DSLR with moveable viewer
 

I wasn't aware of any DSLR with a rotating and fully mobile viewer screen that can be extremely useful when you take a very low angle shoot or using camera on a telescope pointed high into sky, etc till now. Sony had a limited movable viewer body that just wasn't adequate (Not fully swingable only moving in 90 degree up and down motion) and though it seems like a cheap feature, as many point & shoot cameras have this feature at price tags or $200 and up wards, it seems like DSLR manufacturers have totally ignored this very needed features specially for serious amateurs or professionals. You probably remember the bells and whistles Nikon had with F3 in 1980s that would give you this low angle viewing by removing penta prism and adding TRS type finder (A feature of F family after the Senior F).

Now Magic Word is:

Panasonic DMC-L10K

Well not a new camera(Being introduced in Aug 2007) this Pana baby had it all and indeed with a Leica lens in kit and at an affordable price (Where is the Leicaman?). Apart from I believe exceptionally sharp Leica lens that comes with it in kit (14-50mm), it has the advantage of being compatible with Olympus' 4/3 format bayonet digital lenses that are also quite well made glasses at a lot less price.

So my question: Does anyone have any experience or heard about it?

A link to a comparison with same time introduced Canon 40D and same bayonet using Olympus 520

LINK

My immediate thought was 'Oh, something to break'.
I have a Canon compact with a fully rotatable screen, but it spends nearly all it's time folded in.
I can see it could be useful for low or high angle stuff, but I find I can get to the viewfinder almost all the time. (I am taller than my tripod, and have relatively young knees!). If you really need such a feature, why not think about a Zigview, which while expensive, also act as remote release, timer release, interval release etc, and can be taken off and put away where they wont break when you dont need them.

Thanks Gordon.
Didn't know about its existance.
Checked it.

LINK

My gut feeling is that that 1.3 MP camera on it that takes view of viewfinder and shows it on LCD has rather low IQ therefore will not serve my purpose that is critical focusing especially with Manual very heavy lens attached to body when it is pointed very high into sky for night shooting. For a general use low angle view it should be just fine but as you said, it is expensive.
Anyway Thanks sharing the info.

From what I have read of the Zigview you are right Sassan. Failing the new Sony with it's fold out screen what about the good old fashioned optical angle finder? You can still buy them new for Canon cameras, I don't know about other makes.

That would be my preference if I went for something like this. My eye would still be looking through the lens without any electronic intervention. A friend uses a universal one which has several adaptors for different eye pieces - dont know the age or brand unfortunately though.

I don't know which make of camera you use Sassan but here is a link to a Canon one for sale for £149:
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/cate...=3061&brand=37
Have a search round those pages for other makes, I would not be surprised if Nikon do one.

Why not Olympus E-3?
 

The E-3 is generally reckoned to be the best 4/3 DSLR camera on the market. I have used n Olympus E-330 which had the tiltable screen it is very useful. I now have a Sony A350 which has a similar tiltable screen. The E-3 was a bit out of my price range. I have found the Olympus standard lenses to be way above the general level. :)

That Panasonic had a few followers, mainly I think due to the leica association. certainly makes better financial sense verses the leica....I will probably be shot down in flames for saying this, BUT, for the amount of money they ask I've not seen a decent digital Leica yet!
Yes, It is a shame the prism on DSLR's can't be removed...I've thought that when looking at my film F5 which does, then looking at near identical digital D1h bodies that don't :(
If you take a peak at the dreaded ebay, there's some real bargains to be had for right angle finders. Some brand new after-market ones starting from only about $50. that's if you don't mind not having a branded one (Christine/saphire got one a while ago...excellent value)
We had some zigview units in the shop way back when..... Save your money Sassan, you will be dissapointed if you get one (I was thoroughly unimpressed)

E-3 update
 

Olympus have now added a function which allows use of their MF lenses with IS by inputing the focal length manually. This was one of the great downsides of the 4/3 system lack of backward compatibility. All that cheap great Zuiko glass, I might have to buy one myself. :) I have tried several ebay angle finders, go for the Seagull one it is made by a Chinese outfit who used to make Minolta under license.

''go for the Seagull one it is made by a Chinese outfit who used to make Minolta under license.'' I did not know that but they did market some low end stuff here in the UK a number of years back which was rudimentary and very much only ''adequate''. No idea what their angle finder is like though.

They used to sell some very cheap stuff.
 

I think the Sony one will be better optically. I have a Seagull one for my A350 its OK but not in the same league as the Olympus one I used on my E-330. However at a quarter of the price its fine. I only use it for the 2.5 times view for macro or when the sun is an issue with the Live view which is not that often. I did buy the cheapest on ebay it was not good at all huge distortion a 2X, it had to go!

Isn't it an issue of DSLRs not offering "liveview" in the LCD, and of course the idea of an SLR being that you see through the viewfinder what you're capturing. Seeing more liveview cameras now may lead to more moveable screens, as opposed to ones that play back what is already on the memory card.

The Lumix is generally though to have the highest resolution of any E-system camera. I am almost tempted myself but no in body IS. I have used the very cheap and small Olympus 14-42 kit lens which is extremely good. the Leica is not up to usual Leica standards I believe. At its present price it must be a great bargain. The 100% live view on the screen is a boon for macro focusing.

You are absolutely on the right track.



Add me too.
But I think at this point, Sony's Alpha 350 is more attractive considering having many old Minolta lenses that are a potential for dust cleaning.

I could never convince myself to get even with the price tag of Leica lenses or at least to be in a position to defend myself in front of boss (Wife). May be this is one opportunity to have a lens in gadget with Leica written on it!

Dusty old lenses
 

Actually I have had more dust problems with my A350 than I ever did with the E-system. In fact I never had a single dust problem in 4 years. Maybe its the dusty old Minolta lenses I have bought, of course with E-system there aren't any dusty old lenses. :)