Quirky third-party EVF for Sigma’s DP-series cameras hooks up via USB port
posted Tuesday, July 8, 2014 at 10:01 AM EDT
When Sigma first launched its original DP1 camera, not only was it one of the first compacts to sport a Foveon X3 three-layer sensor, it would also usher in the age of the large-sensor fixed-lens compact of which there are so many models on the market today. And while the DP-series cameras have always been great little shooters, they all have one drawback: the lack of a proper viewfinder.
While Sigma has had dedicated optical viewfinders for its DP cameras in the past, and in theory any hot-shoe mounted viewfinder with the correct focal length can be used on these cameras, there never was an electronic viewfinder with live-view and shooting information available, like the ones you get for many other compacts as well as mirrorless cameras.
If you happen to live in China, however, you can now get a proper EVF for your DP-series camera, thanks to a rather quirky yet effective third-party solution made by "Old Wei." Since the DP cameras don't have a dedicated EVF port, this accessory viewfinder hooks up to the camera's USB port and intercepts the outgoing video signal -- in a way, it's pretty much like hooking your camera up to your TV.
Since the camera's USB port doesn't provide enough energy to power the LCD display inside the viewfinder, it comes with its own battery compartment. At a resolution of 320x240 pixels -- according to the description, a higher resolution would've made it overly expensive -- the EVF runs for up to six hours.
Incredibly quirky, but somehow incredbly awesome at the same time. If you want to order it (though we're not sure that it's even possible outside of China), the EVF will set you back ¥650, which is about US$105 at current exchange rates. More info can be found here and here.
(via rangefinderforum)