How about a really good ELECTRONIC viewfinder?
 

In my ideal world I want a viewfinder from an EX 3 with a long wire that will plug into my mini hdmi jack. I'd gladly settle for a wire to my iphone that will at least show me what the framing is in real time, although focusing would be real nice too.
Assuming Canon has sold a bunch of these cameras (and Nikon and Panasonic too) and there are lots of things with hdmi or minihdmi jacks why won't somebody just build this?
5.6 inch, 7 inch, 8.4 inch or 9 inch monitors are too big, they will just draw a crowd behind you looking at what you're shooting - why can't I buy something really small that will just do the job? Agggggh!
Is there a market for this, does anyone know someone who can solder really small wires or program an app to make an iphone tether?

From what I understand about iPhone is that you can only do video out not video in. Yes iPhone plays videos but what you are thinking and what I've wished for as well for other reasons (iPhone as a true monitor via app) will not happen mainly because Apple won't let you use the port for apps for one thing. Another is there isn't hardware in the iPhone to understand input from this port other then file transfer. The network option is slow and won't stream realtime so that's out although the best option. That's why there is such a lag in the DSLremote app when using live view.

What you describe is on the way.

However, the smaller the viewfinder, the lower the resolution, making it harder to judge critical focus which of course is challenging enough with the 5D.

Charles, can you give us more details? All I have seen till now are converted ENG finders like the Movietube. Surely anything running from the 5DmkII HDMI is going to have the blackout issues during resolution switching as LCD monitors do? and last I heard Magic Lantern was still not working for 1080 over HDMI.

I'm guessing this kind of finder should work on the 1DmkIV or 7D however.

Dan

What I'm referring to is a good quality smaller LCD panel than the sizes Denis mentions. Think the EX3 viewfinder.

Charles,

I agree those products are certainly on the way, what I was trying to point out to Denis is that even when someone does make a HDMI monitor for the 5DMkII it is unlikely to work the way he wants it to. Unless Canon change something drastic in firmware then the 5DmkII will still output SD not HD when you hit record. It should work much better on the 7D and 1DmIV which don't rez and aspect switch when outputting 1080i on the HDMI signal.

It also likely that EVF's built into cameras will increase sufficiently in rez soon enough, the Pana GH-1 is already pretty good and then there is this Epson Starts Volume Production of Ultra-Compact, High-Resolution HTPS TFT Color Liquid Crystal Panel for Electronic Viewfinders (October 14, 2009) - Newsroom - Seiko Epson Corp.

Dan

Even a halfway solution will be better than nothing. I know I'll lose the 1080 image while rolling, but having the ability to frame without craning my neck into compound angles will be great.
An outboard monitor would do the trick but I haven't found one small enough.

An iPhone? You must be joking?

Isn't the screen on the 5D2 way, WAY better than the screen on an iPhone?

The iPhone is 480x320, I think the LCD on the 5D2 has four+ times as many pixels.

The 5 D screen is WAY better when you can see it. Imagine shooting a low angle looking up from the mud and really wanting to know what the framing looks like

Agreed, but I'm still not sure I'd ever use an iPhone for that, a monitor sure, but a tiny 480x320 monitor? I guess you'd see you're framing, but focus, not sure? Anyway, it's moot isn't it, the iPhone can't do video input.

yeah, it is a moot point, and started as desperate wishful thinking for an easy solution with what I already have around. I need a mashup of the 5d and the ex 3 ( a DEX 8 maybe?)

Now you're talking!