New Nikon Patent Brings In-Viewfinder Display To DSLRs

A newly published patent application from Nikon has revealed plans for a new viewfinder technology involving a small display screen that can be viewed within the optical viewfinder. The photographer could switch between the optical image and digital display for a number of reasons, the most notable being the ability to enable a wide viewing angle when zoomed in on a subject.

As you can see from the image at the top of the post, the digital display shows a wide angle image while a centered frame illustrates the viewing area provided by the lens. The patent also illustrates that this wide preview mode would be accessed via a button placed near the lens mount and that it will most likely show up on DSLRs—whether that means high end models only remains to be seen. However, as with all patent applications, there is no guarantee it will ever see the light of day. [Photography Bay]