waist-level viewfinders in a modern world? Any reasonable digital options?

<p>I really miss looking down. Back in the film days, I used to shoot 120mf. I think my pix had better composition then. Something about having only the ground in my peripheral vision made me really focus on what I was shooting, and why. I also liked the POV from the waist. <br>

A MF digital back is way outa my league, so here is my question:<br>

Anyone know of a reasonable digital rig that has waist-level viewfinders?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

<p>There are many digital cameras with rotating LCD screens that can be used in a fashion similar to that of a waist-level finder. "Reasonable digital rig" would need to be better defined, I think. SLR? Point and shoot?</p>

<p>For example, the Sony A55</p>

<p>http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonyslta55/page4.asp</p>

 

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<p>A MF digital back is way outa my league</p>

</blockquote>

<p>There's the rub. You will miss out on the delightful "right-side up, but backwards left-to-right" effect with a twisting screen.</p>

<p>However, there are some older versions of optical right-angle viewers that do not have prisms in them to cure the right-to-left problem, and they do fit onto a number of the naked (i.e., without the rubber bumper) eye-holders on many 35mm and APS-C sensor digital cameras. Try Spiratone right angle viewers.</p>

<p>It's not a "waste-level" finder (as it has been called here), but it's the closest I can think of short of going back to film.</p>

<p>On a camera that supports live view, you can get a mirror (flipbac) to provide waist level view (because it is a mirror, you will obviously have to flip things mentally). Most DSLRs these days now support using both the traditional optical viewfinder, and using the LCD to display the image before taking the picture (live view). http://www.flipbac.com/</p>

<p>On many cameras with live view, you can also hook up the A/V output to a portable TV screen (DVD player, PVR, camcorder). The companies yongnuo, aputure, and hahnel make devices that allow you to do live view and shutter release away from the camera (they have a handheld video screen and shutter release button). Look around ebay for live view remote shutter for your camera.</p>

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<p>There's the rub. You will miss out on the delightful "right-side up, but backwards left-to-right" effect with a twisting screen.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Sony has a spiffy LCD screen for liveview cameras that will provide the waistlevel experience with the screen farther forward and more over the center of gravity, like a MF camera. And you can set it to flip left to right! Or upside-down, if you want the view camera experience.</p>

<p>The problem with most camera "flip out" screens and with the flipbac (flash bic!) mirror is that you have to have the camera farther out in front of you, because your screen is behind the camera, and behind the COG. Kind of uncomfortable.</p>

<p>check out the sony nex and use almost any lens you want.<br>

<a href="http://sonyalphanex.blogspot.com/2011/04/sony-nex-viewfinder-with-magnifier.html">http://sonyalphanex.blogspot.com/2011/04/sony-nex-viewfinder-with-magnifier.html</a></p>

<p>To cut to the end of the chase: Canon EOS-60D with it's rotating LCD preview screen. </p>

<p>Varavon makes an add on called the Varavon Pro Finder allowing you shoot video style, but also has a lid that lets you pop up the top to use it as a waist finder with standard DSLRs. <br>

B&H link (just click on the more images to get a quick idea of how it works: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/742483-REG/Varavon_VA17_35000_Pro_Finder_Set_Low_Angle.html<br>

Varavon Product Website: http://www.varavon.com/product/prof_detali01.html</p>

<p>I have the electronic viewfinder for my Panasonic Lumix GF1 and recently used that as a waist-level finder to take images from a slightly different perspective. It did remind me a little of my old Rollei and I briefly had problems adjusting to the image being the right way round instead of reversed.</p>