Anyone know of a better eyepiece? The one supplied is too hard on the eye socket and doesn't fit properly.

thx

See this link for discussion:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=80777&highlight=sony+eyecup

A lot of folks including myself use an eyecup from Sony and it works great. Only $30 bucks.

thx for the pointer.
I choked down the $$ and bought it.

It fits perfectly. Just slip it over the cheesy one that's glued in place.

Below is the Sony Direct Accessories and Parts site, rather than buying from one of those unknown sites.

http://servicesales.sel.sony.com/ecom/accessories/web/productSearch.do

Search for part or accessory number: 217941401

If you want to see some closeup photo's of the Sony eyecup:

http://www.xha1.nl/?p=24

Hey Gert,

Any info on the screen shade?

Try this line. Look under accessories.

http://www.petrolbags.com/

Hey Gert,

Any info on the screen shade?

This is the screen shade:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=294332&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Without the lens by the way.

I made one myselft but it did not last very long. This one is much better and it fits very nicely on the LCD screen.

By the way, the Sony eyecup does an exelent job with keeping external light from your display. But sometimes I get tired of walking around with a big red 'O' around my eyes and then I switch to the H300.

But...one warning about those things: all 'extra' parts sticking outside the camera can cause an accident with your LCD screen. But that's why i like this one. You can remove it very quickly and put it back when needed again.

I finally was going to take the plunge and buy an item across the border. Nobody in Canada seems to stock the hoodman with the magnifier. Lots of the H-300 itself, but no magnifier piece combination.

I clicked on shipping calculation and the shipping was more than the hoodman itself.

Any Canadians out there found a better way to get one of these magnifier pieces?

And also, the sony eyepiece - is there a canadian supplier for this?

Trish

Hi Trish,

You could look around for a Sony dealer or repair centre. They should be able to get that part for you.

I once (many many years ago) was a Sony home electronics dealer and overhere in the Netherlands we had a very good contact with Sony Netherlands. They could send us almost any part of any camera, television, videorecorder or other devices made by Sony.

I don't know about the Hoodman magnifier piece. I got mine without that piece. But maybe you could order it online in the USA?

does anyone have any experience of the H-300 (or any other lcd shade for that matter) with a magnifier? I like the idea having 2x the screen size to look at.

When I was looking at the XHA1 in the shop the size of the lcd seemed almost stupidly small, especially for focusing something as detailed as HD.

from what is posted here, people love the H-300 with magnifier. Someone said, best 30 bucks they ever spent. There is the magnify button on the actual camera which does a good job (obviously not as good in sun)

(to reference the comment in the other post) I was trying to purchase one with the magnifier but the shipping is as much as the actual item to get it over to Canada.

Trish

Anyone know of a better eyepiece? The one supplied is too hard on the eye socket and doesn't fit properly.

thx

I purchased the oval chamous that is used for regular panavision cameras and fitted it over the canon eyepiece.

does anyone have any experience of the H-300 (or any other lcd shade for that matter) with a magnifier? I like the idea having 2x the screen size to look at.

When I was looking at the XHA1 in the shop the size of the lcd seemed almost stupidly small, especially for focusing something as detailed as HD.

I use the H-300 with magnifier. My eyes aren't what they used to be & it helps tremendously. I wouldn't really say it's 2x magnification though, even though it's advertised as such. It's near useless outside though (reflections almost kill it). I've wondered is there's something like thin polarizing sheets that could cut some of the glare. Or maybe I'll just grab some polarized sunglasses to test :)

Hoodman makes a 3" widescreen model (HD-300) but as far as I can tell, there's no widescreen magnifier for it.

Bill

After historically following the XH-A1 eyepiece modification threads for some months .... & cringing at the cost of importing Sony & or other options (to New Zealand) ... this is what I have been using ... a US5¢ hair tie from my daughter's hair accessories kit. Use the fattest fluffiest ones you can put your hands on.

In action it has yet to fall off (you will find a mixed 50 for say $2US in your local dime store!) ... if it does ... plop on another

It is perfectly comfortable .... I use it with a modified (counterweighted) Spyderbrace) with my eye pressed firmly onto the eyepiece for long periods & the fabric (while not cotton) wicks away any perspiration.

jpeg attached.

Cheers,

Graham

Clever! And effective.

B&H has the little disposable chamois eyepeices. I used to use them with film cameras, which also have crappy eyepieces like the XH A1. This fluffy thing actually looks better, especially if you wear glasses. If I hadn't already bought the Sony eyepiece, I would do this.

What I find amazing is that Canon must be aware of the problem with their eyepiece (I too wear glasses and the eyepiece on the XH-A1 is useless) yet they are so willing to let a Sony product be the solution. Is this because they can't produce an eyecup for the same cost? Shows Canon's committment to the product!.

Slick Graham! I've actually been using one of my toddlers socks (new and unused of course) for a while now, I just cut the foot off and use the tube part folded over. This was to give some additional comfort , but I was prescribed glasses last week, so have yet to test it out.

I use it with a modified (counterweighted) Spyderbrace) with my eye pressed firmly onto the eyepiece for long periods & the fabric (while not cotton) wicks away any perspiration.

Wow. I'd like to hear more about your modified Spider Brace... I've been wanting to do something like that with mine.

-John

Guy, I don't think it related to Canon's commitment to the product, but it might have something to do with their consumer mindset. I don't think they know whether the XH series is a consumer camera or a professional camera, and it still has some of the GL series holdover design things, the lack of a useable eyecup being one. You ever try to find the camera on Canon's web site? You go to consumer products, click on a picture of a single chip consumer camera and finally get to these cameras. I'm not saying the XH's aren't pro cameras, they are. But clearly the consumer mindset is there at Canon, and I think it shows up occasionally. The web site is one, the eyepiece the other. The ON wheel on the side--it goes to the auto settings first, so you have to be careful to crank through them to get to the manual, that lockout switch next to the record button that screws people up, the inability to bring in audio at line on one channel, mic on the other...all consumer type things. I can live with all that, but not the lack of an eyecup. In a logical world, that would have been fixed by now and they would offer one designed for the camera...but we all know how Corporate America works, and I'm guessing Corporate Japan is probably not too different.

Well, I bought the Sony eyepiece and as others suggested, it fits the XH-A1 perfectly. It certainly is what I needed to focus/frame when shooting outdoors. It still amazes me that Canon does not offer this simple part as an accessory.

For people who wear glasses the eyepiece cup is an absolute necessity. The problem we have is the problem of stray light getting between the glasses we wear and the eyepiece on the camera. The eyepiece cup actually wraps around the eyeglasses preventing stray light (a glare like problem) from washing out the image in the view finder. It's kind of similar to wearing a hat with a brim. The brim cuts out glare.