PMW-350 or -320 for left-eyed cameraman at DVinfo.net

Luc De Wandel · May 10th, 2011, 09:00 AM

HI all,

I hope anyone with a PMW320 or 350 can help me out here: I'm considering buying a PMW320, but I use my left eye to focus, so the viewfinder needs to travel all the way to the left side to fit in front of my left eye.
On my PDW-F350 I have to use an extra extension piece that slides into the VF-slide of the camera body.

Question one: I wonder if on the PMW-350 (or 320) the VF slides far enough to the left to work without an extension? If not, I hope I can use the extension set I have now. Put in other words, and question two: is the PMW350 dovetail of the VF-attachement the same size as the older one on the PDW-F350 ?

Thanks
Luc

Anthony McErlean · May 10th, 2011, 09:20 AM

I use the left eye and have just got my PMW-320.
I can cope OK with the VF slid all the way to the left.

Alister Chapman · May 10th, 2011, 09:21 AM

The dovetails are the same as you can fit the PDW-350 finder to the PMW-350/320 without any adapters. I expect you will want to use your extension piece.

Luc De Wandel · May 10th, 2011, 09:29 AM

You're fantastic, guys! There's no other forum where I get answers so quickly. And both of your responses are satisfying: if the VF doesn't slide far enough to the left for my crooked eyes, I can still use the adapter. Thanks!

Luc De Wandel · May 10th, 2011, 09:37 AM

One more question to you both: I would buy a PMW320 and sell my beloved PDW-F350 for the following reasons: lower weight, colour viewfinder, full HD resolution, lower power consumption. I prefer the hassle-free optical disk workflow of the PDW though. Will I regret the switch?

Anthony McErlean · May 10th, 2011, 10:11 AM

Well, I don't regret moving to the EX3 ...now to the PMW320.

Gabor Heeres · May 11th, 2011, 03:26 PM

Luc,

I switched from the PDW-F330 to the PMW-350 and have no regrets at al.. When my hands were on the new cam for the first time It was quite difficult to get ued to the missing LCD-screen on the side. But now I am used to the new format I'm using it without any hassle.

Luc De Wandel · May 11th, 2011, 04:07 PM

OK, Gabor & Anthony, thanks for the input!
Too late for regrets now, camera is ordered...

I'll keep you posted.

Simon Wood · May 11th, 2011, 11:42 PM

Just one thing to note - you can consider retraining your right eye to become more dominant. I am right handed but my left eye is dominant, I only discovered that when I was about 20 and worked as a ranger in National Parks (during rifle training). I had to either learn to shoot left handed or force my right eye to focus down the sights. I chose the latter.

I still instinctively use my left eye when I use a dslr with a small viewfinder, so you have to keep up the 'training' and keep forcing the right eye, but it does work (unless the right eye actually has a physical problem).

Luc De Wandel · May 12th, 2011, 01:03 AM

Hi Simon,

i tried forcing my right eye to look through the VF of my PDW-F350, and it works, but I cannot close my left eye, so I have to 'block' the image of that eye in my old brain. That works OK most of the time, but when framing or focusing a difficult scene, especially with the lens on wide angle, it goes wrong. So I went back to my old habit of using the left eye and adapted the viewfinder.

As a professional stills photographer, I have the same problem: I look to the viewfinder with y left eye, so there's always an greasy imprint of my nose on the LCD-screen :-)

May 10th, 2011, 09:00 AM	#1
Luc De Wandel Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Knokke-Heist, Belgium Posts: 963	PMW-350 or -320 for left-eyed cameraman HI all, I hope anyone with a PMW320 or 350 can help me out here: I'm considering buying a PMW320, but I use my left eye to focus, so the viewfinder needs to travel all the way to the left side to fit in front of my left eye. On my PDW-F350 I have to use an extra extension piece that slides into the VF-slide of the camera body. Question one: I wonder if on the PMW-350 (or 320) the VF slides far enough to the left to work without an extension? If not, I hope I can use the extension set I have now. Put in other words, and question two: is the PMW350 dovetail of the VF-attachement the same size as the older one on the PDW-F350 ? Thanks Luc

May 10th, 2011, 09:20 AM	#2
Anthony McErlean Trustee Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 1,082	Re: PMW-350 or -320 for left-eyed cameraman I use the left eye and have just got my PMW-320. I can cope OK with the VF slid all the way to the left.

May 10th, 2011, 09:21 AM	#3
Alister Chapman Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bracknell, Berkshire, UK Posts: 4,957	Re: PMW-350 or -320 for left-eyed cameraman The dovetails are the same as you can fit the PDW-350 finder to the PMW-350/320 without any adapters. I expect you will want to use your extension piece. __________________ Alister Chapman, Film-Maker/Stormchaser http://www.xdcam-user.com/alisters-blog/ My XDCAM site and blog. http://www.hurricane-rig.com

May 10th, 2011, 09:29 AM	#4
Luc De Wandel Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Knokke-Heist, Belgium Posts: 963	Re: PMW-350 or -320 for left-eyed cameraman You're fantastic, guys! There's no other forum where I get answers so quickly. And both of your responses are satisfying: if the VF doesn't slide far enough to the left for my crooked eyes, I can still use the adapter. Thanks!

May 10th, 2011, 09:37 AM	#5
Luc De Wandel Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Knokke-Heist, Belgium Posts: 963	Re: PMW-350 or -320 for left-eyed cameraman One more question to you both: I would buy a PMW320 and sell my beloved PDW-F350 for the following reasons: lower weight, colour viewfinder, full HD resolution, lower power consumption. I prefer the hassle-free optical disk workflow of the PDW though. Will I regret the switch?

May 10th, 2011, 10:11 AM	#6
Anthony McErlean Trustee Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 1,082	Re: PMW-350 or -320 for left-eyed cameraman Well, I don't regret moving to the EX3 ...now to the PMW320.

May 11th, 2011, 03:26 PM	#7
Gabor Heeres Major Player Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Eindhoven, The Netherlands Posts: 322	Re: PMW-350 or -320 for left-eyed cameraman Luc, I switched from the PDW-F330 to the PMW-350 and have no regrets at al.. When my hands were on the new cam for the first time It was quite difficult to get ued to the missing LCD-screen on the side. But now I am used to the new format I'm using it without any hassle.

May 11th, 2011, 04:07 PM	#8
Luc De Wandel Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Knokke-Heist, Belgium Posts: 963	Re: PMW-350 or -320 for left-eyed cameraman OK, Gabor & Anthony, thanks for the input! Too late for regrets now, camera is ordered... I'll keep you posted.

May 11th, 2011, 11:42 PM	#9
Simon Wood Major Player Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Entebbe Uganda Posts: 768	Re: PMW-350 or -320 for left-eyed cameraman Just one thing to note - you can consider retraining your right eye to become more dominant. I am right handed but my left eye is dominant, I only discovered that when I was about 20 and worked as a ranger in National Parks (during rifle training). I had to either learn to shoot left handed or force my right eye to focus down the sights. I chose the latter. I still instinctively use my left eye when I use a dslr with a small viewfinder, so you have to keep up the 'training' and keep forcing the right eye, but it does work (unless the right eye actually has a physical problem). __________________ http://vimeo.com/channels/guerrillafilms

May 12th, 2011, 01:03 AM	#10
Luc De Wandel Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Knokke-Heist, Belgium Posts: 963	Re: PMW-350 or -320 for left-eyed cameraman Hi Simon, i tried forcing my right eye to look through the VF of my PDW-F350, and it works, but I cannot close my left eye, so I have to 'block' the image of that eye in my old brain. That works OK most of the time, but when framing or focusing a difficult scene, especially with the lens on wide angle, it goes wrong. So I went back to my old habit of using the left eye and adapted the viewfinder. As a professional stills photographer, I have the same problem: I look to the viewfinder with y left eye, so there's always an greasy imprint of my nose on the LCD-screen :-)