What is the least-expensive DSLR that...

[Senor Hound]

What is the least-expensive DSLR that has live view on the back screen? Is it the E-410? Also, what about the least-expensive one that ISN'T an Olympus?

I've been researching this myself, but I'm having problems. All I can find is the E-410, and for 700 bucks, an Sony a350...

Would someone else help me?

 

[Mitch1640]

the sony a300 has live view.

 

[Senor Hound]

the sony a300 has live view.

Okay, thanks! Is there any other non-Olympus cameras that are less than $600 that have live view?

 

[Drake]

What about the EOS XS? The pricing is a bit different where I live, but I suppose it is under $600.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

out of curiosity, why would live view be the main point?

 

[Garbz]

Flying in with a guess, but Senior is trying to get a P&S user to buy an SLR.

 

[JerryPH]

That's wasted effort... lol

 

[frXnz kafka]

Canon 1000D maybe?

 

[Dao]

Senor Hound, are you wearing glasses? My friend ask me the same questions few weeks ago. He need liveview because of eye issue that he need to wear glasses (contact lens is not an options for him because even if he wear contact lenses, he still need to wear regular glasses).

So, beside Liveview, is there anything that can add to the camera and will help someone who need to wear glasses?

 

[TUX424]

my friend got glasses and a NIkon D70s no live view there
haha
but ya it would help i guess
i dotn wear glasses so i wouldnt know

 

[frXnz kafka]

Senor Hound, are you wearing glasses? My friend ask me the same questions few weeks ago. He need liveview because of eye issue that he need to wear glasses (contact lens is not an options for him because even if he wear contact lenses, he still need to wear regular glasses).

So, beside Liveview, is there anything that can add to the camera and will help someone who need to wear glasses?

I wear glasses and have no problem with my viewfinder.

 

[F1addict]

I wear glasses and have no problem with my viewfinder.

that must depend on the person. I have glasses and when looking through the viewfinder of my film SLR for longer periods of time it bothers me. Same if I'm looking through binoculars. But if I'm wearing my contacts I'm fine.

If you look in the right places you can get a Canon XSI for less then $100 more then an XS, which makes the XS kinda pointless. But even with that if live view is whats important, Sony is supposed to have the best live view on the market right now. One reason I've been looking at getting and A300. And from what I've seen, the A350 isn't worth the higher price. Plus they have the tilting screen which makes the live view even more useful. Really wish I had that on my current camera for some of those really low or high angle shots.

 

[JustAnEngineer]

Depending on your friend's eyeglass requirement, there are other options besides live view.

Canon sells a replacement eyecup (rubber surround) for the viewfinder to be more comfortable for eyeglass wearers.

If, like me, your friend doesn't wear glasses all the time, then there is the diopter adjustment wheel next to the viewfinder. I have the viewfinder on my EOS 40D adjusted to about -0.3 diopter to correct for my slight nearsightedness. The range of the built-in adjustment is -3.0 to +1.0 diopter. Canon sells dioptric adjustment lenses for the viewfinder to provide even more range if you need it.

 

[jwsciontc]

yeah the new xs has live view, im debating between that or the xsi at the moment

 

[epp_b]

I've tried live view on a Rebel XSi Trust me, it's a gimmick. There's no AF with live view and, because the mirror has to flip up in order for it to work, the viewfinder blacks out. Factor in Canon's inferior LCD screens, and the conclusion is that live view is pretty useless.

The whole point of an SLR is that you're looking straight through the glass and what you see is not degraded by some crappy LCD screen.

So, beside Liveview, is there anything that can add to the camera and will help someone who need to wear glasses?

I wear heavy prescription glasses. Viewfinders have diopter adjustments so that you can use them properly with or without glasses.

If you still find it to be a problem (and I don't think you will), you can buy viewfinder attachments that magnify the view and are more adjustable.