NIkon Canon Sony

[chez]

If not using the magnified view, e.g., for manual focusing, the EVF lag on Nikon Z cameras was measured as 25ms (https://blog.kasson.com/nikon-z6-7/z7-magnified-lcd-lag/)

That’s not the EVF but rather the rear LCD screen. Jim says he has no way of testing the lag in EVF’s.

So let’s not spread inaccurate information as it spreads pretty quickly as you can see people quickly jumping on it and saying “seee”.

[chez]

The EVF refresh rates must surely affect lag. The Z7 has a refresh rate of 60 FPS, just like the A7R2 or A73. The A7R3 and A9 have twice this rate at 120 fps.

[Aram Hăvărneanu]

Note that 25ms, while nothing compared with SLR shutter lag, can be noticeable when you are looking through the viewfinder and moving the camera at the same time. The delay between the screen update the the physical movement can be noticeable and annoying (causing some kind of motion sickness).

If you listen to yourself through headphones you can detect a delay of as little as 3ms.

Musicians have difficulty playing together with 10ms of latency.

I have't used the Z7, but I can detect this lag with every EVF I have tried (though they all have been more low-end than the Z7). It doesn't bother me though, but I am sure other people are more sensitive to this kind of stuff.

PS: I found a paper about VR that claims that even 15ms of latency can cause motion sickness: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1801.07587.pdf.
 

[John Camp]

PS: I found a paper about VR that claims that even 15ms of latency can cause motion sickness: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1801.07587.pdf.

Interesting. Does this mean scanning a subject, or moving the camera a lot to reframe? I know people do that, but I watch the subject with my eyes and put the camera up just a couple of seconds (maybe) before shooting. I've seen latency with my Panasonics, but it never bothered me, really, maybe because I only experienced it for such a brief time. Is this a problem mostly for people shooting video?

[SrMi]

That’s not the EVF but rather the rear LCD screen. Jim says he has no way of testing the lag in EVF’s.

So let’s not spread inaccurate information as it spreads pretty quickly as you can see people quickly jumping on it and saying “seee”.

From DPR forum, Jim answers:

jfriend00 wrote: Has anyone measured the actual EVF lag on the Z7 in milliseconds?
Jim Kasson: About 25 ms

If LCD lag is 25 ms, it is logical to assume that EVF lag is 25 ms or less.
 

[BernardLanguillier]

From DPR forum, Jim answers:

jfriend00 wrote: Has anyone measured the actual EVF lag on the Z7 in milliseconds?
Jim Kasson: About 25 ms

If LCD lag is 25 ms, it is logical to assume that EVF lag is 25 ms or less.

Of course, yes... but our Nikon bashing Sony friends prefer to continue to spread FUD.

Nothing new really, it’s been going on since the day the Z was announced.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Martin Kristiansen]

Of course, yes... but our Nikon bashing Sony friends prefer to continue to spread FUD.

Nothing new really, it’s been going on since the day the Z was announced.

Cheers,
Bernard

Umm. Not all of us.

[BernardLanguillier]

Umm. Not all of us.

No, you are correct. Apologies.

I have never considered you as bashing Nikon though.

Cheers,
Bernard

[chez]

From DPR forum, Jim answers:

jfriend00 wrote: Has anyone measured the actual EVF lag on the Z7 in milliseconds?
Jim Kasson: About 25 ms

If LCD lag is 25 ms, it is logical to assume that EVF lag is 25 ms or less.

Why is that? The EVF resolution is quite a bit more than the rear LCD.

[chez]

Of course, yes... but our Nikon bashing Sony friends prefer to continue to spread FUD.

Nothing new really, it’s been going on since the day the Z was announced.

Cheers,
Bernard

Bernard...i’m Just stating facts here. Do you have facts to provide on the refresh rate or lag on the viewfinder? Anything that you state about Nikon is golden so one must take this into account.

[Hulyss]

Bernard...i’m Just stating facts here. Do you have facts to provide on the refresh rate or lag on the viewfinder? Anything that you state about Nikon is golden so one must take this into account.

Providing what seriousely ? I use the Z system extensively and those so called «problems «  never touched my mind in all kinds of situations. Tracking AF on very low light durring fashion shows, burst with manual telephoto on quick moving horses, kids... transition from dslr was invisible, a true relief in my experience.

Stating facts here too.

All those ppl bragging about such minor non issues are, at best, boring.

[Telecaster]

I've never seen objectionable (to me) lag with any EVF I've used. This goes all the way back to the Sony Hi-8 video cam I had in the late 1990s. Different people have different tolerance levels for this stuff, no doubt, but making blanket statements about it doesn't IMO contribute anything useful.

-Dave-

[SrMi]

Why is that? The EVF resolution is quite a bit more than the rear LCD.

I am not sure that the resolution matters in lag duration.

Both Jim Kasson and Thom Hogan own both Sony and Nikon Z 7 cameras and they are reporting Z 7's EVF lags between 25 ms and 17 ms. Neither of them has really measured it, but that does not mean that a significant EVF lag exists.

Maybe what the OP was thinking of is the lag between taking a picture and the time the review appears in the viewfinder (auto review). That time (> 1 sec?) is currently much longer on Z 7 cameras than on any other mirrorless camera, AFAIK.

[BernardLanguillier]

Quite surpringly the OP has dropped his comment and hasn’t come back to this thread in days...

Cheers,
Bernard

[Dan Wells]

I haven't (subjectively) seen a notable EVF lag on any brand in years. I'm trying to remember if the old NEX-7 had a notable lag, but I'd have to go back essentially that far to see it (or some cheaper, but more recent camera might have it). I certainly remember EVF lag from early long-zoom compacts - I once had a Canon Pro-70 (around 2000?), and that felt like it had half a second of EVF lag (plus it literally had a full second of focus lag).

I would be shocked to see a laggy viewfinder on any relatively recent pro or prosumer mirrorless from any manufacturer (and I certainly haven't handled one myself).

[DaveL]

Quite surpringly the OP has dropped his comment and hasn’t come back to this thread in days...

Cheers,
Bernard

Your image is incredible. You use the Z7 very well.

For me, proof of gear is confirmed by the images created by skilled photographers, not by measurements...

[BernardLanguillier]

Your image is incredible. You use the Z7 very well.

For me, proof of gear is confirmed by the images created by skilled photographers, not by measurements...

Very kind of you, thanks.

Cheers,
Bernard