Which mirrorless cameras are easiest to frame and focus with in very low light?
Asked 8/26/2014
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2 answers
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I shoot in extremely dark conditions and struggle to see enough in live view on my Olympus E-PM2 to frame and focus accurately, even when using manual focus. Are there mirrorless cameras with more sensitive live view or EVFs for night photography, and ideally focus aids such as distance or depth-of-field displays?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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2 seconds, f4.0 and ISO 6400... You must be in a really dark environment, there. I'm not sure if there's anything that'll be bright enough for that type of lighting environment when in live view, anyway.
However, the Olympus have something called a Live Time feature. It only works in bulb mode but might be something you're after.
Both the OM-D E-M5 & the E-M1 have this feature. They both have a DOF preview as well put probably won't work in low light conditions.
EDIT: You might find that the FujiFilm/Sony A7/A7R are only slightly better than the OM-D.
Originally by user11789. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11789
12y ago
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In conditions as dark as about 2s at f/4 and ISO 6400, live view performance is challenging for almost any mirrorless camera. Based on the answers, you should not expect a dramatic improvement from switching systems just for EVF/live-view brightness alone; cameras like the Fujifilm models or Sony A7/A7R may be only slightly better than Olympus OM-D bodies.
One useful Olympus-specific feature mentioned is Live Time, available on models such as the OM-D E-M5 and E-M1. It works in bulb mode and can help when composing long exposures at night. Those cameras also offer depth-of-field preview, though that may still be limited in very low light.
So the main takeaway is: for extremely dark scenes, no mirrorless camera is likely to make live view suddenly easy, but moving to an OM-D body with Live Time could improve your night-shooting workflow more than expecting a huge EVF sensitivity jump.
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