Replace viewfinder eyepiece on HM100?
 

I just got a used HM100 which is perfect except for some scratches on the eyepiece glass (plastic?). It looks like it will just screw out -- it has notches maybe for a special wrench to unscrew it -- but I'm not touching it until I get some advice.

Will this piece just screw out for easy replacement? I sure hope so or it's a stupid design.

Thanks for any advice.

Nobody's ever had a scratched eyepiece before?

It looks like somebody took their t-shirt and wiped it and there might have been some sand in there. Otherwise the cam looks and works fine. Took some flood video on Monday.

I'm a professional still photographer branching into video and I notice stuff like that.

The guy that sold me the camera said he's sending me a new eyepiece, which he says is just plastic. I thought maybe someone could tell me if this is an operator maintenance type thing. If the thing unscrews, it is sure in there tight.

I would say it's a stupid design. I'm sure JVC would say it's a cost-effective design as part of maintaining a decent profit margin on the hardware.

I've had a look at mine just now - the eyepiece front element is cheap plastic (you can flex it by pushing on it) but really all it does is keep dust out of the eyepiece. The moving element inside (observed while focussing the viewfinder) is the optical part that needs to be clean. I've got scratches on my [plastic eyepiece] too that I'd never even noticed before. Not bothered as doesn't affect focus ability of the viewfinder. More bothered by the rubber eyepiece getting lost while struggling through countryside hedges - can I get a replacement?? Easier to meet Elvis.

The design of the eyepiece looks like it's a single unit that might be extracted once all the small screws have been removed further down. The notches you mention - I doubt that's for a special tool, far too complicated for the design. It's cheap and cheerful. You want quality mate, you've got to spend a bit more on the hardware! My XDCAM finder - but then again that cost almost as much as the whole HM100.

.02,

Cotty

Thanks.

The only reason I care is because the camera was advertised as "mint."

Scratches = not mint.

The seller is trying to find me a part.

I too had a scratched eyepiece. The eyepiece is very succeptable to scratching because of the design.

I have my HM100 in the shop now at JVC in Southern California, and I asked them about the eyepiece, which they have ordered for me, and if it's a user replaceable part since it's back ordered. Because I'm having other work done they offered to throw it in, so I don't know how much it costs, but I think it's minimal.

They said the scratched part is a thin, self-adhesive piece of clear plastic and the way to replace it is to take off the rubber hood, then use a sharp object like a pen knife to create a separation between the real lens and the protection piece. It apparently will peel off and the adhesive stays on the replacement part.

Then just peel and stick the new part on. Call your local JVC service center to get more details. Or maybe just leave it off, if the part below is glass then maybe it's more durable than the plastic piece? I'll consider it when the time comes.

Thanks, Keith!
 

I got the plastic eyepiece from the dealer with a blowup diagram of the assembly, which showed me exactly what you said. It's just glued onto the outside. Good news actually. Easy to replace.

In the meantime, I discovered that silver polish works very well for taking scratches out of plastic, so I haven't actually replaced the eyepiece yet.

Thanks much for your answer.