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a kind of silly idea maybe...

dadicrunch

Active Member
Good evening to all of you who may read me,

What you're about to read may appear to be words of a mad man of simply non-sense... but is it really ? you'll be judge...

I put on my profile some details about my photography history, and as you could have seen I had much much more experience with film medium format and specially ones with a waistlevel finder... that always made me more comfortable to compose my photo than on a classical slr viewfinder such as the one of the SD14... composition that I make after in a post processing way...

Then talking of waistlevel finder, one idea came to my mind yesterday while looking at the DP2 website of Sigma on which I saw that the X3foveon sensor appear to be on a daughterboard connected to the dp2 mother (main)board... and then tried to figure how I could fit all dp2 (but surely more a DP1 due to price fall) organs in a kind of Salyut or Hasselblad case fashion, in order to reobtain the feeling I had with my previous cameras...

For example bringing the expansion slot, AV/Usb component to the Hassy Back (I say hasselblad in order to make you figure out the shape...) with the battery too, putting the lcd up such as the viewfinder glass of those kind of cameras...

And now my doubts... was I clear while trying to explain it ?, Does this seem possible ? what will you think about it ?

I do not intend to abandon my sd14, I just intend to know if it is possible to make one other choice I'll be able to make when I will go shooting...

Thanks for the time spent on reading me...

Best Regards to all

Pedro
 
I carry a right-angle viewfinder for my SD14 in my bag. I suppose that's a poor-man's way of getting that Hasselblad feeling.

Jesse
 
Hi

I agree with Jesse. The right-angle viewfinderwill be your best option to get the same kind of picture-taking attitude. And the people will notify less thta they are photographed. But f course the viewfinder is tiny compared to a 6x6 camera...

Best wishes
 
thanks dears for having answered

and yes I have thought of many kind of solutions like right-angle viewfinders, lcd screens attached to the viewfinder enabling a kind of live shot... but Dirk you've said well that all these ways will result in a tiny viewfinder compared to 6x6...

Well I don't aim remaking a 6x6 with a dp1 but maybe trying to give the best of one world to the other... In my humble opinion putting aside the waistlevel finding and ergonomy of 6x6, well I love the idea of the bright big viewfinder... why ? for the same reason that in Art courses the teacher wants us to take distance from the model... the big viewfinder (here will be the lcd for example) by being not attached to our eye but having a distance between both, will be more suited I think for composing the picture...

I don't know what you guys think ? for the moment that was just a modification Idea, I do not plan for the moment to do it nor buy one as soon as possible... just thinking about it and trying to get infos to know if such a mod is possible...

Thanks one more time for having answered Jesse and Dirk and for having read me

Sincere regards

Pedro
 
Pedro,

The Mod is possible...having pulled apart the back panel...yes you can do it...but you would have to find someone that could mold you a part...and someone that could design the paper thin connections to make it work....

I don't think it would be feasible...monetarily....it would probably cost you the same amount of money or more than a new SD14.....

I would maybe see if someone could create an attachment prism type devise using mirrors and glass to achieve the same thing.....

In the picture below you can see the lcd board and connections at the top of the picture the LCD is incased in a metal shell...

View attachment 1808

the plastic back can be adapted fairly easily to do this...the problem you have if you did this is creating a sealed compartment behind the LCD so that dust and debre did not get inside the unit......

I hope this helps....(this would be a cool mod...!!)

Good Luck....

Tony C.
 

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Hi

Hi

I have worked with Hasselbald and other MF systems a lot. It's hard to beat the feeling of composing on the large focus screen....
1.7 crop factor gives a shockingly small viewfinder picture.

I think that takeing any of the cameras apart for doing this is hardly worth it. I would suggest you got one of the electronic solutions where you attach a "camera" to the viewfinder, and get a LCD you can handhold or do what you want with. This one you build into a holder, Hassy viewfinder type, with foldable side walls and everything. A hotshoe adapter on the underside, and you are set.

kind regards
Øyvind


thanks dears for having answered

and yes I have thought of many kind of solutions like right-angle viewfinders, lcd screens attached to the viewfinder enabling a kind of live shot... but Dirk you've said well that all these ways will result in a tiny viewfinder compared to 6x6...

Well I don't aim remaking a 6x6 with a dp1 but maybe trying to give the best of one world to the other... In my humble opinion putting aside the waistlevel finding and ergonomy of 6x6, well I love the idea of the bright big viewfinder... why ? for the same reason that in Art courses the teacher wants us to take distance from the model... the big viewfinder (here will be the lcd for example) by being not attached to our eye but having a distance between both, will be more suited I think for composing the picture...

I don't know what you guys think ? for the moment that was just a modification Idea, I do not plan for the moment to do it nor buy one as soon as possible... just thinking about it and trying to get infos to know if such a mod is possible...

Thanks one more time for having answered Jesse and Dirk and for having read me

Sincere regards

Pedro
 
I carry a right-angle viewfinder for my SD14 in my bag. I suppose that's a poor-man's way of getting that Hasselblad feeling.

Jesse

Hi Jesse,

What make is your right-angled viewfinder?

Anything to save my bad back!

Regards,

iMac
 
Here's the one I use (quoting from the literature):

"The Dot Line DLC Angle Viewfinder-Magnifier (Mfr# DL-0099) attaches to the rear eyepiece of a digital SLR camera, and allows focusing and viewing at a 90° angle. The viewfinder also rotates 180° for various positions, which is especially useful for low angle photography, copy work, macro work, or use on a tripod. The Angle Viewfinder/Magnifier includes a built-in 1.5x/2.5x switchable internal magnifier for critical focusing."

It comes with a couple of templates for fitting to different eyepieces, but I found that it fits the SD14 best without any of the templates. There is a bit of a wobble, but not while I'm actually using it, so I don't find it a problem at all.

The internal magnifier is great for checking focus, but I find that I need to change the diopter on the SD14 when I switch magnifications (is it my thick glasses that cause the problem?).

Great for tripod shooting. Essential for low-angle shooting.

Jesse
 
Dot Line DLC Angle Viewfinder-Magnifier

Hi Jesse,

Many thanks, I will certainly follow this up. Most of my shots are tripod supported, the tripod is my favorite piece of equipment.

The diopter issue not a problem for me as I nearly always take my glasses off when taking shots.

Have fun out there,

Regards,

iMac
 
SD14 Right Angle Viewfinder

Hi Jesse,

Unable to to find the Dot Line here in the UK, so I bought the Seagull 1.0 x / 2.5X Right Angle Viewfinder.

This comes with adapters to fit just about every DSLR, in particular, it has an 18 mm adapter that fits the SD9, SD10 and the SD14 perfectly. One would think that it was made specially for the SD14, the fit is so good.

I'm delighted with it, perfect for Tripod work.

I bought it from ebay, it cost £36.99, post and packing free.

Herewith the link: http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/phoebe-g

Kind regards,

iMac
 
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