing but another armchair
photographer troll who has never touched a real camera in their lifetime.
Just like all the rest of the trolls in these newsgroups. Making your
sweeping generalizations based on a sad bit of information you happened to
read elsewhere once.

Until you find a camera in a store and see how well DOF preview works in an
EVF equipped camera, then post your findings, I know you to be nothing more
than an inexperienced armchair-photographer troll. You leave me no other
choice.

Because I *DO* know that all my EVF equipped cameras have a wonderful
real-time DOF preview in the finder. That makes you either a liar or a
troll. Take your pick.