Has anyone found a 2" mirror available anywhere? I'm usually a pretty good googler but this time I came up empty. My plan was to buy an LCD hood like this one:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=264606&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Then mount a mirror in the top portion and tilt the LCD upward so I could see the mirror. Yes, the image would be reversed as in backwards, but at least it would be upright.

Does anyone have any ideas besides buying a whole new LCD monitor?

And if buying an LCD monitor is the only real way to go, are there any cheap suggestions?

Why not just use a magnet to flip the image on the lcd? It definitely works on the GL2 and it orients in exactly the right way for use with 35mm adapters. Just get a piece of tape and a mini-magnet (mine was about a 1x1x1cm cylindrical magnet from the closest hardware store, flat fridge magnets arent strong enough, i tried). Find the right spot to put it over on the right side of the lcd just above the hindge and tape the magnet there. Same method a lot of people used for the dvx, just tricks it into thinking youve rotated the screen past 180degrees into mirror mode.

This works on the GL2?! I love you!

In a...brotherly way...

Yeah there isnt a lot of info about doing it on a GL2 but I tried it and it worked. I guess most cameras that automatically flip the image when you rotate the lcd must use a magnet to figure out when to flip the image. Good luck

Uggh, but it's still backwards. Is there any clever mirror trick that someone has come up with to remedy that?

Still backwards? You sure? I'm pretty sure mine turned out fine, flipped vertically and horizontally (aka rotated 180degrees)... No additional work needed. I used it for handheld shots and pans and everything and it looked fine on the screen, not backwards.

That's very weird. Mine works just like a mirror would--I pan left, image goes right. Text is backwards. How could two units of the same model be different?

A lot of cameras have a mirror mode that also flips left to right so when you video yourself it's like looking in a mirror. I forget if you need this on or off, but check the menus and switch it to the opposite setting it's on now.

BAMA!

The GL2 actually has a Mirror Mode function that allows you to choose between a reversed and non-reversed screen. It's under Disp. Setup --> LCD Mirror.

(whistles)

Ben and Noah,

I see you have both succeeded with fliping the image on your GL2 cams. Im planning on getting one around xmas time, well the XM2 PAL version, could one of you post pictures showing how you done it and where you put the magnet?

Also, what other cams does this trick work on?

Cheers,
Wayne

When you get your XM-2 at XM-as the info is on p42 - "The Answer Is 42"

Grazie

A group effort a little while ago figured out a way to flip the lcd image on a VX2000, GL2, and DVX100. here is a post (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showpost.php?p=165393&postcount=8) that details how to flip the image on a GL2.
The process for the GL2 actually started with the same mirror idea (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=23982&highlight=lcd+magnet+gl2) that you planned on trying. However, the magnet is a much simpler and more effective way.

EDIT: Unfortunately the photo links in that post no longer work. However, here are the current links to the pics.

little magnet (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/nicholossia/detail?.dir=8fe9&.dnm=f3bc.jpg&.src=ph)
proper spot (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/nicholossia/detail?.dir=8fe9&.dnm=3aea.jpg&.src=ph)
with business card magnet (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/nicholossia/detail?.dir=8fe9&.dnm=7a9c.jpg&.src=ph)
without magnet (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/nicholossia/detail?.dir=8fe9&.dnm=c77c.jpg&.src=ph)

I guess that's the downside to using Yahoo! Photos. Hopefully this helps still.

Do you think this would work on one of the cheaper 3ccd panasonic cams? I have the pv-gs150.

I have a feeling the magnet mechanism is probably used on close to all DV cameras.

I guess though if the camera doesn't have the mirror mode then it will still be backwards. Better than it being upside down though.

I guess though if the camera doesn't have the mirror mode then it will still be backwards. Better than it being upside down though.

Jeff, remember that the image will only be backwards if the mirror mode is 'ON'. So if your cam does not have mirror mode then you should be fine as long as you can find the sweet spot.

Wayne.

Jeff, remember that the image will only be backwards if the mirror mode is 'ON'. So if your cam does not have mirror mode then you should be fine as long as you can find the sweet spot.

Wayne.

Oh alright sounds good. Thanks.

Hoi, very interesting ...
i tried this magnetic method on my sony trv900 - no reaction - am i using a lousy magnet or is there another method inverting the screen on an sony camcorder?
greetz from Aachen, Germany
Maximilian

Some cameras use a physical, nonmagnetic switch based on LCD position. Not all models of Panasonic camcorder seem to use magnets, either.

I would've never tried this on my Optura Xi, but i figured since the GL2 works this way, I'd give it a shot. To my suprise, it works! Makes shooting with the adapter so much easier. Thanks.

And as a plus it is also automatically mirrored, so it's a normal image.

Make sure you try both sides of the magnet. Polarity matters.

Also, some people have wondered why people with these adapters are shooting with a normal-sized LCD screen. Their arguement is, if you have to focus, shouldn't you need a larger, more detailed screen to decide what's in focus and what's not?

In a way, yes. But it's known that people with 20/20 vision cannot distinguish blurry artifacts that are barely noticed when blown up to an 8x10 and viewed at 1 foot. This basically equates to: if you have good vision and determine that something on the LCD screen is in focus, it probably is. Or at least no one will notice otherwise. You only really have to worry if you have really, really shallow depth of field.

But it's known that people with 20/20 vision cannot distinguish blurry artifacts that are barely noticed when blown up to an 8x10 and viewed at 1 foot.

I think that depends on one's definition of what "blurry" means. :)

I have a 7.2" LCD and I can focus better than with the factory LCD. The simple fact is, small details are lost on the smaller screen because it has less resolution. So the big screen does help.

I got some small magnits from some magnetix thing I saw at target and I was wondering, how do I go about testing to see if it can be done on my camera? I held the magnet up to different parts of the lcd screen when its past the flipping point, then moved it back to position, I got no results but is that how you do it? Its really hard to do since the magnets aren't that small and obviously dont stick to my camera.

The problem with magnets is you always have the screen tilted up!

Thus you can't hold the camera above your head and film downwards.

Also taping the magnet in place is tedious.

A better solution is to simply unscrew the 3 silver screws around the lcd screen.

Remove the back portion and then move the magnet sensor from the hinge position and tape it to the back of the plastic housing.

Now you can velcro a magnet to the back of the screen and flip the footage much more easily independent of the LCD's angle or position.

Peace, Rolland

The problem with magnets is you always have the screen tilted up!

Thus you can't hold the camera above your head and film downwards.

Also taping the magnet in place is tedious.

A better solution is to simply unscrew the 3 silver screws around the lcd screen.

Remove the back portion and then move the magnet sensor from the hinge position and tape it to the back of the plastic housing.

Now you can velcro a magnet to the back of the screen and flip the footage much more easily independent of the LCD's angle or position.

Peace, Rolland
I owned a GL2 for a while and the magnet trick was never a pain as you described. The magnet was powerful enough to just stick on there, and the image remained flipped even if I had the LCD turned any which way. I never taped the magnet in place.

I think you are mistaken. There is no metal on the inside of the plastic housing, thus nothing to stick to.

I have my gl2 in front of me and just tried it.

...nope, I'm pretty confident in my memory. Are you putting the magnet on the LCD between the LCD and the body of the camera?

I used a magnet like this:
http://www.magnetsandhealth.com/catalog/images/neodymium.jpg

and put it here (see attachment) on the part of the LCD just above the hinge. If it doesn't work for you, Canon has obviously changed their camera design since then.

Hoi, very interesting ...
i tried this magnetic method on my sony trv900 - no reaction - am i using a lousy magnet or is there another method inverting the screen on an sony camcorder?
greetz from Aachen, Germany
Maximilian

I have a TRV900 and the magnet trick does NOT work with it. It uses an electrical switch to flip the image, not a mechanical one like many other cameras. Shame, cuz the 900 has one of the best LCD screens out there. I bought an external LCD with line-in. But it's not very practical as the one I got is too big and cumbersome to mount on the camera, so I have it on a second tripod. Basically only good for controlled shoots on sticks. The best solution id to upgrade the camera! CAUTION: I hear some of the newer cameras do NOT work with magnet trick, namely the Canon A1. Viele Gruesse aus den USA!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v635/Bionicdog/DSC06881.jpg