Here's a shot of my EX1 with an EX3 style viewfinder eyepiece I made over the weekend:

http://homepage.mac.com/mlbelanger/external/model_mayhem/ex1.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/mlbelanger/external/model_mayhem/ex1_viewfinder_eyepiece.jpg

It's built from a Cinetactics ls40 screen hoodie and the viewfinder piece from an old M3 camera.

With the screen hoodie and the M3 eyepiece together, all the distances worked out nearly perfectly. You get a magnified view of the entire LCD with some slight distortion at the edges, but it is SO much easier to shoot and focus, especially in bright light.

Note to the guys at Cinetactics... if you come out with these all of a sudden I expect a cut of the action, or at least some free stuff ;-)

looks good.

Michael,

I'm curious to know what is the make and model of that shoulder pad that you have under the EX1.

Thanks

Michael,

I'm curious to know what is the make and model of that shoulder pad that you have under the EX1.

Thanks

That's actually another one of my creations, and again, made with parts from the old Sony M3 camera. It works great however with lots of room for wireless receivers, etc in the future.

Michael, I very much like the look of your modified EVF...Can you post a link on where to get the screen hoodie..Also any more info you can provide about the old viewfinder you used... I am not familiar with the M3..Could a used one be bought cheap just for the viewfinder...Once others see what you have created and see how clean it looks I am sure you will be asked for full DYI instructions...I will be the first to ask.

Thanks!


Jason

Michael, I very much like the look of your modified EVF...Can you post a link on where to get the screen hoodie..Also any more info you can provide about the old viewfinder you used... I am not familiar with the M3..Could a used one be bought cheap just for the viewfinder...Once others see what you have created and see how clean it looks I am sure you will be asked for full DYI instructions...I will be the first to ask.

Thanks!


Jason


Thanks Jason,

Here's a link to Cinetactics (no connection to me whatsoever):

http://www.cinetactics.com/Detail.bok?no=23

M3s are probably pretty rare right now. Ebay does list one of the viewfinders currently. However, most any eyepiece from any large-format video camera should be roughly the same magnification and field of view, so the M3 one isn't the only choice out there.

Once I clean things up a bit and build a removable eyepiece block I'll publish a how-to online.

And if you like that, you should see the kino compatible fluro lights I make from scratch. I guess I should do a how to on those as well at some point...

Thanks Michael...I am ordering one of those hoodies right now..way better than the Petrol I wasted 20.00 on.

I have a hoodman 400. I am looking for the best options for a eyepiece to combine with this to make the LCD/viewfinder. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Thanks Michael,

Also just placed an order for the Hood. Now like Charles I am looking for a eyepiece. Any clews on specs?

Wow... the DXC-M3 is an almost 25 year old 3-tube camera. The era of the heavy-weight "portable" U-matic VTR's, and LOTS of lights to get to see something on the viewfinder. All of this seems so far right now...

I have to admit that, apart from the tube lag issues, I liked very much the colors that these cameras were capable to render, they always seemed nicer to me than CCD cameras of the time. It took some years for CCDs to catch tubes in that aspect.

As Indiana Jones said: "It should be in a museum!"

Off-topic mode off, the viewfinder you have made is just great, Michael!

Yes, the M3 is an OLD beast! I keep mine around as a prop if I ever need to have a "TV Crew" on camera. And to steal stuff off of of course.

I did see a recent article on an animation company and they were talking about their motion capture right which consisted of hand-held cameras with gyros attached to them. There was a photo of a guy holding an M3 on his shoulder that looked like it was designed by the people who did the Delorian from Back to the Future, with wires and plates glued on the outside of it.

Hey Michael, nice adaptations you got there.

http://www.cinetactics.com/Page.bok?template=c_mb100m
Notice this: lower right corner, in the other products table.
There's a viewfinder adapter, but when you click it, the page doesn't exist.

Is there anything to do with what you posted? Did the guys from Cinetactics get in touch with you?

Good eye Pietro.

Hey Michael, nice adaptations you got there.

http://www.cinetactics.com/Page.bok?template=c_mb100m
Notice this: lower right corner, in the other products table.
There's a viewfinder adapter, but when you click it, the page doesn't exist.

Is there anything to do with what you posted? Did the guys from Cinetactics get in touch with you?


I can only hope I inspired them, but it's probably just coincidence. I haven't heard from them.

It would be cool to see a commercial product out there. I really didn't think it would take this long for companies to jump on it, considering how excited everyone seemed when the EX3 previewed.

By the way, actually using an eyepiece on the LCD is amazing. Excellent focusing and feels very natural, assuming you have a shoulder rest of some sort.

Those wanting to make their own hood and eyepiece you may have missed earlier threads on this subject. You can make the eyepiece using lenses from those cheap generic reading glasses (from the $1 shop). Two lenses together from the 3.5 diopter glasses gives you 7 diopter, which is quite appropriate; no need to go buying an old camera for the eyepiece. You can use the eyecup from your EVF, since you're unlikely to want to use that device again.

Good point Serena I will try the eye cup from the view finder to see how that works.

I took my M3 viewfinder to the optician shop,. They measure the plastic lens, and it is a +8 Diopter, Does any one have a source of a diopter supplier?

I took my M3 viewfinder to the optician shop,. They measure the plastic lens, and it is a +8 Diopter, Does any one have a source of a diopter supplier?

Steve,

What do you think about the view through the M3 lens? With it installed in my LCD hood it seems very good, but I'd like to see a slightly less magnified image. I find myself peering around the corner a bit to see the corners of the screen.

What's your take?

M.

I found something that seems to work.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/513201-REG/Kaiser_202367_Sliding_3x_Magnifier_Model.html

I took this magnifier apart and mounted the lens into some soft foam that I fit into my Hoodman H400. Seems to work in the studio at night. I will test it out in the daylight tomorrow.

I took my M3 viewfinder to the optician shop,. They measure the plastic lens, and it is a +8 Diopter, Does any one have a source of a diopter supplier?


A scuba dive shop, they have diopter inserts for dive mask's...

I took my M3 viewfinder to the optician shop,. They measure the plastic lens, and it is a +8 Diopter, Does any one have a source of a diopter supplier?

Usually any optician can supply spectacle lenses, with which you make an eyepiece. Not as good as one specifically designed, but very usable if you don't try to go for too great a magnification; not more than 7 or 8 diopter (a focal length of 140 to 125 mm). More powerful than that and a simple arrangement won't cover the required field.

I have not tried the magnifier, as of yet just found the M3 eyepiece, I will mount it and check it out.

I have not tried the magnifier, as of yet just found the M3 eyepiece, I will mount it and check it out.

Thanks Steve. Mine is at the farthest distance from the LCD that's still in focus, which happens to coincide with my lcd hood nicely.

M.

What I find with any sort of hood is that you have to keep taking it off when your on the move to safely store the LCD, need a quick solution to attach and unattach.

What I find with any sort of hood is that you have to keep taking it off when your on the move to safely store the LCD, need a quick solution to attach and unattach.

Well, the fastening you see here meets that criterion (an elastic hair band hooks around and upper and lower knob). But the hood is just a "boiler plate" test prototype.
http://www.dvinfo.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=961&catid=member&imageuser=28517

Hey Michael are you going to post the "how to" for the viewfinder and the shoulder pad

Thanks

I was visiting with a third party developer who is looking into such a product. Really cannot discuss obviously, but already working on the concept.