… the nasty blocked up shadows, too contrasty and odd colors make the EVF a very poor viewing experience IMO compared to the 900.
EVF is a
different viewing experience. It isn't that clear reflection of the world we ordinarily see, it's more like what the camera might record - and as-you-are-aware that has advantages and disadvantages.
What am I missing in terms of being able to fine tune the EVF for use outdoors?
Perhaps change the "Creative Style" (from the Fn button) -- explicitly reduce contrast and sharpness.
Perhaps change the colorspace (from the Menu button) to AdobeRGB.
However, my guess is that
what we EVF-users fine tune is
our response to what we see through the view finder.