The EVF answer? TVLogic EVF035W-3G
- Thread starter truelife
- Start date
Well I have the PIX240 so I already use those Sony batts to power that sometimes too, so I figure it's not really extra. Also, I imagine that I'll use this EVF with my 5D Mark III for smaller jobs or quick b-roll shoots. Using the Sony batt would offer a nice quick setup instead of having to power a whole 5D rig with an Anton or other larger battery...
Mitch Gross
Veteran
It's great that you have those batteries for use on other rigs, but if you have a PIX240 then you need to mount it somehow and it draws a decent amount of juice, so sticking a battery mount on the back of the camera and then using it to feed the camera, recorder and viewfinder becomes an elegant solution. One battery fuels the system and will do so for a reasonably long time. You would only need a few Dionics to make it through a shoot day. And if you wanted you could choose to use this on your 5D as well. Lastly the weight would all be placed where you wanted instead of spread all over the camera, often not in ergonomically advantageous locations. One battery in the back is a tried and true way to balance out the camera.
Actually, the PIX is such a power hog that I find even if I were to power just the F3 and the PIX off of a Dionic, I would use at least 3 over the course of a day- sometimes four. The PIX sucks up a ton of juice, so although I have D-tap for everything and that is the slickest way to roll, it also means there's a lot more Dionic changes throughout the day...
Mitch Gross
Veteran
Yes, but that's a lot fewer changes then little camcorder batteries would be!
The source of power will have no effect on how much heat is dissipating. It is a usually a function of the FPGA's that do the heavy DSP lifting prepping the serial and HDMI inputs into an array mapped to the pixels on the display, but that is an educated guess in this case since I have no detailed knowledge of the inside workings of the Alphatron. but whatever the source of heat, it's not the battery or the power source.
LeavingTheCandy
Well-known member
I find that when connected to my 90's the F3/KiPro/TV Logic combo just HAMMER the battery. I sometimes get 30 minutes or so. Red is not much better. I appreciate the viewfinder and/or recorder (i.e. Pix or Samurai) using their own power source to free-up the main battery a little. Are folks getting better mileage outta their Dionics? I'm using SWIT.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Mitch Gross
Veteran
Outboard power is in the 12v range while onboard power is 7.2v. Lower voltage means higher current, an sucking that off the little battery (especially as they get closer to empty) means that the battery itself will heat up some. To the EVF does generate some heat but when combined with an onboard battery there is even more. Add to this the fact that that the physical design of the unit has the battery mount stacked right behind the main driver board, so the heat cannot dissipate as readily.
Might help to keep the battery cover off? Hey - great idea: combination operator/viewfinder mini face fan
Mitch - FWIW I have Alphatron ordered w/Daniel at Abel LA.
MPB
Well-known member
i just spent a week shooting run-n-gun, unfortunately not with my own f3, but with one that the production company owned. i was using the zacuto. in my estimation, the alphatron IQ is better than that of the zacuto in most ways. better color, contrast range and apparent resolution. i will say that i prefer the separate control over zebras and peaking in the zacuto.
jambredz
Veteran
thanks MPB. I've never been particularly pleased with the resolutuion on the zacuto or the colour (which i spent a good while tweaking to where is decent). However focus and exposure tools have been invaluable on it. Just wondering if the Alphatron is that much better to warrant me spending double on it.
MPB
Well-known member
yeah, that's a valid question. if i owned a zacuto already, i would say the additional expense wasn't worth it. but my feeling is that, on a viewfinder, every little bit helps. while the rez on the alphatron isn't as good as you'd see on "proper" viewfinders, it does appear to me to be better than the zacuto. and the alphatron is a better integrated package. for instance, the eye cup won't be falling off if it gets bumped. (though the battery cover might. i put a piece of tape on mine.)
i would really like to see the ability to assign a different color to zebras and focus assist. i really don't like colored zebras, it's just too distracting, and unnecessary. but right now, whatever color you assign to focus assist is the same one you'll see in the zebras. so in some instances, you won't really know if you're looking at the edge of a zebra or your focus fringing. i don't know if this is something that could be addressed in a firmware update. (HINT!)
but again, with a better apparent resolution, you're not as dependent on the focus assist, you can actually eyeball it up to a point. and as far as color, the alphatron is very close to what you see on the on-board lcd.
i would really like to see the ability to assign a different color to zebras and focus assist. i really don't like colored zebras, it's just too distracting, and unnecessary. but right now, whatever color you assign to focus assist is the same one you'll see in the zebras. so in some instances, you won't really know if you're looking at the edge of a zebra or your focus fringing. i don't know if this is something that could be addressed in a firmware update. (HINT!)
but again, with a better apparent resolution, you're not as dependent on the focus assist, you can actually eyeball it up to a point. and as far as color, the alphatron is very close to what you see on the on-board lcd.
I have both the Zacuto and the Alphatron, and IMO, the Alphatron's superior resolution alone make the case. Its color matches that of the F3's LCD right out of the box. The diopter adjustment actually works, in contrast to the that of the Zacuto which does not. The built-in optical occluder, although a seemingly small inclusion, is much easier to use and will not fall off or get lost like the Zacuto's dangling thingy. The focus assist features work, although the EVF's resolution makes them, for my purposes, almost unnecessary. The false color is nice, although I have yet to make much use of it and am still acclimating to the EVF's various other features. Lastly, the ability to power it straight out of the box from an external source is a big plus for me, perhaps less for others. I suspect that there are other advantages that I have yet to uncover.
As for the above statement in re a "proper EVF," I think one would have to be more specific. Alister Chapman compared the Alphatron to a "proper" Sony EVF and seemed to feel that they were compatible. I personally have found the Alphatron's resolution to be every bit as good as , if not better than that of my old PMW-350. However, the ultimate answer lies in the eyes of the observer.
In summary, my Zacuto is back in its box and I am trying to decide whether to sell it or keep it for backup.
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jambredz
Veteran
thanks for the the feedback guys. The SDI alone is a big advantage I forgot. One thing that's of value to me is an EVF so i may be switching in the end...maybe not right now because I have lens requirements first. However I do have a question I forgot to ask. How is the lag on it? When the Zacuto just came out the lag was very distracting for me but a firmware upgrade quickly solved that.
I assume that you are referring to the lag associated with movement? If so, there is still some minor degree of same but not to the extent of the Zacuto. And, BTW, I have the latest Zacuto firmware update and it still has, IMO, lag to a much greater extent than the Alphatron.