Comparative DSLR viewfinder sizes

One of the significant drawbacks of the Four Thirds system is that the smaller sensor (and imaging circle) contributes to a smaller viewfinder image. The E1's high magnification and 100% coverage just enable it to match lower-end APS-C sensor cameras.

Camera	sensor size (relative to 35mm)	magnification	coverage	viewfinder image size (fraction of 35mm)	eyepoint
Olympus E-500	1/2	0.90x	95%	0.43 x 0.48*	16mm
Olympus 410/510 Panasonic L10	1/2	0.92x	95%	0.44 x 0.49*	14mm/16mm	LiveView; L10 1.2x eyecup
Olympus E-330	1/2	0.93x	95%	0.44 x 0.50*	18mm
Panasonic DMC-L1	1/2	0.93x	95%	0.44 x 0.50*	18mm
Sony A350	1/1.5	0.74x	95%	0.47	21mm
Olympus E-620	1/2	0.96x	95%	0.46 x 0.51*	??
Canon 350D/400D	1/1.6	0.80x	95%	0.48	21mm
Nikon D50/D70	1/1.5	0.75x	95%	0.48	18mm
Olympus E-300	1/2	1.00x	94%	0.47 x 0.53*	20mm
Olympus E-1	1/2	0.96x	100%	0.48 x 0.54*	20mm
Nikon D40/D40X/D60	1/1.5	0.8x	95%	0.51	18mm
Canon 450D	1/1.6	0.87x	95%	0.515	19mm
Canon 300D	1/1.6	0.88x	95%	0.52	20mm
Sony A100	1/1.5	0.83x	95%	0.52	20mm
Olympus E-30	1/2	1.02x	98%	0.50 x 0.56*	20mm
Canon 20D/30D	1/1.6	0.90x	95%	0.53	20mm
KM 5D	1/1.5	0.83x	95%	0.53	20mm
Pentax K100D/K200D	1/1.5	0.85x	96%	0.54	??
Canon 1D	1/1.3	0.72x	100%	0.55	20mm
Canon 40D/50D	1/1.6	0.95x	95%	0.56	22mm
Nikon D2X	1/1.5	0.86x	100%	0.57	20mm
Sony A700	1/1.5	0.9x	95%	0.57	21mm
KM 7D	1/1.5	0.90x	95%	0.57	25mm
Nikon D80	1/1.5	0.94x	95%	0.59	18mm
Nikon D90	1/1.5	0.94x	96%	0.60	18mm
Nikon D200	1/1.5	0.94x	95%	0.60	19.5mm
Canon 1D mk III	1/1.3	0.76x	100%	0.58	20mm	LiveView
Pentax K10D/K20D	1/1.5	0.95x	95%	0.60	??
Pentax *istD	1/1.5	0.95x	95%	0.60	??
Pentax *istDs	1/1.5	0.95x	95%	0.60	??
Pentax K7	1/1.5	0.92x	100%	0.61	??
Olympus E3	1/2	1.15x	100%	0.58 x 0.65*	20mm	LiveView
Nikon D300	1/1.5	0.94x	100%	0.63	19.5mm	LiveView
Canon 5D	1	0.71x	96%	0.68	20mm
Nikon D700	1	0.72x	95%	0.68	18mm	LiveView
Canon 1Ds	1	0.70x	100%	0.70	20mm
Nikon D3	1	0.7x	100%	0.70	19.5mm	LiveView
Canon 1Ds Mk III	1	0.76x	100%	0.76	20mm

Camera

sensor size
(relative to 35mm)

magnification

coverage

viewfinder image size
(fraction of 35mm)

eyepoint

Olympus E-500

1/2

0.90x

95%

0.43 x 0.48*

16mm

Olympus 410/510
Panasonic L10

1/2

0.92x

95%

0.44 x 0.49*

14mm/16mm

LiveView; L10 1.2x eyecup

Olympus E-330

1/2

0.93x

95%

0.44 x 0.50*

18mm

Panasonic DMC-L1

1/2

0.93x

95%

0.44 x 0.50*

18mm

Sony A350

1/1.5

0.74x

95%

0.47

21mm

Olympus E-620

1/2

0.96x

95%

0.46 x 0.51*

Canon 350D/400D

1/1.6

0.80x

95%

0.48

21mm

Nikon D50/D70

1/1.5

0.75x

95%

0.48

18mm

Olympus E-300

1/2

1.00x

94%

0.47 x 0.53*

20mm

Olympus E-1

1/2

0.96x

100%

0.48 x 0.54*

20mm

Nikon D40/D40X/D60

1/1.5

0.8x

95%

0.51

18mm

Canon 450D

1/1.6

0.87x

95%

0.515

19mm

Canon 300D

1/1.6

0.88x

95%

0.52

20mm

Sony A100

1/1.5

0.83x

95%

0.52

20mm

Olympus E-30

1/2

1.02x

98%

0.50 x 0.56*

20mm

Canon 20D/30D

1/1.6

0.90x

95%

0.53

20mm

KM 5D

1/1.5

0.83x

95%

0.53

20mm

Pentax K100D/K200D

1/1.5

0.85x

96%

0.54

Canon 1D

1/1.3

0.72x

100%

0.55

20mm

Canon 40D/50D

1/1.6

0.95x

95%

0.56

22mm

Nikon D2X

1/1.5

0.86x

100%

0.57

20mm

Sony A700

1/1.5

0.9x

95%

0.57

21mm

KM 7D

1/1.5

0.90x

95%

0.57

25mm

Nikon D80

1/1.5

0.94x

95%

0.59

18mm

Nikon D90

1/1.5

0.94x

96%

0.60

18mm

Nikon D200

1/1.5

0.94x

95%

0.60

19.5mm

Canon 1D mk III

1/1.3

0.76x

100%

0.58

20mm

LiveView

Pentax K10D/K20D

1/1.5

0.95x

95%

0.60

Pentax *istD

1/1.5

0.95x

95%

0.60

Pentax *istDs

1/1.5

0.95x

95%

0.60

Pentax K7

1/1.5

0.92x

100%

0.61

Olympus E3

1/2

1.15x

100%

0.58 x 0.65*

20mm

LiveView

Nikon D300

1/1.5

0.94x

100%

0.63

19.5mm

LiveView

Canon 5D

0.71x

96%

0.68

20mm

Nikon D700

0.72x

95%

0.68

18mm

LiveView

Canon 1Ds

0.70x

100%

0.70

20mm

Nikon D3

0.7x

100%

0.70

19.5mm

LiveView

Canon 1Ds Mk III

0.76x

100%

0.76

20mm

(*) The 4:3 aspect ratio of the Olympus cameras makes their viewfinder images bigger vertically. (Crop factors are calculated horizontally.)

There are considerable uncertainties in these calculations! The sensor size "crops" aren't exactly 1.3, 1.5, or 2.0, and in fact notionally identical sensor sizes vary between camera models. So I should really recalculate these using actual effective sensor sizes. It's also worrying that viewfinder coverages - with the exceptions of the 5D's 96% and the E-300's 94% - only ever seem to be 95% or 100%...

Olympus E-300 and E-500 users might like to try out the AS-ME-1 eyecup magnifier, which provides 1.2x magnification. And Nikon D100/D200 users have the option of a 1.17x DK-21M.