How to take usable photos even with a reflective screen
When the sun is shining on the screen, you can't see what you're photographing. With these tricks, the image composition will still work - at least to some extent.
The best remedy against reflective screens is, of course, the viewfinder. But it's no use if your camera doesn't have one or you're travelling with your smartphone.
My Sony RX100 III compact camera does have a viewfinder, but I don't always use it. I sometimes bump into the viewfinder with my sunglasses before it switches on. It also consumes more power on my camera than the monitor. What's more, I not only have to fold out the viewfinder every time, I also have to pull it out (from the RX100 VI onwards, this step is no longer necessary). That's why I sometimes leave it in the housing.
The most important tip: Look at prominent points
You can still recognise something on the screen even in reflective sunlight: particularly bright areas in the middle of dark surroundings or, conversely, dark silhouettes against a bright sky. Use these areas as points of reference.
Take a close look at the scenery and make a mental note of where these landmarks should be in the picture so that the detail is right. Then adjust the camera accordingly.
The easiest way to do this is to mark the edge of the picture with a landmark. Then you'll get it pretty close. Otherwise, I would give it enough space so that you can crop it afterwards. Distracting objects can also provide orientation. You move or zoom until they are no longer in the image.
An example: I can see the larch tree in front of the bright sky on the screen even in sunlight. I want it in the picture. I can't really see the lower part of the tree, but I can estimate how far out the trunk extends. The mountain stream, which is very bright and therefore visible on the screen, also has to be in the picture. Because I wanted to be sure to have the whole tree in the picture, I gave it a little reserve; I would subsequently cut away a bit of the edge at the bottom and on the right.
More tips
The following tips can alleviate the problem a little. They're not much use on their own, but if you follow them all, you'll certainly be better off.
Clean the screen: Fingerprints obscure the screen and, to make matters worse, they are particularly reflective. Get rid of them. Damp glasses cleaning cloths work well; there are also special screen cleaning cloths. [[productlist:5795830]]
Fold out the screen: How strongly the screen reflects depends on the angle of incidence of the sunlight. By angling the screen, you can influence this in your favour. You can also hold the camera directly in front of your body and look at the screen from above.
Creating shadows: If your screen is not movable, you can still try a slightly different angle or create a little shadow with the body or surrounding objects.
Screen brightness at maximum Normally, the camera (or smartphone) automatically adjusts the brightness with the help of a sensor. However, this does not always work reliably and, above all, not quickly enough. If you want to be on the safe side and have enough battery, it is better to set the screen to maximum brightness manually.
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David Lee
Senior Editor
David.Lee@digitecgalaxus.chMy interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.
