Alex Raskin
May 2nd, 2006, 09:18 PM
Using any 35mm adapters with FX1 or Z1 cams result in 180deg. flipped image.
Rotating cam's LCD screen won't help. Not only will it end up in the wrong (inconvenient to view) position, but also it only flips image one way - Vertically - while you also need horizontal flip.
Placing a magnet by the LCD trick: will it work with these cameras? No it won't. LCD image flip on those is controlled by an electric contact (seems like a microscopic slice of coal) that slides over a ring in the LCD monitor's rotating base. The ring has a small part of it missing - so when the coal slides over that, it loses the contact and that's the signal for the cam's electronics to vertically flip the image. No amount of magnetism will do the same. So yeah, you'll have to disassemble your LCD base to place a micro-mini switch that'd break the wire that goes to the coal. Will it help with a 35mm adapter? No: you still need a missing horizontal flip.
I have to tell you that the easiest way to solve the problem is to simply have an external LCD monitor, and physically just flip it 180deg. when using any 35mm adapter.
I found a 2.5" LCD that only requires 9V power, shows a useable picture, and costs under $80 delivered.
See photo here:
http://primehd.com/imageflip.jpg
I modded the LCD to accept cam's composite video.
Then I placed the monitor on the camera and simply flipped it 180deg, so it shows correct image.
That's it. No need to magnetise or disassemble your HDV cam. Result is 100%.
If you ever tried to follow action with 35mm adapter attached, by just looking at your cam's monitor, then you know it's not doable - you tend to pull the camera the opposite way! This solution allows you to track the shots easily, looking at the correct image.
Details:
- The LCD monitor is Liliput. I bought it on eBay (your risk...) for less than $80 delivered. I like it because it weighs next to nothing, and is affordable.
- Image is crappy but still useable for the purpose - which is to help tracking moves. Mount this monitor right above the cam's one (which gives you the wrong-side-up but sharp picture you can use to pull focus.)
- It comes with a connector and a breakout cables. I didn't need the breakout cables the way they came. Instead of cannibalizing them, I decided to make my own version. What you need:
1. Use your tester in ohm-meter mode to see which wire goes where. You only need power and video signal/ground wires.
2. The connector is the same as PS-2 male used on keyboards. I didn't have an old keyboard, but after looking in my cable box, I found what I though was S-Video cable, and it did fit perfectly.
3. For power, use a 9V battery via a connector - I bought mine in RadioShack for about $2, but you can rip it off some toy from a 99c store, I guess.
4. If you only need it for this cam, then use 1/8" stereo jack - the type they have on consumer stereo headphones - to get the video out of cam.
4a. If you want more compatibility, then use a RCA jack instead, and on top of it have RCA female->1/8" stereo adapter. For the adapter, I simply used stereo RCA->stereo 1/8" one from RadioShack ($4?).
- I'm not responsible if your camera or your head blows up because you decided to make your own cute flip monitor. Other than that, you should be fine if you know what you're doing.
Note that some 35mm adapters do flip the image internally (but at the cost of the added optics, which further degrades the image...). Then you get the right-side up image without this monitor.
Also note that I get the image not only on this monitor, but also on tape right-side-up with 35mm adapter. How? Simple: I flip the camear itself when the adapter is attached. This prevents any headaches in signal monitoring or post.
And lastly, if you plug in a Component cable, your cam will shut your composite signal off. So you cannot use these 2 simultaneously. Most folks however uses FireWire, and that will work with composite signal simultaneously just fine.
I hope this helps.
Rotating cam's LCD screen won't help. Not only will it end up in the wrong (inconvenient to view) position, but also it only flips image one way - Vertically - while you also need horizontal flip.
Placing a magnet by the LCD trick: will it work with these cameras? No it won't. LCD image flip on those is controlled by an electric contact (seems like a microscopic slice of coal) that slides over a ring in the LCD monitor's rotating base. The ring has a small part of it missing - so when the coal slides over that, it loses the contact and that's the signal for the cam's electronics to vertically flip the image. No amount of magnetism will do the same. So yeah, you'll have to disassemble your LCD base to place a micro-mini switch that'd break the wire that goes to the coal. Will it help with a 35mm adapter? No: you still need a missing horizontal flip.
I have to tell you that the easiest way to solve the problem is to simply have an external LCD monitor, and physically just flip it 180deg. when using any 35mm adapter.
I found a 2.5" LCD that only requires 9V power, shows a useable picture, and costs under $80 delivered.
See photo here:
http://primehd.com/imageflip.jpg
I modded the LCD to accept cam's composite video.
Then I placed the monitor on the camera and simply flipped it 180deg, so it shows correct image.
That's it. No need to magnetise or disassemble your HDV cam. Result is 100%.
If you ever tried to follow action with 35mm adapter attached, by just looking at your cam's monitor, then you know it's not doable - you tend to pull the camera the opposite way! This solution allows you to track the shots easily, looking at the correct image.
Details:
- The LCD monitor is Liliput. I bought it on eBay (your risk...) for less than $80 delivered. I like it because it weighs next to nothing, and is affordable.
- Image is crappy but still useable for the purpose - which is to help tracking moves. Mount this monitor right above the cam's one (which gives you the wrong-side-up but sharp picture you can use to pull focus.)
- It comes with a connector and a breakout cables. I didn't need the breakout cables the way they came. Instead of cannibalizing them, I decided to make my own version. What you need:
1. Use your tester in ohm-meter mode to see which wire goes where. You only need power and video signal/ground wires.
2. The connector is the same as PS-2 male used on keyboards. I didn't have an old keyboard, but after looking in my cable box, I found what I though was S-Video cable, and it did fit perfectly.
3. For power, use a 9V battery via a connector - I bought mine in RadioShack for about $2, but you can rip it off some toy from a 99c store, I guess.
4. If you only need it for this cam, then use 1/8" stereo jack - the type they have on consumer stereo headphones - to get the video out of cam.
4a. If you want more compatibility, then use a RCA jack instead, and on top of it have RCA female->1/8" stereo adapter. For the adapter, I simply used stereo RCA->stereo 1/8" one from RadioShack ($4?).
- I'm not responsible if your camera or your head blows up because you decided to make your own cute flip monitor. Other than that, you should be fine if you know what you're doing.
Note that some 35mm adapters do flip the image internally (but at the cost of the added optics, which further degrades the image...). Then you get the right-side up image without this monitor.
Also note that I get the image not only on this monitor, but also on tape right-side-up with 35mm adapter. How? Simple: I flip the camear itself when the adapter is attached. This prevents any headaches in signal monitoring or post.
And lastly, if you plug in a Component cable, your cam will shut your composite signal off. So you cannot use these 2 simultaneously. Most folks however uses FireWire, and that will work with composite signal simultaneously just fine.
I hope this helps.