In setting up the Canon 7D for video, I'm running into a rather annoying problem.

I have already purchased and returned "three" different optical LCD viewfinders for this camera; the Zacuto Pro3, the Zacuto Pro2, and the LCDVF LCD Viewfinder, and none of them are any good.

I don't know who's been designing these, but he doesn't know a thing about shooting with a "cinema" camera. You just can't have the viewfinder image so big that it's "in your face" to the point where you have to roll your eye to see the corners, and the corners are distorted, and the focus is not adjustable "enough" to compensate for glasses, etc, etc. It's like sitting in the "front" row of the Cinerama Dome when watching a movie. I have shot with dozens of different cinema cameras, and not one blows up the viewfinder to that extent.

The 3" LCD screen is already big enough. What is needed is just a viewfinder that will allow you to focus up "that" close, and either not blow up the image at all, or not more than maybe 1.5 times, and be focusable to the extent a pro cinema camera like a Arriflex would be.

Does anyone know a solution to this problem, or knows of a viewfinder that will work for this camera and not blow up the image more than 1.5 times, and is focusable, or at least can be moved backward until it comes into focus?

Thanks.

For my taste these "passive"view finders do quiet great job!II found that my LCDVF is still cheapest and best option for my 550D.Of course 7d have higher resolution output when recording,to use wiht external LCD,but it makes all rig bigger,Field monitor will be good option when camera angle is uncomfortable or impossible to achieve focus.Also i'm using lcdvf with glasses without any problem at all..


Regards

Raul

This is what you need at B&H - the Hoodman Loupe.

I also prefer to keep the screen 1:1 and you can use the built in magnified view anyway.

Hoodman HoodLoupe Professional LCD Screen Loupe H-LPP3 - B&H

I had the Hoodman without the magnifier and it was great. Got the IDCphotography.com version, with the bracket and lower mounting plate. Now I have a 3X version, and it magnifies just enough so iI can focus without having to use the 5x/10x button, unless it's a really wide angle lens I'm using.

In setting up the Canon 7D for video, I'm running into a rather annoying problem.

I have already purchased and returned "three" different optical LCD viewfinders for this camera; the Zacuto Pro3, the Zacuto Pro2, and the LCDVF LCD Viewfinder, and none of them are any good.

I don't know who's been designing these, but he doesn't know a thing about shooting with a "cinema" camera. You just can't have the viewfinder image so big that it's "in your face" to the point where you have to roll your eye to see the corners, and the corners are distorted, and the focus is not adjustable "enough" to compensate for glasses, etc, etc. It's like sitting in the "front" row of the Cinerama Dome when watching a movie. I have shot with dozens of different cinema cameras, and not one blows up the viewfinder to that extent.

The 3" LCD screen is already big enough. What is needed is just a viewfinder that will allow you to focus up "that" close, and either not blow up the image at all, or not more than maybe 1.5 times, and be focusable to the extent a pro cinema camera like a Arriflex would be.

Does anyone know a solution to this problem, or knows of a viewfinder that will work for this camera and not blow up the image more than 1.5 times, and is focusable, or at least can be moved backward until it comes into focus?

Thanks.

I totally agree with you. I too felt like I was in the front row of the Cinerama Dome. (By the way, I saw the very last showing of "ET" in 82 in the front row. at the Dome.)

I bought the Hoodman and glued it to a LCD Protector that I bought on eBay.

I call it the H-Finder

Here is my H-Finder made from my Hoodman Hoodloupe 3.0 + HoodEye 3.0 + eBay LCD cover and glue.

Total cost $130.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/attachments/canon-eos-7d-hd/19172d1282154686-hoodman-hoodcrane-got-mine-today-web.jpg