Viewfinder question for those who already own a HD100 at DVinfo.net

Michael Maier · September 24th, 2005, 08:42 PM

It's been said the HD100 viewfinder is a bad one and not reliable for focus. I have no experience with JVC cameras other than the DV500. Is the HD100 viewfinder worse than the stock DV500 viewfinder (VF-515) or in the same level?

Chris Hurd · September 24th, 2005, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Maier

It's been said the HD100 viewfinder is a bad one and not reliable for focus.

Where exactly has that been said? Post the link, please. Thanks in advance,

Michael Maier · September 24th, 2005, 09:17 PM

Based on peoples complains about the resolution, being a color LCD rather than a B/W CRT etc, read all over the net including here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...der#post357451

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...ght=viewfinder

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...der#post352852

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...der#post348028

http://www.dvxuser.com/V3/showthread...der#post296234

Douglas Spotted Eagle · September 24th, 2005, 09:49 PM

Michael, while I have other issues with the JVC (but have only had about 8 hours with it total, 2 hours of filled tape) the viewfinder didn't strike me as particularly problematic at all. Maybe if I'd have spent more time with it, I'd have noticed, but on a boat on a bay in Australia, I shot quite nice footage with it, and obviously was looking thru the viewfinder the entire time.

Steve Mullen · September 24th, 2005, 10:01 PM

Why not stop and think for even one second.

What HDV camcorders -- or DV camcorders -- under $7K have CRT viewfinders?

If you can't come with any -- what has your question got to do with the HD100?

Robert Castiglione · September 24th, 2005, 11:16 PM

I cant make the comparison that you are seeking because this is the first JVC I have ever bought.

But the viewfinder looks fine to me. I certainly would not have picked it as problematic.

As an aside, I actually do find the focus assist thingy pretty useful.

Rob

Werner Wesp · September 25th, 2005, 05:25 AM

I have to agree too, no complaints about the viewfinder... Or do we just not understand your question, Michael?

Guy Barwood · September 25th, 2005, 05:59 AM

The viewfinder seems fine as far as LCD screens go, but its not as sharp as the 115 viewfinder though. This is why focus assis is so great, it really works.

Michael Maier · September 25th, 2005, 08:18 AM

Well, I think none of you understood my question, but Guy. I was just trying to have a reference point to how the HD100's viewfinder is, and the only JVC camera I had used was the DV500.
Thanks Guy, so the 115(I thought it was 515, or is there another JVC viewfinder with this number?) is sharper than the HD100 viewfinder? The 115 is barelly good enough for the DV500 SD shooting.

Guy Barwood · September 25th, 2005, 08:25 AM

115, 515, I never can remember off the top of my head.

The CRT 515 is going to be higher res being a CRT, but the LCD has its advantages.

Its the usual trade off. A CRT would cost a lot more, be BW only so offer no focus assist and suck a lot more power. A lower res LCD with focus assist is going to be a better solution than a CRT viewfinder short of a very high res expensive unit.

Michael Maier · September 25th, 2005, 09:34 AM

I had the impression the focus assist thing was a function o the camera, rather than from the viewfinder itself.
The focus assist has to be really miraculously good, because as I said, the DV500 viewfinder was barely good/sharp enough for SD. If the HD100 is even softer, the focus assist better really make a difference.

Guy Barwood · September 25th, 2005, 09:42 AM

The focus assist is processed by the camera but displayed on the viewfinder. It requries a colour display as it displays the image in Black and White but solours the edges of objects in focus in colour (one of a few you can pick from).

Hence a pure BW viewfinder won't be able to support focus assist.

Personally I wouldn't say the viewfinder is soft. As an LCD it is sharp to the pixel level but it is of limited resolution.

Michael Maier · September 25th, 2005, 09:51 AM

I see how it works now. Thanks for clarifying that.
So the question here is whatever a sharper B/W CRT would be better than a LCD with focus assist. Trust your eyes with sharper CRT or the focus assist for critical focus?

Jiri Bakala · September 25th, 2005, 01:10 PM

Anyone can make a comparison of the HD100 VF to the Z1U VF? Most of us who don't have the camera (yet) would probably get a pretty good idea.

Werner Wesp · September 25th, 2005, 04:59 PM

it is the VF115 indeed, no 515...

Problem is, even if they made a CRT viewfinder, the couldn't make it sharp enough for HD, so you would need some sort of focus assist anyway.

And since that feature works so incredebly well, it's nice that it is a LCD in colour, so you can judge white balance at once....

September 24th, 2005, 08:42 PM	#1
Michael Maier Trustee Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,269	Viewfinder question for those who already own a HD100 It's been said the HD100 viewfinder is a bad one and not reliable for focus. I have no experience with JVC cameras other than the DV500. Is the HD100 viewfinder worse than the stock DV500 viewfinder (VF-515) or in the same level?

September 24th, 2005, 09:49 PM	#4
Douglas Spotted Eagle VASST Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Stockton, UT Posts: 5,648	Michael, while I have other issues with the JVC (but have only had about 8 hours with it total, 2 hours of filled tape) the viewfinder didn't strike me as particularly problematic at all. Maybe if I'd have spent more time with it, I'd have noticed, but on a boat on a bay in Australia, I shot quite nice footage with it, and obviously was looking thru the viewfinder the entire time. __________________ Douglas Spotted Eagle/Spot Author, producer, composer Certified Sony Vegas Trainer http://www.vasst.com

September 24th, 2005, 10:01 PM	#5
Steve Mullen HDV Cinema Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 4,007	Why not stop and think for even one second. What HDV camcorders -- or DV camcorders -- under $7K have CRT viewfinders? If you can't come with any -- what has your question got to do with the HD100? __________________ Switcher's Quick Guide to the Avid Media Composer >>> http://home.mindspring.com/~d-v-c

September 25th, 2005, 01:10 PM	#14
Jiri Bakala Major Player Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kelowna BC Canada Posts: 706	Anyone can make a comparison of the HD100 VF to the Z1U VF? Most of us who don't have the camera (yet) would probably get a pretty good idea. __________________ www.ascentfilms.com

September 24th, 2005, 09:17 PM	#3
Michael Maier Trustee Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,269	Based on peoples complains about the resolution, being a color LCD rather than a B/W CRT etc, read all over the net including here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...der#post357451 http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...ght=viewfinder http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...der#post352852 http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...der#post348028 http://www.dvxuser.com/V3/showthread...der#post296234

September 24th, 2005, 11:16 PM	#6
Robert Castiglione Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Fremantle, Western Australia Posts: 253	I cant make the comparison that you are seeking because this is the first JVC I have ever bought. But the viewfinder looks fine to me. I certainly would not have picked it as problematic. As an aside, I actually do find the focus assist thingy pretty useful. Rob

September 25th, 2005, 05:25 AM	#7
Werner Wesp Major Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Belgium Posts: 497	I have to agree too, no complaints about the viewfinder... Or do we just not understand your question, Michael?

September 25th, 2005, 05:59 AM	#8
Guy Barwood Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 423	The viewfinder seems fine as far as LCD screens go, but its not as sharp as the 115 viewfinder though. This is why focus assis is so great, it really works.

September 25th, 2005, 08:18 AM	#9
Michael Maier Trustee Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,269	Well, I think none of you understood my question, but Guy. I was just trying to have a reference point to how the HD100's viewfinder is, and the only JVC camera I had used was the DV500. Thanks Guy, so the 115(I thought it was 515, or is there another JVC viewfinder with this number?) is sharper than the HD100 viewfinder? The 115 is barelly good enough for the DV500 SD shooting.

September 25th, 2005, 08:25 AM	#10
Guy Barwood Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 423	115, 515, I never can remember off the top of my head. The CRT 515 is going to be higher res being a CRT, but the LCD has its advantages. Its the usual trade off. A CRT would cost a lot more, be BW only so offer no focus assist and suck a lot more power. A lower res LCD with focus assist is going to be a better solution than a CRT viewfinder short of a very high res expensive unit.

September 25th, 2005, 09:34 AM	#11
Michael Maier Trustee Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,269	I had the impression the focus assist thing was a function o the camera, rather than from the viewfinder itself. The focus assist has to be really miraculously good, because as I said, the DV500 viewfinder was barely good/sharp enough for SD. If the HD100 is even softer, the focus assist better really make a difference.

September 25th, 2005, 09:42 AM	#12
Guy Barwood Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 423	The focus assist is processed by the camera but displayed on the viewfinder. It requries a colour display as it displays the image in Black and White but solours the edges of objects in focus in colour (one of a few you can pick from). Hence a pure BW viewfinder won't be able to support focus assist. Personally I wouldn't say the viewfinder is soft. As an LCD it is sharp to the pixel level but it is of limited resolution.

September 25th, 2005, 09:51 AM	#13
Michael Maier Trustee Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 1,269	I see how it works now. Thanks for clarifying that. So the question here is whatever a sharper B/W CRT would be better than a LCD with focus assist. Trust your eyes with sharper CRT or the focus assist for critical focus?

September 25th, 2005, 04:59 PM	#15
Werner Wesp Major Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Belgium Posts: 497	it is the VF115 indeed, no 515... Problem is, even if they made a CRT viewfinder, the couldn't make it sharp enough for HD, so you would need some sort of focus assist anyway. And since that feature works so incredebly well, it's nice that it is a LCD in colour, so you can judge white balance at once....