Black LCD Screen

Possible Viewfinder Solution

This post is probably going to be mostly for newbies with the Panasonic HC-X1 camera. A problem where the LCD screen on the camera keeps turing off. Luckily it is probably just this easy fix.

The Panasonic HC-X1 has an LCD screen AND a viewfinder. When 1 is on, the other is off. Both cannot be on at the same time.

The way the camera tells which one is on is by a sensor that is right inside the eye cup. When that sensor is covered, the LCD goes off and the viewfinder goes on. So, if your LCD screen is black and you aren't looking in the screen, something is blocking the viewfinder sensor. Perhaps your chest, your harm, your neck.

The best solution to this problem is every time you use your LCD screen, push up the viewfinder 90 degrees to the sky.

I've been using the camera for months and this problem still happens to me. It is quite annoying.

There IS a button on the side of the camera you can press if you want your LCD screen to ALWAYS remain on. However, I suggest you don't use it because it actually makes everything more confusing, especially on sunny days when the LCD screen isn't as useful. I've changed the functionality of that button to something else.

NOTE: If your Viewfinder is black when you look into it, you may have hit that LCD/EVF button, so press it one more time and the picture should return.

So hopefully you get used to this "feature" of the camera. If you have any other problems and/or solutions, please leave them in the comments.