video housing LCD screen- sloped for better viewing?

[np251]

Hi everyone

I am in the design stage for building a clear perspex housing for a sony dv camcorder. I intend on connecting a casio LCD tv via the A/V input, situated at the back of the housing

I have seen various commercial LCD backed housings, but feel they seem a little limited. Surely the most comfortable viewing angle would be attained if the screen was angled at about 45 degrees- negating the need to have the camera directly in front of you to view.

I assume that, if it hasnt been done, there is a sound reason why not. Is a sloping back on a housing intrinsicaly weaker than the normal 90 degree straight variety?

i dont want to be making a sloping back model if i have missed some fundemental point in maintaining structural integrity and strength

Cheers for any input

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

I've been wondering about that myself...

 

[diversteve]

Hi everyone

I am in the design stage for building a clear perspex housing for a sony dv camcorder. I intend on connecting a casio LCD tv via the A/V input, situated at the back of the housing

I have seen various commercial LCD backed housings, but feel they seem a little limited. Surely the most comfortable viewing angle would be attained if the screen was angled at about 45 degrees- negating the need to have the camera directly in front of you to view.

I assume that, if it hasnt been done, there is a sound reason why not. Is a sloping back on a housing intrinsicaly weaker than the normal 90 degree straight variety?

i dont want to be making a sloping back model if i have missed some fundemental point in maintaining structural integrity and strength

Cheers for any input

I don't have a definitive answer but my observations:

It's probably easier to integrate a monitor into an already existing flat backplate than to re-design one with a 45' angle. Less tooling and material costs.

I wonder if part of the concern is also keeping the overall length of the housing as short as possible for ease of use and transport.

What if it has something to do with the way you're taught to point a camera? Having the LCD at 45' off the plane of the camera might cause people to point the front of the camera 45' up so that the viewfinder is perpendicular to their plane of vision. I have a friend who didn't know that the LCD monitor on his camcorder swiveled until I showed him one day. Seems to me that ergonomically your idea is better though.

I did recently notice that Gates now sells an external monitor that mounts at an adjustable angle on top of their housings. I've thought of doing something similar myself using either the Casio TV or the Citizen 329 monitor, it seems like this would allow for good viewing while holding the camera lower and to the front while filming. My buddy films like this the whole dive, he never looks through the viewfinder - sometimes with mixed results.

What's interesting is that the O/I housings which allow you to use the side-mounted LCD, still position it at 90'. I wonder if they know something we don't.

What about glare? I've noticed that some mfr's provide a glare hood as an option. Possibly having the LCD at 45' to the surface will worsen the problem.

I can't see any reason your idea wouldn't work...What might be good is to design it so that the extra space under the monitor could hold a long-life battery. Otherwise it will be air space you'll have to compensate for with more weight.

I don't think it's a strength issue, as long as the mating surface of your housing is flat and vertical, whether or not there's an extension for the LCD should be immaterial. But I'm not an expert.

Let us know how it works out,

Steve

 

[np251]

Hi there

Thanks for the replies.

Had a look at the Gates 'add on' lcd monitor- hinged at the top in its own little perspex box and can be angle 0-90 degrees... might copy that. MAchining the housing with a 45 degree end was going to be difficult with hand tools.

I hadnt really thought of using the cameras monitor- but i think the depth of the housing (the screens tend to be way at the front) would annoy me a little. Although, there would be less glare from ambient light- i do remain to be convinced of either strategy.

 

[diversteve]

I hadnt really thought of using the cameras monitor- but i think the depth of the housing (the screens tend to be way at the front) would annoy me a little.

I thought of that as well after posting which is why I edited and removed the question.

I think the glare would be an issue with either the Gates or O/I monitors. My housing doesn't allow using the LCD and I don't have enough depth to add a monitor in back, so I've been toying with options this winter. An interesting difference is that Gates puts the batteries in the monitor housing while O/I puts them in the camera housing - for me the Gates method would be preferable, my housing is tight inside. Also did you notice they're both black, Gates is doing it to match their product line, but I'm guessing O/I did it to reduce glare.

Steve