[JohFredersen]

Hey, Sorry if this isn't the best board to be sharing this on but I figured you guys would appreciate this. A little while back the internal screen cable on my KS-2 wore out, and repairs would have been in the 300 dollar range. I need this camera for school, because I'm a photography/film major, but definitely couldn't swallow that bill. So I decided to do what I always do and DIY something.

The screen slots into the cold foot on the top of my camera, but can also be velcroed onto the back of the internal LCD and used on the swivel. There is a button on the top of the screen that flips orientation.


The battery is just a single 18650 cell and the charging/output regulator from a 5v power bank. The screen doesn't pull much power, so i get around 12 hours of use on a single charge. The LCD itself was a 20 dollar screen meant for a raspberry pi. The 5v and ground pins are clearly marked on the back of the unit, which made wiring it up stupid easy. I spliced in a nice clicky button on the side for a power switch.


NEGATIVES:
Its overall pretty usable, but still a bit of a pain to carry around. The image quality isn't quite as good as the internal LCD and it's not as water resistant as the rest of the camera body. For me the only big issue is needing to carry around an extra piece. It was never a point n shoot camera, but the extra step of attaching the screen is annoying. With the right angle connector on the micro-HDMI, it doesn't impede my grip much at all. However, it does stick out just enough to prevent the camera from sitting flat when the screen is plugged in. Not a big deal, but still a little annoying.

POSITIVES:
being able to completely remove the screen and just hold it in my hand is very nice. The Altoids can isn't exactly stylish, but it doesn't look as messy as I thought it would. Also, the screen has a built in 3.5mm for audio out, which is AWESOME for working on video projects. this lets me use nice studio monitors instead of the cameras crappy speaker when reviewing footage on the fly. I guess one other positive is that it makes my camera unique to me. In a world of uniform black DSLR bodies, its kinda nice getting questions about the bright blue altoids tin plugged into your camera.

Maybe you're in a similar situation and your LCD is dead. Maybe you do a lot of video work and want the extra flexibility a screen like this would give you. Maybe you've been looking at an external monitor, but can't stomach the 1-300 dollars for a big bulky aftermarket screen. Whatever the case, I'd be happy to build and ship these to anyone who might need one at-cost(definitely under 50 bucks). It was a pain in the butt coming up with a solution to this problem, and i'd love to help out anyone who needs it.

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[seventysixersfan]

impressive DIY fix!

[FozzFoster]

Some grouchy people could use this hack to make an articulating screen on the K-3 III !

[swanlefitte]

Very cool. It isn't so much what you learn in school but what you learn being in school!

[c.a.m]

Cheap, quick, and effective -- what's not to like?

Good job on improvising a fix. Good ol' Altoids -- every workbench should have a supply of those empty tins.

- Craig

[JohFredersen]

Cheap, quick, and effective -- what's not to like?

Good job on improvising a fix. Good ol' Altoids -- every workbench should have a supply of those empty tins.

- Craig

couldn't agree more, I'd say 1/3rd of my projects incorporate an Altoids tin one way or another!

[Fogel70]

A perfect example of "necessity is the mother of invention".

[jeallen01]

Some grouchy people could use this hack to make an articulating screen on the K-3 III !

Or any other camera/camera body with a fixed rear screen and an HDMI o/p for that matter

PS: what are the dimensions of the screen module as I don't think they sell "Altoids" in the UK

[AstroDave]

I need this camera for school, because I'm a photography/film major, but definitely couldn't swallow that bill. So I decided to do what I always do and DIY something.

VERY impressive - You might want to consider a dual major (EE or computer science)!!!

[JohFredersen]

Or any other camera/camera body with a fixed rear screen and an HDMI o/p for that matter

PS: what are the dimensions of the screen module as I don't think they sell "Altoids" in the UK

THe screen comes in at 3.5 inches, just a tiny bit bigger than the built in one.

[Rondec]

Really cool DIY project. And another use of the Curiously Strong Mints!

---------- Post added 03-04-21 at 05:41 AM ----------

Or any other camera/camera body with a fixed rear screen and an HDMI o/p for that matter

PS: what are the dimensions of the screen module as I don't think they sell "Altoids" in the UK

I'm surprised... amazon.com : altoids?tag=pentaxforums-20&

[stevejo]

I suppose if you sell it you can say it is in mint condition

[pentageek]

The failure of built-in screen led to very nice DIY project

[swanlefitte]

Altoids. The brand was created by the London-based Smith & Company in the 1780s.

Were made in Bridgend, Wales until around 2005, now Chatanoga, TN.

[Wasp]

For the next version, a 3D printed enclosure might be a good idea. I have no idea on the cost, though.