2010Cameras (Film/Video/HD) forum
Alexa camera eyepiece diopter adjustment looseness causing focus problems
16 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- The eyecup on the Alexa eyepiece can rotate the diopter ring, causing the viewfinder to lose focus during shots when the operator's head moves slightly.
- Wrapping a bongo tie around the diopter ring can restrict its movement enough to keep focus stable while still allowing some adjustment.
- Substituting a rubber eyecup from an older Arri film camera reduces but does not fully eliminate the diopter drift problem.
- A fixed set screw solution would be impractical on productions where multiple crew members need to adjust the diopter for different eye prescriptions.
Depends on
- The bongo tie workaround is acknowledged as imperfect and a compromise rather than a proper solution.
- Rubber eyecup swap from older film cameras only partially addresses the issue.
- No official fix from the manufacturer was available as of late 2010.
- Experience reports span October 2010 through the time of the thread, so the issue may have been addressed in later camera revisions.