AF100 viewfinder: when do you use it?

A

astro21

Member
When do you use the viewfinder on the AF100? I find that it is a little disappointing because I feel that I am looking at an image through a tunnel and the quality and size of the image of the viewfinder seems to be poor. Is this what other users here also feel, or are my expectations set too high? I therefore find myself using the LCD screen almost all the time.

Thanks.
 
Try the EVF in B&W mode with Red Peaking enabled. Not perfect, but it's easier to see the peaking compared to the LCD's.

Better yet get a Zacuto EVF.

Mitch Gross of Abel Cine Tech recently mentioned a professional monitoring solution coming for the F3, but didn't give any further information, or firm timetable. Hopefully it will come soon, & be compatible with the AF100, plus the other cine cameras.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthrea...F3-review...&p=2410659&highlight=#post2410659

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthrea...F3-review...&p=2414497&highlight=#post2414497
 
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I use it all the time whenever outdoors. I don't get the complaints about quality, it's fine. You did, I assume, peel off the clear plastic overlay covering the viewfinder glass?
 
I don't get why people keep bashing the AF100's EVF. It looks just fine to me. I leave it B&W with peaking on, and I hit focus every time. The quality is miles ahead of the HPX170 EVF in my opinion, and even Red's Bomb EVF doesn't really look any better to me. I don't know what precedence people are comparing the AF100 EVF to that would make it seem horrible.
 
It's certainly sufficient. I only got the zacuto to allow me to harness the camera differently. It also really helps my GH2.

arencher said:
I don't get why people keep bashing the AF100's EVF. It looks just fine to me. I leave it B&W with peaking on, and I hit focus every time. The quality is miles ahead of the HPX170 EVF in my opinion, and even Red's Bomb EVF doesn't really look any better to me. I don't know what precedence people are comparing the AF100 EVF to that would make it seem horrible.
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I can't speak to the AF100's viewfinder but I used the Zacuto viewfinder on then F3 today and it's leaps and bounds better than that EVF.
 
Barry,

I had not noticed that there was a plastic overlay on the viewfinder glass. Is it fairly visible? There does not seem to be any so I am wondering whether it was already removed when the camera was shipped to me.
 
Arencher,

I do not believe that the viewfinder is "horrible" as such, but I was just wondering what people's expectations might have been for the AF100 viewfinder and whether mine were set too high. My only gripe is that, to my eye, it seems as though it is fairly small and therefore makes me feel as though I am looking down a tunnel and have to squint a little to be able to see details etc.
 
astro21 said:
Barry,

I had not noticed that there was a plastic overlay on the viewfinder glass. Is it fairly visible? There does not seem to be any so I am wondering whether it was already removed when the camera was shipped to me.
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It's a super-thin layer of protective plastic. You'd be able to peel it off if it was still there. But I think some folks may never have noticed, and so have been blaming the viewfinder when in fact there's a layer of non-optical-quality transparent plastic covering the viewfinder.
 
astro21 said:
and whether mine were set too high. My only gripe is that, to my eye, it seems as though it is fairly small and therefore makes me feel as though I am looking down a tunnel and have to squint a little to be able to see details etc.
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It's the same size as a broadcast/ENG camera's viewfinder. Take an $8,000 VF off of a 2/3" broadcast camera and put it to one eye, and the AF100's finder in the other eye, and you'll see they look the same.

I think people's expectations of what a VF is have been distorted by the loupes used on DSLRs.
 
+1 for b/w mode and red "focus assist." I have the red focus assist set as "user 3" so I can easily turn it on with right hand while adjusting focus with left hand. (Just have to be careful not to mistake it with the record switch next to it while shooting, but otherwise great in run & gun situations.)

It's nice to be able to quickly see image in both color and b/w. And it's usually very easy to see if you are in focus, since the red pops against the b/w.
 
astro21 said:
When do you use the viewfinder on the AF100? I find that it is a little disappointing because I feel that I am looking at an image through a tunnel and the quality and size of the image of the viewfinder seems to be poor. Is this what other users here also feel, or are my expectations set too high? I therefore find myself using the LCD screen almost all the time.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Also, this may be obvious and not your gripe, but did you adjust the viewfinder for your vision? I find that can make a huge difference and one that's easy to forget to do--after another shooter has used the camera I've gone through the "what's wrong with the viewfinder?!" before remembering to adjust it back for my eyesight....
 
Comparing Zacuto EVF to AF's EVF is like 42" LCD to 14" CRT LOL! After i got the Zacuto, I never even look at AF's anymore.
 
JPC said:
Works great, b&w + peaking !!!
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+1

I do want an EVF mostly because I don't like the way the the AF-100 EVF is mounted on the back of the camera. Its hard to use it on a tripod without getting on a apple box for interviews or high angle shots. Plus in a shoulder rig external EVF for me is a must. Just need to save some money to get one. I'm liking the SmallHD version more these days but who knows what I will buy when i'm ready.
Also I'm farsighted so that doesn't help either. Hate wearing glasses and taking on and off from looking at the LCD then EVF.
 
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I use mine all the time. Black and white with peaking and it usually does the job- BUT I would LOVE to have the GH2 viewfinder with punch in zoom assist.
 
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