Sony FDA-EV1S Electronic Viewfinder for NEX-5N Digital Camera

by Sony

• World's first XGA OLED Tru-Finder viewfinder (Approx. 2,359K dots)
• High contrast ratio for rich color and deep blacks
• Eyepiece sensor for automatic display switching
• Approx. 100% field coverage with 33.1 degrees wide viewing angle
• Compatible with NEX-5

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 1.6 x 1.2 x 1.4 inches ; 1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B005K8AUOI
• Item model number: FDAEV1S
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #6 in Camera & Photo > Accessories > Viewfinders
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 24, 2011

Product Description

XGA OLED viewfinder for Sony NEX-5N camera. High resolution (Approx.2,359K dots) and high contrast ratio provide superior viewing while maintaining a superior shooting position. There's never been anything quite like the XGA OLED Tru-Finder™ Electronic Viewfinder. For size, speed and brightness, this is a gem. This eye-level, through-the-lens, viewfinder begins with approx. 2,359K dots for amazing resolution and high contrast ratio for incredible depth. OLED reduces motion blur to a bare minimum. You can also see the results of camera adjustments in real time with superb color and detail.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes a big difference... October 22, 2011

By Wondersnail

Amazon Verified Purchase

This OLED viewfinder is a great addition to my NEX-5N. I was pleasantly surprised because a few days after I placed the order I received the shipping notification from Amazon although it is always out of stock.

I have no experience with other electronic viewfinders but I can tell you this one is amazing. Very high resolution, sharp and all the necessary info shown in the viewfinder - even the live histogram. (One weird thing though when adjusting exposure compensation you wont see the histogram. It behaves the same way on the LCD - I don't know what Sony was thinking... hopefully they will change this in a firmware update)
You can go through on the camera's menu in the VF which works great (you can't utilize the LCD's touch feature - which I think wouldn't be possible anyway). I have the soft buttons customized and I found it easy to change the settings through the viewfinder. If you have the focus set to "Flexible Spot" you can move around the spot by pressing the scroll wheel and don't have to take your eyes off the finder. Pretty neat... But the other two soft buttons are not VF friendly. They are flat and don't stick out from the body so it's hard to find them - a firmware upgrade won't help on this but you can put some small rubber bumper pads on them.
You can also review the pictures in the viewfinder which is also great, the brightness and the colors are the same that you will see on the computer screen.

There are also a few negatives to consider when using the viewfinder. The first and biggest is the price - it will be prohibitive for many. It cost 50% of the 5N body which is a joke... $250 would be still much but more realistic. With it the NEX-5N cost almost as much as the NEX-7 which has the same VF built-in although you can't tilt that one....
If you attach the VF to the body it sticks out and might not fit in a slim bag or in your jacket pocket. If it does be careful when you pull it out - remember it is $350.
You can't use the flash while the VF occupies the accessory port and sometimes this can be troubling. Take the VF off put the flash on take the flash off put the VF back on... I don't know when will I experience contact problems. I guess after the warranty expires.
One more thing - I don't like too many bits and pieces because I have more chance to lose them but at least the VF comes with a little pouch so I can keep the flash in it while the VF is on the camera.

I have no regrets buying it and it will stay on my NEX-5N 95% of the time. If you buy it you will love it but if you think it doesn't worth $350 for you that is understandable because it is really overpriced. Read more ›

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Viewfinder lived up to my expectations and has more features than I expected December 21, 2011

By Ali Julia #1 REVIEWER#1 HALL OF FAME

Amazon Verified Purchase

I purchased Sony NEX 5N this fall and overall enjoyed the camera (see my review of Sony NEX-5N 16.1 MP Compact Interchangeable Lens Touchscreen Camera With 18-55mm Lens (Silver) here http://www.amazon.com/review/R3FN42SUEPJ1PA/ref=cm_srch_res_rtr_alt_7). The one issue I had with the camera was ability to see the LCD screen in the sun, but I knew this OLED viewfinder was coming and hoped it would resolve the issue. I received it yesterday and I am very pleased!

I am attaching 8 photos to the customer photos which I will be referencing in this review (they can be viewed by following a link under the stock photo at the top of listing).

The OLED display is very clear. Not only does it help me to see the image perfectly, it also allows me to see text and numbers better as it has a control that allows you to adjust it to your eyesight. I am slightly far sighted and was able to get the display perfectly calibrated to my eyesight. The adjustment can go much higher and lower, so I know it will continue to work if my eyesight changes. Photo #1 contains a schematic which shows all the controls labeled in red.

The OLED display has to be attached/removed to the camera while the camera is turned off. Once you connect it, there is a lock screw that holds it down. One of my concerns was that I could easily knock the viewfinder out of the connector while using the camera, but with a screw down mechanism there is no danger of that. The eyepiece if firmly in place while I pressed on it with my eye. You can see the screw down mechanism clearly in photo labeled #6....

The eye piece can be adjust in many different positions so you can place it at different angles depending on how you need to hold the camera, so it works much better than the fixed position eye piece. I am attaching several photos showing the angles of the viewfinder to the camera. Photos 5,7 and 8 show the different positions of the viewfinder. I left the camera's lens cap in the photo for size reference.

The OLED display comes with an end cap which protects the connector and soft cloth bag, which protects it from scratches. Photos 3 and 4 show the viewfinder with the end cap on and off, as well as the bag.

The weight of the viewfinder is 1.1 oz.

The instructions recommend that the OLED viewfinder is always transported separately from the camera to avoid damage to the connectors.

There is a button which controls whether the LCD screen is on or off when the viewfinder is attached. The options are to have the display in both viewfinder and LCD screen or either of one of the two. I found having both on is handy when you want to use the screen to control the location of the focus. Auto focus prefers the center of the camera, and I often like off-center focused images for better composition. Even in the sun I can see the general area of where I want the focus to be, and then I look into the viewfinder for the final shot composition. Since the camera gives feedback to where the focus is located (the green square) I can confirm that my touch screen operation did what I wanted it to do. It is not a perfect solution for focus override but it works.

If you wear glasses it possible to remove the rubber eyepiece cup from the unit, but I did not find this to be an issue when I tried using the camera with my eyeglasses on. Photo #2 has a good view of the rubber eyepiece.

OLED viewfinder is very sensitive to water. More sensitive the camera without the viewfinder. If you don't have a rain jacket for the camera, it is best not to use the viewfinder in the rain.

The flash and the viewfinder share the same connector, so they cannot be used at the same time.

The viewfinder is not compatible with SONY NEX-3C. NEX-3C is a very similar camera to NEX-5N that came out a few weeks before NEX-5N, with the main differences being it and NEX-5N being slightly lower price, incomparability with OLED viewfinder, and no touchscreen.

I LIKE

1. Clear image which I can see in the sun
2. Has diopter adjustment for perfect eyesight calibration
3. Lock screw holds it firmly in place
4. Allows me to control when I want LCD on (for touch screen focus control) and off (for battery power savings)
5. Lightweight: 1.1 oz

I DON'T LIKE

1. The price

Overall, it makes the camera much better for my use and I recommend it.

Ali Julia review Read more ›

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The best EVF on the market. Effective, but somewhat contradictory to what the NEX-5N is all about. January 9, 2012

By Lars Milano VINE™ VOICE

The FDA-EV1S is another quality accessory from Sony that does exactly what you expect from a viewfinder. The resolution outclasses just about any other EVF currently available for other cameras of this type in terms of resolution (by a long shot) and it can rival the effectiveness of a DSLR's optical viewfinder when trying to manually focus and compose your shots. If you use adapters to attach legacy lenses (Leica, CV, etc) to your NEX-5N, your ability to accurately nail the manual focus will be greatly increased even with the focus peaking turned off. In fact, when using my Leica 50mm summilux on the NEX-5N, I found it easier to focus in dim light with a shallow DOF (at f/1.4) with the NEX-5N using the EVF than with the same lens on my M9 with its rangefinder focus coupling. What helped the most here is that like the rear LCD display, the EVF will show you the actual exposure as it's "brightened up" by the NEX-5N sensor's superior high ISO performance. No doubt, the EVF brings out the most out of the camera. With the EVF, I have turned off the focus peaking feature on the NEX-5N simply because the EVF is able to resolve any particular area that I'm trying to focus on in my compositions, and there's no longer a need for focus peaking. In certain instances, the focus peaking actually becomes a problem because it would obscure the specific areas I would try to focus on that is already easily visible with the EVF.

So why did I give it only 4 stars and not 5? Simple. As great of an addition the FDA-EV1S is, it's a big ugly wart sitting atop an otherwise clean, svelte, and ultra-compact camera body. It doesn't seem like it belongs and makes me long even more for the NEX-7 with its built-in and more integrated EVF that I have on order.... When I have to throw my NEX-5N in the camera bag, I feel its necessary to remove the EVF because I'm afraid I will accidentally break it off and damage it and/or the mount on the camera. It's held on by a flimsy thumb screw and I know that one of these days, it's likely it will snag on the camera bag when I try to pull the camera out for a quick shot and something will break. It's also very easy to catch, snag, and hit things when carrying the camera across your shoulder with the prominent wart of an EVF sticking out. While you can say the same about some of the big E-mount lenses, at least those are securely locked on the mount and look the part. This EVF's rather bulky implementation is not good in my book, but I guess it still beats not having an EVF at all. Not sure if it was possible for Sony to design it to be even smaller and low-profile, but looking at how well the NEX-7's EVF is integrated into the small body, I don't see why not. If you think this will be a problem for you, by all means get one. It truly completes the NEX-5N as a photography enthusiast's tool, albeit a fragile one. Read more ›