Zacuto Z-Finder or IDC Viewfinder

Bill Pryor · October 17th, 2009, 12:23 PM

Yeah, I'm still going through the decision making process. Gotta do something pretty quickly.

Jaser, you can focus with it OK and there's even a great little button in the upper right back of the camera that you push once for 5X magnification, twice for 10. But for hand held work, you need the camera up against your eye for steadiness unless you're using a shoulder mount. And for exterior shooting in bright light, the LCD is not going to be great unless there's a hood. And if you're following focus, you'd need it. Because the viewfinder is deactivated when shooting video, you have to turn the LCD into a viewfinder. This is probably the major issue with the HDSLRs.

Bill Pryor · October 19th, 2009, 02:15 PM

Still vacillating here. I got a 3x magnifying glass and held it up about 3" or so from the LCD, and that is nice. That's what the Zacuto has--3X with a diopter. This is a tough decision. The camera was easy.

Jim Jolliffe · October 19th, 2009, 02:52 PM

Wooo Hoooo!!!! I ordered my 7D!!!

They came in stock at B&H. I ended up getting the kit with the 28-135mm as the body only wasn't available. Now the body is available but I'm glad I ordered the kit as I can sell the lens on eBay in the UK for way more than I paid for it.

Anyway, they also had the Z-Finder in stock too so I bit the bullet and ordered that as well. It was a complete spur of the moment thing. I'll give it a go and see how secure it feels and how much it steams up. I may buy the z-bands too.
If I'm not happy with it, I'll just sell it, as in the UK I'm sure I can get what I paid for it.

I intend to use my camera with the BlackRapid strap (RS-5 R-Strap BlackRapid.com), so I think I'll attach a small line from the Z-Finder to the little connector that connects the strap to the camera. That way if the finder unclips it will just dangle from the camera a little.

Bill, it is a tough choice, $400 for the Zacuto is a lot of money. I could buy a really good compact camera for that!!! I hope I've made the right choice. I won't be getting all my goodies until the beginning of Nov, but will let you know what i think of the Z-Finder then.

Jim

Bill Pryor · October 19th, 2009, 06:37 PM

The Zacuto is expensive, and I don't begrudge them that. Their products are all well built, so it's probably safe to assume this is too. It's just the attachment that I'm hesitant on.

My problem with the Cavision is that there's no diopter. A guy on here who uses it and wears glasses has no problem, but when I use this 3x magnifier to see how far I need to be from the LCD to keep it in focus, I come out at about 4" and I think the Cavision is only about 3" deep. It does move in and out a little, so that might not be a big problem. Also my magnifier might not focus at the same distance as their 6x magnifier. Also, that 6x worries me a bit, as well as the lack of a regular curved eyecup. However, it's the same size as the viewfinder on Sony broadcast cameras I've had, so I could probably get one from Sony as I did for the XH A1.

The IDC is near perfect, but it's a much smaller eyepiece and there is a diopter, but no magnification at all. After seeing the magnification, I like that and think it would in most cases eliminate the need to use the 5x and 10x button on the camera. So right now I'm leaning toward the Zacuto too, but I wish it had a bracket. It's probably just a matter of time before somebody makes one for it, like Redrock does for the Hoodman--which is yet another option, but the Hoodman and the bracket from Redrock (bracket is only $55).

Good thing about B&H--you don't like it, it's easy to return.

Jim Jolliffe · October 20th, 2009, 03:56 AM

Also, the other thing to consider with the IDC bracket is that what if you want to attach a baseplate to take 15mm bars for lens support, follow focus and matte-box? Will the IDC bracket change all the heights of these, so they don't fit or line up properly?

Bill Pryor · October 20th, 2009, 12:20 PM

Good point. They sell a follow focus too. Most matteboxes will adjust up or down on their mounts. Remember that if you use the kit lens, or any other that extends when you zoom, you can't use a normal mattebox. I have a Lee wide angle lens hood that is lightweight and screws on via a stepdown ring, so I'm set; it holds two filters. But if you want a rails system and mattebox, you've got to use lenses that don't extend when zoomed.

Mark Lyon · October 22nd, 2009, 10:01 PM

I've been using my 17-55 Canon zoom as a variable prime, and simply sliding the mattebox back and forth to accommodate changes in the lens length. Not a big deal, but you definitely have to remember it!

Matthew Nayman · October 24th, 2009, 10:13 AM

I just picked up a Z-finder yesterday, and it is fantastic. I cannot say enough good things about it. It will not fall off if you're worried, it focuses great... very robust.

My one complaint is that I have the camera far forwards on a 516 manfrotto plate. The plate is so long, and the diopter ring is so large, it actually hits the plate and cannot turn. Need to swap out for a 503 release plate... sigh.

Neil Dankoff · October 24th, 2009, 01:23 PM

I just received the Z-Finder the other day. It's amazing. I love it. It does a great job of keeping the camera steady as well. So much so that I just returned my 17-55 2.8 IS for a Canon 35mm 1.4L. This combo for handheld seems to be great.

Jim Jolliffe · November 10th, 2009, 05:11 PM

I got an email from Peter Damo asking how I was finding my Z Finder, so I thought I would post the reply here so others can read too.

My 7D, Z-Finder, and all the other bits arrived last wednesday, so I've now had a week to play with it between jobs.
I am very happy with my Z-Finder. It seems well built and is comfortable to use. I am still not sure about how secure it is mounted to the camera. In normal use, it is fine and definitely won't unclip itself unless physically taken a knock. The problem is that I like to wear my camera with a shoulder strap so the camera is hanging at my hip. Hanging like this the Z-Finder could easily get knocked off if it swings against my hip. I think I am going to try and adapt it so there is a little hand tightening screw between the base of the Z-Finder and it's mounting frame. One may do, if not one each side. Maybe the little screw would actually screw through the finder into the mounting frame.
The only other things I could get picky about are:
1) With your eye to the Finder you can't see 100% of the screen, you have to move you eye around a little to see all four corners.
2) The illumination from the screen light up the inside of the Finder creating annoying distractions. It would be better if the inside if the finder was matte black to reduce these 'kicks'.

Thats about it. I haven't tried any of the other finders but all in all I would say the Z-Finder is a very good finder and I am pretty happy with it. Not sure if the price is justified but hey, I bought it now so, so what, it's only money ;-)

Bill Pryor · November 13th, 2009, 08:53 PM

I got my IDC finder last week and used it on a 10 hour shoot this week. It's great and very solid. You can pick up the camera out of your bag by the viewfinder with no worries. Diopter adjusts perfectly.

Daniel Weber · November 13th, 2009, 09:37 PM

Bill,

Good to hear that you like the IDC. I am getting ready to order a 7D system for a shoot in December and was bummed that the Zacuto is backordered until January.

Did you have any problems with the finder fogging?

Daniel Weber

Chris Hurd · November 13th, 2009, 10:38 PM

I used the iDC / Hoodman viewfinder to shoot the annual airshow at Randolph AFB last weekend and my findings concur with Bill's. Solid, rugged, dependable, available. Will write it up for the site as soon as I can.

Daniel Weber · November 13th, 2009, 11:21 PM

Thanks Chris!!

Daniel

Emmanuel Plakiotis · November 14th, 2009, 01:55 AM

I use the Hoodman viewfinder glued on a cheapo LCD screen protector that snaps on my 5DII at the optical's viewfinder eyepiece holder. It works great because you can attach/detach it in a few seconds. The hoodman piece is 1.0X which I prefer over zacuto's 3.0X because if I want more magnification I just use the camera's 5X or 10X button.
The only problem with Hoodman is that if you look a bit off-center distorts the image a bit and I find the plastic at the eye contact area a bit hard (something that can be easily corrected)

There is a thread about the above combo in DVinfo:
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-eo...hoodloupe.html

The only problem with this implementation for 7D (which I also have) is that so far no Chinese vendor has come with a LCD screen protector for the 7D. But I don't thing we have to wait much longer.

October 19th, 2009, 02:52 PM	#18
Jim Jolliffe Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: London, UK Posts: 39	Wooo Hoooo!!!! I ordered my 7D!!! They came in stock at B&H. I ended up getting the kit with the 28-135mm as the body only wasn't available. Now the body is available but I'm glad I ordered the kit as I can sell the lens on eBay in the UK for way more than I paid for it. Anyway, they also had the Z-Finder in stock too so I bit the bullet and ordered that as well. It was a complete spur of the moment thing. I'll give it a go and see how secure it feels and how much it steams up. I may buy the z-bands too. If I'm not happy with it, I'll just sell it, as in the UK I'm sure I can get what I paid for it. I intend to use my camera with the BlackRapid strap (RS-5 R-Strap BlackRapid.com), so I think I'll attach a small line from the Z-Finder to the little connector that connects the strap to the camera. That way if the finder unclips it will just dangle from the camera a little. Bill, it is a tough choice, $400 for the Zacuto is a lot of money. I could buy a really good compact camera for that!!! I hope I've made the right choice. I won't be getting all my goodies until the beginning of Nov, but will let you know what i think of the Z-Finder then. Jim __________________ www.jimjolliffe.com

October 20th, 2009, 03:56 AM	#20
Jim Jolliffe Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: London, UK Posts: 39	Also, the other thing to consider with the IDC bracket is that what if you want to attach a baseplate to take 15mm bars for lens support, follow focus and matte-box? Will the IDC bracket change all the heights of these, so they don't fit or line up properly? __________________ www.jimjolliffe.com

October 24th, 2009, 01:23 PM	#24
Neil Dankoff Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 25	Got the Z-Finder I just received the Z-Finder the other day. It's amazing. I love it. It does a great job of keeping the camera steady as well. So much so that I just returned my 17-55 2.8 IS for a Canon 35mm 1.4L. This combo for handheld seems to be great.

November 10th, 2009, 05:11 PM	#25
Jim Jolliffe Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: London, UK Posts: 39	I got an email from Peter Damo asking how I was finding my Z Finder, so I thought I would post the reply here so others can read too. My 7D, Z-Finder, and all the other bits arrived last wednesday, so I've now had a week to play with it between jobs. I am very happy with my Z-Finder. It seems well built and is comfortable to use. I am still not sure about how secure it is mounted to the camera. In normal use, it is fine and definitely won't unclip itself unless physically taken a knock. The problem is that I like to wear my camera with a shoulder strap so the camera is hanging at my hip. Hanging like this the Z-Finder could easily get knocked off if it swings against my hip. I think I am going to try and adapt it so there is a little hand tightening screw between the base of the Z-Finder and it's mounting frame. One may do, if not one each side. Maybe the little screw would actually screw through the finder into the mounting frame. The only other things I could get picky about are: 1) With your eye to the Finder you can't see 100% of the screen, you have to move you eye around a little to see all four corners. 2) The illumination from the screen light up the inside of the Finder creating annoying distractions. It would be better if the inside if the finder was matte black to reduce these 'kicks'. Thats about it. I haven't tried any of the other finders but all in all I would say the Z-Finder is a very good finder and I am pretty happy with it. Not sure if the price is justified but hey, I bought it now so, so what, it's only money ;-) __________________ www.jimjolliffe.com Last edited by Jim Jolliffe; November 11th, 2009 at 09:34 AM.

November 13th, 2009, 10:38 PM	#28
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	I used the iDC / Hoodman viewfinder to shoot the annual airshow at Randolph AFB last weekend and my findings concur with Bill's. Solid, rugged, dependable, available. Will write it up for the site as soon as I can. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

October 17th, 2009, 12:23 PM	#16
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	Yeah, I'm still going through the decision making process. Gotta do something pretty quickly. Jaser, you can focus with it OK and there's even a great little button in the upper right back of the camera that you push once for 5X magnification, twice for 10. But for hand held work, you need the camera up against your eye for steadiness unless you're using a shoulder mount. And for exterior shooting in bright light, the LCD is not going to be great unless there's a hood. And if you're following focus, you'd need it. Because the viewfinder is deactivated when shooting video, you have to turn the LCD into a viewfinder. This is probably the major issue with the HDSLRs.

October 19th, 2009, 02:15 PM	#17
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	Still vacillating here. I got a 3x magnifying glass and held it up about 3" or so from the LCD, and that is nice. That's what the Zacuto has--3X with a diopter. This is a tough decision. The camera was easy.

October 19th, 2009, 06:37 PM	#19
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	The Zacuto is expensive, and I don't begrudge them that. Their products are all well built, so it's probably safe to assume this is too. It's just the attachment that I'm hesitant on. My problem with the Cavision is that there's no diopter. A guy on here who uses it and wears glasses has no problem, but when I use this 3x magnifier to see how far I need to be from the LCD to keep it in focus, I come out at about 4" and I think the Cavision is only about 3" deep. It does move in and out a little, so that might not be a big problem. Also my magnifier might not focus at the same distance as their 6x magnifier. Also, that 6x worries me a bit, as well as the lack of a regular curved eyecup. However, it's the same size as the viewfinder on Sony broadcast cameras I've had, so I could probably get one from Sony as I did for the XH A1. The IDC is near perfect, but it's a much smaller eyepiece and there is a diopter, but no magnification at all. After seeing the magnification, I like that and think it would in most cases eliminate the need to use the 5x and 10x button on the camera. So right now I'm leaning toward the Zacuto too, but I wish it had a bracket. It's probably just a matter of time before somebody makes one for it, like Redrock does for the Hoodman--which is yet another option, but the Hoodman and the bracket from Redrock (bracket is only $55). Good thing about B&H--you don't like it, it's easy to return.

October 20th, 2009, 12:20 PM	#21
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	Good point. They sell a follow focus too. Most matteboxes will adjust up or down on their mounts. Remember that if you use the kit lens, or any other that extends when you zoom, you can't use a normal mattebox. I have a Lee wide angle lens hood that is lightweight and screws on via a stepdown ring, so I'm set; it holds two filters. But if you want a rails system and mattebox, you've got to use lenses that don't extend when zoomed.

October 22nd, 2009, 10:01 PM	#22
Mark Lyon Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Solana Beach, California USA Posts: 28	I've been using my 17-55 Canon zoom as a variable prime, and simply sliding the mattebox back and forth to accommodate changes in the lens length. Not a big deal, but you definitely have to remember it!

October 24th, 2009, 10:13 AM	#23
Matthew Nayman Major Player Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Toronto Posts: 917	I just picked up a Z-finder yesterday, and it is fantastic. I cannot say enough good things about it. It will not fall off if you're worried, it focuses great... very robust. My one complaint is that I have the camera far forwards on a 516 manfrotto plate. The plate is so long, and the diopter ring is so large, it actually hits the plate and cannot turn. Need to swap out for a 503 release plate... sigh.

November 13th, 2009, 08:53 PM	#26
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	I got my IDC finder last week and used it on a 10 hour shoot this week. It's great and very solid. You can pick up the camera out of your bag by the viewfinder with no worries. Diopter adjusts perfectly.

November 13th, 2009, 09:37 PM	#27
Daniel Weber Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Maryland, USA Posts: 696	Bill, Good to hear that you like the IDC. I am getting ready to order a 7D system for a shoot in December and was bummed that the Zacuto is backordered until January. Did you have any problems with the finder fogging? Daniel Weber

November 13th, 2009, 11:21 PM	#29
Daniel Weber Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Maryland, USA Posts: 696	Thanks Chris!! Daniel

November 14th, 2009, 01:55 AM	#30
Emmanuel Plakiotis Major Player Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 344	I use the Hoodman viewfinder glued on a cheapo LCD screen protector that snaps on my 5DII at the optical's viewfinder eyepiece holder. It works great because you can attach/detach it in a few seconds. The hoodman piece is 1.0X which I prefer over zacuto's 3.0X because if I want more magnification I just use the camera's 5X or 10X button. The only problem with Hoodman is that if you look a bit off-center distorts the image a bit and I find the plastic at the eye contact area a bit hard (something that can be easily corrected) There is a thread about the above combo in DVinfo: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-eo...hoodloupe.html The only problem with this implementation for 7D (which I also have) is that so far no Chinese vendor has come with a LCD screen protector for the 7D. But I don't thing we have to wait much longer.