EVF issues

Postfade: I've just ordered a "Z-Finder 16x9 Sun Mask" from Zacuto, which didn't come with the finder but should have. Hopefully it will help prevent this damage. The finder DID come with a little plug, like a bathtub stopper. It's on a lanyard, and as much as I hate extraneous s__t hanging off my cameras, I have hung it from the finder, if for no other reason than to remind me to protect the LCD.

I shoot documentaries and am seldom in controlled environments.. I jump in and out of cars, I walk from dark interiors to bright exteriors following subjects every day. It is normal for me to take my eye from the finder to make adjustments on the camera, or merely to look down at where I'm stepping. It is frustrating to think that even a minor lapse in concentration during these moments could destroy a $1000 accessory.

It is obvious from these posts, and from the fact that the Z-Finder 16x9 Sun Mask is suddenly available, that this is a major drawback to these LCD finders. It is very disappointing for me, because as I said earlier, my style of handheld shooting depends on a side finder, and if this continues to be a problem the AF100 will not be useful to me at all.

Luckily I haven't sold my HPX500 yet, although I do need the cash for all these EVFs.
 
Last edited:
Mac said:
Postfade: I've just ordered a "Z-Finder 16x9 Sun Mask" from Zacuto, which didn't come with the finder but should have.
Click to expand...

I got one of their first EVFs, & Zacuto sent a 16x9 mask for free.

I've had my eye-cup fall off a few times, mostly due to Directors incorrectly trying to adjust the diopter, so I'll be ordering additional masks as backup.

-B
 
Bern Caughey said:
I also use an eyepiece chammy which helps shield the loupe from oblique Sun rays.
Click to expand...

I've always used a chamois as well, and never had a problem with either film or video cameras... so this extra caution is new to me... Old dog...
 
Yesterday I did an experiment, I removed the loupe from the Z-Finder and set it in the sun on a piece of white cardboard. I was careful to be sure the light was focused on the card. After ten minutes, the card didn't even have a brown spot, let alone a burn. Anyone who was ever a Cub Scout remembers how hard it is to start a fire with a magnifying glass..

Okay, so what the heck is going on here? If the cardboard didn't burn after ten minutes, how is this damage being done in seconds to the LCD screen? And the plastic bezel? That's pretty tough plastic, yet it has burned like a soldering gun touched it.

BTW: I am pretty sure it isn't an HDMI cable issue, since different cables have been used... And although the Cineroid did seem to get a little warm (no more than a laptop) the Zacuto didn't seem warm at all. Also, I'm working in Monterey... Whatever may be going on in the rest of the country, anyone who's ever visited here knows that it's overcast almost every day during the summer... In fact, I had to wait for the cover to clear before doing my test.
 
The white cardboard would reflect most of the energy, and might be treated with stuff which dramatically raises its ignition point. Try using the Cinveroid frame (hey, it's already messed up, and this would be controlled anyways), or at least a similar piece of dark plastic.
 
Here's a photo of my wrecked 'roid - just for fun!

For a professional product, their service is terrible. I've gotten no responses to multiple phone calls and emails for service or replacement.

Cineroid USA is basically one guy in an office in California. And he's not there very often....


This screen is now all I can view:

Cineroid_wrecked.jpg
 
My experience with Cineroid has been the same... I sent pictures of the screen with zero response... This after I've recommended the product to several professional friends.. I really liked the Cineroid when I first got it, but now I am embarrassed to have been so optimistic.

I have heard from others that the Zacuto people are very good at supporting their products. I'm sure this EVF situation is a major PITA for them (and probably the reason the RedRock hasn't materialized).

However, as I stated earlier, the burn on the bezel of the Z-Finder happened on a day when I wasn't shooting outdoors. It could only have occurred during the brief time the camera was being carried from the van into the house where we did the interviews. And the viewfinder wasn't turned up toward the sky then. Whatever gremlin is causing this is very insidious, and kinda scary...
 
Wait... first it was Poltergeists, now it's Gremlins... which film reference is it?
What's next... ET caused it by calling home via Cineroid? :grin:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top