Recently, I bought a new Fujifilm Finepix HS10 bridge camera to replace my S9600. One of the main reasons I chose this camera was that it had a proper viewfinder. (I find the LCD screens on cameras are all but useless in sunshine).
It’s a good camera except for the silly little viewfinder which is made worse by the lack of an eyecup. The result is that you can only see the information in the viewfinder in subdued light. I have been onto Fujifilm and they do not supply or have any plans to supply, an eyecup. I have trawled round various camera shops to try and source a third party eyecup that might fit even with a bit of modding – but to no avail. So I gave up – until this morning.
As I locked up my workshop yesterday I accidently knocked a package from a shelf which landed on the floor. I didn’t try to pick it up and left it there. Then in the early hours of this morning in that half asleep half awake state I could see this package laying on the shed floor and I thought “camera!”. Now you might have thought that a pair of ex-government nuclear, biological and chemical rubber gloves (for that is what the package contained) had about as much in common with a camera as a politician and honesty, but there you would be wrong.
So if you want to breathe life into your HS10 viewfinder do this:
Pay attention FUJIFILM it must be this finger!
Cut a piece like this from the finger.
Stretch it over the viewfinder shroud then take a piece of thinnish wire and form it into a shape similar to this.
Feed the wire loop over the protruding rubber then fold over the rubber to make a neat hem – job done!
It works well, does not in any way damage your camera and will not invalidate your warranty. The diopter adjuster knob is left clear for continued accessability The HS10 is a great camera and this mod will make it even more pleasurable to use. Total cost was 25p for a pair of NBC gloves bought from a car boot sale about five years ago. Technical detail – the rubber material the gloves are made from is .032” thick and nicely stretchy.
If you implement my mod on your camera and you like it I would welcome your feedback either here or at:
grampyblog@aol.com
Pip-pip chaps!
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