Electronic Viewfinder (EVF)
An electronic viewfinder is a tiny screen inside the camera eyepiece that shows a live picture of what the sensor sees, so you can judge the photo before you take it.
On this page 3 sections
An electronic viewfinder, or EVF, is a tiny screen inside the eyepiece of a camera. Held to the eye, it shows a live picture of what the sensor sees, much like a small, sharp television.
How it works
The sensor sends a continuous image to a small display, usually OLED or LCD, which is viewed through a magnifying lens. Because the picture comes from the sensor, brightness, colour and focus appear much as they will in the final photo. The display can also show grid lines, a level, focus highlights and a playback of the last photo.
What the numbers mean
- Resolution: given in dots. More dots give a sharper, smoother view.
- Magnification: a higher figure gives a larger view in the eyepiece.
- Coverage: 100% means the view shows the whole frame.
- Refresh rate: a higher rate follows fast movement more smoothly.
What it does not promise
A sharper EVF does not improve the photos themselves. It only changes how the scene is viewed. The display uses battery power, so cameras with an EVF usually take fewer shots per charge than those with an optical viewfinder. On fast scenes there can be a slight lag. An optical viewfinder is different, because it shows the real scene through glass.