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by Robert Royse on Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:05 am
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An angle finder has been part of any slr kit I've owned for over 30 years. Now with mirrorless cameras it's not an offered accessory from Canon, Sony, or Nikon. I have long used angle finders for all low level work such as wildflowers, ducks and shorebirds, and some wide angles. Now I'm trying to live without it and not having much luck. I spent the day yesterday trying to photograph small woodland wildflowers with the flip screen on the Canon R5. I couldn't see what I was doing. I'm terribly farsighted, but even with reading glasses on the glare on the screen kept me from being able to really see the screen as it reflected the sky. Getting on my belly and craning my neck back to use the viewfinders out of the question for me since I had a herniated disc in my neck 20 years ago that still can cause problems if I'm not careful with it.

For wildflowers I suppose I could get stronger reading glasses and put some sort of cloth over my head, but that wouldn't work for ducks and shorebirds. I read about people loving these flip screens, but so far I have found them to be absolutely worthless and have yet to take any sort of decent photograph using it. Are there any accessories or techniques out there that I am unaware of that makes them useful for nature photography?
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by Stephen Feingold on Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:58 am
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Would something like a hoodman lcd loupe work for you? They have diopter adjustment.
 

by Robert Royse on Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:14 am
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Stephen Feingold wrote:Would something like a hoodman lcd loupe work for you? They have diopter adjustment.
Those are for viewing screen on the back of the camera when the screen isn't tilted or rotated, but that's when I want to use the angle finder. It would have to be attached to the screen and allow free movement, which that doesn't seem to do from what I can tell.
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by mortsgah on Wed Apr 21, 2021 11:02 am
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Not sure if this would suffice, but I would think you could use this on a cable remotely. Kind of pricey. But there might be other similar options out there. https://www.portkeys.store/products/bm5-iii
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by SantaFeJoe on Wed Apr 21, 2021 11:15 am
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Maybe you could try this:

https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/index? ... =ART178172

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/explore/solutions-services/mobile-apps/camera-connect

That’s to connect to a smartphone (and possibly iPad) to control camera.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/canon-cam ... d944097177

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by Robert Royse on Wed Apr 21, 2021 11:59 am
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Thanks for the suggestions, but I was thinking of something much simpler like some sort of anti reflective cover for the rear screen, something inexpensive that I could take on a 10 mile hike or haul into a mudflat. For what it's worth, I can't see smart phones very well either, and mine usually sits at home next to my glasses. I did call Canon and suggested that they make a real angle finder for their R cameras. Meanwhile DSLR's still have value for some of my uses.
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by SantaFeJoe on Wed Apr 21, 2021 1:06 pm
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Maybe something like this would help:

Screen Hood

Looks like it attaches with Velcro over the back of the screen.

Here’s another similar:

Movo

And a better one here:

Hood

Joe
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by E.J. Peiker on Wed Apr 21, 2021 1:32 pm
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Probably not what you were looking for but both the Fuji GFX 50S and GFX 100 have an angle finding viewfinder accessory that even allows you to pivot it left and right as well as change the angle up and down. ;)

On the other hand, all of the brands you mentioned have a rear LCD that tilts up making it even easier to do what you are trying to do than it is to look through an angle finder.  Unlike with DSLRs, there is no AF performance hit by using the camera with the rear LCD rather than the viewfinder as in either case you are looking at the image coming off the sensor not an optical image.  I photograph ducks on water now with the camera/lens sitting on a small bean bag and me sitting up looking down at the rear LCD which is tilted up while I track the subject.  It's infinitely easier and more comfortable, IMHO, than looking through an angle finder.
 

by Robert Royse on Wed Apr 21, 2021 2:31 pm
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E.J. Peiker wrote:  I photograph ducks on water now with the camera/lens sitting on a small bean bag and me sitting up looking down at the rear LCD which is tilted up while I track the subject.  It's infinitely easier and more comfortable, IMHO, than looking through an angle finder.
That's what I've been trying to do, but the reflections off the LCD make it difficult to view. How do you deal with that?
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by DChan on Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:54 pm
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E.J. Peiker wrote:[snip]
On the other hand, all of the brands you mentioned have a rear LCD that tilts up making it even easier to do what you are trying to do than it is to look through an angle finder.  Unlike with DSLRs, there is no AF performance hit by using the camera with the rear LCD rather than the viewfinder as in either case you are looking at the image coming off the sensor not an optical image.  I photograph ducks on water now with the camera/lens sitting on a small bean bag and me sitting up looking down at the rear LCD which is tilted up while I track the subject.  It's infinitely easier and more comfortable, IMHO, than looking through an angle finder.
Agreed with E.J ! I don't see how it could be more comfortable using an angle finder either. I even shoot perching/slow moving birds using the touch screen on my Olympus. Any glare or reflection on the articulated LCD screen usually can be eliminated simply by me adjusting its angle. If not, I'll just use my hand to shade the screen.
 

by E.J. Peiker on Wed Apr 21, 2021 4:15 pm
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Robert Royse wrote:
E.J. Peiker wrote:  I photograph ducks on water now with the camera/lens sitting on a small bean bag and me sitting up looking down at the rear LCD which is tilted up while I track the subject.  It's infinitely easier and more comfortable, IMHO, than looking through an angle finder.
That's what I've been trying to do, but the reflections off the LCD make it difficult to view. How do you deal with that?
Just change the angle of the LCD slightly.  I haven't noticed this to be a problem using Sony cameras.  Also, make sure you turn the brightness up.
 

by Andrew_5488 on Thu Apr 22, 2021 9:47 am
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Won't older original Canon angled viewfinder work with new cameras ?
In case of Sony you can use old Minolta angled viewfinders which also offers 2x magnification with a switch.
 

by E.J. Peiker on Thu Apr 22, 2021 10:49 am
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Andrew_5488 wrote:Won't older original Canon angled viewfinder work with new cameras ?
In case of Sony you can use old Minolta angled viewfinders which also offers 2x magnification with a switch.
Remember you aren't looking through an optical path, you are looking at a tiny TV screen.  Your solution would work on a Sony DSLR but it won't attach to a Sony mirrorless camera as the geometry is totally different to accommodate the eye detect sensor.  It's also different between different models as they have refined the eye detect sensor location and size in the 5 generations of mirrorless cameras Sony has made.  I don't know for certain but I would think the same would be true for Canon DSLR vs. mirrorless.
 

by Andrew_5488 on Thu Apr 22, 2021 11:31 am
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E.J. Peiker wrote:
Andrew_5488 wrote:Won't older original Canon angled viewfinder work with new cameras ?
In case of Sony you can use old Minolta angled viewfinders which also offers 2x magnification with a switch.
Remember you aren't looking through an optical path, you are looking at a tiny TV screen.  Your solution would work on a Sony DSLR but it won't attach to a Sony mirrorless camera as the geometry is totally different to accommodate the eye detect sensor.  It's also different between different models as they have refined the eye detect sensor location and size in the 5 generations of mirrorless cameras Sony has made.  I don't know for certain but I would think the same would be true for Canon DSLR vs. mirrorless.
Of course it works. I'm using it all the time when photographing shorebirds with a7R4.
 

by E.J. Peiker on Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:21 pm
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Andrew_5488 wrote:
E.J. Peiker wrote:
Andrew_5488 wrote:Won't older original Canon angled viewfinder work with new cameras ?
In case of Sony you can use old Minolta angled viewfinders which also offers 2x magnification with a switch.
Remember you aren't looking through an optical path, you are looking at a tiny TV screen.  Your solution would work on a Sony DSLR but it won't attach to a Sony mirrorless camera as the geometry is totally different to accommodate the eye detect sensor.  It's also different between different models as they have refined the eye detect sensor location and size in the 5 generations of mirrorless cameras Sony has made.  I don't know for certain but I would think the same would be true for Canon DSLR vs. mirrorless.
Of course it works. I'm using it all the time when photographing shorebirds with a7R4.
Interesting, and surprising, thanks for the info.  Which one works?  A link to the product would be great for future reference.  I also wonder if it will work with the a1 which has a different configuration to the viewfinder than the a7 cameras...?
 

by Andrew_5488 on Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:38 pm
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E.J. Peiker wrote:
Andrew_5488 wrote:
E.J. Peiker wrote:
Andrew_5488 wrote:Won't older original Canon angled viewfinder work with new cameras ?
In case of Sony you can use old Minolta angled viewfinders which also offers 2x magnification with a switch.
Remember you aren't looking through an optical path, you are looking at a tiny TV screen.  Your solution would work on a Sony DSLR but it won't attach to a Sony mirrorless camera as the geometry is totally different to accommodate the eye detect sensor.  It's also different between different models as they have refined the eye detect sensor location and size in the 5 generations of mirrorless cameras Sony has made.  I don't know for certain but I would think the same would be true for Canon DSLR vs. mirrorless.
Of course it works. I'm using it all the time when photographing shorebirds with a7R4.
Interesting, and surprising, thanks for the info.  Which one works?  A link to the product would be great for future reference.  I also wonder if it will work with the a1 which has a different configuration to the viewfinder than the a7 cameras...?
I didn't try the old one and I don't have one from Sony (I believe it's exact the same as last one from Minolta).
One I have and I believe this is second and last one from Minolta is angle finder vn.
Can't comment on A1 since I don't own one.

Pictures:
https://minoltaflashback.com/angle-finders.html
 

by Robert Royse on Thu Apr 22, 2021 9:22 pm
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That's interesting that you can use angle finders with Sony including ones made by Minolta. Unfortunately Canon's angle finder C which works on every single camera with an EF mount from their first film EOS cameras through the 1DX Mark3 won't couple with their RF mount cameras. The eye cup is screwed in onto the R5 and doesn't take the type that slide in and out where an angle finder can be put in.


Brightening the screen and playing around with the angle does help a great deal.  I picked up some of those folding reading glasses to keep in my camera bag. It works well enough in the meanwhile for macro and wide angles close to the ground. I definitely don't like the idea of trying to photograph birds with reading glasses on though. I hope Canon comes out with a real angle finder with diopter correction built in for the R cameras before too long.
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by ChrisRoss on Mon Apr 26, 2021 3:08 am
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Robert Royse wrote:That's interesting that you can use angle finders with Sony including ones made by Minolta. Unfortunately Canon's angle finder C which works on every single camera with an EF mount from their first film EOS cameras through the 1DX Mark3 won't couple with their RF mount cameras. The eye cup is screwed in onto the R5 and doesn't take the type that slide in and out where an angle finder can be put in.
The R5 eyecup can be removed by removing two screws underneath.  I would guess you could 3D print an adapter that would replace the eyecup and allow you to fit the angle finder C - it just uses 4 small screws to attach the slide on adapter, or even print something that would provide viewfinder rails to use older style eyecups and the angle finder.  You would need to be careful not to interfere with the eye detect sensor below the viewfinder probably.  I can't see from the images if there is a clip up top to stabilise the top of the viewfinder.
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by Craig Lipski on Mon Apr 26, 2021 8:13 am
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Would polarized glasses reduce the glare on the floppy screen? Or polarized film?
 

by E.J. Peiker on Mon Apr 26, 2021 4:51 pm
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Craig Lipski wrote:Would polarized glasses reduce the glare on the floppy screen?  Or polarized film?
Sunglasses use linear polarizers.  These can blank out your view of the LCD at various angles (LCDs use polarization in their liquid film so you can cross polarize with polarized glasses or films).  I just took an old linear polarizer to make sure that this is still the case on modern rear screens and it absolutely does (I did this on a GFX 100S).  When I turned the polarizer it first went to a dark blue screen before almost blanking out when at maximum polarization.  So the angle you look at it or the angle of the camera could really affect your view of the LCD.
 

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