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Fuji patents evolution of the “real-image zoom optical viewfinder”.

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This is one of the (many) Fujifilm patents you can check out at freepatentsonline here (PDF file here). It was published back in April (04/29/2014), Filing Date or the Patent: 01/02/2014

It seems to be an evolution of the “Real-image zoom viewfinder” already present in the X20 viewfinder. There is plenty of technical stuff to read at freepatentsonline, but petapixel sums it up saying that “the viewfinder would be able to optically zoom in synchronization with the varying focal length of a zoom lens.” And, at least looking at the image of the patent, this viewfinder should find its way into future compact Fuji Point&Shoot cameras.

But what’s the advantage of this specific “real-image viewfinder” compared to the one of the X20 (which delivers 85% coverage and a 20° horizontal apparent field of view)? Well, I do not know, and it must be hidden somewhere in the very complicated description of the patent.

So will maybe the X30 feature an upgraded “real-image zoom optical viewfinder”? That’s the question I’ll now send directly to our sources ;-)

But it’s good to see that Fuji continues to work on the OVF technology. It’s definitely a good news for OVF lovers. However, no OVF in the world will give you the possibility to see in real-time how your final shot will be (WYSIWYG), which is very useful, especially when you have to act fast and there is not the time to take a shot, check the result on the LCD, change the exposure, take another shot, check the image again, make adjustments and so on. With an EVF you look through the viewfinder, turn the dial, see immediately the result in the EVF… and “click“.

But what do you think? Do you prefer the EVF or the OVF? 2 alternatives, one answer. And feel free to list your PROS and CONS for a OVF or EVF in the comments.

Oh, and I know, a hybrid viewfinder would make us all happy. So, dear Fuji, don’t forget it in the X-PRO2 :-)

Between the X-T20 and the X-E3, I'd buy the...

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And just for fun. Here is how Fuji explains the “real-image zoom viewfinder“. It’s all one sentence, so be concentrated:

“A real-image zoom viewfinder substantially consisting of, in order from an object side, a variable-magnification objective lens system having a positive refractive power, an erect optical system, and an eyepiece lens system having a positive refractive power, wherein the variable-magnification objective lens system substantially consisting of, in order from the object side, a first lens group that includes a first lens having a negative refractive power and a reflective member arranged in this order from the object side and is fixed during magnification change, a second lens group that has a positive refractive power and is moved during magnification change, and a third lens group that has a positive refractive power and is moved during magnification change, the erect optical system has at least one reflective surface for converting an inverted image formed by the variable-magnification objective lens system into an erect image and is fixed during magnification change, the eyepiece lens system has a positive refractive power and is fixed during magnification change, and conditional expressions (1), (2A) and (3) below are satisfied at the same time:
1.5<U2/U1<3.0 (1),
1.76≦|f2/f1|<2.0 (2A) and
1.0<f3/f2<5.0 (3), where U1 is a distance from an object-side lens surface of the first lens to a most object-side lens surface in the second lens group along an optical axis in a state where zoom setting is set at a telephoto end, U2 is a difference between the distance from the object-side lens surface of the first lens to the most object-side lens surface in the second lens group along the optical axis in a state where the zoom setting is set at the telephoto end and a distance from the object-side lens surface of the first lens to a most image-side lens surface in the third lens group along the optical axis in a state where the zoom setting is set at a wide-angle end, f1 is a focal length of the first lens group, f2 is a focal length of the second lens group, and f3 is a focal length of the third lens group.”

via freepatentsonline / photographybay / petapixel

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