I originally started the title of this thread as "So I joined the Zaculto today..." because in a lot of ways, I really feel like that's what happened. You see, my Z-finder arrived today.
Now, let me get something straight; I'm not interested in "converting" people who think that the Z-finder is an overpriced piece of under-engineering. There's no way I'm going to change your mind, nor do I want to. I'm writing this for people who want what Zacuto says it can do, but aren't sure that $400 is worth it. It's basically what I was thinking last week before deciding on the plunge.
Let me do the short version first, for those of you who don't like to read lots.
Does it do what Zacuto advertise?
Yes.
Knowing what I know now, would I buy it again?
Yes.
Do *I* think it's worth $400?
Yes.
I'll wait for the people who don't care for details to make their way out now.
If you're still here, I'm guessing you care about WHY I answered yes to all those questions. The rest of this is going to be explaining that.
First, does it do what Zacuto advertise? Yes, in that it helps immensely in focusing your shots. The screen becomes utterly massive and takes all the guess work and "hunt" out of focusing. If you've ever moved your focus ring past the point of sharpness and returned, that's the focus hunt I'm talking about. If you're wondering how big the screen looks, hold the 7D's screen about an inch and a half away from your eye and you'll get the idea. By the way, it's impossible for me to focus my eyes to something that close, and probably you too.
Physically, It's big. Way bigger than I thought it would be. It makes sense now that I think about the fact that it has to cover a 3" screen, but it just didn't occur to me at the time. The eyecup is more than large enough for every human I've every met, and quite comfortable even with glasses on. The outer shell is a solid, dense feeling one-piece plastic covering what appears to be anodized aluminum housing for the lenses. I will admit that while it feels quite expensive, it doesn't scream $400 expensive. Overall, though, I have absolutely no complaints about the device in the way it's built or functions.
Do I think it's worth $400? I do in the sense that there's nothing else out there that offers what this thing does right now. No one offers this level of magnification and diopter adjustment and a good warranty, all in a durable, attractive package that looks (to me) like it goes with your camera. I wear glasses, so I'm not willing to risk the LCDVF. The moment someone else figures out how to make the same thing for less, the Z-finder will fall into the category of luxury item like all other Zacuto products. For now, I think it's a must have. Having said that, I am aware $400 mean different things to different people, and to you, other loupes out there might be a better balance of value for dollar.
Here's the way I look at it. If you're looking for a focusing aid on the 7D, you're either going to have to buy an external monitor, which will run you about $250 without an arm or rails support. I personally bought a coollcd.com monitor with a hong kong CCTV battery and a Noga arm, all for about $330. This is not that much cheaper than the Z-finder, and I have an easier time with the Z-finder than I do on that particular monitor. Now, an external monitor is useful in more situations where the Z-finder is not, but my point is this; it's not unusual for an external focusing aid to run you more than $300. So $400 for a good one is pretty... good.
Anyway, hope this helps anyone who's been tossing and turning over whether or not to buy one. I know I'm happy to finally get it out of the way for myself.
-Art
Now, let me get something straight; I'm not interested in "converting" people who think that the Z-finder is an overpriced piece of under-engineering. There's no way I'm going to change your mind, nor do I want to. I'm writing this for people who want what Zacuto says it can do, but aren't sure that $400 is worth it. It's basically what I was thinking last week before deciding on the plunge.
Let me do the short version first, for those of you who don't like to read lots.
Does it do what Zacuto advertise?
Yes.
Knowing what I know now, would I buy it again?
Yes.
Do *I* think it's worth $400?
Yes.
I'll wait for the people who don't care for details to make their way out now.
If you're still here, I'm guessing you care about WHY I answered yes to all those questions. The rest of this is going to be explaining that.
First, does it do what Zacuto advertise? Yes, in that it helps immensely in focusing your shots. The screen becomes utterly massive and takes all the guess work and "hunt" out of focusing. If you've ever moved your focus ring past the point of sharpness and returned, that's the focus hunt I'm talking about. If you're wondering how big the screen looks, hold the 7D's screen about an inch and a half away from your eye and you'll get the idea. By the way, it's impossible for me to focus my eyes to something that close, and probably you too.
Physically, It's big. Way bigger than I thought it would be. It makes sense now that I think about the fact that it has to cover a 3" screen, but it just didn't occur to me at the time. The eyecup is more than large enough for every human I've every met, and quite comfortable even with glasses on. The outer shell is a solid, dense feeling one-piece plastic covering what appears to be anodized aluminum housing for the lenses. I will admit that while it feels quite expensive, it doesn't scream $400 expensive. Overall, though, I have absolutely no complaints about the device in the way it's built or functions.
Do I think it's worth $400? I do in the sense that there's nothing else out there that offers what this thing does right now. No one offers this level of magnification and diopter adjustment and a good warranty, all in a durable, attractive package that looks (to me) like it goes with your camera. I wear glasses, so I'm not willing to risk the LCDVF. The moment someone else figures out how to make the same thing for less, the Z-finder will fall into the category of luxury item like all other Zacuto products. For now, I think it's a must have. Having said that, I am aware $400 mean different things to different people, and to you, other loupes out there might be a better balance of value for dollar.
Here's the way I look at it. If you're looking for a focusing aid on the 7D, you're either going to have to buy an external monitor, which will run you about $250 without an arm or rails support. I personally bought a coollcd.com monitor with a hong kong CCTV battery and a Noga arm, all for about $330. This is not that much cheaper than the Z-finder, and I have an easier time with the Z-finder than I do on that particular monitor. Now, an external monitor is useful in more situations where the Z-finder is not, but my point is this; it's not unusual for an external focusing aid to run you more than $300. So $400 for a good one is pretty... good.
Anyway, hope this helps anyone who's been tossing and turning over whether or not to buy one. I know I'm happy to finally get it out of the way for myself.
-Art
