Z-Finder makes it harder - am I nuts?

[jonE5]

lol, most of these DSLR have a 3" screen or bigger.

I dunno, i use a 50mm 1.8 all the time, and have no issues focusing. Id say maybe 1 or 2% of shots might come out SLIGHTLY out of focus, if even that. And im talking pulling focus by hand all day. I was at a wedding over the weekend, and took some video all hand held with my d90, and of course used the 1.8 at full wide, so DOF was very small. As i panned around the room, i had to change focus by hand at each persons face. I checked the footage on my 50" panny and it looked fine (other than my shaky hands, lol)

Again, didnt mean to say it wasnt important or useful, just meant to say that there are MANY other pieces of equipment you should have in your bag first.

[Jester2138]

what good is all of that other gear if you cant get your shots in focus?

interesting!

david
www.davidprobst.com

My point is that I have no trouble keeping it in focus without the $400 Zacuto thing on there and actually find it harder with it on. I'm sure we all have our own preferences, but I'll almost certainly be going for a LCDVF.

[Chris Santucci]

My point is that I have no trouble keeping it in focus without the $400 Zacuto thing on there and actually find it harder with it on. I'm sure we all have our own preferences, but I'll almost certainly be going for a LCDVF.

Interesting!

.

[hdimages.ca]

I just got the lcdfv and works great. when i use it run and gun ,i use the eye as a contact point but fogs up right away. I was thinking it would be great to put a little 1/2 inch doughnut pad on the eye piece . i will be trying some anti fog but need to get some distance eyeball and glass.

[Chris Santucci]

Yeah, I read somewhere that people are putting an eyepiece chamois on the hood to help prevent the fogging.

.

[Kholi]

My point is that I have no trouble keeping it in focus without the $400 Zacuto thing on there and actually find it harder with it on. I'm sure we all have our own preferences, but I'll almost certainly be going for a LCDVF.

No knocks against the Z-Finder as it looks like a great piece of equipment, but, I agree.

If the 7D's screen was articulating I would have little-to-zero need for an extra monitor.

As it stands, a 150.00 SD LCD on Ebay will do just fine.

[OPHERBA]

I got both the Z-finder and the LCDVF.
If you don't have glasses go with the LCDVF, there in absolutely NO justification buying the Z-finder now that the LCDVF is out.

Spinning the wheel in the Z-finder which supposed to be the diopter does very little (unlike in a normal or pro video camera) so everything stays in focus all the time. The bigger problem is the thread. When turning the diopter the thread is out of the Z-finder body exposed for dust or send.

And like others wrote, the LCD on the 7d is low res and any magnifier out there is magnifying its limitation...


Thanks.

Johnnie

[jagstang]

For me Z-finder is a must, can not shoot without it, some of you don't make sense, you said all it does is magnify and not make the picture any sharper, well if the edge of an object is bigger, it is easier to see when it is at the sharperst than a smaller picture, can't you see that, do you know why they have a 5x and 10x magnify button on the camera to help you focus, any other video camera also have magnify button to help focus because when a object is larger it is easier to see the edge or contrast is at the max or not, I think some of you need to learn how to focus before start making reviews.

I don't think your really grasping what were talking about here. Using a cameras built in expanded focus is very different to magnifying the LCD with a viewer.

By using the 5x / 10x button on the back of the camera the resulting image is still displayed using the LCD's maximum pixel density, and is extremely helpful for focusing. Enlarging the LCD display with a magnifying viewer though only makes the screen look bigger, it does make the object look bigger but the information visible remains the same - just bigger. Once the individual pixels become visible I think it starts to then become harder to focus.

After a certain point It's like standing with your face right up to a 50" plasma TV, the pixels are bigger but it doesn't make it any easier to see the details.

[mrogers]

I have been reading this thread and thought it was about time I chime in. At Zacuto, we prefer the 3x magnification (critical focus is difficult with DSLR's) and many of our customers prefer the 3x magnification as well. However, some people are interested in a 2.5x magnification so we have decided to manufacture a 2.5x optic. By the end of March, customers will have the choice to purchase a z-finder with a 2.5x magnification or a 3x magnification. There will be an upgrade path for customers who own the 3x magnification z-finder and would rather have a 2.5x magnification. This is a personal preference but Zacuto is a company that responds quickly to customers requests. If your going to be at NAB, stop by our booth and try both out for yourself!

[Ron Rodenmeyer]

I might need 3x magnification to read that black on grey text!