Zacuto DSLR Rig

[Dan Chung]

Steve,

Understood, I've been using professional loupes for 20 years and my favourite is still a Schneider.

Dan

[Toenis Liivamaegi]

Originally Posted by Steve Weiss

Dan,
There is just so much more to it than optics. I've learned a lot about opitics in the past 6 months, Hell, it's physics and crap, but that's for our engineers. I'll tell you, I tested every dioptic loupe on the market and I only liked two, the Schneider and my Hasselblad from 1971. Such differences you can't believe. Optics is one part of it, the other is lens diameter, lens quality, how many lenses you have involved in the system and how you do the diopter. Plus all of this can change the distance to the image plane. So the drawings look like NASA stuff. But when all is said and done, it needs to work, have amazing light throughput, have edge to edge sharpness, no light falloff, correct color, block out all extraneous light, have a mounting system and a lot more. For a relatively simple device, it's pretty complex to make. Steve

Hi Steve,

Is the Z-finder's bottom edge small/short/thin enough to allow the ON/OFF button (on 5D) to work on 5D? I mean it seems to be the tallest edge of the finder http://store.zacuto.com/images/D/Zfinder_02762.jpg
By the way is that small locking lever for adjusting dioptre?

Those who have been using 35mm DOF adaptors or designed and built one do know too well what it takes to get perfect, sharp magnification via achromatic close up lens. Not too much time ago there were people who gladly paid $395 for the lens alone.

Is that Panasonic eyecup fitted too tight to the Z-finder by the way ;)...

Cheers an all the best,
T

[Dan Chung]

Steve,

Looking at the pictures am I missing something or are you just using a stock $150 Schneider 3x loupe and added an interface for the 5d and an eyecup to it? I'd be reassured of the price if you could tell me you've optimised the optics in some way.

Also, as I asked before, is the velcro sufficiently strong to take the rough and tumble of daily use by people like me in fast moving situations? Have you tested it running around and bumping it.

Dan

[Toenis Liivamaegi]

Originally Posted by Dan Chung

Steve,

Looking at the pictures am I missing something or are you just using a stock $150 Schneider 3x loupe and added an interface for the 5d and an eyecup to it? I'd be reassured of the price if you could tell me you've optimised the optics in some way.

Also, as I asked before, is the velcro sufficiently strong to take the rough and tumble of daily use by people like me in fast moving situations? Have you tested it running around and bumping it.

Dan

Sorry for off topic but:

Just pick one Schneider Loupes : Teamwork Digital Ltd, Suppliers of Professional Digital and Large Format Photographic Equipment and add a replacement rubber eyepiece from Panasonic HVX200 (order from here Specialized Communications Corporation - Professional Quality Video Equipment - Knowledgeable Sales Staff - Expert Service). Now we know why Z-finder must be so whacky looking from the side - it's a side effect of using off the shelf parts. But for how much would one make a mould a pour that rubbery looking part?

I still don't know anything more secure than those LCD popup hoods (http://i19.ebayimg.com/06/i/001/3b/c7/2dfb_2.JPG) that attach to the optical viewfinder frame but even those must be taped a bit to assure really strong fit. (I have one here on my desk, hint hint) Using such a frame, without the popup hood part would give quite a good mounting point for those loupes.

T

[Dan Chung]

Toenis,

If you look at my rig on the earlier links you will see I've been using a modified LCD pop up shade for a while now. I'm pretty sure this is the best mounting option for a loupe, and I have mine re-enforced with gaffer tape (looks ugly but works well)

If the Zacuto finder is not all that great when tested I'd be tempted to have another go at making a new version of my finder using a Schneider Loupe, Eyepiece and a custom rubber moulding.

Dan

[Ray Bell]

Thanks for supplying the link to the 5D Mark II LCD hood on ebay, didn't
know they were on the market yet....

I have the one for the 40D that requires more modification to align the
frame...

I ordered the new 5D MKII one to see if it will work better with the
hoodman setup.

In the mean time, I found that you can use the small bungy cords
that the girls use for their hair pony tails. They are small and don't
look too bad as they are at least black in color and wont scratch the
camera...

Also considering this is the Zacuto thread... I'd like to get one but its
a little out of my price range... but it does look like a great product.

[Vladimir Chaloupka]

I have the Hoodman, and I also pre-ordered the Zacuto Z-finder--will post a review once I get it (hopefully mid-May?)

[Sean Seah]

Hi Vladimir, any updates on the comparison?

[Wayne Avanson]

I got one of the lcd shades for the 5d2, took off the shades etc and glued the hoodloup to it. I then put a little bit of black electrician's tape on the inside join for extra security and to block out any light getting in. Looks pretty cool and is much more secure than using Hoodman's elastic ties. It comes off easier too.

Getting the hang of using the hoodloup now too with practice. Not perfect but not bad for the price.

Still waiting to hear if anyone can do a direct comparison between the Hoodman Hoodloup and a Schneider or ZFinder.

[Nigel Barker]

Wayne, what sort of glue did you use? I have just got to the stage of destroying my LCD shade by pulling off the side & top shades. I thought perhaps a hot glue gun would be needed for fixing the rubber Hoodloupe to the plastic of the ex-shade but if you have fixed it securely with some other product then I will use that.

The LCD screen is very nicely made & fits beautifully to the camera I must order myself another one. My wife hasn't let me destroy hers yet as she finds it very effective. We were out this afternoon at the Cannes Film Festival (as spectators not exhibitors:-) & did some shooting of the crowds, pavilions & general hubbub. In the bright sunshine her screen worked great.

Another thing. I now understand why the Hoodloupe comes in its own neat little zippered bag. The soft rubber that it is finished with attracts fluff, hairs & dirt that stick to it very easily & are difficult to remove.

[Jeremy Nicholl]

Is your shade specifically for the 5d2? I was in the UK recently and the closest I could find was for the 40d; I was able to make that fit the 5d2 by trimming the inside of the frame, then gluing the hoodman on, but I'd rather have the right frame if it exists.

Do you mean double-sided electrician's tape? Doesn't it leave gunk on the screen when you remove the shade/hoodman? I tried heavy duty gaffer tape on the outside of the shade/hoodman to fix it to the body for extra security, but since I need to remove the shade/hoodman regularly I found that impractical. The best solution I've found is to use the elastic ties to secure the shade/hoodman, so the assembly is both tied and clipped onto the camera at the viewfinder. It's reasonably secure and also easy to remove.

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Nicholl

Is your shade specifically for the 5d2?

This is the shade that I bought LCD Pop-Up Screen Hood Shade Cover for CANON 5D Mark II - eBay (item 250405177379 end time May-11-09 00:15:56 PDT) It's very nicely made, fits well & is excellent as an LCD shade even before you start adapting it for the Hoodloupe. I have bought other cheap accesories for the 5D from the same supplier which are all very well made & cheap e.g. battery grip & a remote control & an interval timer.

[Joseph Stunzi]

I had the opportunity to walk around the NAB show with a Zacuto DSLR rig and Z-finder for 4 days in Vegas last month. I saw this thread pop up again on my subscriptions and wanted to offer some input. Steve was kind enough to lend me a rig for the week and I got some amazing shots (thanks in part to the ergonomics of the thing).

First of all, I will say this... if you're looking for super discreet, these rigs aren't the way to go. I got stopped everywhere I turned with people asking me questions about my rig! It was nice to just rest the thing on my hip and walk around, but it's not as compact of a solution as using the camera alone.

When I went to Chicago last November, I took the 5D2 out and about without a tripod or anything. And as you can see in my film Millennium (Millennium on Vimeo) the amount of usable footage I obtained was limited by my poor handling. Whereas at NAB, I got a lot more usable stuff due to the stability of this rig design.

I checked out the options from Redrock, Cinevate, Hoodman, and Cavision and I'll say I like the Zacuto best for my style of shooting.

Originally Posted by Dan Chung

I've jury rigged a Hoodsock to the 5DmkII and I can't really see how the image could be much better.

The Hood-Pro Sock-Loupe has a +7 diopter only. The Z-Finder V1 (like I had at NAB) had an adjustable diopter. Additionally the new Z-Finder V2 will have superior optics, a true 50mm lens, and an even larger range of diopter adjustability. But hey post a picture if you got it to work... I'm curious!

Originally Posted by Toenis Liivamaegi

Is the Z-finder's bottom edge small/short/thin enough to allow the ON/OFF button (on 5D) to work on 5D? By the way is that small locking lever for adjusting dioptre? Is that Panasonic eyecup fitted too tight to the Z-finder by the way ;)...

Bottom edge leaves plenty of room for the ON/OFF switch on the 5D. You adjust diopter by twisting the eye cup (in the V1). The eyecup fits perfectly fine in my opinion. Easy enough for me to switch when I adjusted the diopter on mine. Also... the V2 will focus using a separate ring instead of twisting the eye piece.

Originally Posted by Dan Chung

Looking at the pictures am I missing something or are you just using a stock $150 Schneider 3x loupe and added an interface for the 5d and an eyecup to it? I'd be reassured of the price if you could tell me you've optimised the optics in some way.

Also, as I asked before, is the velcro sufficiently strong to take the rough and tumble of daily use by people like me in fast moving situations? Have you tested it running around and bumping it.

My velcro didn't fall off after four days of constant show use (not to mention shooting in the desert with Philip Bloom). Don't be mistaken... it's not just a Schneider loupe... it's specifically optimized for the 5D2. There's a very high tolerance interface coupler that gives you a fairly exact distance in order to get a sharp image. It's my understanding that without that correct distance, the optics will not be crisp and sharp.

Originally Posted by Dan Chung

If the Zacuto finder is not all that great when tested I'd be tempted to have another go at making a new version of my finder using a Schneider Loupe, Eyepiece and a custom rubber moulding.

I dunno about other users out there making this... but I do know that Zacuto released the first version to rapidly get it to the market to meet users demand. However, the second version of the Z-finder is supposed to be much improved. The skirt is shortened... the lens tube is longer (to help ppl like me with extreme nearsightedness). I found a picture on their website. Zacuto USA 888-294-3456 | Prototypes I also read that Steve will replace your V1 optics for V2 as well!


I checked out the Cavision and Hoodman loupes and wasn't a fan myself. They seemed to be flimsy and not well made. And there are tons of support solutions out there as you already know. I liked my experience with the Zacuto rig because I could customize it to my body with 5 points of contact for stellar stability... and have the sharp crisp optics I'd expect using the Z-finder accessory. That's my $0.02... take it or leave it.

[Wayne Avanson]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

Wayne, what sort of glue did you use? I have just got to the stage of destroying my LCD shade by pulling off the side & top shades. I thought perhaps a hot glue gun would be needed for fixing the rubber Hoodloupe to the plastic of the ex-shade but if you have fixed it securely with some other product then I will use that.

The LCD screen is very nicely made & fits beautifully to the camera I must order myself another one. My wife hasn't let me destroy hers yet as she finds it very effective. We were out this afternoon at the Cannes Film Festival (as spectators not exhibitors:-) & did some shooting of the crowds, pavilions & general hubbub. In the bright sunshine her screen worked great.

Another thing. I now understand why the Hoodloupe comes in its own neat little zippered bag. The soft rubber that it is finished with attracts fluff, hairs & dirt that stick to it very easily & are difficult to remove.

I used Evo-Stick 'SERIOUS GLUE' Fix and Repair adhesive from the local B&Q hardware store. Seems pretty solid. Comes in a silver tube with a black top. LOT NO: A80723220855. I can confirm that it is pretty damn serious as it takes ages to coax it out of the tube…

I did try the Evostick multi purpose Impact adhesive first but that lasted all of half an hour.

Mine's the same shade as Nigel mentions above. Took a little while to arrive, but it is good quality and the sides and clear bit come off easily enough. A nice fit to the camera too, not too tight, but not too loose. bob-on in fact. Shame to take it apart really. Might get another one sometime.

Am interested in the interval timer Nigel, is it good then? did my first timeleapse yesterday using the canon software on a MacBook Pro tethered to the 5D2. Came out sort of OK but I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING!! Ha!

Jeremy, I mean plain old matt black electrician's tape. Made by Proflex and is 20mm wide. I used it just round the inside edge of where the Hoodloup attaches to the shade frame - NOT the screen of the 5D2 itself. The way the viewfinder attachment clips onto the 5D2 seems fine for my purposes. You could always just put one strip across the outside bottom of the frame/hoodloup sticking it to the bottom of the camera where it won't do much damage if you needed extra security.

Avey

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Wayne Avanson

I used Evo-Stick 'SERIOUS GLUE' Fix and Repair adhesive from the local B&Q hardware store. Seems pretty solid. Comes in a silver tube with a black top. LOT NO: A80723220855. I can confirm that it is pretty damn serious as it takes ages to coax it out of the tube…

I need to pop into my local DIY mega-shed for some other stuff so I will look out for that.

Originally Posted by Wayne Avanson

Am interested in the interval timer Nigel, is it good then?

I haven't had a chance to try it out yet what with the thousand & one other things that demand my attention. It caught my eye when I was ordering the LCD shade & battery grip & I couldn't resist the price. It's different to the one that Jon Fairhurst used here http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/canon-eos...lawnmower.html Like the other stuff from cam.plus it looks well made & nicely finished. Even the instructions look like they may have been reviewed by a native English speaker.