FX vs DX: is FX's larger viewfinder a big UW advantage?

Ken Rockwell makes the case that the FX D700 has two big advantages over the D300: lower noise at very high ISO, and a big bright viewfinder. He doesn't ignore the other differences, but says the difference in image quality is not large except at high ISO.

And when I picked up a D700 at the local shop, I was impressed with the viewfinder. Maybe this difference that is big on land is even bigger underwater.

Maybe rather than an expensive viewfinder piece for your DX's housing, you're better off with an FX and no additional viewfinder. I'd love to hear from people who have used this stuff.

have a look through a d2x or d2h vf, far better than a d200's.

Depends on the camera and the housing and the user. I recently tried the Nikon D3 in a Subal housing. This camera has a very nice viewfinder (on land) - but I was not happy with the Subal standard viewfinder on this camera. If I get a D3 and Subal I will get one of their expensive viewfinders. However, I have been happy with the standard viewfinder on my Subal for my DX D2X (which does not have as nice a view as the D3 on land)! Go figure.

But in theory you are right. The main reason that expensive viewfinders have proliferated in the UW housing world is that people were disappointed with the view through their DX/APS-C cameras once in their housings (specifically compared with the film systems (same size as FX) that they were using before.

Alex

Hmmmm. As Alex points out, its not quite that simple. Different formats are intrinsically different, but the viewfinders fitted to different cameras differ too. Just look through Canons and Nikons (and others) to appreciate this - its not simply the format. I'm using FF Canons with what Alex would term an expensive viewfinder - and the viewfinder image that I see is really superb - but clearly Alex wasn't so impressed with a different set-up. You have to look through the whole optical system to see how well it works and how much you appreciate and like it - not just the camera's own viewfinder.

I shoot a lot of pictures without even looking through the eyepiece!

Maybe that's why they are so awful!

I very much agree with Alex on this.

I used my D70 in an Ikelite housing for a couple of years and my biggest complaint with the D70 was the small viewfinder which was made worse by shooting underwater wearing a mask. I upgraded to a D300 in December last year and was excited because the viewfinder on the D300 is bigger and brighter. In February, I got an Ikelite housing and was horrified that they essentially used the same viewfinder port as on the D70 housing. This actually made looking through the viewfinder worse with the D300 than it was with the D70.

I don't think the viewfinder can ever be too large; so if I ever do get my FX underwater, it will still be with a magnifying viewfinder.

I think my Hasselblad housing's viewfinder is too large. I'd rather have something smaller and brighter, than that. Although you can look through it with both eyes simultaneously! But more important would be to have one that it isn't reversed left to right!

I think my Hasselblad housing's viewfinder is too large. I'd rather have something smaller and brighter, than that. Although you can look through it with both eyes simultaneously! But more important would be to have one that it isn't reversed left to right!

 

I withdraw my comment!

But in theory you are right. The main reason that expensive viewfinders have proliferated in the UW housing world is that people were disappointed with the view through their DX/APS-C cameras once in their housings (specifically compared with the film systems (same size as FX) that they were using before.

Thanks for the constructive observations! As I mentioned, the D700 viewfinder looked GREAT after looking through my D200... but from what you all say, expecting that same dramatic difference underwater, without actually looking at specific housings and viewfinders, would be slim and shallow justification for upgrading to FX.

Damn. Back to the drawing board.