GRASS VALLEY VF 7-100X User manual

User’s Guide
13-00093-000
2020-11-27
VF 7-100X
7-INCH NATIVE HD VIEWFINDER FOR LDX 100 SERIES

ii
Notices
FCC Compliance
In order to comply with FCC/CFR47: Part 15 regulations, it is necessary to use high-quality,
triple-screened Media or Monitor cable assemblies with integrated ferrite suppression at
both ends.
Patent Information
This product may be protected by one or more patents.
For further information, please visit: www.grassvalley.com/patents/
Copyright and Trademark Notice
Grass Valley®, GV®and the Grass Valley logo and/or any of the Grass Valley products listed
in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of GVBB Holdings SARL, Grass
Valley USA, LLC, or one of its affiliates or subsidiaries. All other intellectual property rights
are owned by GVBB Holdings SARL, Grass Valley USA, LLC, or one of its affiliates or
subsidiaries. All third party intellectual property rights (including logos or icons) remain the
property of their respective owners.
Copyright ©2020-2020 GVBB Holdings SARL and Grass Valley USA, LLC. All rights reserved.
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Terms and Conditions
Please read the following terms and conditions carefully. By using Broadcast Equipment
documentation, you agree to the following terms and conditions.
Grass Valley hereby grants permission and license to owners of Broadcast Equipment to use
their product manuals for their own internal business use. Manuals for Grass Valley
products may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose unless specifically
authorized in writing by Grass Valley.
A Grass Valley manual may have been revised to reflect changes made to the product
during its manufacturing life. Thus, different versions of a manual may exist for any given
product. Care should be taken to ensure that one obtains the proper manual version for a
specific product serial number.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a
commitment on the part of Grass Valley.
Warranty information is available from the Legal Terms and Conditions section of Grass
Valley’s website (www.grassvalley.com).
Title VF 7-100X User’s Guide
Part Number 13-00093-000
Revision 2020-11-27, 09:32

iii
VF 7-100X
User’s Guide
Cautions for LCD and OLED/TFT Displays
Excessive usage may harm your vision. Rest for 10 minutes for every 30 minutes of
usage. If the display glass is broken, handle glass fragments with care when
disposing of them. If any fluid leaks out of a damaged glass cell, be careful not to
get the liquid crystal fluid in your mouth or skin. If the liquid crystal touches your skin or
clothes, wash it off immediately using soap and water. Never swallow the fluid. The toxicity
is extremely low but caution should be exercised at all times.
Environmental Information
European (CE) WEEE directive.
This symbol on the product(s) means that at the end of life disposal it should not be mixed
with general waste.
Visit www.grassvalley.com for recycling information.
Grass Valley believes this environmental information to be correct but cannot guarantee its
completeness or accuracy since it is based on data received from sources outside our
company. All specifications are subject to change without notice.
If you have questions about Grass Valley environmental and social involvement (WEEE,
RoHS, REACH, etc.), please contact us at [e-mail].
Safety and EMC Standards
This equipment complies with the following standards:
Safety Standards
Information Technology Equipment - Safety Part 1
IEC62368-1:2018
Safety of Information Technology Equipment Including Electrical Business Equipment.

iv
Notices
EMC Standards
This unit conforms to the following standards:
EN55032:2012 + C2:2013 (Class A)
Electromagnetic Compatibility of multimedia equipment - Emission requirements
EN55103-2:2009 (Environment E2)
Electromagnetic Compatibility, Product family standard for audio, video, audio-visual and
entertainment lighting control apparatus for professional use. Part 2. Immunity

FCC / CFR 47:Part 15 (Class A)
Federal Communications Commission Rules Part 15, Subpart B
Caution to the user that changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
following the provisions of:
• the Low Voltage directive 2014/35/EU
• the EMC directive 2014/30/EU
WARNING
This equipment is compliant with Class A of CISPR 32. In a residential
environment this equipment may cause radio interference.
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the
limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference when the equipment is
operated in a commercial environment. 
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance
with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to
radio communications. 
Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to
cause harmful interference in which case the user will be
required to correct the interference at his own expense.

v
Table of Contents
FCC Compliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
Patent Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
Copyright and Trademark Notice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
Safety Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
EMC Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
1Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Compact design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Camera operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Zoom function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Color adjustment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Assignable buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Locations of indicators and controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Front panel view2
2Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Mounting the viewfinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Attaching accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Sunhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
LDK 6400/20 Identification numbers (option). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Adjusting the position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Tilting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Panning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Rotary controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Viewfinder functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Box 1 and 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Monochrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Ext 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Ext 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Tally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Menu operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

vi
Table of Contents
System menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Viewfinder setup menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Button assign menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Cleaning the viewfinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
4Viewfinder setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Menu contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Diagnostics menu (DIAG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Configuration 1 menu (CONFIG1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Configuration 2 menu (CONFIG2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Indicator adjustment submenu (INDADJ). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Zoom menu (ZOOM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Color menu (COLOR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Monochrome menu (MONO) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Box 1 setup menu (BOX1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Box 2 setup menu (BOX2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Viewfinder status information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Appendix A Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Contact Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

1
Introduction
Overview
The VF 7-100X is a high quality, flat panel full HD color viewfinder. Its light-weight
construction, multi-format compatibility and its high brightness performance make this
viewfinder a perfect match for EFP/portable, studio and outside broadcast applications.
The VF 7-100X viewfinder is designed to work with Grass Valley’s LDX 100 Series cameras
and accommodates all required HD frame rates and video modes. The supplied sun hood
provides excellent shading fit for outdoor situations while its 7-inch diagonal screen size
makes fast and accurate focussing easy.
Compact design
The compact design allows for great operator flexibility with wide panning and tilting
angles.
Camera operation
Due to its convenient user interface and built-in text generator, the viewfinder allows for
easy access to the camera system menu.
Zoom function
The viewfinder picture can be zoomed in for precise focussing while the full picture
overview is shown in a small overlay area.
Color adjustment
Without influencing the main video signal the viewfinder’s color temperature can be
adjusted to suit the operator’s personal preference.
Assignable buttons
Three user buttons are provided that can be assigned to a range of operational functions,
customizing the VF 7-100X to your personal preferences.

2
Introduction
Locations of indicators and controls
Locations of indicators and controls
Front panel view
Display area
Active viewfinder display area. Displays live video, indicators and text overlay.
ISO indicators
These yellow indicators light when the camera is in ISO status.
On-Air indicators
These red indicators light when the camera is On Air.
Call indicators
These green Call indicators light when a Call signal is activated.
Peaking
Controls the level of peaking that is applied to the viewfinder signal.
Brightness
Controls the brightness level of the display.
Contrast
Controls the contrast level of the display.
User button 3
Assignable user button 3, illuminated.
2’
3’
4’
11
10
9
8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

3
VF 7-100X
User’s Guide
User button 2
Assignable user button 2, illuminated.
User button 1
Assignable user button 1 illuminated.
Menu button
Access to viewfinder or camera menus and button assignment menu.
9
10
11

4
Introduction
Front panel view

5
Installation
Mounting the viewfinder
To mount the viewfinder on top of the camera adapter proceed as follows:
1 Switch off the camera.
2 Slide the V-block of the viewfinder onto the quick mount block on the camera adapter
until it clicks firmly into place:
3 Connect the viewfinder flying lead cable to the viewfinder connector on the camera
head. Guide the cable along the top of the camera body.
To release the viewfinder proceed as follows:
1 Switch off the camera.
2 Disconnect the viewfinder cable from socket on the camera head.
3 Press the release lever and slide the viewfinder out of the quick mount block.
V-block
release
lever
Quick
mount block

6
Installation
Attaching accessories
Attaching accessories
Sunhood
A short sunhood is supplied for outdoor use. To attach the sunhood to the viewfinder
proceed as follows:
1 Make sure that the viewfinder is mounted and that its position is fixed.
2 Lift the sunhood above the viewfinder and lower it until the hooked edges at the sides
touch the sides of the viewfinder.
3 Slide down the sunhood until the thumb screws are level with the holes in the
viewfinder.
4 Tighten both thumbscrews with your fingers until they are finger-tight.
hole
thumb
screw
hole
thumb
screw

7
VF 7-100X
User’s Guide
LDK 6400/20 Identification numbers (option)
A set of camera identification numbers (1 to 15) is available as an option. To mount a
number remove the blind number plate from the back panel of the viewfinder and click the
number of choice into the holes in the recess.
Adjusting the position
Tilting
The viewfinder can be tilted over a vertical angle of 57° down and 60° up:
1 Loosen both rotation knobs with two hands in a contrary direction.
Note: Draw out and tilt the upper half of the sunhood to get a larger vertical
viewing angle.
IMPORTANT: Do not hold the sunhood to carry the viewfinder as it
may damage the viewfinder or sunhood.

8
Installation
Panning
2 Tilt the viewfinder to the desired angle and fasten the rotation knobs.
Panning
The viewfinder can be panned over an angle of 70° to the right and 90° to the left:
1 Loosen the rotation locking wheel.
57°
60°
57°

9
VF 7-100X
User’s Guide
2 Rotate the viewfinder to the desired angle.
3 Fasten the rotation locking wheel to fix the position.
Note: Pan the viewfinder completely to the left to set up a large lens (e.g. for
back focus adjustment) while still observing the viewfinder image.
90° 70°

10
Installation
Panning

11
Operation
Controls
Buttons
The front panel of the viewfinder holds the operational controls (buttons and rotaries):
Menu button
This button gives access to the camera system menu, the viewfinder setup menu and the
button assignment menu. Refer to Menu operation, on page 15 for a detailed description of
these menus.
User buttons
Three buttons can be assigned to different operational functions. Their default functions
are: Box1, Mono and Zoom. Refer to Viewfinder functions, on page 13for more information
about these functions and other functions that can be assigned.
The user buttons are illuminated for easy operational use in dark invironments.
Rotary controls
Adjust the viewfinder to your personal preference using the rotary controls:
MENU BOX1 MONO ZOOM Pk:20 Br:50 Cn:99
menu
button
user
buttons

12
Operation
Indicators
Peaking control
Controls the level of peaking that is applied to the viewfinder signal. Peaking makes the
edges of the image look sharper. Turn the rotary control clockwise to increase peaking. The
adjustment range is from 0 to 99 and its default value is 20.
Brightness control
Controls the brightness level of the viewfinder display. Turn the rotary control clockwise to
increase brightness. The adjustment range is from 0 to 99 and its default value is 50.
Contrast control
Controls the contrast level of the viewfinder display. Turn the rotary control clockwise to
increase contrast. The adjustment range is from 0 to 99 and its default value is 99.
Indicators
The following signalling indicators are available:
ISO indicators (yellow)
The yellow LEDs light to indicate that the camera is currently in ISO mode.
Note: Peaking level is different for Main and External video: in most
cases main video needs more peaking than external video so they can
both be adjusted seperately. When External video is shown (switched by
the camera) Peaking level value is yellow in stead of white.
Note: When camera gain is set to high values, reduce peaking level for a
better image.
peaking brightness
MENU BOX1 MONO ZOOM Pk:50 Br:50 Cn:50
contrast

13
VF 7-100X
User’s Guide
On Air indicators (red)
The red LEDs light to indicate that the camera is currently On Air.
Call indicators (green)
The green LEDs light to attract attention when a Call signal is activated.
On screen signalling indicators
To further improve visibility under difficult viewing circumstances, the signalling indicators
can also be superimposed on the viewfinder picture. Refer to the “Indicator adjustment
submenu (INDADJ)” on page 25 for more information. The following options can be
selected:
Tally lights
The large red Tally lights at the back of the viewfinder light when the camera is On Air.
These lights can be enabled or disabled in the viewfinder setup menu.
Brightness level of the Tally lights can be adjusted on an Operational or Master Control
Panel or on a SuperXpander.
Viewfinder functions
Many operational functions can be assigned to the user buttons at the bottom of the
viewfinder. Refer to “Button assign menu” on page 21 to read more about assigning user
buttons.
Box 1 and 2
Two user definable framing boxes are available. Use the assignable button to switch a
framing box on or off. These superimposed boxes are very useful to help focussing and
framing while shooting. Three frame types (for each box) are available:
Note: The brightness level of the signalling indicators can be adjusted in the
viewfinder setup menu. Refer to Indicator adjustment submenu (INDADJ),
on page 20 for more information.
OSsig = off OSsig = top OSsig = bottom

14
Operation
Monochrome
The framing boxes can be set up in the viewfinder setup menu. Refer to Box 1 and 2, on
page 13 for more information.
Monochrome
Switches the viewfinder to monochrome mode. In the viewfinder setup menu the source (Y,
R, G, B or -G) can be selected. When the camera color bar is switched on, the viewfinder
returns to color mode. Note: this is a camera function (the signal is generated in the camera,
not the viewfinder).
Ext 1
Press the button to show the external (return) video channel 1.
Ext 2
Press the button to show the external (return) video channel 2.
Zoom
Zooms in to the center of the image. The zoom factor depends on the selected camera
video mode. Note: this is a camera function.
Text
Removes all text from the viewfinder image. This includes menu and message texts and
camera indicators. Markers and cadres are not removed from the image. Press again to
restore all text. Note: this is a camera function.
Tally
Enables of disables the red Tally lights at the back of the viewfinder—when disabled, the
Tally lights never light, even when the camera is On Air.
Call
Press the button to activate the system Call function. The green Call indicators on the
viewfinder light. Note: this is a camera function.
box type line type full type