Hate the AF100 LCD - what do I do?

cathstrat

cathstrat

Active member
Just purchased an AF100 and am finding the LCD very difficult to use. :( So small and such crappy quality. If I was in a studio I would, of course, be using a monitor, but I shoot in all kinds of places where I'm either moving the tripod all the time or doing handheld.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.
 
The DP6 isn't at all unreasonable on this camera, and has the advantage of being useable on just about every camera you need down the road. Nailing focus is a cinch with a larger monitor.

In a pinch, you can add one of the small stiff fabric loupes/hoods to the LCD... it doesn't solve its resolution, but it does improve its visibility.
 
Yeah, you need a monitor. I got the TV Logic 5.6. I'm very happy with it. The zoom really helps in getting focus marks, and it has just about everything else you can think of. I also use the EVF in B&W with focus assist in red when outside and I've had a lot of luck with that
 
An EVF is a nice add on for all these little beasts. Zacuto and SmallHD are great. I have a DP4 EVF and the DP6. I use the DP6 90% of the time mainly because my vision is getting worse and the DP6 is sharp. The DP4 is smaller but I'm not a fan of the Canon batteries it uses. Love the DP6 battery. Two will last all day. Either one is better than the on board LCD.
 
I'm in the same boat with my AF and coming from a ENG camera I realized with all the toppings on the AF, FF, rails, MB, ....add a monitor and some O grips and its heavy, especially when pulling focus. Anyone have pics of their AF with monitor ?
 
I got an external HDMI monitor (Marshall V-LCD51) so I could view playback when I record to a nanoFlash. But I like the monitors features so much, I will probably be using it even when not using the nanoFlash. The monitor has a pixel-to-pixel feature which magnifies part of the image for focusing, and that can be combined with the monitors own red peaking on B+W. I'm hanging it from an Israeli arm to place it where I want. And having a 5" monitor is kinda nice, compared to the 3.45" one on the camera. :)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._LCD51_LPE6_BK_5_MONITOR_w_PRE_INSTALLED.html

-- Ken
 
MylesWilliams said:
I'm in the same boat with my AF and coming from a ENG camera I realized with all the toppings on the AF, FF, rails, MB, ....add a monitor and some O grips and its heavy, especially when pulling focus. Anyone have pics of their AF with monitor ?
Click to expand...

Sure... DP6 on an IzzyArm mounted to the stock handle. With the hood, I wind up using it like a huge, very easy-to-see EVF, a'la Zach Zamboni (http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/cinema-veacuteriteacute-with-the-sony-pmwf3). With the right side handle moved forward, it's exceptionally manageable. I've recently taken to cinching down the monitor mount harm and inserting a simple 1/4-20 handle into the monitor's bottom mount hole as a well-positioned 2nd handle... gets me right by the lens controls.

I don't use matte boxes and only the simplest of rails
 

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Here is my DP6 mounted on the handle. I use it this way a lot. Sorry it's not on an AF-100 but I mount it the same.
 

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If you shoot a lot of handheld, especially in direct Sun an EVF is the solution.

The new Alphatron EVF has a much better picture than the Zacuto, or DP4, but the firmware needs work. 1:1 punch in requires multiple button pushes, & the Zebras are a mess, but the image is great, & can be used like an optical viewfinder.
 
There are quite a few design issues with the AF-100 when it comes to shooting handheld. The LCD, as you said, kinda stinks -- low res and no pixel-level zoom. The viewfinder is in the back, which results in a very unergonomic posture when trying to shoot with it. Most shoulder solutions for it but the shoulder pad at the back and the camera forward, expecting you to use the on-board LCD. This pushes the weight forward, demanding that you add more weight as counterbalance.

To resolve this, I opted instead to get a rail system which put the weight of the camera over the shoulder, as I'm used to and prefer. This means there's no way I can use the LCD or the viewfinder while so mounted. To get around that I've picked up a Cineroid EVF4C, which I can daisy chain to the video village, which I will attach to the 15mm frame with a Cavision articulated arm. I considered the Catclaw articulated arm with a similar design at half the price, but opted to get the product from a company to which I can return it reasonably should it be crap.

This has all been ordered recently due to my increased handheld shooting with the AF-100 and the issues I've run into attempting to do so. I have a cramp in my forearm after covering a six-hour concert event a month ago that is only now mostly healed, and I need to make sure that doesn't happen again. I don't think it's a pulled muscle or tendon because there was no "snap", just miserable pain the day after that has taken forever to heal.

Sorry for the lengthy response to an old thread, but I was hoping to share my problem and proposed solution with the gang since this thread was a major contributor to me building my solution.
 
I would choose a Marshall V-LCD56MD over the SmallHD DP6 anyday because the Marshall is better and cheaper. That Alphatron is great but I don't like the 1:1 function and how it's implemented but the image is so good that I also find 1:1 something one can do without.
 
mcbob said:
Sure... DP6 on an IzzyArm mounted to the stock handle. With the hood, I wind up using it like a huge, very easy-to-see EVF, a'la Zach Zamboni (http://magazine.creativecow.net/article/cinema-veacuteriteacute-with-the-sony-pmwf3). With the right side handle moved forward, it's exceptionally manageable. I've recently taken to cinching down the monitor mount harm and inserting a simple 1/4-20 handle into the monitor's bottom mount hole as a well-positioned 2nd handle... gets me right by the lens controls.

I don't use matte boxes and only the simplest of rails
Click to expand...

How have you moved that handgrip Mcbob? Looks interesting there, I'd like to try it :)
 
TomLenham said:
How have you moved that handgrip Mcbob? Looks interesting there, I'd like to try it :)
Click to expand...

sure, here's the old wordy DIY

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthrea...light-ENG-Doc-rig&p=1986089255#post1986089255

Riffing off of the last photo in that, in addition to mounting a handle underneath the DP6, I also mount it inverted (utilizing the flip mode)... that way my left hand never has to move from the handle during basic operation. Fingertips can manipulate focus and zoom, and my thumb can hit peaking or 1:1 FA on the DP6
 
For me, the Zacuto EVF Pro. It mounts with a dedicated AF100 mount - bolts to the top of the handle.

Crucially, none of the pressure points requires torsional strength on a small 3/8 thread - the biggest weakness with Noga arms and the like, in my experience.

Yer tis:

http://store.zacuto.com/EVF-Top-Mount.html

This setup with the EVF just works and I trust the colour and exposure 100% now. AF100 LVCD just has the waveform up on it.

Ben.
 
I made a custom yoke mount for the Small HD DP4, it attaches to the handle of the AF100 via a short stud threaded 1/4 x 20 on one end and 3/8 x 16 on the other. It's adjustable in every direction and works great

View attachment 65936
 
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