A DIY external LCD bracket for my HC-7

[drbill]

After planning to do it for months and months, I finally took advantage of the fact our dive boat isn't going out much this month to adapt a stainless steel bracket I found to mount my JVC external LCD monitor (LTV18U) to the camera tray inside my Top Dawg housing so I could use the monitor more effectively to film.

Prior to this I had used foam inserts to position the LCD under the viewfinder of the HC-7, but this was not always a stable configuration. Now the LCD is mounted securely in place and will not shift even if a rogue wave tosses me about!

I took the camera out yesterday to film in the dive park to test this bracket. The bracket worked fine. However, because it blocks me from looking through the HC-7's viewfinder AND the external LCD (connected via the RCA out from the HC-7) does not display the red record light or any other information from the camera, I discovered an unfortunate weakness in my otherwise brilliant solution...

The surge tossed me around in the shallows and I must have failed to stop recording at some point. Not being able to see the record status in the LCD, I wasn't aware of the problem to correct it. Having put the camcorder record/off switch out of synch, the rest of my footage was taken as I was moving from subject to subject rather than of the subject. But there's always a silver lining in every cloud... I had very little footage to edit last night!

So, it is back to the drawing board to find a way to mount the LCD below the viewfinder so I can look through it and see the record and the focus status (it occasionally goes into manual focus).

Does anyone know how to get the HC-7 to output the red record indicator through an external LCD? I tried reading the manual last night, but didn't see a mention of this.

 

[diversteve]

I may be wrong about this, but I thought the record signal is only carried on a Component connection. I know that's how Amphibico displays it on their external monitor - it uses a 5 pin component connection.

Can you see the record light through your front port? You can always edit yourself out later...lol. Not much help with the focus switch though.

 

[paulpost]

After planning to do it for months and months, I finally took advantage of the fact our dive boat isn't going out much this month to adapt a stainless steel bracket I found to mount my JVC external LCD monitor (LTV18U) to the camera tray inside my Top Dawg housing so I could use the monitor more effectively to film.

Prior to this I had used foam inserts to position the LCD under the viewfinder of the HC-7, but this was not always a stable configuration. Now the LCD is mounted securely in place and will not shift even if a rogue wave tosses me about!

I took the camera out yesterday to film in the dive park to test this bracket. The bracket worked fine. However, because it blocks me from looking through the HC-7's viewfinder AND the external LCD (connected via the RCA out from the HC-7) does not display the red record light or any other information from the camera, I discovered an unfortunate weakness in my otherwise brilliant solution...

The surge tossed me around in the shallows and I must have failed to stop recording at some point. Not being able to see the record status in the LCD, I wasn't aware of the problem to correct it. Having put the camcorder record/off switch out of synch, the rest of my footage was taken as I was moving from subject to subject rather than of the subject. But there's always a silver lining in every cloud... I had very little footage to edit last night!

So, it is back to the drawing board to find a way to mount the LCD below the viewfinder so I can look through it and see the record and the focus status (it occasionally goes into manual focus).

Does anyone know how to get the HC-7 to output the red record indicator through an external LCD? I tried reading the manual last night, but didn't see a mention of this.

Hi Dr. Bill,
I like your set-up and I was thinking to do the same.
You say you use an RCA cable to connect to the LCD screen, where did you get it?
Is the one that is on Top Dog website under accessories ?
Thank you
Paul

 

[crpntr133]

On my HC-1000 there is a way to display record, zoom and battery. Doubt that it will be the same but here is where it is stashed. P-menu,standard set, display. When you touch "display" it will give you the option of LCD or V-out panel. V-out panel will give it to you.
Unless there is something special inline on the Top Dawg cable any RCA cable should work. Noticed that theirs has a 90 on it but that can still be had at just about any electrical store that carries stereo equipment..Radio Shack or such.

Edited: Now that I got thinking about it I think sjspeck is right. Even though mine has the RCA end it comes through what TD calls an HC monitor cable. It is on their accessories page second from the bottom. On the HC-1000 that is what they also use to view video via a television. It has the funky Sony end and 5(?) RCA ends on the other.