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EVF or LCD?

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Ralph Oshiro

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EVF or LCD?

I would like to hear from anyone who has an opinion on whether to invest in either the EVF or the LCD. I know, we all would like both, but since I'm building a bare-bones personal RED package, I'm having a terrible time deciding between the two. I am currently leaning toward the LCD for reasons listed below. But, I suspect that the EVF is going to be just awesome. Oh, yeah, I don't plan on renting my system out, so other commercial considerations aren't relevant to this decision. I'm buying RED only to shoot my personal narrative short/feature films. Here are my current pros and cons, vis-a-vis, my applications.

LCD:

1. I own a Steadicam Flyer with only the stock Tiffen SD LCD monitor.
2. I plan on doing a LOT of vehicle-mounting.
3. I plan on doing a LOT mounting, where I'm not physically able to be near the camera (tight quarters, weird spaces/rigs, etc.).
4. I plan on shooting a LOT of non-ridable dolly shots (skater dollies, ladder dollies, monorail dollies, etc.)
4. I plan on shooting a lot of sticks/dolly shots from a fluid head.
5. A 5.6" display is neat.

EVF:

1. I plan on shooting a LOT of "24"-style handheld. I mean, a LOT.
2. I plan on shooting a lot of sticks/dolly shots from a fluid head.
3. A real neat EVF is neat.

Any input would be appreciated!
 
My vote would be to go for the EVF right off the bat. Your first two reasons for getting the EVF are the most compelling to me. Your reasons for getting an LCD instead could work with either an LCD or EVF - vehicle mounting where you're away from the camera, for example. You can put the EVF on a 10' cable and simply hold it to your face. If you need an LCD for those "in a pinch" shots, you could always pick up a cheap SD LCD and operate from it. If you've ever operated a film camera from an onboard tap LCD, you know that the quality isn't always a huge issue in a pinch.

Anyhoo. There's my vote.
 
Thanks, Brook! This one's really killing me! I just "know" that the "right" choice is to pop for the EVF. But the economical choice, the one that serves the most masters is the LCD, no? It's especially difficult, since the LCD is claimed to have, what, 90% of the "feature set" of the EVF? I guess it's the finer points of the EVF quality, over the LCD, that I'm just completely ignorant of.
 
I come from a film background, so operating with my eye to a viewfinder is second nature to me. I've operated many a shot from an LCD and *sometimes* it's great... Just feel so much more "connected" with my shots when my face is plugged into something. I can tune out everything but what I need to see.

This is but one opinion. In the end, the decision will be up to you. Both the LCD and EVF will be top-notch. It's about how you like to operate, not me.
 
I'm waiting until NAB to see how the VF is mountable on the camera and to find out how daylight viewable the LCD is. Hey just sell your car and buy both!
 
Brook Willard said:
I come from a film background, so operating with my eye to a viewfinder is second nature to me. I've operated many a shot from an LCD and *sometimes* it's great... Just feel so much more "connected" with my shots when my face is plugged into something. I can tune out everything but what I need to see.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I completely get you, Brook. It's that "cyborg" feel to shooting. Professionally, I shoot 100% with EVFs.
 
Ralph, I was all up in the air about deciding between the two. Just like you, weighing the pros and cons of each. Then it hit me, screw it buy both. It's just money, and like Doritos, you can make more.
 
Ralph, I've been thinking about your dilemma and I've had this image come to me a few times now.

I'm not a PS wiz, so I'll try to describe my idea to you.

A surgeon sometimes wears a heavy type of head band with a light or a magnifying lens attached that flips up and down.

I bet you could rig up EVF to something like that and fly the Red.

I would like to have something like that so I could stand up straight and see no matter how low or high the camera is on a tripod.

Then you wouldn't Need the LCD.
 
Ralph,

You're #1148! You're not going to get your camera for another 6 months at the earliest. Don't waste your energy speculating (unless you enjoy it).

Nobody outside of Red has seen the actual LCD or EVF, so what do they know? Just wait until NAB to hear what people have to say. Or drive over to Red headquarters and try them out yourself. Then you'll have some solid data to base your decision on.
 
good advice Sumfun. bravo
 
They're mainly talking about the relative value of an evf over a lcd monitor of any camera.

tj,
Jarred was using it and said it's very bright in daylight.

cheers,
 
i plan to get both for 1st RED - in general i prefer a view finder except for interior sit down interviews ...

2nd RED - EFV ...LCD will depend on how much i use it with 1st RED ...

whatever i prefer is worth the $$
 
I've reserved two RED cameras. I shoot a wide mix of cine-style and EFP style, on sticks, hand held, and mount. I use both an EVF and an LCD reqularly in my work, thus I'll buy both of them. I'll buy them both with my first camera so I can maximize the shooting flexibility of that camera. When the second camera is ready, I'll make a decision on what to buy for it, based on my needs to field 2-camera crews for my productions.
 
LCD for me, baby! A 5.4" screen sure is a step up from the DVX flip-out LCD! It's going to be a joy shooting with RED. Now if only I could get good at focusing with Nikkor lenses...

EDIT: I asked this in another thread, but never got an answer. Is it possible to buy the LCD without the 10ft extension?
 
I could be wrong, but I believe Stuart English said that there will be two connectors, and the ability to run both the EVF and LCD simultaneously.
 
Thanks for all the thoughtful replies!

Well, mainly I was asking more to the effect, was, what is the basic display technology of an Accuscene EVF (which is similar to the RED EVF, according to Jim)? I mean, I know it's not a CRT, but what is it? LCD, OLED, SED? I read that both the RED EVF and LCD have identical resolutions [EDIT: this is incorrect, the EVF is higher], but is the EVF going to be somehow "better" for focusing, and why (other than having a diopter, which I don't need)? Does the basic display techonlogy used by the EVF have inherently better contrast ratio, for example, over an LCD display?

Let me address some of your specific posts . . .

Sam Druckerman said:
A surgeon sometimes wears a heavy type of head band with a light or a magnifying lens attached that flips up and down.
Click to expand...
I met this camera operator on a set once, and he had one of those cool "cyborg" eye-mounted LED displays hooked up to the tap on his Panaflex. He was operating from a dolly on a stage. He let me try it out, and it was awesome! A couple things I like about this idea . . . I sometimes shoot with my left eye open, and my right eye against the EVF. Gives you a neat "surround view" effect. I've always wanted to buy one of those eye-mounted LED displays for Steadicam work. The left eye could remain open for real-world navigation, but you would never be straining to see the monitor to check your framing. Your framing would always be dead-on accurate with that kind of monitoring. This application is similar to the idea that Sam suggested. Also, I didn't realize that the EVF had the same cabling ability as the LCD. I know the cables come with the LCD, but are they extra for the EVF?
 
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