Cavision on 5D?

[Bill Pryor]

Has anybody with a 5DMKII used the Cavision loupe system?
Canon 5D Mark II Accessories

I like the swingaway aspect of it for the 7D I haven't quiet decided on yet. Available at B&H, along with nice shoulder mount, etc. I know that both Hoodman with the Redrock micro loupe, and Zacuto have adjustable diopters, while Cavision is just a magnifier.

[Bill Pryor]

Actually, this is the package I'd probably want:

Cavision | RS5DM2SET-S DSLR Shoulder Mount Package | RS5DM2SET-S

But I'm still concerned over the magnifier, ie., would it be too much?

[Christopher Lovenguth]

Bill you've got me interested in this now too. There is also an option for one with a follow focus for $850.

I can't find any reviews of this product anywhere. Has anyone used this and has some thoughts on it?

[Bill Pryor]

I have a friend with a Cavision shoulder mount for a Z1 that's very similar to this, and he has the matte box too. It's very nicely made. I got email from the Cavision guy last night. I had asked about the magnifier on the eyecup. He said it is, indeed, not an adjustable diopter like Zacuto and Hoodman, but that you can see the entire LCD. I like the big size of it too, as well as the swing-away capability.

It's hard to find on their site, but Redrock makes a $55 bracket designed to hold the Hoodman 3.0 in place. Go to Redrock to track down the loupe and then Hoodman or B&H to find the 3.0. It looks as if you unscrew the eyepiece from the hood, slip over the Redrock bracket, put the eyepiece back on, and you're set. It mounts onto the bottom of the camera and looks more solid than the Zacuto which clamps on to a frame you stick onto the camera body. And the Hoodman 3.0 has an adjustable diopter. But, I like the more massive size of the Cavision better. Just wonder what the non adjustable magnifier would be like. I do wear glasses. What I might do is go for the Hoodman/Redrock but get the Cavision shoulder mount setup. I already have a mattebox.

[Bill Koehler]

Looks like you missed this thread by Bruce Foreman where he demos the CAVision unit.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/photo-hd...ef-s-lens.html

[Bruce Foreman]

I have a CAVISION viewfinder kit for my Canon T1i and find the lack of diopter adjustment poses NO PROBLEM for me. I, too, wear glasses and am able to see the entire LCD from corner to corner very bright and clear.

Most of the time I don't need to use the T1i focus assist, the 6X eyepiece makes normal focusing quite easy (I use manual focus when doing video with this camera), and that eyepiece is LARGE.

You can see my CAVISION setup in this video:

Shallow DOF on T1i with Canon EF/EF-S lenses on Vimeo

[Bruce Foreman]

Looks like Bill and I posted at about the same time...

[Bill Pryor]

Yeah, close encounter there. I also posted a in the 5D forum. Thanks for answering my question. The main things I like about the Cavision are the swing away and the fact that the eyepiece is about the size of the standard on full size cameras. I may have to try one and see how it works with my glasses. I'm a bit far sighted, so that might be a problem. Nice thing about B&H, you can return something with no hassle if it doesn't work for you (another good reason to only buy from sponsors on this board).

[Bill Pryor]

Just got email from Bernie at Cavision. He said right now the only have the swing-away setup in the left opening model but will have the right opening one in a couple of weeks...just in time for the 7D release! I really like that swing-away option better than a hood that you have to take off. At least I think I do, from the photos. I haven't seen one in person yet.

[Ryan Koo]

Just received the Cavision eyepiece yesterday; still waiting on the swing-away adapter. First impressions: it's okay. It magnifies the image 6X, which makes it a pretty massive image. There's no diopter. I find myself curious about what a 3X would look like, actually, as I find the large image difficult to judge framing and composition (your eye has to scan the image rather than take it all in at once). Not having a 3X VF to compare it with, however, I'll reserve judgement until I have some more experience with it.

Also, they recommend a 3" adapter to bring the 3.5" VF down to the 5d's size, and it's just a rubber gasket that falls off quite easily; you'll need to tape or glue it on.

Waiting on the swing-away piece, will let you know how it works when it arrives.

[Roy Niswanger]

I have a cavision rail/shoulder mount along with the 3X eyepiece and it works good. I use a D-Focus follow focus too.

-Roy

[Glen Chua]

Is the 6X magnification too much? I heard that 3X on the original Zacuto was already pretty tough as your eyes had to scan the entire image instead of just looking at it. I've been looking at Zacuto, LCDVF, and Hoodman, and I'd like to get the LCDVF but it's pretty much impossible to find anywhere, and the Zacuto is a little bit too pricey for me. This Canavision if the 6X isn't too bad would be perfect as the company is located in my city as well.

[Jeff Krepner]

Glen, I think the 6x is fine. Just do not, not even for the slightest moment, let that thing point in anywhere near the direction of straight sunlight. I ruined the LCD screen on my camera the very first shoot with the rig. I was lucky the store let me exchange cameras. I'm now using a 58mm lens cap as a cap for the cavison finder.

Other than that, I really like the Cavision rig.


good luck

[Ryan Koo]

I posted some thoughts on the Cavision VF here:

http://nofilmschool.com/dslr/lcd-viewfinder/

[Roger Martin]

I just ordered the one for the 5D2 with grip.
As it fits 3" LCD and is totally adjustable it should fit my new D7000