Give your Sony A7III “vlogging mode” with this totally warranty-voiding DIY hack

Just to make it clear from the go, this will void any warranty you have with your camera should you try this. But, I think this video from MAKE. ART. NOW. is worth sharing, as not having flippy out LCDs is the one biggest complaints I hear whenever a new camera is released (if it’s not a Canon or Panasonic).

For those who vlog, being able to see yourself and the composition behind you is kind of a big deal. It’s why so many people vlog with Canon or a Panasonic GH5. But Sony doesn’t seem to want to join the flippy out LCD crowd, despite the calls for it. This (literal, physical) hack will let your LCD flip almost all the way to the front for (mostly) easy vlogging.

The hack does include some minor surgery to the back of the camera and some slight bending of metal. So, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart, and it will void your warranty (in case I hadn’t mentioned it). You watch and follow the instructions in the video above at your own risk. If you damage something, you’ll be responsible for a full repair bill.

With that out of the way, it is a pretty cool idea. There are some caveats. Like, your hotshoe is taking all the camera’s weight and all your footage is upside down. But if it means you get a fully accessible front(ish) facing touchscreen LCD and that Sony quality you love, they may be worth it for you.

Although the screen technically only flips back 135° and not the full 180°, it’s still enough to get a decent view when holding the camera upside down. Rotating the footage back the right way in the edit is as simple as just clicking and dragging. But life would be a whole lot easier if more camera manufacturers would start giving us flippy out LCDs on their higher end and full frame models.

At this rate, it might actually be Panasonic that’s the first to give us full frame 4K with a flippy out LCD. I guess we’ll find out in March.

[via ISO1200]