Director's viewfinder

Sometimes you can find them on Ebay, but they never seem to go cheap.
I'm thinking of using my hands for now, that L with the hands worked
back in the good old days, it will have to do.
 
I have a feeling it'd be a great tool to train your visual eye, that is, if you have the money. Anyone know if they have adjustable apertures?
 
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A directors viewfinder would mainly be a tool to save time when setting up your camera shots. Its hard lugging around a camera, even if its digital: (HVX, lense adapter, lense follow focus, mattebox, monitor).

Wouldn't you find it difficult moving a heavy and expensive camera back and forth, here and there, changing lenses (especially if using primes, no zooming) just to find your shot? Or you can walk around with a lense in your hand, put it up to your eye, and know where to position your camera, what lense to use, where you want your dolly shot or steadicam to start and end; all without having to set anything up.

Bottom line: You can look around, try new and different angles, movements, and decide on one rather than setting everything up, trying it and deciding it's not going to work, just to set up and try something else.

I don't think its for everyone, but if you have a heavy/expensive camera rig, and/or using interchangable lenses, I think it is an invaluable tool.
 
ok, i'd have to agree that if you were dealing with loads of heavy equipment, it would suck to set it up and find out ur guess was wrong and you need to change it.

It still seems silly to me, but yeah, if you've got the budget for it, why not.
 
That's why I said it's not for everyone. If you are shooting something on a GL2 with two of your friends, and no budget, then there would be no need for it. But if you compare $300-600 to a $12,000 camera set-up and another few thousand for a dolly set-up, actors, food, etc. it's a small price to pay to help your production go along way more smoothly, without having actors and other crew waiting around for you to figure out your shot.
 
dougspice said:
I think the hand technique's just fine, but there is actually a bit of difference between looking at a hole in your hands and actually looking at the shot through a lens. Someday, you may get to where a few hundred dollars doesn't seem like much compared to the convenience of being able to say "put the camera right here, on a 28mm lens, open up the f/stop and make sure to crop out that vent right there". Assuming you're that kind of director, anyway.
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Doug (and everyone else who's chimed in), I totally agree.

I just directed my first 35mm short this summer, and boy, oh boy do I wish that I'd picked up that viewfinder... there were times I thought the DP was going to kill me after I looked through the camera only to find out that her just-positioned-on-dolly camera with that 28mm isn't close enough - and the 50's too much. Heh.

I've shot 16 on various zooms, but this was my first time with 35 primes and it took some time to get used to them... it's a world of difference from anything I'd ever shot through before, especially DV. So yes, if you're shooting with that kind of equipment budget - by all means, pick one up!
 
Yeah, it's very important when you're shooting 35mm. First, the camera is heavy and takes time to reposition. Second, the lens selection is limited (when you're shootig primes), so you want to know where to put the camera and what lens to put in it BEFORE you set it up. A good directors viewfinder allows you to do that, and speed you production considerably. When your DP is lighting a shot, and your actors are in makeup and you have 5 seconds free time, you can find your next shot, and so on...

Or you can scout a location and think in advance what is feasible with the lenses you have availiable, or talk your shot list with your DP ahead of time in a more civilized manner.

Unfortunately, they cost quite a load of money, but they are great. When shooting DV, or HDV, you can skip this tool completely though...
 
Take some 2" PVC pipe, and paint it black. Then draw a black square with the aspect ratio you want, and tape it to it. Then look through it. BINGO, youve got a directors viewfinder.

I know you cant zoom, but it works.
 
pto2212 said:
Take some 2" PVC pipe, and paint it black. Then draw a black square with the aspect ratio you want, and tape it to it. Then look through it. BINGO, youve got a directors viewfinder.

I know you cant zoom, but it works.
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pretty smart, then you would know exactly what lense to use, and accurately how the cropping will be at whatever aspect you will be using, right...?

you'd save money by just using your hands, and at least you would be able to zoom, unlike the PVC Finder.
 
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Viewfinder with 35mm Adapter?

Viewfinder with 35mm Adapter?

Ok, I see the pros and cons of using a viewfinder. I see how using it on a DV shoot can be overkill, but how useful it can be on a 35mm film shoot. Either way if you have the cash why not.

My question is this... If it's actually useful on 35mm film shoots, will it be of real use on a digital shoot using a 35mm Adapter like the M2 or the PS+T? For either prime or SLR lenses? In other words, even thought it's MiniDV or prosumer HD, will a director's viewfinder come in more handy when shooting with a 35mm adapter than when just shooting on stock minidv?

I ask this because I'm sitting here thinking of my shots, thinking of what lenses I might need for these shots, and it's occurring to me that maybe if I could see what my lenses see ahead of time, I could definitely better plan for the shoot. I've shot, not directed, on dv cams using 35mm adapters before and just figured out what lenses to use by basically guessing on the spot and if it doesn't work switch to another that might. I don't want to be looking like I'm guessing, or don't know what I'm doing in front of my crew for my project, so will a director's viewfinder really give me a better idea of what I'm going to need for that shot ahead of time? Thanks.
 
Sure, it would help, for all the same reasons... although the field of view through most adapters won't quite match the native lens. Keep that in mind, but a viewfinder is for roughing out shots, not for planning them with precision.
 
I use a viewfinder all the time, you can get one for under $300 at BH. It is good to experiment and try to figure out a shot or the best place to put the camera, it's also great for locations scouting. Mine is very small so I can carry it with me all the time.
 
SomewhereinLA said:
I use a viewfinder all the time, you can get one for under $300 at BH. It is good to experiment and try to figure out a shot or the best place to put the camera, it's also great for locations scouting. Mine is very small so I can carry it with me all the time.
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Which one did you end up buying? I'd be curious to know.
 
and it looks better..lol.. plus u need is a giant megaphone and some khaki pants with black boots

Cheesesailor77 said:
seriously, don't waste money on these.

making a square with your fingers and moving it back and forth does literaly the same thing.

...im not kidding
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citycyclone said:
My question is this... If it's actually useful on 35mm film shoots, will it be of real use on a digital shoot using a 35mm Adapter like the M2 or the PS+T? For either prime or SLR lenses? In other words, even thought it's MiniDV or prosumer HD, will a director's viewfinder come in more handy when shooting with a 35mm adapter than when just shooting on stock minidv?
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Hi. Just wondering if anyone had this specific workflow by now. 35mm adapter with SLR lens. Did it give a fair representation? I am thinking of picking one up so I can scout with it and know what length lenses I want to buy/rent. It doesn't seem that expensive to me, my concern is that, because of all of the adapter apparatus, that it may not match at all.

Any specific feedback would be appreciated.
 
well. I have an M2 and lots of nikon lenses. So, as soon as I get some paying gigs, I'd like to get me a digital SLR camera with interchangeable lenses (nikon of course) so I can take my lenses and slr and do location scouting. This way I can record almost exactly what the m2 would record. :)
 
Er, no you won't. The focal lengths of 35mm primes will give totaly different angle of view, depending on the size of the imaging plane. On a digital SLR, that's usualy much smaller than the 36 x 24mm aspect they were made for. It's also important to remember that if you're using a mini35 type adapter on your miniDV, trying to emulate 35mm movie lenses, the Super35 format is 18x24mm, much smaller than 35mm stills, owing to the fact that motion picture film feeds vertically, and stills film feeds horizontally. So, a Nikon stills lens, let's say a 50mm, will give very shallow DOF and wide AOV on a 35mm stills camera with 36x24mm image plane, slightly greater DOF and narrower AOV on Super35 movie plane at 24x18mm and, depending on your plane size, differing results again on a DSLR. I hope that clarifies things. DOF=depth of field and AOV=angle of view. If a directors viewfinder says tells you 50mm for 35mm movie, that won't be the same as 50mm on a mini35 adapter unless you zoom the video camera in to view 24mm of the image plane width.
 
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