Color LCD viewfinder

Adrian Douglas · October 26th, 2002, 01:29 AM

There are two ways to do this. The "I have no idea/My camera is still under warantee" way or the "I'm good with the tools/My warantee has expired" way.

It first way is to get a rubber washer and make a cut in it. Split the washer and wrap it around the spindle/EVF mounting bolt.

The second way is to remove the EVF slide bracket and then the four screws that are in the end of the mounting bolt. Remove the mounting bolt being careful not to lose the locating pin and spring. Slip the washer opver the end of the bolt and put the whole thing back together.

Mine is done the second way and it works so much better than the after-thought piece of rubber that Canon used.

(USA clause)
If you decide on the second way, please take care, as I am not responsible for any ham-fisted operators or damage you may cause.
(/USA clause)

Josh Bass · January 9th, 2003, 12:36 AM

I was wondering if anyone out there has adjusted their viewfinder brightness (color viewfinder, that is) on the XL1s, by themselves. Bad idea? Called Canon awhile back about this, and they said it's not really something you're supposed to do at home.

Ken Tanaka · January 9th, 2003, 01:01 AM

Probably a bad idea, Josh. In the case of the b&w viewfinder basic calibration to SMPTE bars is fairly essential to ensure that you're getting proper contrasts, etc. But in the case of the color LCD, tinkering with the brightness may be asking for self-deception when judging shot exposures.

Josh Bass · January 9th, 2003, 01:07 AM

I judge exposure by Zebra bars. The reason I want to tinker is because I've noticed that when viewing through a monitor or even a TV, the picture onscreen always looks a tad brighter than the color LCD. Also, in darker situations, it might help a bit. I'm more worried about screwing up my camera than screwing up my judgment. Hah hahah.

Rob Lohman · January 9th, 2003, 09:57 AM

I agree with Josh, the viewfinder is a lot darker then the signal
it is actually recording! Thats one of the reason I'm going to
look into a professional (small) broadcast monitor to accompany
me.

Josh Bass · January 9th, 2003, 12:32 PM

So I am I risking great damage by tinkering with it? It doesn't seem that hard. . .but a while ago killed a Game Boy by screwing around with it.

Ken Tanaka · January 9th, 2003, 01:23 PM

Great damage. Naw...nothing a few hundred dollars can't fix. Would it make you feel better if one of us tried it first?

Josh Bass · January 9th, 2003, 01:55 PM

Darn tootin'! Of course, I did that thing where you attach a rubber grommet behind the wheel that adjusts the viewfinder position, and that worked out fine.

Rik Sanchez · January 9th, 2003, 11:07 PM

I did that when I first got my XL-1. I shot a Butoh dance performance, the woman was painted all white, and in the viewfinder I had a nice contrast on her skin, but when I got home, it looked a little overexposed on the TV. So I thought it might be a too bright viewfinder.

I set up a video mixer and put some color bars on the tv, got the tv sort of balanced and looking good, then I turned on all the light in my living room, ran the living room footage on the tv while in camera mode, then I turned the screw for the brightness until the viewfinder and tv looked about the same. I didn't use studio lighting or a pro monitor, I should have done that. If you put a small mark with a colored marker to mark the position of the orginal setting of the screw, you can then turn it back to where it was, plus you need a reference point since the brightness adjustment screw isn't marked, I forgot which way is brighter or darker.

I've had my camera serviced a couple of times, don't know if they have adjusted the brightness to factory specs, I'm guessing they haven't because my footage is still coming out great.

My friend's xl-1s footage is running a little over exposed so we'll have to adjust his viewfinder as well, we did a two camera shoot of a fashion show and my footage came out well exposed but his came out a little over exposed, although in his viewfinder, he said it looked perfect.

If Canon doesn't want us to adjust the viewfinder ourselves, then they shouldn't have put the control for it out in the open like that. Adjusting it was a pretty simple decision for me, I don't do super critical work that has to be within broadcast specs, and if I did happen to screw up the camera, it's just a 15 min walk to the Canon service center and I can drop off the camera and get it put back together in a couple of days.

But in the end, if you don't feel comfortable adjusting it, then don't do it, you can figure out how much it needs to be adjusted for and then just underexpose all your shots by half a stop or whatever setting you come up with. And having an external monitor will solve all your problems.

Josh Bass · January 10th, 2003, 01:18 AM

Thanks. Like I said, I judge exposure with zebra bars. I make my image as bright (according to the bars) as possible without blowing out too much of it. A hot spot in the hair maybe okay, one that covers half a face, nah ah.

Jim Ferguson · January 10th, 2003, 01:53 AM

I did it too. I'm getting ready to shoot at night, so I set up lights and played around. I had a nice dark, low key, night scene in my viewfinder and on my tv it came out very bright (more like day). . . I turned the brightness all the way up. It helped, but it's still darker in the viewfinder. My solution: separate monitor.

Josh Bass · January 10th, 2003, 02:01 AM

Hey, wish I could get a monitor! I will likely soon be shooting a lot of spur of the moment stuff in darkly lit areas, where I'll be moving around with the camera. Having a monitor in these situations is not possible.

Rob Lohman · January 11th, 2003, 03:54 PM

Or you should put the monitor inside a thing/place that can be
closed or around the corner or something through a cable.
Ofcourse that might need you to walk around, or get a camera
operator or video observer person....

Josh Bass · January 12th, 2003, 12:35 AM

Took the plunge and adjusted the viewfinder brightness myself. No problems. . .picture is brighter. I didn't turn it very far, as I didn't want to push my luck. Also did not realize ahead of time that increasing brightness decreases contrast. Have I done myself more harm than good? Perhaps.

Don Palomaki · January 12th, 2003, 08:56 PM

So Brightness = Brightmess.

FWIW: there are three additional internal adjustiments on the EVF; i.e., R-Brightness, B-Brightness and Contrast.

October 26th, 2002, 01:29 AM	#61
Adrian Douglas Trustee Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Chigasaki, Japan. Posts: 1,660	There are two ways to do this. The "I have no idea/My camera is still under warantee" way or the "I'm good with the tools/My warantee has expired" way. It first way is to get a rubber washer and make a cut in it. Split the washer and wrap it around the spindle/EVF mounting bolt. The second way is to remove the EVF slide bracket and then the four screws that are in the end of the mounting bolt. Remove the mounting bolt being careful not to lose the locating pin and spring. Slip the washer opver the end of the bolt and put the whole thing back together. Mine is done the second way and it works so much better than the after-thought piece of rubber that Canon used. (USA clause) If you decide on the second way, please take care, as I am not responsible for any ham-fisted operators or damage you may cause. (/USA clause) __________________ Adrian DVInfo.net Search for quick answers Where to buy? From the best in the business...DVInfo.net sponsors

January 9th, 2003, 12:36 AM	#62
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Okay to adjust viewfinder brightness? I was wondering if anyone out there has adjusted their viewfinder brightness (color viewfinder, that is) on the XL1s, by themselves. Bad idea? Called Canon awhile back about this, and they said it's not really something you're supposed to do at home. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 9th, 2003, 01:01 AM	#63
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	Probably a bad idea, Josh. In the case of the b&w viewfinder basic calibration to SMPTE bars is fairly essential to ensure that you're getting proper contrasts, etc. But in the case of the color LCD, tinkering with the brightness may be asking for self-deception when judging shot exposures. __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

January 9th, 2003, 01:07 AM	#64
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	I judge exposure by Zebra bars. The reason I want to tinker is because I've noticed that when viewing through a monitor or even a TV, the picture onscreen always looks a tad brighter than the color LCD. Also, in darker situations, it might help a bit. I'm more worried about screwing up my camera than screwing up my judgment. Hah hahah. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 9th, 2003, 09:57 AM	#65
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	I agree with Josh, the viewfinder is a lot darker then the signal it is actually recording! Thats one of the reason I'm going to look into a professional (small) broadcast monitor to accompany me. __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

January 9th, 2003, 12:32 PM	#66
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	So I am I risking great damage by tinkering with it? It doesn't seem that hard. . .but a while ago killed a Game Boy by screwing around with it. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 9th, 2003, 01:23 PM	#67
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	Great damage. Naw...nothing a few hundred dollars can't fix. Would it make you feel better if one of us tried it first? __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

January 9th, 2003, 01:55 PM	#68
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Darn tootin'! Of course, I did that thing where you attach a rubber grommet behind the wheel that adjusts the viewfinder position, and that worked out fine. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 9th, 2003, 11:07 PM	#69
Rik Sanchez ChorizoSmells Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Osaka, Japan Posts: 424	I did that when I first got my XL-1. I shot a Butoh dance performance, the woman was painted all white, and in the viewfinder I had a nice contrast on her skin, but when I got home, it looked a little overexposed on the TV. So I thought it might be a too bright viewfinder. I set up a video mixer and put some color bars on the tv, got the tv sort of balanced and looking good, then I turned on all the light in my living room, ran the living room footage on the tv while in camera mode, then I turned the screw for the brightness until the viewfinder and tv looked about the same. I didn't use studio lighting or a pro monitor, I should have done that. If you put a small mark with a colored marker to mark the position of the orginal setting of the screw, you can then turn it back to where it was, plus you need a reference point since the brightness adjustment screw isn't marked, I forgot which way is brighter or darker. I've had my camera serviced a couple of times, don't know if they have adjusted the brightness to factory specs, I'm guessing they haven't because my footage is still coming out great. My friend's xl-1s footage is running a little over exposed so we'll have to adjust his viewfinder as well, we did a two camera shoot of a fashion show and my footage came out well exposed but his came out a little over exposed, although in his viewfinder, he said it looked perfect. If Canon doesn't want us to adjust the viewfinder ourselves, then they shouldn't have put the control for it out in the open like that. Adjusting it was a pretty simple decision for me, I don't do super critical work that has to be within broadcast specs, and if I did happen to screw up the camera, it's just a 15 min walk to the Canon service center and I can drop off the camera and get it put back together in a couple of days. But in the end, if you don't feel comfortable adjusting it, then don't do it, you can figure out how much it needs to be adjusted for and then just underexpose all your shots by half a stop or whatever setting you come up with. And having an external monitor will solve all your problems. __________________ ChorizoSmells Video Barrio Tamatsukuri, Osaka, JAPAN

January 10th, 2003, 01:18 AM	#70
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Thanks. Like I said, I judge exposure with zebra bars. I make my image as bright (according to the bars) as possible without blowing out too much of it. A hot spot in the hair maybe okay, one that covers half a face, nah ah. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 10th, 2003, 01:53 AM	#71
Jim Ferguson Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: New Orleans, Louisiana Posts: 28	I did it too. I'm getting ready to shoot at night, so I set up lights and played around. I had a nice dark, low key, night scene in my viewfinder and on my tv it came out very bright (more like day). . . I turned the brightness all the way up. It helped, but it's still darker in the viewfinder. My solution: separate monitor.

January 10th, 2003, 02:01 AM	#72
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Hey, wish I could get a monitor! I will likely soon be shooting a lot of spur of the moment stuff in darkly lit areas, where I'll be moving around with the camera. Having a monitor in these situations is not possible. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 11th, 2003, 03:54 PM	#73
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	Or you should put the monitor inside a thing/place that can be closed or around the corner or something through a cable. Ofcourse that might need you to walk around, or get a camera operator or video observer person.... __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

January 12th, 2003, 12:35 AM	#74
Josh Bass Slash Rules! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 5,472	Took the plunge and adjusted the viewfinder brightness myself. No problems. . .picture is brighter. I didn't turn it very far, as I didn't want to push my luck. Also did not realize ahead of time that increasing brightness decreases contrast. Have I done myself more harm than good? Perhaps. __________________ The Bass' camerawork The Bass on IMDB

January 12th, 2003, 08:56 PM	#75
Don Palomaki Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Northern VA Posts: 4,487	So Brightness = Brightmess. FWIW: there are three additional internal adjustiments on the EVF; i.e., R-Brightness, B-Brightness and Contrast.