My homebuilt LCD-light-shade...

C

cici

Well-known member
Some months ago, I bought an LCD-shade for almost 20 USD and wasn't that much impressed....

So I decided to make one by myself that will cost less and have all advantages that I miss with the bought one.

The bought one: 1. is too thick 2. doesn't stay in shape 3. is a little short...

First I made one of black paper and some in-folded photographs that will give stability. I used it with a DVX100 for some days only and was very satisfied, but also wanted to build the same one with better materials. The best material I found was the black plastik fronts of classic DVD cases - no shiny plastic if possible.

My LCD shade was now perfect and I don't want to take it of EVEN under low light conditions, because it works like a very large EVF or even control monitor. The longer it's tunnel is, the better the shade but also the smaller the picture. I found the best length at 10cm - this works great day and night. I shot a marriage with it - 3 hours in the night and I liked the fact that you can put your camera up to one and a half man's heigh with tripod (I couldn't reach the buttons anymore...) but you still can see at least the composition of your picture very clearly and the informations on screen with the LCD-shade turned towards the ground as you can see in two of the pictures below, where it is marked slightly orange.

The DVX100 was not mine and so I handed out the LCD-shade made of DVD plastic to the owner because he liked it a lot and so I have to take now the photos of my HVX200 and the prototype of the shade that is of black paper...

On the photos, you'll also see the shade I bought: it is of the same material as you find in the soft walls of video bags / photo bags. And I think they have chosen that material because of the costs: they probably produce also bags.... Nevertheless it's not a very good material for a shade IMHO.

And now the pictures:

Comparision (left: bought shade that doesn't stay in shape on the lcd, much thicker and too short)
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paper-prototype - filming with camera on the ground - ckecking lcd from above:
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paper-prototype - filming with camera very high and checking lcd from below:
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paper-prototype - ( the next one was of DVD plastics and had a VELCRO STRIPE on the round back strap, attached to the tunnel that made it 100% foldable)
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Now a second little "Group Of Pictures" of my homebuilt prototype vs. bought one:

The bought shade - IMHO doesn't look that professional... :

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And my "30-minutes time and 50 cents material" - one (looks really professional if made of DVD plastics!) :

camera in high position - DoP checking LCD from below... (shade is marked orange in picture to make it easy to locate...)
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different angle - shade marked in sepia for better location...
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Some last words:

If made of DVD plastic, that thing really rocks! - Looks very professional and seems to live a long time. Don't forget to put on some velcro fasteners to make it foldable. If you guys want to build this and need some plans, just ask me here - it seems evident to me, but especially the velcro is tricky to make it hold onto the plastic... normal glue won't be strong enough...

There's no copyright for the idea, but for the pictures above :happy:

I use this shade especially with a shoulder tripod and this makes the LCD kind of approaching up to my eye!! - So the tunnel just begins in front of my eye and this makes it a better EVF in combination with the shoulder tripod.
 
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Hey,
i´d appreciate if you put up the plan here!
If been thinking of building a lenshood for some time and i think you could save me and others some trouble!
Thanks!
 
I built one a few weeks ago out of black foamcore - only took about 30 minutes to do the whole thing. As soon as I get my cam back I'll get some shots and post them.
You don't really need 'plans' for something like this - just get your camera and whatever material you want to use to piece it together.
 
I'll give you the plan here for DVX100 / HVX200 :


1) Two rectangles of DVD plastic (not shiny) measures: 10 cm x 8,4 cm

2) Two rectangles of DVD plastic. Measures: 10 cm x 6,5 cm


Note: the resulting tube will be TALLER than the nude screen but SMALLER than the whole LCD. So you can position it easily on the lcd and it will hold firlmy. If too small, it won't hold firmly and can cover parts of the lcd view whenever something touches it. If taller than the whole lcd it will slip of course... So it holds the tightest when ON the FRAME of the lcd.

This is already 95% of the tube. You now just stick them together with black gaffer's tape. Just leave about a millimeter between the walls to make it easy foldable later.

Important: keep the two walls FLAT when you pull the tape over two walls to work more exactly. And pull the tape ONE whole round (begining and ending inside / backside to make it invisible later). You can't fold it for taping the inside of the third wall to the inside of the fourth wall, but just begin outside and fold then as much as you have to.


3) cut the stripe for attaching tube onto lcd: 20 cm 7,8 cm of a FLEXIBLE black plastik (e.g. from a thin, flexible folder/thin briefcase or a black photograph etc.)

This stripe will hold the tube on the lcd.

So put the tube ON the lcd. Then stick the last stripe on it to make it hold the shade on the lcd but only stick it with normal tape and remove the whole shade.

Now attach ONE of both sides of the stripe firmly (gaffer tape) to the tube.

Then attach VELCRO stripes to the other side of the stripe and the tube. So you can remove and close it for years without having it lose it's tension. That's why the velcro must stick very firmly: I used glue AND gaffer tape from the side. The gaffer tape goes round and round over the tube as you can see on the close-up photos above. I did the same with the velcro: a lot of gaffer tape that makes many rounds around the stripe / tunnel to hold it firmly as this part might brake first as time goes by...

Some illustrations:

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where to position the gaffer tape (notice the small gap between the two walls...)
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just before closing the tube... (I know it's not shaped correctly)
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FOLD for the last gaffer tape... begin outside and bend the two long ends inside the tube...
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Enter "The TUBE!" (gaffer tape also inside of course...)
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Position the tube onto the lcd to take measure for the last stripe
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and this is that last stripe that will fasten the tube on the lcd
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Position of the VELCRO stripes - you see that THEY make the whole thing foldable...
1192203620.gif


Notes:

of course, one might make the stripe to hold the tube onto the lcd DIRECTLY of the 4th wall.... that's perhaps even a better choice for holding firmly - but I just wanted to make it quick and still straight...

Some "pros" will certainly want to stick some black sticky VELVET-FOIL in the inside of the tube, to avoid even the slightest reflection.

With this tool, I don't miss the EVF at all :) - and I wonder now: WHAT is the advantage of the EVF? - Is its screen better? - Is focussing easier with the EVF? - I don't think so. What do you think?
 
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KROOKEDKROWN said:
great now when your on set there will be no question that your a pro
Click to expand...

I never work on a set - I'm an underwater videographer and have a waterproof screen for use underwater.... I need the lcd-shade for the over-water shootings and they are in the wild nature (documentary) where I don't have use for a field monitor so it seems to me the best tool for an adaequat screen-control.

The wedding I filmed with a DVX100 was for a friend who's a professional wedding filmer and there I saw the huge advantage of the long shade for shootings at night or / and with the camera very high above one's head (e.g. for filming the crowd).

It has nothing to do with professional look or not - that's just a point that seems for some guys important and then if you come to that point, then frankly I don't like the thick textile shade, cheaply made of some videobag's walls...
 
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