A DIY Inexpensive Optical Viewfinder for Compact Digital cameras with a hot shoe.

By using the optical viewfinder removed from a single use camera (SUC) it is fairly easy to make a viewfinder which will have the same field of view as the wide angle setting of most compact digital cameras.

The project requires only a small hacksa to remove the complete viewfinder from the lens block assembly. Once removed it is glued to 2 strips of 1/5 mm plastic sheet which are cut to fit the 2 dimensions of the hot shoe.

The viewfinder is spaced from the hotshoe by abot 6 to 9 mm to allow the eye to align easily with it. It can be covered from the plastic body of the original SUC or use thin black cardboard to close the unit. If the SUC has a electronic flash unit then an important health and safety notice is included in the video.

This is the concept/prototype instruction here, individual modifications to the final build are to be encouraged by those wishing to copy this idea.

via ghough12