Is there a cheap loupe for the 5D3 yet? at DVinfo.net

Nigel Barker · September 14th, 2012, 08:28 AM

I have been very happy with my cheap GGS loupe as an alternative to a Zacuto Z-finder for the 5D2 but unfortunately because of the larger screen on the 5D3 if I stick on a GGS frame I would obscure part of the image. Zacuto have finally produced a frame of the correct size for the Z-Finder but I am reluctant to stump up 10X the price of my old loupe. Does anyone have any suggestions for an affordable loupe for the 5D3 (don't say Hoodman - I have one it's horrible).

Stevan Ostojic · September 14th, 2012, 06:10 PM

A couple of weeks ago I purchased a Kinotehnik LCDVF and used it on a shoot last week and it seems to work well, though I have no basis for comparison as it's the only one I've used. Reasonably priced and quick delivery from Europe to Australia.

Kinotehnik - LCDVF Overview

Nigel Barker · September 15th, 2012, 04:44 AM

Thanks, that is a very good suggestion. I do have a genuine V1 LCDVFs in fact two as they revised the design & shipped another loupe to the early purchasers/beta testers as a 'Thank you' for having been so patient waiting for delivery when they started production. It is nicely made & optically excellent but because of the lack of dioptre adjustment I could never get on with it either with glasses or without nor with contacts or without. I see that the new version that fits on a 5D3 does have a dioptre adjustment so it's worth trying one for €119.

George Bean · September 15th, 2012, 09:25 AM

have one of these for my t3i, should also work with the 5d3 according to the info here:

New Gear – Swivi LCD View Finder CheesyCam

solid construction and stays attached to the camera.

Kris Koster · September 15th, 2012, 02:35 PM

Like you, I was in two minds to buy into the cheaper option. But I arrived at the decision that I couldn't compromise on critical focus and a decent way to line up the shot with something that wouldn't break easily and would do the best job possible and would have the support behind it for being future-proof. So I've never regretted the decision to go with the Z-Finder pro a few years back.

After recently upgrading it with a Zacuto EVF flip, it has been a godsend. I don't know how I managed without the EVF (of course I did), but it's superb being able to monitor without being stuck behind the camera.

Bought the EVF mainly because of the Kessler crane though - It was such a pain in the bum trying to cram my head between the Z-finder and the crane's front crossbar to line up a shot. The EVF will make life a lot easier.

The Z-finder is just bulletproof. I've lost count how many times its been dropped on concrete from a height and still comes up smiling.

What you could consider is bite the bullet and go for the Zacuto EVF if the budget can stretch to it. There are deals to be had if you buy the two as one together. I just can't recommend this kit highly enough.

Nigel Barker · September 16th, 2012, 03:55 AM

Kris, I don't want or need an EVF. I have a long HDMI cable & £100 10" monitor for when the camera is on a big jib or on a pan & tilt head up high on a lighting stand. For regular handheld/monopod/tripod use an EVF is just more clutter to be avoided. I do own a Cineroid EVF but never use it for this reason. I want the loupe so that it's easier to see the screen without putting on my reading glasses but most importantly it gives me that extra point of contact & stability when using it handheld or on a monopod (I never use a shoulder rig with the 5D3 as again it's just more junk & clutter.

I am not denying the quality of the Z-Finder but as the £40 GGS loupe works perfectly well on the 5D2 I was looking for something similar for the 5D3. Zacuto still don't have a frame for the Gorilla plate to use it with the battery pack. A colleague & I compared his Z-Finder to my cheapo loupe & in use they are pretty comparable in terms of clarity of optics & aiding accurate framing & focusing.

Peter Riding · September 16th, 2012, 10:55 AM

I have the Zacuto version before they brought out the Gorilla Plate. One thing thats alway annoyed me (apart from the price - try getting the antifog inserts from the USA!) was the ease with which the viewfinder can become detatched from the stickon frame on the camera, and this seems to have carried over to the Gorilla version as well. For safety I would alwaya keep the lanyard on the Zacuto and attach the lanyard in turn to the camera body or whatever. Likewise the rubber eyepiece can easily become dislodged and lost in the heat of battle so I have mine secured to the lanyard by means of one of those electric wire plastic ties through a hole in the rubber. Not great.

I agree the Hoodman is horrid. I got a silly overpriced bracket from Redrock to secure mine vias the tripod screw.

The new viewfinder George has linked to looks very promising. At that price its worth a punt and I ordered a few days ago. They do ship to the UK and they don't add tax.

Pete

Nigel Barker · September 16th, 2012, 12:24 PM

They don't add tax because Estonia is in the European Union.

Kris Koster · September 16th, 2012, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

Kris, I don't want or need an EVF. I have a long HDMI cable & £100 10" monitor for when the camera is on a big jib or on a pan & tilt head up high on a lighting stand.

I see, but how does that work in the sun or bright outdoor light? I have a 7" monitor and a homemade hood for it, but even so, I find it immensely frustrating to use on a sunny day. That's what I used to track a shot with my crane before the EVF. Also in terms of accurate colour representation too, what I see in the EVF I know I'm going to have when I sit at the edit suite.

The EVF just eliminates that and I find it so easy to use. Especially with the crane, I like to be in control at the front and hitching around a 7' monitor in one hand and guiding the crane in the other was just not an option.

I concur with Peter on the annoyance of the rubber eyepiece on the z-finder pro. It has dislodged itself many times with me too, I guess I just got used to it.

Although they gave me a spare antifog insert when I purchased my z-finder, I haven't lost the first one yet. Peter lost both?

Peter Riding · September 17th, 2012, 01:34 AM

Although they gave me a spare antifog insert when I purchased my z-finder, I haven't lost the first one yet. Peter lost both?

They didn't do antifog inserts when I purchased mine :- ( Apparently it didn't occur to the mighty Zacuto that fogging would be an issue when they first made these viewfinders.

I had to buy direct from the States and that cost $93.80 of which $59.80 was apparently shipping. All that on top of the actual unit. At that point I resolved that I would do anything possible to avoid purchasing anything more from them. Taking the p--s or what!

I may sell the Zacuto once the Swivi turns up, it seems to be a better thought out product anyway:

Carry Speed VF-3 Universal LCD View Finder by Carry Speed | Carry Speed Store

Nigel, not sure where Estonia came from. My transaction was all USA based, perhaps they have other arrangement for selling the 2nd wave as the 1st wave sold out on day one.

Pete

Nigel Barker · September 17th, 2012, 01:36 AM

Even on a sunny day with my 10" monitor I can usually find enough shade to view it. I would only use it for framing the shot anyway as it's not really good enough to rely on for exposure other than ensuring it's not completely blown out. I would sort out exposure before puting the camera out of reach. I suppose that I could use my Cineroid instead on the end of the HDMI cable but I definitely don't like having an EVF on the camera.

September 14th, 2012, 08:28 AM	#1
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Is there a cheap loupe for the 5D3 yet? I have been very happy with my cheap GGS loupe as an alternative to a Zacuto Z-finder for the 5D2 but unfortunately because of the larger screen on the 5D3 if I stick on a GGS frame I would obscure part of the image. Zacuto have finally produced a frame of the correct size for the Z-Finder but I am reluctant to stump up 10X the price of my old loupe. Does anyone have any suggestions for an affordable loupe for the 5D3 (don't say Hoodman - I have one it's horrible).

September 14th, 2012, 06:10 PM	#2
Stevan Ostojic New Boot Join Date: May 2010 Location: Victoria Posts: 23	Re: Is there a cheap loupe for the 5D3 yet? A couple of weeks ago I purchased a Kinotehnik LCDVF and used it on a shoot last week and it seems to work well, though I have no basis for comparison as it's the only one I've used. Reasonably priced and quick delivery from Europe to Australia. Kinotehnik - LCDVF Overview

September 15th, 2012, 04:44 AM	#3
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Re: Is there a cheap loupe for the 5D3 yet? Thanks, that is a very good suggestion. I do have a genuine V1 LCDVFs in fact two as they revised the design & shipped another loupe to the early purchasers/beta testers as a 'Thank you' for having been so patient waiting for delivery when they started production. It is nicely made & optically excellent but because of the lack of dioptre adjustment I could never get on with it either with glasses or without nor with contacts or without. I see that the new version that fits on a 5D3 does have a dioptre adjustment so it's worth trying one for €119.

September 15th, 2012, 09:25 AM	#4
George Bean Major Player Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 248	Re: Is there a cheap loupe for the 5D3 yet? have one of these for my t3i, should also work with the 5d3 according to the info here: New Gear – Swivi LCD View Finder CheesyCam solid construction and stays attached to the camera.

September 15th, 2012, 02:35 PM	#5
Kris Koster Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Gatwick, UK Posts: 185	Re: Is there a cheap loupe for the 5D3 yet? Like you, I was in two minds to buy into the cheaper option. But I arrived at the decision that I couldn't compromise on critical focus and a decent way to line up the shot with something that wouldn't break easily and would do the best job possible and would have the support behind it for being future-proof. So I've never regretted the decision to go with the Z-Finder pro a few years back. After recently upgrading it with a Zacuto EVF flip, it has been a godsend. I don't know how I managed without the EVF (of course I did), but it's superb being able to monitor without being stuck behind the camera. Bought the EVF mainly because of the Kessler crane though - It was such a pain in the bum trying to cram my head between the Z-finder and the crane's front crossbar to line up a shot. The EVF will make life a lot easier. The Z-finder is just bulletproof. I've lost count how many times its been dropped on concrete from a height and still comes up smiling. What you could consider is bite the bullet and go for the Zacuto EVF if the budget can stretch to it. There are deals to be had if you buy the two as one together. I just can't recommend this kit highly enough. __________________ http://kriskoster.com

September 16th, 2012, 03:55 AM	#6
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Re: Is there a cheap loupe for the 5D3 yet? Kris, I don't want or need an EVF. I have a long HDMI cable & £100 10" monitor for when the camera is on a big jib or on a pan & tilt head up high on a lighting stand. For regular handheld/monopod/tripod use an EVF is just more clutter to be avoided. I do own a Cineroid EVF but never use it for this reason. I want the loupe so that it's easier to see the screen without putting on my reading glasses but most importantly it gives me that extra point of contact & stability when using it handheld or on a monopod (I never use a shoulder rig with the 5D3 as again it's just more junk & clutter. I am not denying the quality of the Z-Finder but as the £40 GGS loupe works perfectly well on the 5D2 I was looking for something similar for the 5D3. Zacuto still don't have a frame for the Gorilla plate to use it with the battery pack. A colleague & I compared his Z-Finder to my cheapo loupe & in use they are pretty comparable in terms of clarity of optics & aiding accurate framing & focusing.

September 16th, 2012, 10:55 AM	#7
Peter Riding Major Player Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Reading Berkshire UK Posts: 872	Re: Is there a cheap loupe for the 5D3 yet? I have the Zacuto version before they brought out the Gorilla Plate. One thing thats alway annoyed me (apart from the price - try getting the antifog inserts from the USA!) was the ease with which the viewfinder can become detatched from the stickon frame on the camera, and this seems to have carried over to the Gorilla version as well. For safety I would alwaya keep the lanyard on the Zacuto and attach the lanyard in turn to the camera body or whatever. Likewise the rubber eyepiece can easily become dislodged and lost in the heat of battle so I have mine secured to the lanyard by means of one of those electric wire plastic ties through a hole in the rubber. Not great. I agree the Hoodman is horrid. I got a silly overpriced bracket from Redrock to secure mine vias the tripod screw. The new viewfinder George has linked to looks very promising. At that price its worth a punt and I ordered a few days ago. They do ship to the UK and they don't add tax. Pete

September 16th, 2012, 12:24 PM	#8
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Re: Is there a cheap loupe for the 5D3 yet? They don't add tax because Estonia is in the European Union.

September 17th, 2012, 01:34 AM	#10
Peter Riding Major Player Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Reading Berkshire UK Posts: 872	Re: Is there a cheap loupe for the 5D3 yet? Although they gave me a spare antifog insert when I purchased my z-finder, I haven't lost the first one yet. Peter lost both? They didn't do antifog inserts when I purchased mine :- ( Apparently it didn't occur to the mighty Zacuto that fogging would be an issue when they first made these viewfinders. I had to buy direct from the States and that cost $93.80 of which $59.80 was apparently shipping. All that on top of the actual unit. At that point I resolved that I would do anything possible to avoid purchasing anything more from them. Taking the p--s or what! I may sell the Zacuto once the Swivi turns up, it seems to be a better thought out product anyway: Carry Speed VF-3 Universal LCD View Finder by Carry Speed \| Carry Speed Store Nigel, not sure where Estonia came from. My transaction was all USA based, perhaps they have other arrangement for selling the 2nd wave as the 1st wave sold out on day one. Pete

September 17th, 2012, 01:36 AM	#11
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Re: Is there a cheap loupe for the 5D3 yet? Even on a sunny day with my 10" monitor I can usually find enough shade to view it. I would only use it for framing the shot anyway as it's not really good enough to rely on for exposure other than ensuring it's not completely blown out. I would sort out exposure before puting the camera out of reach. I suppose that I could use my Cineroid instead on the end of the HDMI cable but I definitely don't like having an EVF on the camera.