Flipping HVX LCD

[hopalongmedia]

Hey all. I've been using the HVX with the Red-Rock Micro SLR lense adapter. If you know about these guys, you know they make great pictures with sweet DOF, but they flip the picture over. My on camera IKAN monitor was the answer to this, but it just took a dump and I have a shoot on Sunday.

Soo.. I fugured out how to flip the LCD screen on the camera if any one's interested.

It requires minor surgery, but nothing irreversible. My partner told me she got nauseous when she came in and saw the camera open, but if you want to know, this is it.

There's a little cover on the knuckle that the LCD attaches to. This cover popped off with a sharp knife, It pops back on again, but you have to be SUPER GENTLE. :badputer: <--not like that.

There is alittle switch in there that flips the LCD over. I just stuck something in there. I think it was a bit of cable tie.

I've got some pics, I'll post them when I get a chance.

PLEASE BE NICE TO YOUR $6000 CAMERA!

peace etc...

David

[hopalongmedia]

ok, If I can get this link to work it's like this. The cover is already off. The switch is in the round circle in #1. In #2 there is a thing stuck in there to flip it and as you can see, the LCD id upside down.

http://www.halflifedigital.com/graphics/photos/switch.jpg
http://www.halflifedigital.com/graphics/photos/thingstuckin.jpg

More peace.

David

[Jarek Zabczynski]

Shouldn't be too difficult to attatch a manual switch to that. Awesome find though! :D

[obin]

Hey! can you tell me if the hvx has a way to disable the focus ring? I read on a message board that it can be done....true?or false?

also do you have any 720 or 1080p redrock footage I could see? in HD?

[redindian]

awesome hack!!!! thanks for posting!

[Poi Boy]

Man you are brave poking holes in your HVX ! Does the image stay flipped once you pull the thingamabob back out ? or does it return to right side up ?
Aloha
-A

[J P]

To you have to keep something wedged in there to keep the imaged flipped? Or do you flip the switch and flip it back when you're done?

[Steve Shovlar]

NIce find! I should imagine tough you would have to take the cover off and wedge someting in there every time you wanted the lcd flipped. It looks like I would have to drill a small rectangular whole in the cover and fit in a switch of sometype so that all I would have to do is move the switch up and down rather than taking the cover off. It shouldn't be too difficult to do, though I would try and order up a spare plastic cover just in case I ballsed it up!

[Milezee]

I guess its a touch switch for when you flip the panel over and it does the mirror thing.

[booth]

Just had an attempt at flipping the cover off, and I'd have had to apply too much pressure to get it off. I was too afraid to break it so ended the attempt.

I'd be interested to know how much force other people use to get the cover off.

[hopalongmedia]

I used the knife on my leatherman and slid it under the cover. It's not so much force as leverage. You just want a tiny bit to pop the cover over the tabs. I think sliding the sharp blade in there just released it.

I definitely wouldn't do this if I didn't have a real need.


About the footage from the M2. I really like the way it looks. I'm using cheap old nikons, and I'm only seeing abberations in the widest angles. It is a little soft, but almost verything we're doing is getting downconverted anyway.

I'll see if I can get some footage up after we shoot this commercial on Sunday.

David


Oh yeah, you do have to keep the thing in there to keep the image flipped. It's the switch that kicks in when you flip the LCD over. So your just foolong the thing into thinking it's flipped forward.

[redindian]

i wonder why panasonic didnt make it easier - seems its fairly simple for the manufacturer to make it a switch or something (as opposed to a major mechanical rewire)

and we requested it way back in early 2005 for this functionality.... if only products are designed with users in mind... *sigh*

[dougspice]

Excellent discovery! I'll have to get permission to do that on ours.

BTW, have you guys seen the flipped viewfinder at rowe.at? It's looking pretty nice in my opinion.

[Owen]

I just did this -- it gets the image right-side-up, but the horizontal is still flipped wrong. It's still way more helpful than the migraine-inducing upside-down viewfinder!

You have to pop the cover off on the left side. I started prying from the top and bottom, but the two little tabs are on the side. Just a bit of FYI so you don't crack anything!

[holyzoo]

I just did this -- it gets the image right-side-up, but the horizontal is still flipped wrong. It's still way more helpful than the migraine-inducing upside-down viewfinder!

Is your Self Shoot setting set to Mirror or Normal? Normal should do the trick.

I'm going to try this out now and hope I don't break anything.

[holyzoo]

Well, here's my documentation on what I just did. I did great at detecting the two side notches to release. I used a 90 degree allen wrench to push these in. I wasn't sure of the other two notches on the top and bottom, but inserting a small jewelers screwdriver on the top released it.

Look at this photo here to see all four notches you need to release. The piece easily comes off if all notches are released.

http://www.holyzoo.com/content/hvx200/images/FlipTrick1.jpg

Here are the rest of my photos showing the cover with all four notch holes, the tie wrap I inserted that conveniently holds in place by tucking inside the LCD inset compartment (or whatever you wanna call it).

http://www.holyzoo.com/content/hvx200/images/FlipTrick1.jpg
http://www.holyzoo.com/content/hvx200/images/FlipTrick2.jpg
http://www.holyzoo.com/content/hvx200/images/FlipTrick3.jpg
http://www.holyzoo.com/content/hvx200/images/FlipTrick4.jpg
http://www.holyzoo.com/content/hvx200/images/FlipTrick5.jpg
http://www.holyzoo.com/content/hvx200/images/FlipTrick6.jpg
http://www.holyzoo.com/content/hvx200/images/FlipTrick7.jpg
http://www.holyzoo.com/content/hvx200/images/FlipTrick8.jpg

Very cool hack. Kudos to David for figuring this out!

[Owen]

Is your Self Shoot setting set to Mirror or Normal? Normal should do the trick.

OH! You're right -- AWESOME! You made my week.

[Chris Messineo]

It's very cool, but this thread could also be titled "How to void your warranty in one easy lesson" :)

Chris

[holyzoo]

It's very cool, but this thread could also be titled "How to void your warranty in one easy lesson" :)

Paranoia will destroy ya. ;)

[bvalente]

nice documentation there, holyzoo. thanks!

[hopalongmedia]

I just wanted to point this out... without the cover on, the LCD won't turn off and go to viewfinder when you close it. There's a little lever on the cover that trips the viewfinder switch. Just bear this in mind so you don't freak out when you go to close your LCD and the viewfinder doesn't come on. I thought I broke it the first time.

We have to cameras and one almost always has the Redrock on it so this hardly matters to me, but I thought y'all might wanna know.

David

[bogpetri]

Is this possible on the DVX as well? Magnets somehow don't inspire a lot of confidence.

Has anyone tried it?

[theloniusjones]

it works on the dvx-100b. i just did it with ours. seems to be exactly the same setuo as the hvx. from the sound of it this applies only to the dvx-100b. the 100 and 100a apparently have a different flip mechanism, which is why the magnet flip trick works with them. with mine, i filed a small slot out of the cover so i can keep the cover on and insert the zip tie to flip the tiny switch. i cut the tip off of the zip tie so i can keep it inserted and still close the lcd. worked for us.

[Phil H.]

This was super easy to do. Nice to not have to worry about buying and powering a separate monitor. Has anyone figured out a away to modify the face plate so we can trigger the switch with it on?

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

:undecidedCan you put the faceplate back on with no noticable breaking and entering? If my future HVX ever has to go under the knife, I don't want the panny techs to void my warranty!

[Vincent Pascoe]

I at one time easily slipted it back in.....but now I can't find it!





VP

[HybridCreations]

I just wanted to point this out... without the cover on, the LCD won't turn off and go to viewfinder when you close it. There's a little lever on the cover that trips the viewfinder switch. Just bear this in mind so you don't freak out when you go to close your LCD and the viewfinder doesn't come on.

Can't you just leave both LCD and EVF on all the time? I forget what it's called in the menu, but its' not hard to find on my DVX.
-Ryan

[Barry_Green]

Yes there's a menu choice that leaves the EVF on at all times regardless of what the LCD panel is doing.

[pretopost]

Is it possible to drill a tiny hole in plate kinda like a reset button on a cable modem. Where when you want it flipped u just put a paper clip or something in?

[tomk358]

does the switch need constant pressure to stay 'flipped' or is it a click-on/click off type?

[SamEdwards]

I openned and closed it with my fingernails. Not a mark left. If you're careful you won't void your warranty.
cheers,
Sam

[SamEdwards]

If this pin hole voids my warranty I guess I deserve it.
PLEASE NOTE: I removed the cover piece before drilling it. You really don't want to stick a drill into your camera!
Cheers,
Sam


http://homepage.mac.com/samedwards/_DSC0631.jpg

[THoff]

I hope someone at Panasonic adds a feature in a future firmware upgrade to let you flip the display using a menu option -- given today's DSPs, that shouldn't be that hard to do.

[dougspice]

Just a word-of-mouth warning... if you're not VERY careful, it is actually pretty easy to damage the ribbon cable while performing this operation, thus ensuring that your LCD stops working entirely. Seems like most people aren't having that problem, so that's good... but be careful!

[mark.burton]

I hope someone at Panasonic adds a feature in a future firmware upgrade to let you flip the display using a menu option -- given today's DSPs, that shouldn't be that hard to do.

Absolutely. JVC have taken this problem and produced a feature in the camera which flips the image for display and record on their new HDV models. Its very likely their are sufficient FPGA's in the HVX to do just this. Please Panny!

[SamEdwards]

Just a word-of-mouth warning... if you're not VERY careful, it is actually pretty easy to damage the ribbon cable while performing this operation, thus ensuring that your LCD stops working entirely. Seems like most people aren't having that problem, so that's good... but be careful!


Hi Doug, My hole is above the ribon cable. So it would be hard to even touch it with a straight object. But I am not encouraging anybody to do anything to their HVX. You really could mess it up!
Cheers,
Sam

[Blaine]

it works on the dvx-100b. i just did it with ours. seems to be exactly the same setuo as the hvx. from the sound of it this applies only to the dvx-100b. the 100 and 100a apparently have a different flip mechanism, which is why the magnet flip trick works with them. with mine, i filed a small slot out of the cover so i can keep the cover on and insert the zip tie to flip the tiny switch. i cut the tip off of the zip tie so i can keep it inserted and still close the lcd. worked for us.
So you're saying this WON'T work with my DVX100A? Damn. I knew it sounded too good to be true.

[dougspice]

Right, but doesn't the magnet trick still work with DVX-100A? I'd rather do that anyday.

Sam... I wasn't talking about drilling a hole (I don't think)... I was talking about actually prying off the cover.

[bvalente]

Absolutely. JVC have taken this problem and produced a feature in the camera which flips the image for display and record on their new HDV models. Its very likely their are sufficient FPGA's in the HVX to do just this. Please Panny!


Yep - the HD200 and HD250 both have flip in the monitor AND in record. I would hope a board like DVXUser/HVXUser could generate enough groundswell and interest to get this into the HVX200A - start a petition!

[bvalente]

Absolutely. JVC have taken this problem and produced a feature in the camera which flips the image for display and record on their new HDV models. Its very likely their are sufficient FPGA's in the HVX to do just this. Please Panny!


Yep - the HD200 and HD250 both have flip in the monitor AND in record. I would hope a board like DVXUser/HVXUser could generate enough groundswell and interest to get this into the HVX200A - start a petition!

[SamEdwards]

Hi Guys,
I remember that the whole flipping thing was the biggest request for a firmware update for the HVX200. JVC was able to add great functionality to their camera through a firmware upgrade. I hope Panasonic is listening. As early adopters of this camera it would be great if they could fulfill it's whole promise without having to do a 'forklift upgrade' to the HVX200A.
cheers,
Sam

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

HVX200A!!!!!! I hope the 200a isnt created soon, oh man, I just paid for the hvx200!!!

[Jarek Zabczynski]

Can someone ask Jan if it's even possible with a firmware update?

[dregenthal]

Purely a guess, but mine is there won't be any firmware upgrades.

Almost a no brainer that we should see the flip in the HVX "A" (years from now).

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

Just a question.... Is it possible to buy a spare cover piece? Either from panasonic or a service/repair company? I would like to drill a hole in one and have another in good condition. This you allow to create a switch for the flip.

[Chris Messineo]

Purely a guess, but mine is there won't be any firmware upgrades.


I hope that's not true. Panasonic has always been pretty responsive to the community and this would seem to be the perfect example of something you can address through the firmware.

Chris

[THoff]

It's de rigeur with digital still cameras, manufacturers periodically release new firmware to fix problems, improve performance, and add features.

I'd love to see Panasonic implement a system where you can download new firmware from their support site, transfer it to a SD card, put it in the camcorder, and have the camcorder flash itself with the firmware when you turn it on (or by manually initiating a flash through a menu option).

[SamEdwards]

Hi Folks,
Having flipped the LCD on my camera using the drilled hinge trick I want to note that it's still not perfect for the Redrock M2. The image is still mirrored left/right. It certainly helps but it's not the 'right' flip for the adapter becuase the LCD flip was designed as a mirror flip for self poitrait mode. Not a 180 degree rotation, which is what you get with the adapter.
Am I correct in assuming that an external monitor flipped upside down is the 'right' flip for a redrock M2?
thanks,
Sam

[mark.burton]

Sam, if you change the Self Shoot option in the Display Settings this should be able to give you the correct flip orientation.

[SPZ]

Here's one more vote for the Flip. I really think one should start a petition thread for the "Flip"as a firmware upgrade and send it to Panasonic. Someone please do it!

[mark.burton]

How about a petition on one of these sorts of sites?
www.thepetitionsite.com

[Taff]

Mark,
Can we assume that activating the "Self Shoot option in the Display Settings" plus having the external monitor upsidedown will give us the correct flip orientation for the left and right as well?
Thanks
Taff

[mark.burton]

No, not for an external monitor as this setting only effects the onboard LCD.

[Taff]

Thanks Mark... No hacks for this to happen on the external monitor as well...? Just a wish...
Taff

[mark.burton]

Taff, if you physically turn an external monitor upside down you get the correct orientation right away as you are effectively doing a 180 degree rotation, so there is no need for the Mirror setting to effect this display.

[Taff]

Is there any external monitor that comes with the "left and right" flip?

[mark.burton]

I believe this monitor can do that:
http://www.datavideo.info/products/tlm70d.htm

...but if you get something like the Marshall V-R70P-HDA which does not have a flip function, you can move the mount plate to the top and just mount it upside down.

[Steve Shovlar]

Is there any external monitor that comes with the "left and right" flip?

Teletest monitors all come with flip and mirror featres as standard, but are very high quality and expensive.
http://www.teletest.co.uk/productinfo.asp?id=82

[mark.burton]

Steve, on the Teletest monitor it says Normal / Mirror / Flip on the front switch, can you have both Flip and Mirror engaged at the same time to get the correct 180 degree display? Does it even need that or is the standard Flip mode do the 180 degree correction?
Thanks
Mark

[SamEdwards]

Sam, if you change the Self Shoot option in the Display Settings this should be able to give you the correct flip orientation.

Hi Mark,
Thanks! I'm so glad that there's a way to get it to work properly!
You're the man,
Sam

[bvalente]

Is there any external monitor that comes with the "left and right" flip?


varizoom monitors have this

[Taff]

Thanks for the info Brian!
Mounting the Varizoom monitor upside down, plus the "left & right flip" thats all I'd need for the HVX+M2!
Any news about the redrock matebox?
Keep up the good work!
Taff

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I keep reading that external monitors upside down does not need the left right flip..... so if that is correct, then Taff, you dont need the R-L flip. If I am wrong we need someone to spell this out in bold. hahaha. I don't know how many pages this thread is gonna take to get clear on the subject.
-best regards :)

[bvalente]

Here is the spelling out in BOLD:

There are two equivalent ways of thinking about flip. Both produce exactly the same results:

1. Rotate 180 degrees

2. Flip left-right AND flip up-down.


1. and 2. produce the exact same results. If you need proof take an image into photoshop and try it out

A monitor that is "upside down" is more accurately described as rotated 180 degrees - therefore you do not need additional flipping

[Mordroc]

Hi all,

I just joined as I have a HVX200 on order. I am seriously looking at buying the M2 as I have three old Nikon F series lenses that I use with my D100 digital still camera. The M2 sounds like a great way to achieve some nice "cinema like" results using lenses I already own. We just shot an independent feature last year using a rented Sony CineAlta and a Pro35 adapter, so I am somewhat familiar with how the M2 will work.

I think the route I would go would be to purchase the Varizoon VZ-TFT7U 7" monitor package (to then flip 180 degrees). The package comes with a hotshoe mount and sun shade. Is that a good choice? I can get the whole package through B&H for about $500.

What would I need additionally to be able to flip the monitor? I have found a product called the "Israeli Arm LCD monitor mount" by Delvcam. Would that product do the trick, or is there somthing else I should be using?

Thanks in advance for the help. This seems like a great community.

Mike

[Mordroc]

I've spent over two days combing through all types of posts in this forum regarding field monitors, the HVX and the G2. Even after posting this I find that there seems to be a general agreement that the Varizoom is not good enough for checking focus in HD and that the Marshall is the better choice even thought it costs more $$.

One thing I still can't get a sense of is if weather you buy the Israeli Arm, or a different brand (Nogia, etc.), if the arm is all you need to mount the monitor to the camera and rotate it.

I have so much to learn regarding this new HVX configuration that I'm exploring, which is good because I don't need the monitor right now (especially if it's going to take 4-6 weeks to get a G2). So sorry if I posted some redundant questions. I am continuing to spend a lot of time looking and reading.

[darwinandpaine]

I can't tell, from the photo at B&H, whether the arm is all you need. But I'd definitely recommend the Marshall over the Varizoom. It's so worth the money.

Here's what I'm using to mount the monitor... http://15minuteslatermovie.com/hvxrig.html

[Mordroc]

Hey thanks for showing me the picture. Your setup looks really good.

What mount are you using? I noticed that you have the monitor "right side up". Will that arm allow you to rotate it 180 degrees so it is upside down? I was also planning on ordering that focus ring package along with the M2.

Also, would you mind sharing with me where you got the Mattebox?

[darwinandpaine]

The matte box and follow focus are Cavision. For the Redrock focus rings, you'll need the "cine gear" from Cavision. The Cavision FF is fantastic -- probably the best thing out there for the money (Jared loved it when I brought it to a recent User Group Meeting -- he said it was just about the best thing out there, period!).

That was just the first picture I took. The monitor mounts upside down. The mount is from Sticky Pod. I don't know if you can buy it separately, but it works great. I usually have this rig on my EZFX Jib Junior which has a separate mount for the monitor (it uses a grip arm).

[Mordroc]

It looks like this would be the Mattebox to get:

B&H Link (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=434136&is=REG&addedTroughType=search)

Would you mind elaborating on the "cine gear" thing? I went to Cavisions web site and didn't see that listed anywhere.

Also, are you suggesting to just by the focus rings from Redrock for my F series Nikon lenses, and then get the follow focus from Cavision? Which model would be the correct one?

Thanks for the help.

[Jon Oskar]

Does the Marshall flip and flop to use with M2?

[mark.burton]

Does the Marshall flip and flop to use with M2?

No, but by moving the small mounting plate or adding another to the top of the Marshall, the unit can be mounted upside down which achieves the same flip flop.

[Jon Oskar]

No, but by moving the small mounting plate or adding another to the top of the Marshall, the unit can be mounted upside down which achieves the same flip flop.

But does it not need a horizontal flip as well, duh stupid me, i know i have read an explanation of this like a 1000 times. So just a word from a M2 user saying the Marshall works for the M2 would be enoch.

[mark.burton]

I have an M2 and the Marshall. Mounting the LCD upside down will give you the correctly orientated image :-) (a 180 degree rotation is what it takes)

[Jon Oskar]

Thank you!

[Jon Oskar]

What's the difference between getting

http://www.nebtek.com/proddetail.php?prod=LIBA

http://www.nebtek.com/proddetail.php?prod=101MarshallVR70PHDA

V.S.

http://www.nebtek.com/proddetail.php?prod=101MarshallVR-70P-HDA-LI

beside 80$ and having have to mount this your self to the back?

[DC]

...but if you get something like the Marshall V-R70P-HDA which does not have a flip function, you can move the mount plate to the top and just mount it upside down.
Just buy (for $29.95) a set of three mounting plates and you can have them on four sides of the monitor at all times. Or just mount one on top of the Marshall and keep the other two as spares.

See ---> V-LCD70TMB-02 at the bottom of the page.

http://www.lcdracks.com/accessor/Mounts_Stands.htm

[mark.burton]

Just buy (for $29.95) a set of three mounting plates and you can have them on four sides of the monitor at all times.

Have since bought those and now have a mount on the top and bottom of the screen.

[DC]

That's the way to go. :)

[mark.burton]

Also made this simple app. I'm still working on it, but it won't ever go much further than where it is as I am the worst software developer ever :-)
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=63596

[R Gale]

But does it not need a horizontal flip as well...
To be accurate, the M2 image does need both a vertical and horizonal flip,
and turning the monitor upside-down does this-- it rotates 180 degrees, which flips it
up-down and left-right.

...Thanks for the tip, DC!

[aravance]

Got my m2 and since I can't afford to pay for a decent monitor right now, went with the old hackeroo.

As far as keeping pressure on the button, I just took one of those small allen wrenches that came with my m2 and stuck it in there and it held up fine.

It could use some tape though to make sure it stays in place. But even without it, I was panning it around on my tripod and it didn't have any problems.

Cheers!

http://vanst3r.com/hvxhackery.jpg

[jpsheets]

Hey Van, Congratulations on receiving the M2! We'll have to get together and compare footage.

cheers,

JP

[Kyle Stebbins]

just did it, i used a bobby pin to throw the switch. very cool find!
anyone know if drilling a hole in the cover will void your warranty?

[snodart]

just did it, i used a bobby pin to throw the switch. very cool find!
anyone know if drilling a hole in the cover will void your warranty?

My guess would be yes. But, I drilled it anyway :kali:

I cut of a very small piece of a zip tie and have just left it in there. The LCD closes fine with it in. The LCD doesn't turn off though when closed with the switch engaged, which can eat up the battery. The small zip tie piece can be easily inserted and removed with a small pair of needle nose pliers though, so it's no big deal. This is on the DVX100B by the way, but the hack is the same.

[Jon Oskar]

Just bring it in for repairs without the cover and say it fell off, demand a new one as this should not have happened with a brand new camera.:)

[Justin Kuhn]

Any update on the firmware possibility?

[mk23]

Just bring it in for repairs without the cover and say it fell off, demand a new one as this should not have happened with a brand new camera.:)

There are no LCD hinge covers available at Panasonic (USA and Canada) , they are out of stock. You have to order from Japan and wait god knows how long :(

[Jon Oskar]

There are no LCD hinge covers available at Panasonic (USA and Canada) , they are out of stock. You have to order from Japan and wait god knows how long :(


it was a joke:nads:

[mk23]

it was a joke:nads:

yeah, I saw the smiley face, but you gave me the idea of ordering a few spare cover pieces, but unfortunately it's gonna take close to four weeks to have them shipped from Japan.

[smelni]

This part is NOT the lcd hinge cover - I ordered those an it turned out that part is the external cover - called Panny and they said you need to buy a whole new hinge - not sure how to put that in?

any one else find this part?

[Gene Crucean]

Any update on the firmware possibility? It's completely 100% possible to flip the LCD and Record. If they will do it and release a firmware update is a completely separate story.

I'm putting my money on an A version having it. Business is business after all.

[DC]

...Thanks for the tip, DC!

No prob, Richard. I just added an extra mount to my Marshall monitor the other day. This is, of course, in anticipation of me actually getting a 35mm adapter. :)

[philip bloom]

There are no LCD hinge covers available at Panasonic (USA and Canada) , they are out of stock. You have to order from Japan and wait god knows how long :(

any ideas where you can order that spare hinge part? i dont mind the wait!

[smelni]

be careful - it is not the hinge cover that you need (that is the external cover) you actually need to purchase the lcd hinge for 75 dollars and pull the inside cover off of that part to use - they dont sell just the cover alone - you can get it on panasonics site

[Vincent Pascoe]

that little cool switch to flip the screen has finaly brooke affter 10 months. a very small spring and little white button fell in to a salvage yard to never be seen agin...

Panasonic in LA says if they have to replace the hole LCD it will cost $1000 including labor...(the lcd is $700)


Grrr...

VP

www.vincentpascoe.com
www.myspace.com/vincentpascoe

[smelni]

please tell me that when it broke it stays right side up

[Vincent Pascoe]

yes it did ....byut now Itdosent know when i have it in self shoot mode...and like before it broke the LCD is always on...


VP

www.vincentpascoe.com

[pretopost]

Ouch...

Glad I didn't do this to mine...

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

try to order from these guys
http://www.spec-comm.com/
if it's possible to get just that part or a cover they can and will do it for you.

[TimurCivan]

man you guys are Nuts... sticking things into you HVX....

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

ive been sticking a paper clip end into that hole for months now. I hope my little white button doesnt break off!

[TimurCivan]

exactly what im talkin about......

[stephen_nugent]

that little cool switch to flip the screen has finaly brooke affter 10 months. a very small spring and little white button fell in to a salvage yard to never be seen agin...


Thinking about the brevis but i mainly shoot handheld and documentary, dont want to haul around a monitor plus its way off budget. What if you open the cover, stick something to hold the switch up and then close the cover. would that cause the switch to break? my guess it shouldnt but can any of you who had done the surgery advice?

[philip bloom]

it's so hard to keep focus using the HVX screen handheld. I just couldn't keep it sharp. It's such bad quality. I know this is a different camera but I have started using my Brevis with the JVC200 which has a built in flip and very sharp viewfinder and LCD screen

[stephen_nugent]

thanks philip, tried it even with focus assist? what do you recommend for handheld? which monitor would be a good solution within budget? seen a few recomendations on this forum but all seem pretty bulky and dont want the extra attention or weight.

[THoff]

Thinking about the brevis but i mainly shoot handheld and documentary, dont want to haul around a monitor plus its way off budget.For what it's worth, Dennis at Cinevate is working on a flip module that will work with the Brevis as well as other adapters. I'm not sure when that will be available, but it would greatly simplify both shooting and editing.

[stephen_nugent]

yeah seen he mentioned, seems at the expence of some light loss but hey, there's always a drawback.

[THoff]

The Brevis starts out with very little light loss depending on the diffuser option you select, so I would imagine that the flip module will be a viable addition for many people.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Don't do the flip switch trick.

I am the 2nd member down a $1200 repair.

My LCD works thank god, but will not flip at all in self portrait mode for example.

Instead of paying $1200 to repair this minor feature I got a $1600 Marshall HDA with the panasonic battery modification.

If you cannot afford a $1000 varizoom hi res monitor or a Marshall for $1300 (no panny battery mod) or $1600 (with panny battery mod) then spend $200 to $400 low res monitor JUST FOR FLIPPING/FRAMING it will be same or slightly better quality than the LCD but you won't break your camera. You simply must think of that as part of the cost of the adapter you buy.

When you open the hinge you are exposing two fragile ribbon cables. One small one that seems to be in charge of flipping the LCD and a slightly larger one that is in control of everything else the LCD does. The small one came dislodged while
inserting the twisty into the switch. The other guy whose LCD broke, he lost the little white switch.

These ribbon cables are like what are inside your computer or external hard drive, but they are not even the rubber coated kind. They are the translucent plastic kind, like a piece of cellophane with wires in it. So doing this is basically like leaving a hard drive open which you will take on location and stick things in and out off. Unlike the hard drive where you could see what came disconnected from where, you can't here. I can't unscrew the white switch, put the ribbon cable back under it and screw it back in.


So your camera cost $5500. Your P2 card cost $600-$1200. Your adapter cost $550 - $1500. Spend $200 - $400 more for low res flip monitor ($1000 - $1600 for a real hi res monitor if you can). The low res monitor won't solve your resolution issue, but you won't be openning and sticking sticks into ribbon fragile electronic areas just to flip your image.

My 2¢ :thumbsup:

[slimchrisp]

thanks jack. i don't have my hvx yet, but that was one of the first things i was going to do.

thanks for talking some sense into me!!!

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

I understand what it means to br broke and just not have enough $ for that one more piece of gear after everything else.

That's how my LCD got broken. Wanting to "get the shot" before I could afford a monitor.

I got my monitor by selling my DVX. It was roughly a 1 to 1 $ ratio.

[Kyle Stebbins]

Funny. I got my M2 by selling my dvx. What do I sell for the cheap LCD screen!?

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

I saw a 7inch LCD at radio shack today for $150.
Plan on spending $30 - $50 on a hood too.

[SPZ]

tried the switch, opened the cover... Felt the cover's plastic attachments crack a bit... Put cover back... And will order external LCD.

[pdsage10]

Well, finally got up the balls to do it and it was well worth it, but I dont use a paper clip to push in the switch, Im to afraid of damaging the ribon cable. So, I rolled up a small piece of paper and made it into a point. I works great. The only strange thing is that my view finder never turns off anymore while the lcd screen is open.

[pitipok]

Not the first time I'm searching for this hack...
I want to thank all the people taking risks before me =)

I never wanted to work with a external screen, seriously, what are those small camera made for?? They already got two screens, The EVF and the LCD, why put a third one...

thanks all, I'll try it right away , it's 9pm here at Bruxelles, I'll close my eyes, and wait for not hearing any "Crack"....

sacha

PS: In case I break something, Iwant to erase all my thanks in this msg.. bye

[PaPa]

Not the first time I'm searching for this hack...
I want to thank all the people taking risks before me =)

I never wanted to work with a external screen, seriously, what are those small camera made for?? They already got two screens, The EVF and the LCD, why put a third one...

thanks all, I'll try it right away , it's 9pm here at Bruxelles, I'll close my eyes, and wait for not hearing any "Crack"....

sacha

PS: In case I break something, Iwant to erase all my thanks in this msg.. bye

you may want to one day work with one when you begin using an adapter, and focus becomes critical. Also working with colored lights, trying to create the look you are going for. With an external calibrated monitor, you get precise color, and tone, as well as a larger view for focus.

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

My hax just broke! No longer can i do the paper clip trick. My monitor no longer flips with a paper clip or by turning it to self portrait mode. The white button thingy got all chewed up and twisted....Oh well. At least it still works. I'm not sticking anything into that hole anymore.

[Beat Takeshi]

That sucks.

I have gotten so used to looking at stuff upside down i have a hard time shooting right side up. I move the wrong direction. I have to sit there for a few minutes going side to side to reorientate myself.

[evandroc]

hi guys,
i have a good old sony component field monitor wich i use with my hvx and i´m thinking about buying a brevis. but, won´t be any money left for a new monitor. is there any component signal eletronic device i can use betwen the hvx and the monitor to flip flop the image since the brevis flip module will eat at least one stop of light?
thanx in advance

[evandroc]

i know this monitor is not the right tool for monitoring hd, but it is all i have.

[indigo]

So..... were did we get in the 'official response' from Panny on doing a firmware flip?

Indy....

[TimurCivan]

probably not going ot happen. flipping the LCD isnt a firmware component. ( i mis quoted barry Edited out. sorry man)

[Barry_Green]

I'm not sure I said that, but Jan might have. I don't know what's truly possible or not possible in firmware; I mean, I know some things that are impossible to do with firmware (such as adding AVC-Intra support) but for items like flipping the LCD, I don't know whether that'd be possible or not. Jan would know.

[smelni]

Jan has repeatedly said that it is not possible in firmware - I almost always believe her :)

this is the one time I am almost sure it can be done - the thing is when you flip the lcd and it goes to mirror mode there is a switch that is being flipped and when it is flipped the firmware must interpret that to flip the image. I would think they could add a menu option to flip that value. Not sure why this couldnt be done UNLESS perhaps the switch flipping is outside the domain of the firmware

[Barry_Green]

It very well may be; on the DVX it was actually a mechanical switch so it's not something in the firmware's domain.

Isn't it becoming less of an issue though? Now that the Letus35 Flip Enhanced is available for $700, and Redrock Micro has a flip module for their M2, and CineVate is coming out with a flip module for the Brevis, and IINM the Redrock and CineVate ones will be usable with other brands of adapters too... why not just solve the problem the right way (optically) and get not only rightside-up display, but also rightside-up recording?

[smelni]

problem with those flip devices is that you lose more precious light - and the biggest issue with these adapters (or one of the biggest) IMHO is that people tend to shoot wide open to get too shallow DOF - or they shoot wide open to get the exposure into a reasonable place. Too often the shallow depth of field becomes overused - sometimes those 1 or 2 stops can help you close down a bit

[dayuhanspace]

Or Shoot with your Camera upside down, its much more easier! he he

[Beat Takeshi]

Hey you know we tried this the other day to see if it works and it does. There is a screw hole on the handle that the tripod plate fits into and you can easily mount it on whatever accepts the plate upside down.

[Dennis Wood]

That's precisely why our rails system allows the use of riser tubes. It's so you can build your own inverted rig while leaving mattebox, monitor and follow focus units in their "proper" orientation.

For smaller cams like the HV20, it's even easier as the base plate can simply be rotated 180 and raised up. The camera fits nicely underneath.

As far as our flip unit, you'll never be commited to use it exclusively. The adapter will have two modes..with flip or without. The flip unit will still be very efficient with regard to light loss. A lot of money has been invested to make it dead accurate, dust free, and efficient as physically possible!

[bvalente]

Like Dennis said, Many (including Redrock's rods) systems support riser tubes, so it's an option to mount upside down.

You'll also want to make sure you are using standard 15mm rods (60mm center to center) and not some funky variation, so you can use any accessory you are considering (or own).

While the microX is an optional accessory to the M2 (which we showed at NAB, and you can get a sneak peak from FresHDV here http://www.freshdv.com/2007/04/nab-video-redrock-micro-premieres-flip-solution.html) I think most HVX users will end up opting for this approach.

Cheers

Brian

[trondster]

Dammit! I acutally really managed to mess it up now. Drilled the hole without the panel on the camera, put it on, didnt fit, and just wanted to make a small adjustment, and then: squeek.
Drilled the ribbon cable. SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!!

Now the flip thing doesnt work at all.

How much does it cost to repair this?

Grrrmmmffffff

trondster

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Yeah, don't know how many times I can post in this thread telling people not to do this.

you are looking at around $1300, it's reparied by replacing the whole LCD assembly.

Instead of repairing mine I purchased a Marshall monitor for about the same price.

but I'm starting to worry about it now, again I am faced with choosing between fixing it or upgrading my 35mm adapter, computer, or a few other things I need to do.

[trondster]

Humppf.. I cannot even start to tell how angry I am at myself for doing this.
If I had only read all the threads.
Well...one has to learn somehow. Just too bad it had to be the expensive way.

trondster

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Sorry, I didn't mean to wag my finger at you.
Just hoping others will read an think maybe it's a bad idea to expose an 8th of an inch wide ribbon cable or go drilling around it.

[snodart]

I just kept my fingers crossed every time I jabbed that little rolled-up piece of paper into the hinge on my DVX100b. :undecided

Still working though (knock on wood). Marshall = good.

Pretty sure that I won't be doing it on my HVX (when I get it that is).

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

There are definitely more "never had a problem with it" stories than head smacking stories, but if you are one of the few head smacking stories then it sucks big time.

[sibero80]

Guys, i was just wondering... couldnt the wires triggered by the hinge be followed and added an swith, like an on off one, so you dont have to mess up with the fragile hinge and just use an on/off switch??

Thanks!!

[Rikitikitavi]

Hi guys, now i call to the service - this part will import from japan to the end of 01.2009. Cost ~25$. If u need i can buy some more and transport to US by postal %)

[HarryChristy]

Hi guys, now i call to the service - this part will import from japan to the end of 01.2009. Cost ~25$. If u need i can buy some more and transport to US by postal %)

I didn't read all eleven pages but what part is this? I might do it to my hvx but am very hesitant. Sorry about bumping the old thread but this could be helpful.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Do it and risk this:
http://i13.ebayimg.com/01/i/001/26/8f/7d44_3.JPG

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=157252