Attaching the Hoodloupe

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Rickey Brillantes

This is from Bruce Dorn's website, this is good if your not using the battery grip, but the way he mounts it I think is sturdier.

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It's a nice way of fixing it to the camera but it does cost $199 vs. $80 for the Hoodloupe alone (although you do save on the $20 rubber band) & you are still stuck with using the less than perfect Hoodloupe.

[Wayne Avanson]

Fret ye not Nigel, I too have taken a needle and thread to the iCuff.

I discovered that pushing the iCuff forward a bit towards the hoodloup made a very nice shape for comfort of use. Also it's slightly nearer (by a few mm) the eyepiece of the hoodloup but not touching it and still great for getting your eye on the sweet spot easily.

So to make sure the gathered material stayed where it was, I sewed it. Boy that material's tough. You could never accuse iCuff of using second rate material that's for sure.


As an aside, I bought an eyepatch from the chemist for £1.70 for my other eye. The benefits are that I can keep both eyes open for comfort and it's much darker than just closing the eyelid.

AND!!! you get to look like a Pirate while you're filming! Childish but funny.

[Glen Elliott]

I thought I heard that RedRock was coming out with a solution that mounts your loupe at the correct height on 15mm rails. If this is the case it would be the best solution. No sticky velcro or ridiculous contraptions to hold it "on".

[Jon Fairhurst]

Originally Posted by Wayne Avanson

AND!!! you get to look like a Pirate while you're filming! Childish but funny.

By Jove, I've got it! Rather than a Loupe, we just need the iCuff on the camera. And we need to wear a monocle! It will always stay centered on the eye. And it makes us look like old money.

The pirate patch on the other eye is optional...

[Wayne Avanson]

Aah, so you're going the monocle/tweed suit direction are you? I'm sticking with the eye patch and frilly shirt.

Parrot is optional…

[Wayne Avanson]

Originally Posted by Glen Elliott

I thought I heard that RedRock was coming out with a solution that mounts your loupe at the correct height on 15mm rails. If this is the case it would be the best solution. No sticky velcro or ridiculous contraptions to hold it "on".

But what if you don't want to be lugging your rods system about? Just want pop it out of the camera bag and slap on a lightweight tripod and do some quick shots?

I think attaching to the camera with a quick easy way to slip it off when you want is the best.

personal choice obviously.

Avey

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Wayne Avanson

But what if you don't want to be lugging your rods system about? Just want pop it out of the camera bag and slap on a lightweight tripod and do some quick shots?

I think attaching to the camera with a quick easy way to slip it off when you want is the best.

I agree & there are at least three different ways to firmly attach a loupe as alternatives to Velcro, a rubber band, $20 O-ring or elasticated hair band. You can use the hot shoe or the tripod screw or the route that you & I have chosen gluing to the frame of an LCD shade that clips over the optical viewfinder.

Evidently the optics in the Z-Finder are vastly superior to the Hoodloupe as it uses the lens assembly out of the Schneider 6x7 3X loupe. The Schneider loupe isn't that much more expensive than the Hoodloupe ($150 vs $80) but unfortunately you can't just take a Schneider 6x7 3X loupe & use it in place of the Hoodloupe as the base is too large for the LCD screen. This is the reason for the extra $250 cost of the Z-finder as in addition to a comfy eye cup they have replaced the base of the Schneider loupe with one that does fit the screen.

Perhaps the Schneider optics could be married with the Hoodloupe base?

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Wayne Avanson

Aah, so you're going the monocle/tweed suit direction are you? I'm sticking with the eye patch and frilly shirt.

Either choice is definitely more macho than Ray Bell's suggestion to "go to walmart and get two of those small black bungi cords that the girls use to tie their hair back"

[Nigel Barker]

I had been thinking that producing a clip-on loupe with good quality optics for the 5D would be an opportunity for some enterprising person & see that this has become reality. LCD ViewFinder for Canon 5D Mark II - $169!

[Wayne Avanson]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

Either choice is definitely more macho than Ray Bell's suggestion to "go to walmart and get two of those small black bungi cords that the girls use to tie their hair back"

Ha! Fair point. Although I have loads of those which I use as Studio Mic cradles so perhaps this pirate isn't as butch as he likes to think he is…

[Wayne Avanson]

I'll wait to see what other people think of it when it comes out.

I'm quite happy with the Hoodloup at the moment, now that I've got the iCuff on it and it's fixed to the frame and clipping on easily enough.

besides, I've bought enough stuff for this cam for now I think!

[Steve Cahill]

I use the end of a sock over the Hoodman's eye cup. Price is right and socks are always available. I have since dusted the rubber bands and and used velcro. Pic from iPhone.

[Ray Bell]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

Either choice is definitely more macho than Ray Bell's suggestion to "go to walmart and get two of those small black bungi cords that the girls use to tie their hair back"

Ha, Ha... Nigel, I'll use the black ones and you can use the pink ones.. :-)

[Victor Bieganek]

I just bought the 3X Hoodman and I attached it with two long rubber-bands. It looks a little sketchy but its a whole lot better than nothing. I am pretty impressed so-far with the results.

[Peter Jordan]

Steve, where'd you get your velcro? The adhesive on the stuff I have keeps peeling off ...