What cameras have LED viewfinders where the actual values light up instead of markers next to them?

68degrees · Apr 24, 2018

For example on the minolta xd11 the shutter speed or apertures show up in the viewfinder and little red led markers appear next to the shutter speeds but the shutter speeds themselves only show when t here is a bright background.

What all cameras have the actual shutter speeds or fstops light up with LEDs and not just LED markers next to them?

I think the Canon AE1 does but not sure.

Chan Tran · Apr 24, 2018

The one I know so far is the Canon A1. It's the earliest 35mm SLR with digital display I think. Later models switched to LCD I think.

msarkki · Apr 24, 2018

Contax RTS II. Aperture as led ”segment” display on the bottom and shutter speeds outside the frame on right hand side as backlit numbers.

AgX · Apr 24, 2018

68degrees said:
I think the Canon AE1 does but not sure.

No, the AE1 got a scale and a needle swinging over it.

But the A1 was one of the very first to show LED figures.

Laurent · Apr 24, 2018

68degrees said:
For example on the minolta xd11 the shutter speed or apertures show up in the viewfinder and little red led markers appear next to the shutter speeds but the shutter speeds themselves only show when t here is a bright background.

What all cameras have the actual shutter speeds or fstops light up with LEDs and not just LED markers next to them?

I think the Canon AE1 does but not sure.

Not the AE-1, but the AE1-P, which uses LEDs behind the display so that it shows the value lit in red.

AgX · Apr 24, 2018

The Fujica ST-901 (1974) was the very first model to have LED figures in the finder.

The Canon A-1 came in 1978, so there likely are models in between.

Chan Tran · Apr 24, 2018

Laurent said:
Not the AE-1, but the AE1-P, which uses LEDs behind the display so that it shows the value lit in red.

AE-1P has the LED behind the numbers not a 7 segment display like the A1.

Huss · Apr 24, 2018

Rollei QZ35w and QZ35T

Ces1um · Apr 24, 2018

Voigtlander Bessa R*M's give you red led's that say +/- 1,2,3 stops.

Photoguy365 · Apr 24, 2018

Nikon F5.

MattKing · Apr 24, 2018

Olympus OM20/OMG

Poisson Du Jour · Apr 24, 2018

Canon's T-series cameras, notably the T90 which used a masked LED display in the viewfinder.
It is archaic technology that was long superseded by LCD displays. The LEDs taxed batteries, and that was one of the complaints of the T-series cameras.

Chan Tran · Apr 24, 2018

Photoguy365 said:
Nikon F5.

No Nikon has LED digital display. The F2SB and F2AS have + 0 - LED. The FM's are similar but not digital. The F5 or even as old as the F3 has digital display but LCD and not LED.

AgX · Apr 24, 2018

Ces1um said:
Voigtlander Bessa R*M's give you red led's that say +/- 1,2,3 stops.

This thread is not about plain LEDs.
But about 7segment LEDs. And as others pointed out there also was a third type of LED display where a figure stencil was lighted from behind with a plain LED.

Ces1um · Apr 24, 2018

AgX said:
This thread is not about plain LEDs.
But about 7segment LEDs. And as others pointed out there also was a third type of LED display where a figure stencil was lighted from behind with a plain LED.

My bad. The thread title didn't really spell it out. What I meant to say is that the voigtlander bessa r*m is definitely not what you want.

68degrees · Apr 24, 2018

AgX said:
This thread is not about plain LEDs.
But about 7segment LEDs. And as others pointed out there also was a third type of LED display where a figure stencil was lighted from behind with a plain LED.

yes this is what I meant. just an led to backlight the stencil.

johnha · Apr 24, 2018

Pentax P30 (P3 in the US) and I presume P30N/P30T, Pentax P50 (P5 in US), Pentax SFX(n) (SF1(n) in US).

dante · Apr 24, 2018

Hexar RF

Chan Tran · Apr 24, 2018

johnha said:
Pentax P30 (P3 in the US) and I presume P30N/P30T, Pentax P50 (P5 in US), Pentax SFX(n) (SF1(n) in US).

The P30 has led behind a stencil and that doesn't count.

ic-racer · Apr 24, 2018

yes this is what I meant. just an led to backlight the stencil.

Rollei 3003. The manual is misleading because it actually is the inverse of what is shown. Illuminated red numbers on a black background.

PaulQ · Apr 25, 2018

Minolta 9xi & 9? Not sure if they're backlit LCD or led .
I think the OM40/pc had a strip of led lit numbers up the left of the viewfinder.

Chan Tran · Apr 25, 2018

PaulQ said:
Minolta 9xi & 9? Not sure if they're backlit LCD or led .
I think the OM40/pc had a strip of led lit numbers up the left of the viewfinder.

All Minolta Maxxum's have LCD display. The strip of LED is not what the OP was asking for as his XD-11 has the strip of LED. Cameras that use LED to display numerals with 7 segment character (or more) are rare. As I said before they moved to LCD with newer models.

Chuckwade87 · Apr 25, 2018

Nikon 2020

Chan Tran · Apr 25, 2018

Chuckwade87 said:
Nikon 2020

Nope! It has a strip of LED not the type of LED which actually forms the number.
So far only the Canon A1, The Fujica ST901 and the Contax RTS II have it.

Chuckwade87 · Apr 25, 2018

I suppose my question then would be what does this function serve exactly?

What cameras have LED viewfinders where the actual values light up instead of markers next to them?

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