How important is an LCD?

[triggertravel]

How important is an LCD and is better to be mounted internally or on the exterior of the housing? Thank you.

 

[ronrosa]

How important is an LCD and is better to be mounted internally or on the exterior of the housing? Thank you.

IMHO, it's a matter of personal preference. I have no problems shooting using just the viewfinder and I am not willing to pay the extra $$ for an LCD.

When filming topside, do you use the viewfinder or the LCD ?

 

[triggertravel]

IMHO, it's a matter of personal preference. I have no problems shooting using just the viewfinder and I am not willing to pay the extra $$ for an LCD.

When filming topside, do you use the viewfinder or the LCD ?

Thank you Ron. That's a good point! Are you a mechanical or electric fan in terms of the controls?

 

[ronrosa]

Thank you Ron. That's a good point! Are you a mechanical or electric fan in terms of the controls?

I don't know if "fan" is the correct word since I only have experience with mechanical controls. I've never had any problems with them. My 1st and only housing is a Gates.

 

[triggertravel]

I don't know if "fan" is the correct word since I only have experience with mechanical controls. I've never had any problems with them. My 1st and only housing is a Gates.

Thank you Ron!

 

[drbill]

I've never used an LCD monitor in my videotaping. I find the viewfinder is fine for most footatge I shoot. On occasion there are situations where the monitor back would allow me to position the camcorder in some tight areas where I can't see the viewfinder. That would be a plus, but usually I have clean shots and don't need to spend the $500.

Dr. Bill

 

[diversteve]

How important is an LCD and is better to be mounted internally or on the exterior of the housing? Thank you.

I could make a case for either. Currently I shoot without an LCD. However my housing is fitted to my camera so the viewfinder butts right up against the back port so it's fairly easy to see u/w. The farther into the housing the viewfinder is, the harder it is to see, combined with the distance you're already out because of your mask thickness.

I also have an innate sense of what the camera captures so mostly I film with the housing in my hand(s) held slightly below me while gliding over the reef. I do find that when shooting closeups I use the viewfinder to verify what is being filmed.

Last summer my divebuddy shot footage at several dive sites using this method and cut off the bottom 1/3rd-1/2 of a lot of what he was filming, especially on the creature closeups. He felt it was difficult to see through the viewfinder and would have preferred an LCD.

Then there's what kind of LCD. The L&M/Top Dawg/OI version which mounts an external monitor on the back of your housing, the newer Gates/Ocean Images version which mounts an external monitor on top of your housing or the housings that are large enough to open the camera's monitor.

Personally if I was to get a monitor, I think I'd like the back of the housing type, for the way I shoot I think it would be more useful. I also like the new Gates monitor, both for it's screen size and battery life. Some of the smaller LCD monitors get power from your camcorder battery which can really reduce your filming time.

I'd also try to get a hood for the monitor to minimize the glare. I have read on someone's website that housings that use the camera LCD's are better for glare since they're 3-4 inches inside the housing. And the housing has to be wider to allow the monitor to be flipped out.

Another option from Ikelite is an external stick-on 45' mirror that allows you to view your camera's LCD from the back while it's reversed and flat against the camera body. It seems like the image would flipped horizontally though.

What some people do, including Ocean Images on their Dolphin Pro housing, is use a small Casio TV that has A/V inputs. It has a 3" screen and separate batteries and is around 4-1/2" tall. If you have a tube housing with room in back, you can get the same TV or even a Citizen M329 monitor for less than $100 on eBay.

I also like the look of O/I's new Easy View monitor, it's similar to the Gates but I'm guessing priced more reasonably. There's a discussion of the pro's/con's of LCD monitors from their perspective on the USVH website here: http://www.usvh.com/Monitor.html.

 

[triggertravel]

Thank you for the feedback. I've spent the entire weekend researching and I this helps a ton. I think I'm leaning toward a tube housing with Lanc controls, a red filter, and a small monitor mounted inside the housing w/ its own batteries. Thanks again!

Will

 

[meekal]

Another option from Ikelite is an external stick-on 45' mirror that allows you to view your camera's LCD from the back while it's reversed and flat against the camera body. It seems like the image would flipped horizontally though.

i tried this gimik (made my own for about $0.75 w/Trade Show mirror and some double sided tape.) it it VERY funky. YES, everything is flipped. as a avid amateur astronomer, if your good at handling an telescope, you're fine, but left is right and right is left and up is down and down is up, so it REALLY takes some getting used to. i've only used it once and i think with some practice it'll get better, but it is certainly NOT intuitive to use.

on the viewFinder vs. LCD; my $0.02 - LCD. when trying to get that little blenny poking his head out of the sand, he's hard enough to see in a 2.5" monitor, let alone a tiny little viewFinder. i guess it depends on what type your doing, if you're shooting a whale in blue water, i guess you'd be pretty sure what's in the viewfinder or if you're doing general U/W scenery you can tell the reef in view, but but my vote goes to LCD=YES.

 

[triggertravel]

Thanks Meekal. I'm trying to find the best LCD that will fit in my housing.