 |
| reminds me a bit of a folding magnifying glass I once had... I might be tempted to try something like that in combination with my SM-mirror |
Let me help you out here. How about a gadget for $35 what does the trick?
"The ClearViewer is a folding high-diopter lens which lets you view and focus on the LCD screen with your eye right up to the lens, less than 2 inches away from the LCD. You can use the LCD screen almost as you would an electronic viewfinder, and can see fine detail very clearly, in all sorts of lighting."
Head over to clearviewer.com for more info.
- OK then - I ordered the ClearViewer for my HX9V and would like to offer a "mini" review:
First, it works exactly as advertised. I attached it and went outside in very bright, direct sunlight. Even with the screen brightness on High, it was still very hard to frame an image when I used the camera where the sun was at its worst on the screen. Then I flipped up the ClearViewer and using it the screen image was very bright and clear - not quite as good as an integrated optical viewfinder, but arguably only a slight step down. In fact, at the highest zoom, the camera is easily useable as a "pocket" telescope, especially with the anti-shake feature. I'm sure that at certain angles a little additional shading on the screen would be helpful, but in my quick test I didn't find it necessary.
As an added bonus, holding the camera with your elbows in and the camera up to your eye, I believe you impart less shake to it and you hold it steadier. When not using the ClearViewer, you can leave it attached and folded down so it extends down from the camera. In this manner you now have a place for your left hand to hold the camera instead of holding the top upper left where the pop up flash resides. Just be careful not to touch the glass lens on the ClearViewer. (Hmm...wonder if a small felt pouch would be
available for just the lens?)
I see no reason why this would not be possible with the tripod socket mounted version on any camera. In short, this is the next best thing to actually having an optical viewfinder - and maybe even better since it shows exactly what is on the screen which should also be exactly what will be on you image. It does what it says it will do, and it does it very well.
Thanks John
Add a grip, a wide angle lens adapter and a 3x eye piece
 |
| instructions here |
But how to shoot if you are alone?
Then a Chest Mount Harness comes in handy.
As usual, there are several solutions, read the user reviews to find out for any weaknesses.
Here is a DIY Camera Chest Mount video
On a bicycle with a Sony HX9V in a chest harness
Put it in a bag, put it in a bag
like this one here for $25
To clarify about the bags, there are different qualities out there and it is always a good thing to read some user reviews to see if there is a problem with the bag, like the Delkin Jellyfish, or not. It is also a good idea to have a little pouch with desiccants (highly absorbent material) inside the bag to catch any moisture what tries to sneak in.
Protects against rain, sand and dust great for the beach, playgrounds or amusement parks (splash zones and rides).
Take pictures underwater while snorkeling. For diving you will need to shop for a marine case as we discussed earlier here. Look for something like the Ikelite Underwater Camera Housing.
And if you need to get a grip for video like I showed you on my HX5 blog, there are now several people who offer you something like that like this guy here for just $18 straight from Oregon.* transfer grip from camera body to the Super Grip camera handle
* steady you hand, clarity of the picture quality is greatly improved
* reduce the chances your camera will get dropped in the dirt
* quick to attach and remove, just a simple thread-on action
* the anti-slip rubber grip is easy to hold, even when wet
Features:
* an attractive grip made of quality products, unmatched by others
* the lanyard will provide safety in the most challenging situations
* completely water-proof and submersible in fresh or saltwater
* includes a stainless steel screw, won't rust or deteriorate
* lightweight handle at the approximate weight of 4oz
Forget this kind of waterproofed bag for this kind if usage. It is okay to put in the ID card, bank cards etc and a camera which is in a 2nd bag. For this bag system it happens sometimes that some drops of water are in the bag. Only badf you have your camera in without a 2nd protection
ReplyDeleteJo
!!! Some new HX9V test picutres - especially with grass on the picture !!!
ReplyDeletepage 2 of the blog with outside pictures in several MP sizes
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1009&thread=38275309&page=2
and some inside pictures
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1009&thread=38275309&page=3
I am thinking to buy the canon sx220/230 instead of HX9V...not sure
Jo
well Anonymous Jo, bags come in different quality and I have seen some of them doing a pretty good job for snorkeling or shooting in bad weather. I sure would not dive with them. And regarding the never ending blurry grass discussion: I don´t care for things in the background and a bit of greenery what ever kind in the background or tiny in the foreground is just like an extra in a movie, but nothing I care about. What I care about is the whole picture and how good the main object comes out. If I care for grass, I take a macro and there the HX9V does a fine job. As for the SX220, go for it. I made my observations and comparisons in the largest posting of this blog.
ReplyDeleteHi Everyone,
ReplyDelete"For diving you will need to shop for a marine case as we discussed earlier here. Look for something like the Ikelite Underwater Camera Housing."
Please note that as a general rule of thumb, one camera model ==> one specific marine case.
And YES: for diving, nothing replaces a real marine case. As a diver, I'd really hesitate putting a 300€ or so machine on this kind of cheap plastic bag to go beyond 5 meters...
And unfortunately the marine case pointed by Joe's link will NOT fit HX9V model.
You can see directly at IKELITE site: www.ikelite.com/web_pages/camsonchart.html
"DSC-HX9V: Under consideration for a housing in the future. No information available"
So IKELITE people don't know yet if ever such a marine case will exist. And it seems that Sony is not offering it either.
Best regards,
Jorge
I'm looking for an underwater bag for my camera. Have you personally used the Gomadic clean and dry that you mentioned? If so, how was it? Is it trustworthy? If not, do you know of any other bag brands? I'm only going to be taking it in the pool, so I don't need a marine case. Thank you! I found your blog today, and favorited it. I had no idea about the 57x zoom!
ReplyDeleteI got the DicaPac underwater bag at Amazon. Its awesome. Have used it down to 2 meters at the pool and the beach without problem. Its a really good bag. Keep sand and dust away too.
ReplyDeleteHi there,
Deletewhich type of the bag do you have?..I found out that the WP-570 will be OK for HX9V or not?
total cwap
ReplyDeleteHave you tried that ClearViewer on an HX9V yet?
ReplyDeleteAnyone?
OK then - I ordered the ClearViewer for my HX9V and would like to offer a "mini" review:
ReplyDeleteFirst, it works exactly as advertised. I attached it and went outside in very bright, direct sunlight. Even with the screen brightness on High, it was still very hard to frame an image when I used the camera where the sun was at its worst on the screen. Then I flipped up the ClearViewer and using it the screen image was very bright and clear - not quite as good as an integrated optical viewfinder, but arguably only a slight step down. In fact, at the highest zoom, the camera is easily useable as a "pocket" telescope, especially with the anti-shake feature. I'm sure that at certain angles a little additional shading on the screen would be helpful, but in my quick test I didn't find it necessary.
As an added bonus, holding the camera with your elbows in and the camera up to your eye, I believe you impart less shake to it and you hold it steadier.
When not using the ClearViewer, you can leave it attached and folded down so it extends down from the camera. In this manner you now have a place for your left hand to hold the camera instead of holding the top upper left where the pop up flash resides. Just be careful not to touch the glass lens on the ClearViewer. (Hmm...wonder if a small felt pouch would be available for just the lens?) I see no reason why this would not be possible with the tripod socket mounted version on any camera.
In short, this is the next best thing to actually having an optical viewfinder - and maybe even better since it shows exactly what is on the screen which should also be exactly what will be on you image.
It does what it says it will do, and it does it very well.
thanks John, do you need to hold it directly to the eye or does it work with glasses too (maybe test with sunglasses to see how much of the screen you can see without moving).
ReplyDeletehow much is the distance from the inside of the lens to the screen?
( thinking about mounting it to my mirror / sunshade )
Good questions, Joe.
ReplyDeleteI wear glasses/sunglasses, but have reasonable vision without my glasses, so here's my take on your first question - without glasses your eye will be closer to the ClearViewer and you will be able to see the edges and corners of the screen (with the "Premium" lens). With the "Standard" lens it seems you may not. When I'm wearing my glasses/sunglasses my eye is further away from the lens and I'm only able to see the edges/corners of the screen my moving my eye around the lens slightly.
Distance inside from lens to screen is about 2.25 inches.
I tested it some more in the bright Florida sun today and am able to keep my screen panel brightness at 3 (medium) and still see the screen with the ClearViewer very well. Without it, I have to move the panel brightness up to 5 (bright) and even then, as with most of these screens, it is a bit difficult to see the objects on the screen.
cool, thanks John.
ReplyDeleteCould you provide us with a photo mounted on your HX9V and one through the lens onto an active display please. Also it would be interesting to see how the rest position looks.
I measured my mirror and it is 2.0 inches max from the screen. If I mount the ClearViewer on the back of the mirror it can fold flat with the back of the camera for storage.
Joe -
ReplyDeleteI'm not in possession of a second camera right now, so I can't get the images you request.
However, on the Clearview website here:
http://clearviewer.com/socket.html
and on the other pages of the website, you'll see a good sample of images showing the Clearviewer mounted on a similar sized camera (at least it looks about the same size to me).
When mounted, from the screen to the furthest back part of the hinge is about 2.5 inches though.
Hope that helps a little.
John, could you please tell me how to disable the preview after shot. Because it causes delay to the next shot. Thanks in advance
ReplyDeleteYou can't disable it, Anonymous, however, if you half-press the "shoot" button the camera will be ready for the next shot quicker and somewhat by-pass the preview.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI have a HX5V, which I like, but the sound is quite windy when you record video outdoor.
Is this better on the HX9V?
Do you think it is worth while selling my 5V and buying a 9V?
Serge
hfensp@hotmail.com