viewfinder

Paul Anderson, an inventor based in Oregon, has created an iPhone accessory called the Daylight Viewfinder, which blocks out stray sunlight and improves your ability to see images on the screen when framing your shots.

The device is made up of two components: an eyepiece attachment and a dedicated camera app. Users first need to launch the app, and then affix the eyepiece attachment to a specific part of the iPhone screen via a suction cup. … Read more

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

Google is providing free Wi-Fi on several airlines' domestic flights for the holidays

A new browser called RockMelt will make you even more attached to your social networks

Hasbro is bringing back the viewfinder, only this time it's for the iPhone and it's in 3D

The Motorola Droid Pro is available for preorder today

3D glasses are coming soon from Oakley, Machon, and Calvin Klein

Your cell phone may soon be able to diagnose an STD

The number of compact and ultracompact digital cameras available from major manufacturers is overwhelming--and it's about to get worse. Before summer's out, most of the companies will have announced a new batch of point-and-shoot models in an attempt to woo you into upgrading or at least penciling them into your holiday shopping budget. Judging by the reader e-mails I receive, none of the current crop seem to have all of the features you desire, so maybe some new options are exactly what's needed.

My fear, though, is it'll just be more of the same, with too … Read more

Besides helping you locate a restaurant for dinner or find out when the next bus arrives, the iPhone can also capture interesting pictures (with the help of some apps, of course). But the application we're talking about here, the Viewfinder, is not for taking pictures. Rather, it's to help professionals frame their shots before pressing the shutter or rolling the film.

Viewfinder (available on the iTunes App Store for $7.99) makes use of the device's onboard camera and lays grids on it to simulate the focal length you specify. If you're using a 50mm lens, … Read more

Read through the user reviews of point-and-shoot cameras on CNET and you'll come across a common question: where's the optical viewfinder? The answer is there aren't any. Well, almost any. Canon is basically the lone major manufacturer of compact cameras with optical viewfinders. And even its numbers are dwindling.

In Canon's current lineup of PowerShot Digital Elph and A-series models, there are just five models featuring the company's real image optical zoom viewfinder. If you want manual control over shutter speed and aperture, the only option is the 14.7-megapixel SD990 IS (and it's nearing the end of its life). (On the upside the SD990 can now be found for more than $100 less than its original $399.99 price, making it a much better purchase than when I originally reviewed it.)

Below is a listing of the five models that are still readily available at retail with links to their reviews. Generally, they're all very good cameras and at current prices I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of them if you must have a viewfinder. If you want it to be powered by AA-size batteries, too, you're limited to the A-series models. Also, if you don't mind a larger, more advanced camera, Canon's PowerShot G11 and Nikon's Coolpix P6000 models both feature optical viewfinders. … Read more

One gripe I have with electronic viewfinders is that they're usually low-resolution displays with slower response times. Also, their color rendition is typically not as good as LCD's. But Epson's newly developed EVF seeks to correct all the flaws, and the company states that this can even replace optical viewfinders.

Epson's new EVF will utilize a 1.44-megapixel TFT color panel made from high-temperature polysilicon. It measures 1.2 inches diagonally and has a color filter to prevent tonal breakup when viewing fast-moving subjects through the EVF.

The Japanese firm is targeting its new product at … Read more

This is one of those devices that could work equally well whether you're a birder or spy working on a case to air on Cheaters.

The "Zigview S2 Digital Viewfinder" lets you see what you're shooting and control the shutter from a distance as far away from the camera as you'd like, as long as you have a cable that's long enough. It supposedly works with most digital SLR models. And to make sure you don't miss that crucial shot, according to Dvice, its built-in motion detector will automatically catch that Blue-Footed Booby … Read more