Z-Finder

Khoi Pham · March 4th, 2010, 08:17 AM

It might be over price, but it is the only good one that has a diopter adjustment, the lcdvf might be a good choice for people with good eye sight, also this one on ebay

Loupe Master 3" LCD Hood Canon 5D Mark II Nikon D300s en venta en eBay.es (finaliza el 11-feb-10 03:16:21 H.Esp)
but if you don't want to worry about the loop not staying on right or having to constantly adjuting it to stay on the screen or worry about pressing it too hard on your eyes and it might move, when you are on a important shoot, you don't need all that crap, you need everything to work right so you can concentrate on your work and if you missed a shot because the loop slip or you got an out of focus shot or whatever, you will wish that you are not so cheap and should have bought that expensive piece of plastic and a magnifying glass... and BTW I don't work for them ok, I'm just giving you my experience with it, it is pretty hard to focus on the fly if you are doing event like me using the lcd without peaking and so if it can help me focus and get the job done right, $375.00 is nothing for the life of it.

Jesse Haycraft · March 4th, 2010, 10:33 AM

The LCDVF is just as well built as the Z-Finder, FYI. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY, difference is the lack of a diopter adjustment. But I've heard that it works fine with reading glasses anyway.

As an aside, while this doesn't apply to the LCDVF, if you want a set with no troubles or fiddling whatsoever, then you should stay as FAR away from DSLR's as possible...

Lance Watts · March 4th, 2010, 11:43 AM

Actually, there is another difference between the LCDVF and the Z-Finder. There have been some reports from the field that the LCDVF adhesive is failing in extreme temperatures.

Michael Simons · March 4th, 2010, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khoi Pham

It might be over price, but it is the only good one that has a diopter adjustment...

Thanks Khoi. I am going to keep it and use it as another tool. Plus the $85 LED light is a nice light so that's like taking $85 off Z-Finder price.

Jon Fairhurst · March 4th, 2010, 11:47 AM

Note that Hoodman has the HoodLoupe and will release a magnifier and large eyecup any day now. No word on pricing, but considering that the HoodLoupe is under $100 and this is an accessory, it should be reasonable.

RedRock Micro makes a solid mount for the Hoodloupe. My only complaint is that it's not easy to remove and install quickly. (It fits between camera and tripod plate.) If you have an LCD monitor for tripod/dolly use, this isn't a problem. You can just leave the loupe on all the time.

The one weakness of the HoodLoupe is that if your eye gets off center, the image will be soft. Well, that and fog, which can affect any piece of glass near your eye. (Use an anti-fog wipe.) From what I hear, the new magnifier and eyecup totally solve the off-center softness issue.

James Strange · March 18th, 2010, 07:57 AM

Just got my Z finder the other day, and I have to say, I'm not totally overjoyed with it.

As far as I know, I have normal eyesight.

But while using the Z-finder, I found that it was quite a strain on my eye, like I aws focussing on something that was too close to ym eye if that makes sense.

I think maybe the LCDVF might be a better option as its only 2X magnification, whereas the Z-finder is 3X

Anyone else had this problem with the Z-Finder?

James

Khoi Pham · March 18th, 2010, 09:07 AM

The reason you eyes strain is because the diopter was not adjust right for your normal eye sight and so your eyes has to refocus and work harder (good eye sight can do that), so what you have to do is briefly look at it and remove your eyes from it don't give it a chance to refocus and see it sharply, I use the menu and look for the square pixel inside the white letter, so look for that the first second you put your eyes to it, if you don't see the black square pixel, remove your eyes from it and turn a few turn and look again, keep doing that until you see the sharpest square pixel as possible, do not keep your eyes on it as you turn because strong eyes sight can refocus and so if it has to refocus it is working harder and gives your eye fatigue after a while.

Jon Braeley · March 18th, 2010, 09:23 AM

I am not sure myself about magnifying the LCD screen - it is just blowing pixels up in size. I will stick with 1:1 right now and use the cam's zoom-in button on the top-right. I still like a hood for daytime though. I havent tried the LCDVF this may be better for me than 1:3 as you point out.

March 4th, 2010, 08:17 AM	#16
Khoi Pham Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Dallas Posts: 747	It might be over price, but it is the only good one that has a diopter adjustment, the lcdvf might be a good choice for people with good eye sight, also this one on ebay Loupe Master 3" LCD Hood Canon 5D Mark II Nikon D300s en venta en eBay.es (finaliza el 11-feb-10 03:16:21 H.Esp) but if you don't want to worry about the loop not staying on right or having to constantly adjuting it to stay on the screen or worry about pressing it too hard on your eyes and it might move, when you are on a important shoot, you don't need all that crap, you need everything to work right so you can concentrate on your work and if you missed a shot because the loop slip or you got an out of focus shot or whatever, you will wish that you are not so cheap and should have bought that expensive piece of plastic and a magnifying glass... and BTW I don't work for them ok, I'm just giving you my experience with it, it is pretty hard to focus on the fly if you are doing event like me using the lcd without peaking and so if it can help me focus and get the job done right, $375.00 is nothing for the life of it. __________________ Khoi Pham www.proeditproductions.com

March 4th, 2010, 11:47 AM	#20
Jon Fairhurst Inner Circle Join Date: May 2006 Location: Camas, WA, USA Posts: 5,513	Note that Hoodman has the HoodLoupe and will release a magnifier and large eyecup any day now. No word on pricing, but considering that the HoodLoupe is under $100 and this is an accessory, it should be reasonable. RedRock Micro makes a solid mount for the Hoodloupe. My only complaint is that it's not easy to remove and install quickly. (It fits between camera and tripod plate.) If you have an LCD monitor for tripod/dolly use, this isn't a problem. You can just leave the loupe on all the time. The one weakness of the HoodLoupe is that if your eye gets off center, the image will be soft. Well, that and fog, which can affect any piece of glass near your eye. (Use an anti-fog wipe.) From what I hear, the new magnifier and eyecup totally solve the off-center softness issue. __________________ Jon Fairhurst

March 18th, 2010, 07:57 AM	#21
James Strange Major Player Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK Posts: 309	Eye strain with Z finder? Just got my Z finder the other day, and I have to say, I'm not totally overjoyed with it. As far as I know, I have normal eyesight. But while using the Z-finder, I found that it was quite a strain on my eye, like I aws focussing on something that was too close to ym eye if that makes sense. I think maybe the LCDVF might be a better option as its only 2X magnification, whereas the Z-finder is 3X Anyone else had this problem with the Z-Finder? James

March 18th, 2010, 09:07 AM	#22
Khoi Pham Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Dallas Posts: 747	The reason you eyes strain is because the diopter was not adjust right for your normal eye sight and so your eyes has to refocus and work harder (good eye sight can do that), so what you have to do is briefly look at it and remove your eyes from it don't give it a chance to refocus and see it sharply, I use the menu and look for the square pixel inside the white letter, so look for that the first second you put your eyes to it, if you don't see the black square pixel, remove your eyes from it and turn a few turn and look again, keep doing that until you see the sharpest square pixel as possible, do not keep your eyes on it as you turn because strong eyes sight can refocus and so if it has to refocus it is working harder and gives your eye fatigue after a while. __________________ Khoi Pham www.proeditproductions.com

March 4th, 2010, 10:33 AM	#17
Jesse Haycraft Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 57	The LCDVF is just as well built as the Z-Finder, FYI. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY, difference is the lack of a diopter adjustment. But I've heard that it works fine with reading glasses anyway. As an aside, while this doesn't apply to the LCDVF, if you want a set with no troubles or fiddling whatsoever, then you should stay as FAR away from DSLR's as possible...

March 4th, 2010, 11:43 AM	#18
Lance Watts Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 69	Actually, there is another difference between the LCDVF and the Z-Finder. There have been some reports from the field that the LCDVF adhesive is failing in extreme temperatures.

March 18th, 2010, 09:23 AM	#23
Jon Braeley Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 528	I am not sure myself about magnifying the LCD screen - it is just blowing pixels up in size. I will stick with 1:1 right now and use the cam's zoom-in button on the top-right. I still like a hood for daytime though. I havent tried the LCDVF this may be better for me than 1:3 as you point out.