With this petition, I aim to convince Sony to make and sell a standalone EVF (electronic viewfinder) that connects to their cameras without built-in ones via their multi-interface shoe—something they actually used to do.

An EVF gives the operator stability and the ability to clearly see what they are shooting as the image through the EVF is like a vast screen shield from the sun, unlike small and not very bright LCD screens. Most stills cameras come with them, but not all. 

Sony's cameras have some of the best OLED EVFs I've used, but they sometimes release models without them. In the past, they sold add-on OLED EVFs, first for their NEX 5 cameras in 2010 and then for the RX1 line in 2012. 

Since then, their mirrorless cameras all had built-in EVFs, but in 2021, the FX3 was released without one and without any option to buy one for it. Being such a small camera, 3rd third-party EVFs are very bulky and cumbersome. The FX30 and ZV-E1 also have this same problem. 

The superb tilting EV1MX XGA OLED that came out in 2012 connects to the RX1 and RX1R via their MI (multi-interface) shoe on top of the camera. This is the same connector that all mirrorless Sony cameras have and many of their video and cinema cameras - but it is not supported. 

The MI shoe is generally used for microphones these days, but it could be utilised to support an add-on EVF. It would not only transform the FX3, FX30, and ZV-E1 but also could be used with their cinema cameras, the FX6 and FX9, which also have that connector.

A very small but high-quality EVF could be easily added to this camera using an MI shoe relocating cable, which they make for their K3M XLR module. It wouldn't be proprietary to that specific camera; it would work with all Sony MI shoe-sporting cameras. 

In numerous Sony reviews on my YouTube, I've shown what this would look like using the incompatible EV1MX XGA OLED EVF. 

Please, Sony, make a new one that features the incredible image of your latest built-in OLED EVFs with fantastic detail and high refresh rates. Please also make it tilt like your previous models, as it transforms the EVF shooting experience. If the MI shoe is incapable of the highest quality, then make one as high quality as possible. I would like you to make the old one compatible, but as it is obsolete, I doubt you would invest money in updating your cameras' firmware.

I genuinely believe a market for a tilting OLED add-on MI shoe EVF exists, and I hope this petition will show this to you. It would be a tool that we could use on all our current and future Sony cameras. I would even use it on my cameras with one built in if it could tilt. 

Thank you for listening. 

Philip Bloom

DP/ Filmmaker/ Photographer