# Patent: Cinema EOS Camera With Hybrid OVF/EVF Viewfinder



## Canon Rumors Guy (Apr 6, 2018)

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This has certainly been a very busy week for interesting patents. <a href="https://www.canonnews.com/canon-patent-application-cini-eos-with-hybrid-ovfevf-viewfinder">Canon News found another</a> interesting one, it looks to be a development of an OVF/EVF viewfinder for a Cinema EOS camera.</p>
<p><strong>From <a href="https://www.canonnews.com/canon-patent-application-cini-eos-with-hybrid-ovfevf-viewfinder">Canon News</a>:</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>The mirror is cut out around the sensor, and an EVF is used to “fill in the hole” where the actual super-35 sized hole in the mirror is.  The OVF presentation wraps around, or surrounds the camera EVF view so that when looking through the viewfinder, you have both the EVF view in the center, and a larger mirrored OVF view surrounding it.</p>
<p>This gives the cinematographer to see “beyond” the super-35 angle of view that you would be limited to when using a traditional video camera.</p></blockquote>
<p>We know another Cinema EOS camera is coming later in 2018 and it’s possible we’ll see this appear in a consumer product. It seems to be a pretty well developed technology.</p>
<p>More images and breakdown at <a href="https://www.canonnews.com/canon-patent-application-cini-eos-with-hybrid-ovfevf-viewfinder">Canon News</a>.</p>
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## CanonGrunt (Apr 6, 2018)

Wow. Impressive. Still trying to visualize it, but I don't think anyone has done or tried anything like this.


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## tmroper (Apr 6, 2018)

Sounds like how a rangefinder works, only more accurate than frame lines.


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## RunAndGun (Apr 6, 2018)

If this works like I think it does(in my mind), I see problems when you're working at extreme ends of exposure, especially low-light.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Apr 7, 2018)

Do cinema cameras have mirrors? I thought they were mirrorless. I just can't see Canon adding a mirror, I thought most serious cinematographers use external viewers in any event.


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## Talys (Apr 7, 2018)

Haha, that sounds cool. Very novel


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## Graphic.Artifacts (Apr 7, 2018)

Awesome idea. Allows you to see what is going on outside the frame when shooting with an EVF. Not sure it will make it to production but cool idea. Seems like that would be an excellent aid when composing on the fly.


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## RunAndGun (Apr 7, 2018)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Do cinema cameras have mirrors? I thought they were mirrorless. I just can't see Canon adding a mirror, I thought most serious cinematographers use external viewers in any event.



The Alexa Studio has a spinning mirror and optical VF. Sorta related the F65 has a mechanical shutter.


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## RunAndGun (Apr 7, 2018)

Graphic.Artifacts said:


> Awesome idea. Allows you to see what is going on outside the frame when shooting with an EVF. Not sure it will make it to production but cool idea. Seems like that would be an excellent aid when composing on the fly.



The Alexa and VariCam have the ability to put the entire sensor image(not just what is recorded) in the VF so you can see the "look around room"


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## mb66energy (Apr 8, 2018)

RunAndGun said:


> Mt Spokane Photography said:
> 
> 
> > Do cinema cameras have mirrors? I thought they were mirrorless. I just can't see Canon adding a mirror, I thought most serious cinematographers use external viewers in any event.
> ...



I think all non-digital cinema cameras had some mirror (or prism) to split the image into "exposure image on film" and "viewfinder image for the camera persons eye" ...

About Canon's patent:
I think it is an ingenious idea to use a smaller sensor where you can use the whole sensor area for its main purpose, capturing the images but you have a lot of information surrounding the actual scene.
Using only the center area for movie taking but reading the whole sensor decreases sensor readout speed for the actual image and adds heat to the sensor & processor which has to be removed to keep noise down. So Canon uses basic lens - image - physics which runs without additional heat to provide the surrounding information. I think this is a very clever combination of the new digital capabilities and some old fashioned analog projection.


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## Jack Douglas (Apr 8, 2018)

In my photo quest to catch birds doing antics in flight I have often found myself trying to see the larger scene with my left eye while keeping the right on the actual frame ... and it's not easy to do it well. Mine is not a video scenario but maybe a similar situation exists with video. I hope Canon continues looking for bright ideas.

Jack


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## Orangutan (Apr 8, 2018)

Jack Douglas said:


> In my photo quest to catch birds doing antics in flight I have often found myself trying to see the larger scene with my left eye while keeping the right on the actual frame ... and it's not easy to do it well.



I've had similar experiences. This is another area where hybrid or EVF could help: imagine having a ring of mini-cameras attached around the hood of your 600mm lens. They would capture a wider view that would be composited with the TTL view to give you raptor vision. It would take some getting used to, but might work.


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## RunAndGun (Apr 9, 2018)

mb66energy said:


> RunAndGun said:
> 
> 
> > Mt Spokane Photography said:
> ...



Both cameras are digital cinema cameras.


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## RunAndGun (Apr 9, 2018)

Jack Douglas said:


> In my photo quest to catch birds doing antics in flight *I have often found myself trying to see the larger scene with my left eye while keeping the right on the actual frame* ... and it's not easy to do it well. Mine is not a video scenario but maybe a similar situation exists with video. I hope Canon continues looking for bright ideas.
> 
> Jack



That's the way a lot of us shoot sports.


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## Bernard (Apr 9, 2018)

RunAndGun said:


> If this works like I think it does(in my mind), I see problems when you're working at extreme ends of exposure, especially low-light.



The classical application is so that the camera operator can tell where the boom mic is, and keep it as close too the top edge of the frame without being visible.


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## AvTvM (Apr 9, 2018)

a HOLE new mirrorslapper. So innovative only Canon could have come up with it. 
;D

Other than that: "solution looking for a problem" ...


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## Jack Douglas (Apr 9, 2018)

Sad that the lowly mirror is taking such a beating. it's probably one of the most used human objects, well, minus the slapping that is.

Jack


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## RunAndGun (Apr 9, 2018)

Bernard said:


> RunAndGun said:
> 
> 
> > If this works like I think it does(in my mind), I see problems when you're working at extreme ends of exposure, especially low-light.
> ...



I know the purpose of look around room. I'm just saying that if you're in a situation, say very dark and the camera is cranked up(ISO) so that the image coming from the sensor is exposed properly, but the actual light levels are very low, then the image you're getting from the mirror is going to be different and may not even be viewable to the operator.


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## Etienne (Apr 9, 2018)

This will work well with FF lenses on super 35 sensors, but huge vignetting with APS-C lenses will spoil the game


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## AJ (Apr 9, 2018)

Jack Douglas said:


> Sad that the lowly mirror is taking such a beating. it's probably one of the most used human objects, well, minus the slapping that is.
> 
> Jack





AvTvM said:


> a HOLE new mirrorslapper. So innovative only Canon could have come up with it.
> ;D
> 
> Other than that: "solution looking for a problem" ...


The way I understand it is that the mirror is fixed. There's no slapping.


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