Camera to Human Interface: The Eye Cup

Round rubber eye cup on the Canon AE-1

The Camera to Human Interface

I am amazed with the technology that comes out in the world of photography every minute of the day. Computerized cameras today can automate most of the work. Folks who don't want to learn photography can leave their camera setting on AUTO and get usable pictures. I have friends who are amazed at the picture quality of their new cellular phones, though I highly doubt they would be so impressed when the pictures are enlarged beyond the cellphone screen (no matter what the pixel count). With all these advancements, everything should be great, but there is something amiss, and it's rather low tech.

When I see modern compact and even SLR cameras, they lack a round eye cup. If you have never used one. You don't know what you're missing. Total immersion. To me, there is nothing more luxurious than an AE-1's large viewfinder coupled with a round eye cup (maybe the round eye cup on the Hasselblad H5D?). When the sun is behind me, LCD screens become so washed out that I couldn't compose with color in mind. All I could compose with is shapes. So what about EVFs (Electronic View Finders)? If you own an camera with EVF (I had a Sony A55V), I suggest you set the camera on 50mm (35mm film equivalent) focal length, look through the EVF with one eye and keep the other eye open. You may find the image displayed on the EVF to be surreal and unnatural.

I'm not sure why SLRs beyond the 80s and today came with square eye cups. They do nothing but cushion the user's head, and doesn't block out viewfinder flare and doesn't provide an immersive experience. If ergonomics is important to you and your camera supports a round eye cup, go get one. You won't be disappointing.