Monday, September 6, 2010

LCD Hood for 2.7" screen (Vixia) PART ONE





WORK IN PROGRESS

My Youtube link for the video of this project: http://www.youtube.com/user/whiteknight38cdn?feature=mhum#p/a/u/2/0F3_UQXBNUQ

This foldable, screen hood, is made out of a bit of scrap Cordura type vinyl fabric, (although other fabrics will work too) a little contact cement, some plastic cut from a DVD case, and a bit of velcro.

The view screen on cameras don't read very well in bright sunlight, so these screens are a big help. Canon sells their own version for around twenty bucks, but you can make one for basically free out of salvaged material, with the aded advantage of being the right size to mount a connection to your remote commander.

I started with a case to hold a single DVD.
The narrow box ridges get scored with a craft knife and snapped off.

The lens-hood box is made out of the single flat piece that remains.

I coated one side of the pieces with contact cement, and the shiny side of a piece of Cordura. You need a piece about 12 1/2" x 5".

Cordura is a brand name for a type of fabric often used in the making of bags and cases. Its very rugged, and the choice of many military contractors for making Milspec gear. Cordura fabrics sell in the ten to fifteen bucks-a-yard range, so recycling old bags, is often a significant saving if you only need a little.

The first few Cordura projects I made, were out of material salvaged from old bags and cases from thrift shops. These bags are also good sources for collecting nylon clops and buckles and small bits of velcro.

I found one fabric store that carries a version they called 'plastic coated cotton'. I also found some from a findings wholesaler that supplies leather workers and bag manufacturers. You can buy it online from diyactical.com, which is a great resource forum for bag and case making.

For this project you'll also need two strips of 3/4" velcro 2 3/4" long.

Part Two of this tutorial, shows how you can use this lens cover to mount an infrared fibre-optic cable to temporarily "hard wire" your remote controller and remotely command on, off, and zoom functions if your camera is mounted on a tripod, a pole, or a flying helmet.






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