Couldn't the Mirror be removed?
 

Couldn't the Mirror be removed for those who will only shoot video and then use the viewfinder?

Just a thought...

why would anyone want to do this?

Well if it was doable then you would see thru the lens for focus and viewing while shooting...

The mirror makes it possible to see through the optical viewfinder. Admittedly, for the video shooter that's not that useful, but still, I can't see there being any gain in removing it, and it would actually completely disable a function (the optical viewfinder) that you can sometimes find useful.

The mirror can be removed, Philip Bloom has been testing a 7D from hotrodcameras.com that has no mirror an a custom made PL mount, it's expensive!

The optical VF works extremely well for getting manual focus. I could see the value.

half-silvered mirror
 

How about replacing the mirror with a half-silvered one, also know as a beam splitter.

You would lose a stop but that would be fine in a lot of circumstances. You can then use the built-in optical view-finder system.

Guustaaf

Wouldn't removing the mirror let in extraneous light from the viewfinder itself? I could imagine some kind of flare or light-metering problem rising from this.

On the Hotrodcamera version the viewfinder is blocked off.

Modified 7D-PL mount camera | Philip Bloom

I don't see the gain either.

The camera still needs to be in movie mode to film and the mirror gets put up for movie mode.

So by removing the mirror, I don't see how this helps movie mode.

Please inform if I am missing something.

This makes some sense to me.

The servo drive that pulls the mirror up during video will have to be disabled but then what about stills? You would have to deal with the mirror being down for stills too. Ideally the mirror drive could be manually enabled/disable. All this would require modding the camera (possibly drilling holes to feed switch wires) so it would be a project not for the faint of heart.

Also any imperfections/dust on the beamsplitter mirror now will be part of the video. Not sure how big of an impact that would be. I guess the quality of the beam splitter would directly impact this.

I would love to see someone do this. I, however, cannot fathom the idea of experimenting on these cameras from a financial viewpoint.

I have thought about removing the mirror in the past, yes its doable.

Why would you want to?
1. so it doesnt flip up and down (some people find that annoying).
2. longer lenses (protrudes out more) / shorter back focus distance (closer to the sensor)
ie, minolta lens, cinema lens....

Disclaimer: I am not a canon technician, this is also free advice, blah blah blah, do it at your own risk, your damage, your fault...

Also, if im not mistake, you can mod the mirror so taht it doesnt flip up or down anymore. Just remove the 'hinge' part from the thingy that flips it up/down. That way its free, all you would have to do is tape it to the 'ceiling'.

note: if you remove the mirror, make sure you tape up your viewfinder, so light doesnt bounce into the interior.

PL mount.
 

7D-PL Deluxe Kit (Mod) | Hot Rod Cameras

Best,

Ken

It's important information about removing the mirror because when I did a motorcycle mount the other day, the 7d would stop recording when the vibration kicked in...could have been the mirror flopping back down, or possibly the battery rattling off the contacts...removing the mirror would eliminate one of those issues.
Ken