Join my quest for a better viewfinder/lcd
 

So I have been bugging Canon lately about coming out with a better viewfinder/lcd for the XL-H1. Ideally, they should match or exceed the one that Sony has implemented on the EX 1. Just having a better LCD makes a world of difference in the shooting experience.

Reply if you would buy one if they will make it. I'll stick it to 'em :)

I would buy one.

I suppose it would also help if you could list any specific features/improvements you would want.

You're passing on the FU-1000 pesumably because it's black and white?

I would buy one, colour or B/W as long as I can judge focus.

The FU-1000 is a high(er) rez ENG black and white viewfinder. Much sharper than the LCD. It's a CRT too. I use it on my XL2, and my partner in Houston uses it on his XLH-1. That's what the second viewfinder port on the camera body is for.

You can't judge color of course, and it's not optimum for 'stand off' viewing either, if that's your need. But it IS good enough to focus hi-def work.

What is the price for that viewfinder where you are?
In Norway it´s very expensive (as most everything).
Does it drain a lot of battery power?
Happy new year

I would definitly buy one. I feel that the color VF is really the only weak link
in what is otherwise, still a very strong HD camera. Buy the way, color is a must for white balance, as well well as judging the use of custom presets.

I own a FU-1000 and am not totally delighted with it. When I was shooting betacam sp with an Ikegami HL-V55...that was the same viewfinder on that camera. IT WAS GREAT ! But it's not for HD. Far from it.

I prefer a B/W viewfinder for many reasons...overall exposure...gray levels...etc. Color is wonderful for checking color balance...and that's it.

Bottom line...I don't think Canon will make or release another viewfinder for the H1. I think the H1 is at it's end of production...(just my opinion) and with Sony's EX...and file based camcorders....they won't spend R&D dollars on a camera who's life expectance is maybe another year or so.

NOW...for us that own it....I still love it....and the new Convergent Design Flash drive will REVOLUTIONIZE the workflow of the H1...especially for us who shoot 24F.....but that's for another topic !

I would buy it, no doubt. Especially if it was in color.

Hi Michel,
I would also buy one if it has much better resolution than the previous one. I prefer if it is color and not of the high power consumption CRT-type.

The current viewfinder is poor, so, yes I would get another one if it was significantly better and preferably in colour.

Yes...
 

As long as it was colour with the option of b&w.
Would have been easier to put up a poll for this?
Dave

Well the beauty of the XL series is that these accessories are interchangeable (for the most part) between different XL cameras. I would only assume the creation of a new viewfinder/LCD would be no different. It's not like it would specifically be for just the XL-H1. Just like the FU-1000 (which works with every single XL camera so far).

Now the Convergent Design Flash Drive will only add years to the lifespan of this camera, which still has many many years left in it now. It will dramatically improve the qaulity of your footage ... I can't wait to get one for my XL-H1.

I for one would love to have a mini waveform monitor display on the LCD. Or at least a histogram, like what the Sony cameras have.

Also with using aspect marker guides like 2:35.1, to have the marked off areas slightly dimmed.

Had we started a poll back when the XL H1 was first received, yes. It's probably too late now -- most likely whatever Canon has intended to upgrade or replace on the XL H1 has already been set in stone by this time (I have no firm information about this; just a well-educated guess).

Ironically I came to this thread as I am considering an FU-1000 as I have a critical shoot coming up and the h1 default viewfinder scares the crap out of me as it is blurry and lags significantly in the cold. Can anyone verify if the FU-1000 suffers from the same slurr effect in the cold? Or is that an LCD specific issue?

Thanks,
Marty

FU-1000 is a CRT. Not affected by cold as far as I know, but I've only worked with it down to around freezing, in the snow in Tahoe, on my XL2.

Marty

I know one UK dealer (Creative Video) has the FU-1000 down as (a) not suitable for the H1 (b) discontinued.

I believe the unsuitable tag comes about because a significant minority of users were having a problem with fuses blowing. However I have not researched this myself.

The discontinued tag makes me wonder if something better is going to appear?

I would buy ANY improved viewfinder for the H1. Our choice right now is to either take the weight and time to setup our Panasonic BTW1700 LCD or leave it behind and risk the viewfinder(s) that came with the H1.

And YES - just learned of the Convergent Flash Drive yesterday on this site -WHOA!!! just what we've all been waiting for - will make the H1 and XHG1 monster compact HD cams.

The FU-1000 has not been 'discontinued' in terms of manufacturing, there WERE some issues with blown fuses in both the XL2 and XLH-1, and the XLH-1 WAS designed to accept it, that's why the second monitor port is built into the camera. As I stated, my partner in Houston shoots with his XLH-1 and the FU-1000 and uses a Mini-35 as well.

It's NOT a 'hi-def' viewfinder, it IS 'higer rez' than the stock color LCD. Make your decision accordingly.

I just learned about the device my self the other day. It will be a killer combination. Like Michael said, it will add a few years of life to the H1. It´s not cheap, but no more than buying a new camera.

Back to topic; I´m tempted to get a HD 7inch monitor, but for most of the shooting I do with the XL-H1 it´s not very practical and the f-1000 seems to expensive for what it is

At this point in the game, the FU-1000 is the only other 'shoulder mount' evf available for the H1, and it's higher resolution than the LCD. That's it. That's all she wrote. Sometimes they come up on Ebay, but they're rarely disconted much, because they are worth what they are priced at. See if you can borrow/rent one and give it a try before you discount it on price alone.

The FU-1000 does not strobe in cold. I used it today in 10degree Fahrenheit conditions.

It is sufficiently sharp to focus HD with peaking turned on. The peaking is superior to the stock viewfinder in that it can be adjusted and is not as severe and obnoxious looking as the peaking in the color finder. I use it at the minimum setting.

The downside is that it gives one the impression that they are looking at the world through a small hole and of course there is no color. The color finder appears as though one is looking through a wide picture window by comparison.