One of the accessories announced with the Ricoh GXR was the VF-2 electronic viewfinder. It is a 920k dot electronic viewfinder similar to the one offered by Olympus for their EP2 m4/3 camera. It even tilts a full 90 degrees just like the Olympus unit.
When fitted to the GXR it prevents it from being put in to most coat pockets and that kinda kills the portability of the GXR.
The VF-2 fits on by sliding into the hot-shoe as well a propitiatory port just below the hot-shoe. It fits quite well with a click at the end when it's locked in place. Overall it feels like a pretty solid piece of plastic that will take a feel bangs here and there. The hinge also feels pretty solid but probably won't take as much abuse. Overall its a pretty well engineered piece of electronics.
Images quality isn't the great when compared to an SLR with an optical viewfinder but as an EFV it is probably one of the better ones I have seen. The size of the viewfinder is quite small probably around the size of an entry level SLR a lot smaller than a mid range or top end SLR.
The above was taken with the iPhone.
Value for money The VF-2 is not cheap at around 250 USD. It does offer those that are coming from an SLR an ability to look through a viewfinder and get the camera up close to their face but the mediocre image size was what kinda reduced my enthusiasm for it. If it were to have a viewfinder image size similar to the 7D I would have no hesitations recommending it but as it is now it's more of a novelty than must have tool.
Pros
- 0 to 90 degree tilt allow you to take photos from many angles
- 920k dots, one of the highest on the market today
- A source of comfort for SLR users
- Feels reasonably solid
Cons
- The image size is small
- Adds a bit of bulk to the package
- Color shifting (common to most EVFs)
- Blacks are not really black
Conclusion It is an expensive way to complete your kit but if you like the tilting ability it might be worth it. Personally I would probably get more out of buying a tripod or the Ricoh TTL Flash or wait until it comes down a bit in price.
The lens however does have some issues handling flare and in extreme circumstances it does cause loss of contrast. A lens hood is definitely recommended at all times. However, it does produce some lovely images.
