[TimB5388]

I am beginning to work with long exposure photography and I am wondering how others who have worked with this have dealt with closing off light from the eye piece. Is there an attachment that can be used? I have tried covering it with cloth but wind etc. makes that ineffective at times.

Thanks,
Tim

[Not a Number]

PentaxWebstore.com:Eyepiece Blind M Eyepiece Blind M

You can find it for a lot cheaper used or call Pentax Parts and they might just send you one for free.

[Eric Auer]

I am beginning to work with long exposure photography and I am wondering how others who have worked with this have dealt with closing off light from the eye piece. Is there an attachment that can be used? I have tried covering it with cloth but wind etc. makes that ineffective at times.

Thanks,
Tim

I see you have a K-5 IIs, Mine came with the cover for the eye piece.

[TimB5388]

I see you have a K-5 IIs, Mine came with the cover for the eye piece.

Yea dumb me never thought I would use it so it is sitting in a drawer somewhere in Minnesota and I am sitting in the Philippines

[JinDesu]

black electrical tape

[Eric Auer]

Try Pentax Digital Camera Service Center?

407 Dasmarinas St. Binondo, Manila Tel. No. 2413851 2422647

[dms]

+1 black electrical tape. Actually I have some black photogrphy tape (gaffer tape) stuck on all of my lenses/cameras for this and other uses (e.g., to make sure the lens stays at the focus distance I set). If you have no stores handy--any tape with marker to darken or the like will do.

[ToyTank]

I Think a double thickness of QUALITY electrical tape will work fine and keep it clean until you get home.

I read in another thread if the mirror is up the eyepiece is light tight but from experience the K30 at least is not, quite obvious there are leaks if you use flash.

[Ex Finn.]

Thumb, hat, t-shirt.

[Not a Number]

You could easily fashion something out of cardboard and/or aluminum foil. Empty cigarette packs are are good for something.

[PPPPPP42]

A lot of the time the need for it is overrated, the mirror when if flips up provides a major obstacle to light, so light would have to bounce into the viewfinder and off the pentaprism in such a way so as it manages to bounce around the mirror and find its way to the sensor or film. The front of the mirror is sealed by the bumper completely on film cameras though there is a gap in it on DSLR's and the rear is sealed by the hinge, and if you look there is such a small gap on the sides as to almost not be worth mentioning. Especially considering the light would have to bounce off the inside of the mirror box to get back to the film or sensor even after getting around the mirror, and the whole interior of the camera is a matte black designed not to reflect light.

Basically unless you have direct bright light shining on the viewfinder at night (block it with your body or an object without touching the camera) or have extremely high ambient light such as using a super high count ND filter during the day, you don't really need it (and probably not even then from the limited testing I have done).

[Lowell Goudge]

A lot of the time the need for it is overrated, the mirror when if flips up provides a major obstacle to light, so light would have to bounce into the viewfinder and off the pentaprism in such a way so as it manages to bounce around the mirror and find its way to the sensor or film. The front of the mirror is sealed by the bumper completely on film cameras though there is a gap in it on DSLR's and the rear is sealed by the hinge, and if you look there is such a small gap on the sides as to almost not be worth mentioning. Especially considering the light would have to bounce off the inside of the mirror box to get back to the film or sensor even after getting around the mirror, and the whole interior of the camera is a matte black designed not to reflect light.

Basically unless you have direct bright light shining on the viewfinder at night (block it with your body or an object without touching the camera) or have extremely high ambient light such as using a super high count ND filter during the day, you don't really need it (and probably not even then from the limited testing I have done).

I would agree. The biggest impact I find is on metering when using a tripod. Once you get focused, it needs to be covered before you press the release, or the camera might just change exposure on you

[dcBear78]

I was wondering how useful it is? Never knew what it was until recently.

[Just1MoreDave]

It's very useful if you take the right kind of photos. If you have a strong neutral density filter, or an infrared filter, keep the viewfinder blind with the filter; you'll need both. Most of the time your eye is at the viewfinder anyway. Some people will never need it. When I use my IR filter, I'm shooting in midday sun with a shutter time of 15 seconds.

It's also not the most brilliantly engineered gear. It's too bad the guy who thought up the removable window in lens hoods wasn't in charge of the viewfinder cover.

[Lowell Goudge]

It's also not the most brilliantly engineered gear. It's too bad the guy who thought up the removable window in lens hoods wasn't in charge of the viewfinder cover.

Maybe Ricoh will have some influence, my old XR-2s had an internal shutter in the viewfinder