My wife and I are packing to leave next week for diving in Fiji. I will be using a new video camera (Sony HDR-HC3) and housing (Ocean Images Dolphin) for the first time on this trip. As I checked out the new gear today, I noticed a problem. My housing has a mirror on the inside that allows me to view the LCD screen on my camcorder. As many of you know, you open the screen, rotate it 180 degrees, then fold the screen back down against the camera with the display facing out. This allows you to see the screen in the mirror. This worked fine with my old Sony DCR-PC100 camcorder and Ikelite housing. However, when I fold the screen back against the new camera, the pictire reverses, i.e., right becomes left and left becomes right. As a result, the image in the mirror is likewise backwards. When I online chatted about this with a Sony rep, they told me this is just the way the camera works. I am not sure they fully understood the issue. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Are the new camcorders really different? (If so, that is a real bummer!) Is there a setting on the camera that reverses the display? Any insights or help will be greatly appreciated!!! By the way, I already posted this same question on scubadiving.com. Sorry for the repitition, but I am anxious to get any response before we leave on our trip.
HELP!!! - Reversed/Backwards Display on LCD Screen - Sony HDR-HC3
- Thread starter flip69
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I think you're out of luck. I just went through all the menus on my HC1 and couldn't find a way to reverse it. Ikelite does it with electronics on their Sony line.
Can you buy the add-on monitor from O/I before you go?
Can you buy the add-on monitor from O/I before you go?
robint
Contributor
Ikelite housings have a "reverse circuitry" system to reverse the picture back to normal. It plugs in through the LANC on the camcorder. Does your housing have that? If not, you are stuck. Sorry....
Thank you for the replies. Connecting the housing to the LANC on the camcorder does not correct the image. So, the housing does not appear to have inverting circuitry. I have e-mailed Ocean Images to make sure, and to see if they have any insights. Yes, I could probably get hold of an add-on monitor before we leave. The only problem is I'M CHEAP! 
I have a feeling that, at least for this trip, I will be working on my inverted recording skills. Any additional insights will be greatly appreciated.
I have a feeling that, at least for this trip, I will be working on my inverted recording skills. Any additional insights will be greatly appreciated.
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Since O/I makes an HC3 specific housing that allows you view the monitor opened 90', my guess is that they don't have any way to reverse the screen.
Might look for a cheap small LCD monitor on eBay if you've any room in the back. It could be component or composite, you likely have an output cable for either. Pustom was one mfr. I've seen.
Might look for a cheap small LCD monitor on eBay if you've any room in the back. It could be component or composite, you likely have an output cable for either. Pustom was one mfr. I've seen.
Thanks for the suggestion. I do have to say that it ticks me off that Sony apparently changed this aspect of its camcorders. As I said in my original post, I never had an issue with my old DCRPC100. There were no electronics in the Ikelite housing I used, so the image was not being corrected by circuitry. Sony apparently did not consider scuba divers when it designed its new camcorders!
robint
Contributor
Wrong! It has nothing to do with the Sony camcorder.... all the Ikelite housings have the reverse circuitry to flip the image back and it works for the HC-3 as well as all the other HD camcorders by Sony. All the Sony's and only Sony camcorders have the LANC where things like reversing the image can be accessed. Canon doesn't do it, JVC doesn't do it, nobody else does it...That is why all the electronic housings on the market ONLY use Sony camcorders so they can access the camera functions inside.
The problem is that your new housing doesn't have the reverse circuitry and doesn't access that function on the Sony.
Not to belabor this point, but I do think my old Sony camcorder was different. The DCRPC100 and Ikelite housing I am talking about would be 6 to 8 years old by now. There was no LANC connection in the housing, no electronics or circuitry, nothing to plug in, just a mirror on a post. The camcorder displayed a mirror image even when the screen was facing out and folded back against the camera body. So, the mirror in the housing worked fine without any corrective circuitry in the housing. On my new HDR-HC3, the screen shows a mirror image when it is folded out and rotated so it is facing the front of the camera. However, when you fold the screen back against the camera, the image switches to a normal (i.e., not mirrored) view. Again, I wish Sony had not changed this aspect of the newer camcorders, or at least would have included a setting that allowed the user to switch between the mirrored and normal view.
TheBigPhillyFish
Guest
What exact model housing do you have? The Ocean Images HC-3 housing I looked at is a box type. The Dolphin Pro housing is a tube style.
If you have the HC-3 housing you shouldn't even need the mirror, the screen open to a 90 degree angle so it can be viewed from the rear. Oh I see, you got the housing that was intended for the TRV camera's. You got the wrong housing buddy. I would see if you can exchange before your trip. The Dolphin Pro Mini Digital TRV housing is probably the one you have which is here:
the housing you should have probably bought was this:
Now if you got the Dolphin Pro, you can get an add on monitor for the back of the housing. But I am strongly thinking you have the mini trv housing.
This maybe a long shot but try giving Ikelite a call and see if the reverse circuitry is maybe just a plug-in type of thing, and see if they will sell it to you. I am not sure what it looks like, if its something you simply just plug into the camera, or if its built into the housing. Or if you just bought the housing, exchange it for the proper HC-3 housing.
I know its probably not to much help, but maybe worth a try. Good Luck!
