I am thinking about buying the HMC 40. I want a camera for shooting outdoors. I shoot airplane stuff like air to air, take offs and landings etc. Having the ability to track a target.....outside in the bright sunshine is my priority. The weight of the camera is also very important because I need the mobility you get from a smaller camera. I have a Canon A1 but find it too heavy for use in the field.

I find the EFV lacking in the smaller cameras that I have been looking at recently. The Canon XA10 looked promising until I took the camera outside and tried to look through the EVF.

Unfortunately there is no HMC 40 demo camera that I can look at around where I live. Can anyone comment on the EVF in the 40?

Hi Guy

Panasonic unfortunately only came to their senses with the HMC80 and put the LCD inside the EVF with a magnifying loupe in front. It's any awesome and huge EVF and I love them. I had HMC70's before and they have the same minute EVF as the 40 and even the 150!! It's like looking down a black tunnel with a tiny picture at the end....not what I would want for tracking tiny specks in the sky!!!

The HMC80 would do an awesome job with the new EVF but it's way too big and heavy for your needs!!!

Guess you will have to just keep looking????

Chris

I was all excited to receive my Zacuto eyepiece for my Canon 60D the other day thinking that would be the solution. Looking through the Zacuto was like sitting in a movie theater. However, DSLR's are not suited for this type of shooting either. Manual focus, manual zoom ugh. A camcorder is the only way to go for run and gun.

I have had good luck using my hmc40 outside with an lcd hood. Canon 2.7" LCD Hood 1574V682 B&H Photo Video

the evf is terrible ,the lcd is ok indoors ,but outside its next to worthless unless you get a hood for it

Well I either buy the 40 now, put a hood on it, and take a chance it's going to be reasonably satisfactory for what I need..or..wait until the next generation comes out. Hopefully Panasonic listens to users and upgrade EVF and the LCD in the next generation HMC "50".