[jon404]

@clockwork247 -- easy to make a cardboard hood, but treat yourself and get some gaffer tape. It is amazing stuff, you can use it for all sorts of things. Hollywood magic -- it tears precisely, unlike duct tape... and never leaves a sticky residue when removed, VERY unlike duct tape. See ProTapes Pro Gaffer Natural Rubber Premium Matte Adhesive Tape, 11 mils Thick, 55 yds Length, 2" Width, Black (Pack of 1): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

There's a photo of my K-01 using gaffer tape to attach a Hoodman loupe on the first page of this thread. Would work exactly the same for a homemade viewing box. I'd start with cardboard, see how you like it... and if you do, re-make the cardboard box in plastic or folded sheet metal.

Do hoods work? Oh yes. Using manual focus and focus peaking on my 55-300mm lens at 250mm (about 400mm equiv), I can see and follow a faraway aircraft in bright daylight. Try that without a hood! Below, the 250mm original at left, and a 100% crop from it at right, unsharpened/unedited. You can imagine how far away the helicopter actually was. But getting it to come closer is another day's problem!

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Last edited by jon404; 08-02-2013 at 01:04 AM.

[DonDouglas]

I wanted to keep easy tripod mounting as an option, so here's my solution to adding a viewfinder loupe to the K-01:

Starting with the blade of a putty knife, I cut it, rounded the corners and drilled two holes.

A quarter-twenty screw that tightens with an Allen (hex) wrench attaches the Hoodman CH-32 viewfinder. Getting the screw was more difficult in this metric world than it would have been back home in the States, and the one I ended up with had to be cut shorter. With the Allen head it is skinnier than one with a conventional head would have been, but still the quick release plate had to be notched with a round file. I added a washer to raise the Hoodman slightly but had to file it to make one flat side so it would fit.

This approach works for me and was workable by me, considering my very minimal metalworking skills and few tools.

[jon404]

Don -- very, very good. See ya, Carry Speed! If you get slight side light leaks on really bright days, a few pieces of black gaffers tape will cure that fast.
Will remember your solution -- it is both simple and elegant.

[DonDouglas]

Thanks, Jon. I was tempted to use some Gorilla tape that I brought back from my last trip home, but for the moment have decided that light leaks are not a real problem. Also, I wanted to be able to swap out the homemade parts for an unmodified quick release plate to use doing tabletop and such. One thing I would do differently, though, which would probably improve the light leak situation a bit, is to save 10 euros and get a non-collapsible Hoodman H 32 instead. It's a bit smaller to work on Nikon-sized LCD screens and collapsing the CH 32 doesn't really save all that much space in the bag.
Don

[jon404]

Watch out for Gorilla tape. Like duct tape, it will leave a sticky residue when you remove it. So I'm going to be the evangelist again here for gaffers tape, which is ESSENTIAL in Hollywood... taping, removing without problems, strong, tears exactly as you want it to. Beg, borrow, or steal, but get a roll! It is much stronger than Gorilla tape or duct tape. You can use it for all kinds of things... not just for camera loupes, or for taping Pocket Wizard Plus's onto speedlights. It is amazing, like a lot of other movie industry gear. On those sets, with their multi-million dollar budgets, they just spend for whatever is best for each job. Check out one of my favorite stores, www.filmtools.com, and you'll get a fast idea of how to spend a LOT of money in a hurry.
Anyway, thanks for putting up with this rant, and treat yourself to a roll... it's the right stuff!
ProTapes Pro Gaffer Natural Rubber Premium Matte Adhesive Tape, 11 mils Thick, 55 yds Length, 2" Width, Black (Pack of 1): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific