(Probably) a dumb question about viewfinders

[Nifkin]

Hello,

Using my new Canon 450D I noticed that there's a noticeable difference in the framing of a scene between what I see in the viewfinder, and what appears on the LCD screen when I review the shot immediately after I've taken it. As this is an SLR, how can this be? I am finding that I have to compensate for this apparent parallax as I would do if I was using an old film compact camera. Surely what you see through the viewfinder should match what hits the sensor when you take the shot, right??? :shrug:

 

[HuntingMartians]

I don't know the exact details of 450D but genreally the view finder only sees something like 90%+ of the area of the actual picture taken

 

[CT]

Yep - top end cameras claim 98% and even 100% accuracy with viewfinders, but that figure drops with the market slot of the camera.

You shouldn't be seeing parallax errors though - just more of the scene all round than you did in the viewfinder.

 

[Canon Bob]

Here's a link that gives viewfinder comparisons of the various DSLR's out there.

http://www.neocamera.com/feature_viewfinder_sizes.php

Bob

 

[Canon Bob]

You shouldn't be seeing parallax errors though - just more of the scene all round than you did in the viewfinder.

True, SLR's won't suffer parallax.

Bob

 

[Nifkin]

Yep - top end cameras claim 98% and even 100% accuracy with viewfinders, but that figure drops with the market slot of the camera.

You shouldn't be seeing parallax errors though - just more of the scene all round than you did in the viewfinder.

True - tis not really parallax, and probably more down to the viewfinder's coverage area... obviously this does make a difference between what you see throught the VF and the result. I'll do a few more tests just to make sure I'm seeing things right!

Thanks all