Tag Archives: z-finder

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z-finder-clone

Looks like China is hip to the Viewfinder market. They are a bit late on this particular clone of The Real Zacuto Z-Finder, and i'm sure Zacuto's got some new finder in the works that will make this look a bit obsolete. Better late than never I guess.

Here's a quote from a reader.

Looks like Chinas sweatshop copycats are discovering the DSLR film-makers market. I got word from a friend who is doing business with Shengzen manufacturers, that they already got bored copying the 5 buck plastic thingy called LCDVF. They will start to ship a clone of the technically superior Zacuto Z-Finder Pro in September this year – of course the 3x version 😉

The image above is supposedly from their prototype modeled from The Real Zacuto Z-Finder. I'm sure they'll dress it up with a bit of color and coating when it's finalized. From the image above, it looks like they have it scaled pretty well. I'm sure it's not going to stand up to the quality of real Zacuto, but there's a trade off in price that doesn't stop users from making these over seas 'clone' purchases. We'll just have to wait to see where this one goes.

For those who have been complaining about Fog on the viewfinders, this might be of some help. Used in Dive masks and Goggles to resist fogging it should be safe on the eyes.

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If you're looking to get Razor Sharp focus on a DSLR, this post is for you! I've posted about Loupes before, but this Hoodman is just jumping off as the best price + features.

If you're not familiar with a LCD Loupe, it covers the LCD on your camera so you can not only see better color and contrast, but it will magnify the LCD so you can see pixel for pixel what's in focus and what's not. Nothing like poor focus to ruin good video footage. Plus it adds 'more looks per hour' to your mojo.

I've been reviewing quite a bit of different LCD loupes and personally own the LCDVF. The LCDVF is a great looking product that ties in nicely with the color scheme of Canon L lenses, but it lacks some features found on the Zacuto Z-Finder. The Hoodman has been around for quite some time, but it seems they've been putting alot of emphasis on video DSLR's. The Hoodman HLPP3 Hoodloupe Pro bundle with Eye cup is a perfect bargain because it comes in cheaper than other Loupes, and has more options than the LCDVF. This Hoodman comes with a diopter for those who have 'less than perfect vision', and actually straps to the camera. The Z-finder and LCDVF use a magnetic frame which you can easily knock the loupe off the camera (i've done it many times). I wished I held out a bit longer now, but maybe I'll just pick up a second. Check out the link below and get your's while they're in stock. With the new T2i out, i'm sure it will sell out very quickly.

Sample Canon with Hoodman Loupe:
Canon DSLR Video HD Hoodman Loupe

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The above video was shot at night while we were hanging out in Emeryville, Ca waiting to pick someone up from the train station. Two things I want to point out in this video. First off i'm using the BodyPod that I created not too long ago. The camera used in the video is the 5D Mark II + Battery grip + Canon 85mm F/1.2. If anyone knows this setup it's a beast and quite heavy. The DIY BodyPod camera stabilizer (for it's small discreet size) really met it's purpose, and i'm excited to start making a carbon fiber version that's even lighter and smaller. Next, I wanted to point out that in this video I'm shooting at 85mm at F/1.2 and if you know that aperture + distance it's super hard to keep something in focus. What helped me out with the whole F/1.2 at 85mm was using the LCDVF loupe. If you don't have one 'Get One'! You'll have better focus as these loupes are designed to Magnify the image on the LCD. Giving you better view of what pixels are in focus. The best LCD ViewFinder loupe going today is the Zacuto Z-Finder (below), but if you can't afford that, you can get the LCDVF from www.jag35.com.

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