[yorik]

Having heard about the problem, I shot in full sunlight for a moment or two yesterday and convinced myself that (a) yes, it could be problematic and (b) solutions exist.

Seeing the screen in bright sunlight was never a big concern of mine. I was more concerned with keeping the camera still while shooting, and I am now fairly confident that I will eventually find a technique that works for me.

[THoog]

There's a video thread that talks to this. Plugging a cable into the HDMI port puts the camera in playback mode so that probably won't work for stills either. Plugging a cable into the AV port doesn't - the camera stays in capture mode - so that video feed could be used for a wearable EVF. I don't know if it still works in 'still' (vs video) mode but I'd be surprised if the camera's response is different.

I know this is a laaaaaate response, but it got me thinking (oh noes!), and I dug out my AV cable, hooked the K-01 up to the composite input on my TV, and used it as an enormous EVF to shoot stills. So yes, it definitely would work with VR eyewear or a mini TFT LCD monitor. The down side: if you thought the ergonomics were bad before, try it with the rubber door flapping and a plug sticking into the heel of your hand.

Having heard about the problem, I shot in full sunlight for a moment or two yesterday and convinced myself that (a) yes, it could be problematic and (b) solutions exist. Seeing the screen in bright sunlight was never a big concern of mine. I was more concerned with keeping the camera still while shooting, and I am now fairly confident that I will eventually find a technique that works for me.

You've got the right approach. You'll do fine! I've shot hundreds of flower pix in bright sunlight using manual focus & focus peaking with nothing more than my left hand for a shade. It just takes a little practice.

[yorik]

I know this is a laaaaaate response, but it got me thinking (oh noes!), and I dug out my AV cable, hooked the K-01 up to the composite input on my TV, and used it as an enormous EVF to shoot stills. So yes, it definitely would work with VR eyewear or a mini TFT LCD monitor. The down side: if you thought the ergonomics were bad before, try it with the rubber door flapping and a plug sticking into the heel of your hand.

There you go Now it's up to Pentax to come up with a suitable connector+eyepiece gizmo... or a Pentax branded dolly for carting a TV around.

Yonatan

[GXRUser]

How about a hack to flip the live view to permit using a diagonal mirror as a waist level finder? That should be easy in firmware, I'd expect.

Why not just use the flipbac?


LCD Protector and Angle Viewfinder for Digital Cameras - NEWS - FLIP OUT MIRROR - FLIPBAC INNOVATIONS

[squareeyes]

Flipbac is OK, but back to the ancient days of reflex viewfinders. If the image on the LCD can be inverted and rotated the flipbac would then show a correct image.

[dtrego]

Initially, I was imagining the hot shoe (I don't use flash very often), but just now I had the thought that with a cabled connection, one could wear the evf..! Cyborg-like.

Well, since you asked...

I happened to get a set of MyVu goggles off the 'bay a couple of years ago for another project that never got off the ground, and this thread made me go look for them. Coupled with an A/V cable from a K10d, it actually worked! Here are a couple of shots: a view through the goggles and one of the whole setup.

There were a few different models of the MyVu goggles - these are the Crystal 701's (mine are black/chrome, but they were also available in black/yellow for those of you with yellow bricks like mine. Had I only known back then... ) It has a 640x480 display for each eye, so the view is better (much sharper) than my photo would indicate, but not as nice as the screen on the K-01 itself. Perfectly usable with the K-01's focus peaking, though.

Each display has it's own driver circuitry and data cable, so from the pendant controller up each side is a completely separate device - Google around and you can find some hacks that actually cut the goggles in half so one eye could have an unobstructed view.

They are, however, *not* inconspicuous. Not by a long shot.

[THoog]

Well, since you asked...

Thanks for playing with it! I'm sure the MyVUs are much better quality than the current crop of ChineseBay video glasses, but I'm sorely tempted by the ones that look like black sunglasses. With only one LCD and some kind of splitter for the eyepieces, they are probably cheap junk, but that just increases the "hackable" allure...

[yorik]

Well, since you asked...

I happened to get a set of MyVu goggles off the 'bay a couple of years ago for another project that never got off the ground, and this thread made me go look for them. Coupled with an A/V cable from a K10d, it actually worked! Here are a couple of shots: a view through the goggles and one of the whole setup.

There were a few different models of the MyVu goggles - these are the Crystal 701's (mine are black/chrome, but they were also available in black/yellow for those of you with yellow bricks like mine. Had I only known back then... ) It has a 640x480 display for each eye, so the view is better (much sharper) than my photo would indicate, but not as nice as the screen on the K-01 itself. Perfectly usable with the K-01's focus peaking, though.

Each display has it's own driver circuitry and data cable, so from the pendant controller up each side is a completely separate device - Google around and you can find some hacks that actually cut the goggles in half so one eye could have an unobstructed view.

They are, however, *not* inconspicuous. Not by a long shot.

Excellent! (Pentax engineers - are you paying attention?)