Do you use the eyecup?

[systemoverblow'd]

I have been noticing more and more people shooting without the eyecup on. What am I missing here? Do all these people just break them and not bother replacing them? Or, is there a reason for it? I took mine off for a day and saw no positive or negative. Is it the "cool" thing to do or is there really something I am just no grasping? Personally I plan on keeping mine on for no other reason that it was made to be on there and the camera looks retarded without one.

school me.

[Touring_Sedan]

Video or still?

[Mathematics]

I've lost 2 or 3, gave up replacing them.

[systemoverblow'd]

Video or still?

The ones I saw were using them for stills. When i shoot video I use either a monitor or a loupe.

[systemoverblow'd]

I've lost 2 or 3, gave up replacing them.

So I assume you've never noticed any difference without it? It was a cloudy day when I tried so didn't know if bright sunlight could somehow be a factor? I doubt it but worth an ask.

[Tippster]

Keeps strong side-light from causing reflection, so is less strainful on the eye. It's also easier to see more detail in the viewfinder, but in these days of auto-focus that's not that big a deal. I just find them a good bumper to keep shit from possibly scratching that part of the camera when some moron I show my camera to puts it down on its back.

A monitor or loupe. Heh. That's because you're not shooting with a video camera. Even the Arri Alexa or Panavision Genesis comes with a viewfinder. Monitors are for 2nds and Producers, not DPs/Operators...

[Hugh Conway]

what are you calling an "eyecup"? Most dSLRs have pretty poor ones; in the case of lower end Nikons there isn't much difference with or without the stock ones.

Big fluffy aftermarkets...

[Max Archer]

Pro Nikons just have a screw-in rubber ring with a piece of glass in the middle to protect the viewfinder elements. It only sticks out of the camera by about 1mm, so it can't really be called an eyecup. There's no reason not to use it, though. You can buy a big eyecup that screws in instead of the stock eyepiece protector, but they're kinda clunky and I wear glasses anyway.

[supermodel159]

I use one on my 5D. It is awesome.

[DJSapp]

My stock eyecup fell off of my 20d a year ago. Didn't notice when or where it fell, didn't notice much of a difference. Now that I upgraded and have an eyecup again, I still haven't noticed a difference.