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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Pimp My Rig
Allen Murabayashi, Photographer
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New York | NY | USA | Posted: 4:35 AM on 03.03.11 |
->> just another viewfinder to checkout.
grover and i were at WPPI and stopped by the MAC Group booth. They rep a company called cinevate, which makes the "cyclops."
http://www.cinevate.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=44
we were stunned.
it's even more expensive than the zacuto, but it was without a doubt, the best product i've ever seen. |
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Dominick Reuter, Photographer
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Cambridge | MA | USA | Posted: 11:30 AM on 03.03.11 |
->> Allen - Have you taken a look at the Hawk from Letus? http://www.letusdirect.com/cart/letus-hawk.html
I don't do a huge amount of video, but obviously a viewfinder is vital for when I do.
The quick-release plate and the size of the loupe are appealing to me, as well as the reputation of Letus optics among videographers. |
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Robert Hanashiro, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | | Posted: 11:52 AM on 03.03.11 |
| ->> There are literally dozens of LCD viewfinders out there. My aim in Pimp My Rig was to write about the best for the "budget-minded". |
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Phil Hawkins, Photographer
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Fresno | ca | usa | Posted: 2:05 PM on 03.03.11 |
| ->> Why doesn't Canon make a dedicated video camera with the 5D MKII sensor in it? Sony did it (NEX-VG10, the lack of xlr inputs notwithstanding), why can't Canon? All the gee-gaws you need to make a DSLR into a video camera are just ridiculous. |
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Lyle Aspinall, Photographer
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Calgary | AB | Canada | Posted: 9:58 PM on 03.03.11 |
->> For what it's worth, I have a Zacuto, and I've pretty much stopped using it, with the exception of outdoor shoots on bright days, when I need to more clearly see the display.
I initially took it off my 7D begrudgingly when my employer gave me the WFT-E5A wireless file transmitter vertical grip. It rendered the Zacuto useless since it attaches to the tripod mount. At first I was disappointed by the loss, but I quickly realized I didn't miss it. I discovered I was mainly using it to help stabilize hand-held clips, which are few and far between. Once I found work-arounds for that, I didn't miss it at all.
When I'm shooting a stationary subject, I use the quick-focus AF function; and when I'm shooting a moving subject, I squeeze the aperture a bit for some depth and manually follow focus. This is where the Zacuto would come in most handy, but it's still not a major problem.
Ultimately, I prefer the speed of switching between stills and video without messing around with a loupe. Maybe that's the crux of the issue. As a newspaper shooter, I find the need for speed trumps the viewfinder's hindrance.
Yes, the Zacuto does an incredible job at what it's designed for, but if you're confident in your manual focus, trust the pre-shoot quick focus AF function, and you want to go as light as possible, don't buy into the idea that you absotively-posolutely need a viewfinder. The idea that you need a bunch of 'gee-gaws' to turn a DSLR into a video camera isn't entirely fair. In addition to the two main elements behind still photography (focus and exposure), you really only need to ensure good audio (that's another universe on its own) and a way to steady the shot. Most of the other peripherals are just candy.
My two cents. Ask me next year and I might be a viewfinder evangelist. Who knows? |
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Eric Seals, Photographer
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Detroit | MI | United States | Posted: 10:27 PM on 03.03.11 |
->> "All the gee-gaws you need to make a DSLR into a video camera are just ridiculous."
Well said Phil.
Personally I'd rather just use a proper video camera without all the hoops or hassles a person has to jump through so I can just focus on the one thing that really matters above anything else with video and that is the story.
Eric |
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Bryon Johnson, Photographer
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Brampton (Toronto area) | ON | Canada | Posted: 10:32 AM on 03.04.11 |
->> The Zacuto finders come with a Gorilla plate, and a DSLR short body frame which works with my 5D Mark II, but required that I remove the battery grip. A body frame that would work with the battery grip was going to run me about $150 in Canada, but I found out that Zacuto also sells a Z-Finder Mounting Frame #Z-FRM that sticks to the LCD screen on the back of the camera. That can be had for $6.00 from Zacuto's website, plus shipping - got it from my dealer in Canada for about 8 or 9 dollars (back when the US dollar was worth a bit more than ours).
You can just put the whole Gorilla Plate assembly away at that point, and attach other items to the tripod mount instead.
I realize that some of you might not find that solution ideal, sticking something on the LCD screen, but it works fine for me.
Bryon |
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