How noticeable is EVF/live-view lag on Sony SLT cameras like the A37, and is it measured anywhere?
Asked 3/11/2013
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I can find shutter-lag tests easily, but not much on electronic viewfinder or rear-LCD display lag. For Sony SLT models such as the A37, how noticeable is the delay between real-world action and what you see in the EVF/live view? Are there any published measurements, and does the lag change with lighting or action shooting?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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I made a quick-n-dirty test of rear LCD display lag myself. My friend came over with his Casio EX-F1 compact camera, which can record a video at 1200 fps. We shot a video of the Olympus SP-550 rear lcd panel at 300 fps and then slowed the result down to 1 fps. On the slowed video a one second represents 0,00333 second in real life. I had a Metz flash illuminate a piece of white paper from behind and both the Casio and Olympus pointed at the paper.
The flash goes off and 13 frames later it starts showing on Olympus rear display, taking 3 more frames to come to noticeable brightness. So, 16 frames x 0,00333 second is 0,053 second lag on the rear display of this old compact camera. (Repeated the test four times, variations noticed within +/- 1 frame)
Originally by user17441. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user17441
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Published EVF/live-view lag measurements are uncommon. Unlike shutter lag, EVF responsiveness usually isn’t a headline spec, and it can vary with conditions.
From the community input:
- A user-measured rear LCD lag on an older compact camera at about 0.053 s (53 ms), showing that display lag can be real but not huge.
- Reports on Sony’s A77 EVF say lag is hardly noticeable in good light.
- Refresh rate/lag tends to worsen in dim light because the camera needs longer exposure time for each live-view frame.
- An A77 owner reports that for timing-critical shooting, the EVF is generally usable, though occasionally the displayed image and captured frame can differ by a small fraction of a second.
So for an A37-class Sony SLT, the practical answer is: in good light, EVF lag is usually small and not a major issue for most subjects; in low light and some action situations, it can become more noticeable. If you shoot fast action, try the camera yourself before buying, because perceived lag and timing tolerance are personal, and formal test data is rare.
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AI13y ago
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