Pentax K-x viewfinder cover

[stuck]

Dear all,

Lately I've taking quite a few LE pictures, especially now that I've picked up a ND110. Unfortunately the K-x doesn't come with a viewfinder cover & I was wondering if anybody knows where to buy one? I know I can easily just cover it with a piece of cloth or something but I would rather it be as fuss-free as possible as there's already enough things I struggle with as it is when taking pictures of seascapes. :sweat:

Thanks!

 

[hellfire88]

looking for a proper viewfinder myself also but dunno where to get. usually i just use the thick black part of the camera strap to cover when doing LE but very tiring to keep holding in that position...

 

[darrrrrrrrrr]

I think the viewfinder cover is pretty fussy as you have to remove the rubber eyepiece and slide it on, at least that was the case with my other Pentax DSLRs. You could just have a piece of gaffer tape that you stick over the entire rubber eyepiece, I think that would be the most fuss-free solution I could suggest.

 

[le petit prince]

I thought I remember both my K100Ds and K7 coming with viewfinder covers in the box, or am I losing my memory..

 

[detritus]

I thought I remember both my K100Ds and K7 coming with viewfinder covers in the box, or am I losing my memory..

you are right. it does. my k-x and k-5 had it too.

 

[JinG14]

Weird . How come my kr don't have. Mmm have to search for it. Anyway normally I use a cap or tower to cover it ever since I find out the problem thru Cs forum.

 

[edutilos-]

Dear all,

Lately I've taking quite a few LE pictures, especially now that I've picked up a ND110. Unfortunately the K-x doesn't come with a viewfinder cover & I was wondering if anybody knows where to buy one? I know I can easily just cover it with a piece of cloth or something but I would rather it be as fuss-free as possible as there's already enough things I struggle with as it is when taking pictures of seascapes. :sweat:

Thanks!

Stuck,

You can try to find one of those custom VF covers for Pentax on eBay, they are quite cheap and fit well.

I used to have a old K20D VF cover, it was loose and didn't fit well and one day when I was shooting a vertical LE the waves hit the tripod, and hey presto it fell into the sea and happily waved its way into the great vast ocean.

What I did was dig up an old replacement (which comes with the rubber cup), cut up the rubber cup and superglue it onto the VF attachment. I'm not sure if I'm being very clear on what has to be done but I've used it ever since and it works great, and doesn't fall off when doing vertical LE.

You can contact Emjay, but I've contacted them before for a replacement eyepiece (which isn't necessary, but I think I should get one when it's time to move on from the K-r, if I do) and the VF cover and they did not really get back to me on this so I assumed they don't have it readily available.

 

[edutilos-]

looking for a proper viewfinder myself also but dunno where to get. usually i just use the thick black part of the camera strap to cover when doing LE but very tiring to keep holding in that position...

That's probably not a good thing to do as well - it is highly likely that if you want to do this covering thing properly you would cause some amount of vibration to your camera and thus affect the sharpness of the image.

 

[edutilos-]

I think the viewfinder cover is pretty fussy as you have to remove the rubber eyepiece and slide it on, at least that was the case with my other Pentax DSLRs. You could just have a piece of gaffer tape that you stick over the entire rubber eyepiece, I think that would be the most fuss-free solution I could suggest.

I do not know about this when I had the K100D, because I did not know about this then it didn't seem to be an issue actually...

With the K20D, the rubber eyepiece slides off very easily and neatly, so it was easy, I use a film canister to switch between rubber eyepiece and VF cover.

For the K-r, the rubber eyepiece is really fiddly (I hope this is not the case for the K-5). So on the same day that I lost the VF cover, the rubber eyepiece just sprang itself loose into the ocean as well. I hope it's with the VF cover now. :bsmilie: I now have no rubber eyepiece.

 

[edutilos-]

Weird . How come my kr don't have. Mmm have to search for it. Anyway normally I use a cap or tower to cover it ever since I find out the problem thru Cs forum.

I do not know about K100Ds or K-7 or K-x, but the K-r that I got definitely did not come with a VF cover.

I'm quite sure the K-5 comes with one - I looked at the box specifications before and it included one.

 

[stuck]

I think the viewfinder cover is pretty fussy as you have to remove the rubber eyepiece and slide it on, at least that was the case with my other Pentax DSLRs. You could just have a piece of gaffer tape that you stick over the entire rubber eyepiece, I think that would be the most fuss-free solution I could suggest.

having to remove the rubber eyepiece would indeed be bad! Maybe I'll try out the tape idea first. Thanks!

you are right. it does. my k-x and k-5 had it too.

how strange. I just checked the box last nite. the useless plastic wrappers are still there... but no VF cover!

Stuck,

You can try to find one of those custom VF covers for Pentax on eBay, they are quite cheap and fit well.

I used to have a old K20D VF cover, it was loose and didn't fit well and one day when I was shooting a vertical LE the waves hit the tripod, and hey presto it fell into the sea and happily waved its way into the great vast ocean.

What I did was dig up an old replacement (which comes with the rubber cup), cut up the rubber cup and superglue it onto the VF attachment. I'm not sure if I'm being very clear on what has to be done but I've used it ever since and it works great, and doesn't fall off when doing vertical LE.

You can contact Emjay, but I've contacted them before for a replacement eyepiece (which isn't necessary, but I think I should get one when it's time to move on from the K-r, if I do) and the VF cover and they did not really get back to me on this so I assumed they don't have it readily available.

can't seem to find any VF covers for pentax, except for an old Asahi one that looks like its meant to be stuck into the eyepiece (doesn't look too secure). As for your DIY solution, you're right - I've no idea what you're talking abt! Thanks for trying to explain anyways.

will keep looking meanwhile.

 

[edutilos-]

how strange. I just checked the box last nite. the useless plastic wrappers are still there... but no VF cover!

Check the side of your box, the content are stated. If there is a VF cover it will be stated.

 

[edutilos-]

Stuck,

http://store.tagotech.com/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=104

If you can find a cheaper version on this (on eBay) like I did that fits Pentax (there are versions with multiple fittings, can look for those), these come in 2 pieces - the plastic mount and the rubber eyecup.

The plastic mount will fit on your VF with no issues (when the rubber eyepiece if removed)... Then it's up to you how you want to ensure that the light doesn't go in. Like I mentioned eariler, I have no use for the rubber piece, so I just cut it up and super glued it on.

Hope it's clearer now.

 

[edutilos-]

Hope these links work, cos I can't open them

http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/Eyecup-Eye-C...167?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3eef9f80c7

http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/Eyecup-Eye-C...468?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5adb02154c

I think I got mine from the fotocola or what (the cheaper one).

It's definitely disturbing to pay $6 or so for a piece of plastic and rubber, but boh pian, I reasoned it out by telling myself that if buy VF cover from Pentax also confirm more than $6...

 

[hellfire88]

That's probably not a good thing to do as well - it is highly likely that if you want to do this covering thing properly you would cause some amount of vibration to your camera and thus affect the sharpness of the image.

thanks for the info, that explains why some of my LE shots the IQ seems to have poorer IQ at 100% viewing which I was unable to pinpoint the cause.

thanks for the ebay links!

 

[woonsin]

thanks for the info, that explains why some of my LE shots the IQ seems to have poorer IQ at 100% viewing which I was unable to pinpoint the cause.

thanks for the ebay links!

I have one same item above but once used one time. Found it is not suitable for those who wear spectacles.

CS member sms me for this but have not heard from him so long.

 

[woonsin]

Another item is better recommended. I think so.

http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250489478559&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_1927wt_905

 

[stuck]

Hope these links work, cos I can't open them

http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/Eyecup-Eye-C...167?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3eef9f80c7

http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/Eyecup-Eye-C...468?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5adb02154c

I think I got mine from the fotocola or what (the cheaper one).

It's definitely disturbing to pay $6 or so for a piece of plastic and rubber, but boh pian, I reasoned it out by telling myself that if buy VF cover from Pentax also confirm more than $6...

so let me get this straight... U buy one of these eyecup things & modify the rubber piece to seal up the VF. which means to say you compose normally with the VF with the original rubber eyepiece removed, & once you've locked down your tripod head you then cover the VF with this "DIY VF cover"? :dunno:

 

[edutilos-]

so let me get this straight... U buy one of these eyecup things & modify the rubber piece to seal up the VF. which means to say you compose normally with the VF with the original rubber eyepiece removed, & once you've locked down your tripod head you then cover the VF with this "DIY VF cover"? :dunno:

I use live view.

With the old K20D I had to do that, because the live view implementation was horrible. With the K-r it's such a joy! Even ND filter also can!

Of course if you do ND110 at sundown you will still have to do the compose on tripod and cover up... That's just part of long exposure photography..

 

[edutilos-]

Another item is better recommended. I think so.

http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250489478559&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_1927wt_905

That's a magnifying eyepiece?

You mean you're going to pay $30+ to paste rubber over the adaptor???