9.44 million dot OLED viewfinder (1 Viewer)

[Binastro]

The new Sony Alpha 1 has a 9.44 million dot viewfinder.

Is this good enough for a useful digital binocular?

Regards,
B.

 

[pbjosh]

240Hz refresh is significant as well. It should be the best EVF yet. But I think we are still 5-10 years out from an EVF approaching the eyes abilities. Particularly in dynamic range - might be further out there.

 

[Maljunulo]

I'm probably a hopeless troglodyte, but the very idea of a "digital binocular" gives me the shudders.

 

[etudiant]

I'm probably a hopeless troglodyte, but the very idea of a "digital binocular" gives me the shudders.

No you are not, there is a big difference between 'digital' and 'image stabilized'.
The current state of the art allows for really useful image stabilization, sort of a virtual tripod that allows you to discern all that your glass is capable of.
Truly digital binoculars would require at least 8K display screens, with great dynamic range and high refresh rates, as well as at least Adobe RGB color spectrum. We're not yet there,. but getting closer.

 

[Weasel1]

The Sony Alpha 1 has a £6500 price tag, I think I'll be sticking with my regular bins.

 

[pbjosh]

I personally doubt I'll prefer a digital binocular to optical, but with all cameras moving to mirrorless and thus to EVF's, it makes photography even less interesting to me when you're fighting with the EVF and unable to see small birds, birds in high contrast situations, or to find birds moving against complex environments. Perhaps in a few years this level of EVF will filter down to bridge cameras and a bridge camera might finally be able to take useful photos of seabirds from a boat!

 

[joskaDK]

I think current EVF's compete well with SLR camera's but that is not to say that it will be useful in a binocular.

In an SLR camera you don't really look out through the lens as you do with a binocular, you are looking at an image projected on to a matte focusing screen.

I am using an Olympus EM1 MKII and I don't find the EVF a struggle at all, in fact the ability to zoom into the pixels in the EVF makes it possible to manually focus in a way not possible with an SLR.

A downside is that just looking through EVF will eat the battery.