EVF Ideas

[Matt Uhry]

I've been giving some thought to the RED ONE EVF ( electronic view finder ) Here's a few features that I'd like to see included or at least considered.

1. Look Around - this is the killer app, makes it better than all existing finders in one bold stroke. The Red team seems to be onto this already.

2. User hackable framelines. Perhaps we can load these in on the SD card? that way you can tweak and customize ad infinitum.

3. No camera info in the image area. ( the sony color HD finder uses some lo-res strips below the main for LCD Timecode, Batt and Warnings - this is a great idea. I hate the HVX for the clutter in the viewfinder. )

4. EVF can be run with a very long cable up to 50ft. - usefull for crane and car rigs also one of the buttons on the EVF can be uses to run / stop camera making it work as a remote too.

5. It's sometimes hard to know when electronic cinema cameras are running or not so perhaps having a cellphone/pager style vibration that activates when you when you hit RUN, and when you CUT. A long pulse for RUN and two short bursts when you CUT like you do with the bell signals while working on a soundstage. You'd want to be able to turn it off in some situations like timelapse. a Continuous pulse would be "warning" low battery or out of storage.

6. Focus Assist. Sounds like you are working on this already. It would be nice to have something you can use while shooting ( unlike HVX )

That's all for now - Cheers to SPIKE

Matt Uhry
DP, LA, IA 600
www.fuzby.com

[Blaine Golden]

4. EVF can be run with a very long cable up to 50ft. - usefull for crane and car rigs also one of the buttons on the EVF can be uses to run / stop camera making it work as a remote too.
I like this one a lot. http://www.geocities.com/the_callaghans/emoticon-10.gif

[Zakaree Sandberg]

the vibration IDEA is good.. but why not just have a green light and a red light.. no need for a motor. this is mainly for the remote feature.

[Matt Uhry]

I think in some situations, the vibe would be handy... all video cameras have outboard and in-viewfinder "rec lights" sometimes we don't want the talent to see it, when filming kids for instance. I'm a film guy and on many video shoots I'll mess a take or 2 by thinking the camera is running when it's not or burn some tape on rubbish when I think I'm cut. I think it happens to lots of people and while not really serious it's kind of embarassing when some flunkie in the agency yells from video village "the camera is still running" or you miss that un-repeatable soundbyte from the very famous rapper ( like I did on that Pepsi job 3 weeks ago ).

Matt Uhry
DP, LA, IA 600
www.fuzby.com

[Ace]

Matt your work is amazing. I appreciate it a lot.

[Blair S. Paulsen]

I like this attention to the EVF since it represents a big portion of the operators user experience. I would absolutely order a long extension cable for the EVF for exterior crane shots. I would also love to have about a 5' curly cable so I can head mount the EVF. My goal is to be able to move the camera freely handheld without having to contort my body or flip the EVF or LCD around to line up with my eyeline.

I also support something blatantly obvious like a red frame around the image in the EVF as an indicator that the unit is recording since you won't be able to see or hear tape/film moving. As long as any vibration option were easily switched off sure. I like the idea of a being able to toggle the record function from the EVF if that's a practicle design option.

[Zakaree Sandberg]

I think in some situations, the vibe would be handy... all video cameras have outboard and in-viewfinder "rec lights" sometimes we don't want the talent to see it, when filming kids for instance. I'm a film guy and on many video shoots I'll mess a take or 2 by thinking the camera is running when it's not or burn some tape on rubbish when I think I'm cut. I think it happens to lots of people and while not really serious it's kind of embarassing when some flunkie in the agency yells from video village "the camera is still running" or you miss that un-repeatable soundbyte from the very famous rapper ( like I did on that Pepsi job 3 weeks ago ).

Matt Uhry
DP, LA, IA 600
www.fuzby.com

i didnt mean lights on the outside.. inside.. so only the operator or whoever is looking through the evf can see the light

[Tonaci Tran]

" also support something blatantly obvious like a red frame around the image in the EVF as "

I second this. In chaotic situations when doing event recording, attention is so focused on the action that sometimes you block out the little "rec on" indicator in the VF...a red frame would make it unmistakeable.

[Alex Fostvedt]

How about a large overscan in the EVF picture? Pretty obvious, but an essential necessity for keeping booms, and errant objects out of frame.

The ability to brighten and dim the framelines, aka ARRI Glow

[Brook Willard]

How about a large overscan in the EVF picture? Pretty obvious, but an essential necessity for keeping booms, and errant objects out of frame.

The ability to brighten and dim the framelines, aka ARRI Glow

The EVF will overscan.

The framelines will not need anything similar to an ArriGlow because it's not an optical viewfinder... everything is backlit - picture, framelines, etc.

[Matt Uhry]

I would also love to have about a 5' curly cable so I can head mount the EVF. My goal is to be able to move the camera freely handheld without having to contort my body or flip the EVF or LCD around to line up with my eyeline.


This was part of the design for the first steadicams. except using a fibre optic cable ( yup, before ubiquitous use of video taps) , but it made the op's resemble space pirates. Un-cool and it genereally impeded their flirtations with the make-up girls.

Matt Uhry
www.fuzby.com
LA, DP IA600

[Chris Kenny]

This was part of the design for the first steadicams. except using a fibre optic cable ( yup, before ubiquitous use of video taps) , but it made the op's resemble space pirates. Un-cool and it genereally impeded their flirtations with the make-up girls.

Wait... space pirates aren't cool? I'm confused.

[Mark Thorpe]

Would it make any difference if the tally light were flashing as opposed to just being constant at "REC"? I have this same problem with my current set up.

There I am in the middle of a small baitball of fish waiting for the Mantas to come swooping in to feed, and getting buzzed by a few Grey Reef Sharks, the action is electric. The unanounced choreography as all the fish seem to move at the same time to avoid predation by Giant Trevalies is mesmerizing, then a quick check.........."Oh s..t, its green" Then I get back to the office to find I've been on what I call Pause Record (getting all the crap between intended sequences for the past ten minutes or so), sucksville.

So yeah, some kind of really obvious tally on / off system would be great.

Mark.

[Nick Shaw]

…I've been on what I call Pause Record (getting all the crap between intended sequences for the past ten minutes or so), sucksville.

I suspect a lot of us have done that at least once! I know I have!

On the subject of flashing tally lights, I think that might be a bit distracting. A flashing light draws your attention, which I guess is why flashing tallys are commonly used to indicate a warning (end of tape, low battery etc). Some conventions are probably worth sticking with.

Nick

[robbo]

I like the suggestion of an "active" frame.
A slow pulse like on a switcher, yellow/green frame overlay indicating pause or record.
Or just have one active indicating pause - no real need to have it active when shooting.

[Chris Kenny]

Or just have one active indicating pause - no real need to have it active when shooting.

I think this idea. It's becoming pretty common for TVs to follow this principle now -- they have a red light that's only on when they're off. It turns off when the TV goes on, so it doesn't distract from the picture.

Doing something like this in the EVF seems like a good approach.

[Mark Thorpe]

Hi Chris,
Personally I would prefer something that does distract me as I would then have the peace of mind that I am actually getting what I intend to get.

Cheers,
Mark.

[robbo]

Well, it would be an easy toggle in a menu.
Frame on during record>select colour>>>
Or Frame off during record >none.

If we don't ask we won't get.
Think it's right brain - left brain. Once you know it does something at pause, then if it doesn't show the same thing when shooting - you know. Doesn't necessarily have to show anything, but up to you, if given the choice.

[mikkowilson]

I'd stadard traditional tally lights on RED. No need to be different there.

Traditionally each tally light (front of camera, back of camera, etc.. ) can all be switched on or off independantly.

And they have 3 modes:
Off = stop/standby
On = Recording
Flashing = Warning (low bat, out of tape, etc..)

It's not like studios or sounds stages have green lights over their doors for "Off Air", no it's a red one for "On Air"!

I hate the way that the Canon XL1 tally light blinks - it is A) Really really distracting and annoying. B) Makes me think all the time that something is wrong with the camera, like I'm about to run out of tape.


- Mikko ... still thinks the front logo should incorporate a basic tally light.

[Jochen Schmidt-Hambrock]

I suspect a lot of us have done that at least once! I know I have!

Nick

Please dont laugh. Maybe I´m saying something quite stupid:

That pre-record feature on some cameras, (when you hit record, the camera keeps the previous 5 seconds because it´s always recording to a buffer) could be taken to the next level:

Lets say the EVF has a sensor (this is the spot where you laugh) so it knows somebody has his/her eye on the viewfinder. It then simply starts recording.

So whats happening next determines what to do with that data:
Hit Stop and its kept on the drive and given a name.
Or:
Take your eye off the EVF and its erased.
Or:
Hit Record and its gone (except maybe the last 5 seconds) while Red´s dutifully recording the present.

Happy new year everybody,
Jochen