CRT viewfinder on 5D

That guy's website doesn't work so well. I was hoping to see more about his rig.

I'm going to try and work this out if I can find a CRT viewfinder that I know has composite video input.

.
 
The 5D finder link on Dirk Fletcher's website is not working for me. People used to put these viewfinders on XL1's apparently. I ordered one of these, so I'm gonna mess around with it.

.
 
Chris, have you got contact and further informations about the viewfinder?
Thanks Benn
 
That eyepiece would just be SD, but I guess anything would be SD out the 5D while recording...

-Tom
 
SD in a viewfinder format is PLENTY enough for focus.

The comments under the article are so silly. It's amazing how many people have no idea just how valid this setup is to build further upon.

Sheesh...
 
And... it works! (Sony DXF-M3 CRT viewfinder - $43. from eBay seller)




DXF-M3_display.jpg


.
 
Maybe I'm missing something, but wouldn't something like the Z-finder on the lcd be higher res, and in color, and easier?

I guess it wouldn't swivel though, and not as cheap.
 
I'm not sure what I'm going to do next, I have to test this thing out and determine if it's suitable for focusing. So far, it seems like a viable option, but what I'll do is weigh it against the Hoodloupe I have and against a 7" onboard monitor. As it is, I have no interest in the overpriced Z finder.

If it looks like the best SD option for a viewfinder, I'll build a bracket for it for sure and then figure out how to feed it only 12 volts.

Here are some advantages of using a CRT viewfinder the way I see it (such as this model):

Swivel allows for a greater range of camera placement, especially waist level. The hood-loupe style viewfinders obviously necessitate having ones eye directly behind the camera, which in my opinion is very much not ideal. In the old days of film, Arriflex, etc., had similar viewfinders (to the hood-loupes) that required the same eye placement and I can tell you - the eyepiece extension and orientable viewfinder was a very welcome advancement.

Ease of focus based on higher contrast image and smaller pixels. That is the main reason as far as I know that CRT viewfinders are preferred by pro ENG/EFP shooters.

.
 
Tim Joy said:
Maybe I'm missing something, but wouldn't something like the Z-finder on the lcd be higher res, and in color, and easier?
Click to expand...

For Focus, B&W is actually prefereable. CRT's also have better dynamic range than LCDs, specifically in the darks so you'll see if you have detail there or not better than on an LCD.
 
For this little test, I used an AC to DC power supply - the kind with variable outputs and I had it set to 12 volts. As far as I know, if you feed these things voltage from say an NP1, you'll have issues since the normal voltage of a charged NP1 is 13 to 14 volts. I need to find a battery that outputs 12 volts when fully charged.

.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top