Is it worth $375?
- Works great for seeing the screen in harsh outdoor lighting
- Exposure is harder to judge, even dark scenes 2 stops low look property exposure using the finder, adjust screen brightness?
- Motion of the playback looks chopper than it actually is perhaps because of all the magnification.
- I am on a list to review the new Sony Alpha 77 camera – no need for this?
- I am sold on the idea of owning one of these, I just want to review some in the $125 range to see if there is that big of a difference.
- I like the eye cup nice and soft
- Mounting is a little slow, meaning several times I have headed outside for a quick shot and didn’t have the mounting plate and and said ah screw it too much work I don’t have time to put it on the camera.
- I love the idea as a tool, I just can’t recommend it for the price unless you are a pro like Philip Bloom. If you are a pro and on the set where thousands of dollars of money is going by each hour then you might want to buy the best. $375 is a lot of money for this thing for a hobbyist
- Works nice on my Manfrotto monopod
- Will it work on a Tilt screen?
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Doug,
Be sure to use the eyepiece cover at all times unless you’re actually using it. If the sun shines in, even for a couple seconds, it will burn a nasty yellow spot on your LCD screen that will never go away. Ask me how I know. It only took a second.
@Ron wow, thanks I never thought of that!
If you want to review a SUPER inexpensive one, this is the one my friend and I use to shoot (mostly weddings). I’ve never used a Zacuto one but I can’t imagine it being $300 better than this. It gets the job done great.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-Carry-Speed-3-LCD-View-Finder-3-2L-T3i-60D-LCDVF-Z-FINDER-/120774123079?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c1eb2de47#ht_3752wt_1318
@Sam thanks, I am getting some good suggestions on what to try next!
I’ve used the LCDVF and it works well. When shooting outdoors with narrow DOF it is the only way I can pull focus.
Hi Dave.
FYI
I’ve been using this one on a 60D…and happy with it.
To prevent the sun damage to the screen, I just flip the eye piece.
It helped a lot when shooting timelapses on a bright sunny day…along with
the variable ND filter.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/3x-LCD-Viewfinder-Canon-5D-Mark-II-7D-60D-T2i-550D-/110740355112?pt=Digital_Camera_Accessories&hash=item19c8a3b828
Dave, Try the VF Prime, for $119, I can get you one to review. Been using one for 4 months, works great, costs less.
Dave, I’m with you on the price of this. I’m sure it’s excellent quality, but a little overkill for the Amateur, even pro-sumer market. I do use an inexpensive $50 chinese version however. It is handy for pulling focus in bright daylight, and it also helps to stabilize the camera when I’m doing the odd run and gun shot….. It acts as a third anchor point, and for me, it’s made a huge difference. Bottom line it’s a handy tool for 50 bucks.
Thanks for being so honest in your opinion. Now you have made me curious. Which other, less expensive, viewfinder are you recommending?
By the way, I bought the Tokina 11-16 based on your recommendation (also Philip Bloom) and haven’t regretted it. Now I am also thinking about buying the Manfrotto Monopod.
hai there dave,
really enjoy your video.., help me out alot, thks dude..
later could u do some video about using old lens like SMC PENTAX M 50mm F1.7 ,Takumar lenses or other old lenses.. on Canon DSLR ,its have some great results on video …
Whouaou Dave, you’re becoming fully equiped !! I’m using a LCDViewFinder and happy with it for the price but there is no eye correction available. Now the new tool you’ll need is a follow-focus … a new video ??
Check out my tutorial on a very inexpensive view finder. I made a quick release for it and have been using it on all my pro shoots. It’s the best view finder I owned. I had zacuto pro and jr also letus hawk. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey_8LwOlaMA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
@Aron that is cool, I might have to try that!
thanks Dave and it works very good. It’s so fast to take off and on to show the producer the shot. Or just for me to view setting an such. And I have been using it for many productions and it holds up great. I’m not sure why it’s so hard for a manufacture to mass produce this.
Hey Dave,
Nice product shots
@Jarrod thanks for your help on the project shots.
Take off the flaps and the glass and glue on the hood. works for me.
[video]youtube.com/​watch?v=IlUq9OP-x5Q[/video]
[img]http://i.ebayimg.com/t/LCD-Protector-Hood-Canon-EOS-550D-Rebel-T2i-O3R-/00/$(KGrHqIOKiIE11IUNIOKBNkvoEBj0Q~~_35.JPG[/img]
Hey Dave, I just bought the Cary Speed VF and a few things straight away I don’t like about it. The frame attaches via a knob/screw into the tripod hole but on my 60D there’s a gap so the frame wiggles and moves. Perhaps a washer might fix it better into place. The VF is held onto the frame via magnets this works ok but because of the looseness of the frame its hard to tell. The optics are so so there’s seems to be some image movement especially when panning like you mentioned with the Zacuto. I found it difficult to focus with. I wear glasses so that doesn’t help either. I’ve read about the Hoodman VF which attaches via some elastic around the hood and camera body which seems like a better idea and the VF focus can be tweaked to suit those of us with less than 20/20 vision…lol.
Hope you can review some more of these.
Btw I listened to your podcast with colorist Patrick Inhofer? Loved it!