At my local camera store this afternoon I noticed a Hoodman crane and was hit with a way I could use it adapt my Hoodman EX-1 flip out screen viewer to the F3.

Of course the problem with the F3 has been that the Hoodman seems to be to heavy for the flimsy hinge that Sony in its wisdom has provided us with.

By using a 6" articulating arm I picked up at the Small HD website ($80) and a little Manfrotto clamp I found in the camera store ( Manf #386B $35) I was able to place the "HoodLoupe 3.0 "right above the flip out screen without adding any pressure to it. I still connected it with the velcro fabric that Hoodman provides but that was only for light proofing and keeping a solid connection, but all the weight was off the F3 screen.

I was quite surprised at how flexible it was if I wanted to change the angle of the screen as well for looking down or straight ahead.

This seemed like a better system than the one Sony was auditioning at NAB which looked very heavy to me and didn't allow you to close the door.

Unfortunately the visual quality still didn't knock me out though my guess is the limiting factor was the flip out screen not the Hoodman. Seemed to me around the same as the Zacuto or the Cineroid neither of which I liked. I seem to have a lot of trouble with the Zacuto viewer though as it never looks sharp to me. Your mileage may vary.

Actually I wish Sony offered a general peaking adjustment for that flip out independent of the color peaking. Also it would be cool to have a B/W option like they have for the rear viewfinder as well.

It might work better with a longer arm and maybe Hoodman will come up with a simpler system but meanwhile I think this works though I haven't had a chance to try it out in the real world yet.

This whole viewfinder issue is THE biggest single issue facing the camera. I too use the Hoodman EX1 loupe but I brace the front of the LCD. Not ideal. I now resort to using the tiny EVF when outside (in clour with blue low peaking) as per Doug's DVD. But it is a horrible experience.

I just wish Sony would fast-track that NAB VF tube. After testing the Zacuto at NAB I actually preferred the picture on the flip-out. But the Zacuto mounting was very solid.

I bought a decent monitor and refuse to spend any more time spinning my wheels on the matter.

Peter,
How do you brace the front of the LCD?

Andrew.
I always use a monitor and have a TVLogic mounted on the camera all the time, It works great indoors and I don't need an EVF - but outdoors its hard to see even with a good hood and if you are doing anything like run & gun B roll work a viewfinder is essential outdoors.

For me this looks like a workable but still less than ideal solution. Might be better if Hoodman creates a better mounting connection though frankly this worked pretty well. (Don't know if there are enough F3 users out there for hoodman to invest any R&D though) I don't have a hoodcrane yet and didn't want to buy the one in the store because it was in a full package with the hoodloupe of which I already have 2. For me its about a $110 investment to make this work. For all the pieces closer to $270 though. Of course the pieces are useable on other cameras as well.

Leonard my situation may be different than yours. I have an EX3 as well.

It became clear within an hour of getting the F3 that a proper EVF would be essential for run and gun work or a more casual shooting style. Like you I have spent a lot of time trying to get a decent EVF happening on the F3 but the solutions out there are garbage in my view. Less than half a minute with any of the EVFs, Zacuto and Cineroid have caused me to pass them by. Rather than fight the current, I decided to get a decent monitor and use my EX3 for for handheld and the EFP/event work I do. The F3 is a wonderful camera but it is not a handheld friendly camera, at least not yet.

I don't have the time in my day to continually try to get this camera to do what it won't do.

I have also found that it is very easy to get the EX to match F3 because many of the gamma settings are the same and the color is similar.

Andrew,

I use my F3 exactly the same way I used my EX-1 for handheld and except for the EVF problem find them almost equally useable. I don't get all the complaints to be honest.
Only difference is that my DOF of course is lower and more critical and I have to switch between 2-3 zoom lenses but that's not too bad especially because the pics are stunning. It does seem harder to focus than the EX-1 though I assume that's just the lower DOF. Its useable though.

Peter,
How do you brace the front of the LCD?


I used a Noga arm mounted to the rails by a Zacuto adaptor and locked the arm in front of the LCD stopping it from moving forward. the vinyl padding of the Hoodman stopped any scratching on the back of the LCD.

But... I have a huge Vocas MB450 MB on the front and need to slide the rails in and out to accomodate different lenses, so the brace has had to go.