Sun and viewfinders. at DVinfo.net

Mike Rehmus · May 19th, 2005, 05:58 PM

Well, you know those warnings in the manuals about protecting the viewfinder object lens from the sun?

I had my DSR-300 out on a shoot and in the morning sun. All of a sudden we smelled hot plastic and what seemed to be burning electronics. Turn off the camera, go to a backup PD150.

Next day, same thing. OK, it really is broken.

Send the viewfinder in to Sony expecting that the bill will be arojund $500 to replace the electronics and clean or replace the first-surface mirror.

Nope. $219 to clean up the smoke deposits on the optics and a note to not allow the sun to enter the eyepiece of the viewfinder.

I gotta tell you the time between placing the viewfinder in the sun and smelling and observing smoke inside wasn't very long. And the sun wasn't very 'strong.'

I'm glad the sun wasn't impinging directly on the LCD in the PD150!

Simon Wyndham · May 20th, 2005, 03:09 AM

Yep. I religiously turn the viewfinder on my camera towards the ground whenever I am not looking through it.

Owen Hughes · May 20th, 2005, 06:23 AM

same here, I always tilt mine down...bit less of a problem with the sun in the UK compared to Cali though.

Simon Wyndham · May 20th, 2005, 06:46 AM

Hehe! I wouldn't bank on it. The UK gets a lot more sun than you guys think. Someone I know last year burnt out their DVX100 viewfinder :)

Owen Hughes · May 20th, 2005, 07:04 AM

im from the UK and I know thats a lie

Im looking out of my window now watching rain hammering down!

Was he holding a magnifying glass between the sun and his viewfinder?

Simon Wyndham · May 20th, 2005, 07:51 AM

Nope lol! That's what you get for living in Wales ;-)

Quite sunny here in Malvern. ;-))

Jesse Bekas · May 22nd, 2005, 10:10 AM

Was the lense of the viewfinder acting to focus the sunlight?

May 19th, 2005, 05:58 PM	#1
Mike Rehmus Wrangler Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vallejo, California Posts: 4,049	Sun and viewfinders. Well, you know those warnings in the manuals about protecting the viewfinder object lens from the sun? I had my DSR-300 out on a shoot and in the morning sun. All of a sudden we smelled hot plastic and what seemed to be burning electronics. Turn off the camera, go to a backup PD150. Next day, same thing. OK, it really is broken. Send the viewfinder in to Sony expecting that the bill will be arojund $500 to replace the electronics and clean or replace the first-surface mirror. Nope. $219 to clean up the smoke deposits on the optics and a note to not allow the sun to enter the eyepiece of the viewfinder. I gotta tell you the time between placing the viewfinder in the sun and smelling and observing smoke inside wasn't very long. And the sun wasn't very 'strong.' I'm glad the sun wasn't impinging directly on the LCD in the PD150! __________________ Mike Rehmus Hey, I can see the carrot at the end of the tunnel!

May 20th, 2005, 03:09 AM	#2
Simon Wyndham Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Malvern UK Posts: 1,931	Yep. I religiously turn the viewfinder on my camera towards the ground whenever I am not looking through it.

May 20th, 2005, 06:23 AM	#3
Owen Hughes Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Cwmbran, Wales, UK Posts: 41	same here, I always tilt mine down...bit less of a problem with the sun in the UK compared to Cali though.

May 20th, 2005, 06:46 AM	#4
Simon Wyndham Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Malvern UK Posts: 1,931	Hehe! I wouldn't bank on it. The UK gets a lot more sun than you guys think. Someone I know last year burnt out their DVX100 viewfinder :)

May 20th, 2005, 07:04 AM	#5
Owen Hughes Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Cwmbran, Wales, UK Posts: 41	im from the UK and I know thats a lie Im looking out of my window now watching rain hammering down! Was he holding a magnifying glass between the sun and his viewfinder?

May 20th, 2005, 07:51 AM	#6
Simon Wyndham Trustee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Malvern UK Posts: 1,931	Nope lol! That's what you get for living in Wales ;-) Quite sunny here in Malvern. ;-))

May 22nd, 2005, 10:10 AM	#7
Jesse Bekas Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, USA Posts: 572	Was the lense of the viewfinder acting to focus the sunlight?