Okay for the Z300 but what about the NX800/Z200?

A UK retailer says "yes - it will slide onto the LCD screen" - but I'm not so sure about fixing it securely in place and a fair bit of dosh to get wrong.

Any views on this or indeed any experience of using the finder? I really need a loupe/finder for my target of insects up close in bright sunshine.

Ron

The model of Z-Finder made for the Z300 will fit over the Z200's LCD screen, but the camera's LCD mount is not strong enough to hold it in place and it just flops down. Don't waste your time.

Okay for the Z300 but what about the NX800/Z200?

A UK retailer says "yes - it will slide onto the LCD screen" - but I'm not so sure about fixing it securely in place and a fair bit of dosh to get wrong.

Any views on this or indeed any experience of using the finder? I really need a loupe/finder for my target of insects up close in bright sunshine.

Ron

As Doug says. In the majority of situations adding the weight of a loupe is just too much for the flip LCD on most cameras. The LCD and VF immediately flip downward due to gravity.

Having this problem with m Z280 in strong sunlight, especially with the sun behind me, I had to find a solution.

I'm not saying this is a solution for you, but it might be worth considering as it is pretty cheap and quite flexible in use. You need to measure the thickness of your LCD, front to back, top and bottom edges. If the LCD is 12mm thick this may work for you. If it's over 12 mm with modification it could still work. About that later.

What I found that works on a few 3.5" Sony screens is a Zaccuto Z-Finder that was built for a camera that is hardly on today's top seller list. It's the Zacuto Z-Finder Pro for the now long gone Canon C100 which came with a 3.5 inch LCD, same dimensions as the Z280 and many other Sony models. I believe the Z200 and NX800 also have 3.5" screens, so the following may work. I paid $72 for a mint condition one in its original box with all its bits and documentation. They pop up quite frequently on eBay

Look at the attached image. This image is just to give you an idea of what I am talking about. As my Z280 is out on a job I just used the FX6 just to demonstrate the principle involved. So obviously it's not fitting the LCD like it does on the Z280. But it should give you an idea of what I'm getting at.

The Z-Finders come with a 1/4" 20 threaded hole on each side of the Z-Finder's body. What you see here is the Z-Finder connected to a Magic Arm. The Magic Arm is connected to the FX6's top handle's 1/4" 20 socket. Likewise, the Z200 and the NX800 have 1/4" 20 threaded mounts on the top handle, so a similar setup should be possible.

With this setup the correct amount of tension on the Magic Arm allows you to move, angle up / down your LCD for best shooting position. You can of course lock the whole setup down solid so there is no movement. I generally keep it tensioned so nothing moves unless I want to reposition the LCD / Loupe position.

Getting back modifications. I've seen similar solutions with filed down top retainers and where the body of the Z-Finder is held in place with 3M Hook and Loop, very strong or with Velcro to the LCD. But in 99% of cases it still needed the Magic Arm solution

I discovered this solution from Eric Naso over ten years ago.

Chris Young.

Watch the following video:

https://eriknaso.com/2014/05/25/get-your-zacuto-c100-z-finder-pro-to-stay-in-place-without-z-bands/

The Z200/NX800 both come equipped with a very nice OLED EVF. So what is wrong with just using that? I could see adding a loupe over the LCD or a 3rd-party EVF to make the camera more ergonmic for handheld/shouldermount shooting, but for filming insects on a tripod, I'd just use the normal OLED and not add anything to the camera.

True!

The Z280 is back. A few pix of the Z-Finder on the Z280.

Chris Young

Chris, it looks like it would be difficult to change the angle of the Z-Finder on-the-fly while shooting.

Sort of the same issue I have with the EVF on my A1 - the picture looks great, but I have to position my head in the exact same place everytime because the angle cannot be changed, regardless of where the camera is pointed.

Doug.

If you have the friction tension on the arm 'just right' the VF just stays wherever you place it. Just as Naso shows in his video. You don't have to lock it down unless you want to. Yet you have the freedom of repositioning the LCD. I actually just adjust the actual LCD and the arm follows.

Watch from around 1.33 in the following video.

Chris Young

How To Make The Zacuto C100 Z-Finder Pro Stay In Position - YouTube

Chris, thanks for the video and explanation. I'm glad that works for you guys, but it wouldn't work for me. That mount is way too floppy and, as shown in the video, prone to titling to the side and going crooked to the horizon. I also suspect that if it is loose enough to move without turning the knob, it won't be firm enough when I press my eye firmly against it. Like I said, if it works for you, great, but it's not for me.

Doug, agreed, not a solution for everyone like most things in life.

It's all up to how much you tighten it. I can tighten it to the degree something would break if I applied too much pressure to the eyepiece. Or I can tighten it to the point I can press firmly while viewing and reposition the VF very easily.

I'm using a SHAPE FX6 VF flop stopper that has adjustable tension a bit like a fluid head with an adjustable lock. This setup offers a very similar degree of control. Albeit with the addition of an extra lump of metal being the Magic Arm, but I find that not too much of an impediment to have access to a decent optical VF with diopter adjustment, as my eyes sure aren't getting any better.

Chris Young

https://www.shapewlb.com/products/shape-sony-fx6-lcd-monitor-loupe-support