Gear News and Reviews

We just picked up a pair of Bose QC15 noise cancelling headphones for our winter holiday travels.  It’s too early to go into detail about the sound quality and comfort, but I could immediately tell the noise cancelling function is much, much better than the QC2’s.  That says a lot, because the QC2s already had excellent noise cancelling abilities.  Listening to them back-to-back, it was clear that Bose has improved their noise cancelling technology.  I already have a feeling we’ll be selling our QC2s.

After a couple weeks of wear I’ll feel more comfortable about writing up a full review.  For now though, here are a few photos to enjoy.

QC15 noise cancelling headphones

The carrying case has been slightly refined, but is still has roughly the same dimensions as the QC2 case.

Taking a look inside you'll see the headphones, a few accessories, and of course the Courtesy Cards to pass on to potential customers.

Side by side there is very little difference between the QC2s or the QC15s. One subtle difference is that the QC15 case unzips from the bottom instead of the left side.

Bose QC15

This portion of the review will highlight some changes to Part I due to the arrival of the production version of the LCDVF.  I will quickly re-address the Build Quality, Aesthetics and Mounting Systems.

Production version of LCDVF mounted to Canon 5D MkII

Build Quality

Both products have proven to be solid enough to withstand any day-to-day abuse that a viewfinder might see.  The Zacuto still appears to have a heartier build of the two.  The fit and finish of each is of equal standards, which is to say that they both demonstrate a high level of craftsmanship.  Winner: Draw

Aesthetics

This area hasn’t changed from the pre-production model to the production model of the LCDVF.  For my taste, I prefer the sleekness of the LCDVF over the boxy, industrial look of the Z-Finder V2.  Winner: LCDVF

Mounting System

I was very pleased to see the use of magnets in the LCDVF system.  Although the original copy I tested had somewhat weak magnets, the production version has a much more robust magnetic mount that equals the grip of the Z-Finder.  The Z-Finder uses a simple plastic mount and adhesive tape to secure it to your LCD.  Now, the LCDVF has adopted a similar system with a metal frame and adhesive mount.  However, the metal frame of the LCDVF system has a thinner profile than the Z-Finder.  After mounting the LCDVF it is hardly noticeable compared to the higher ridges of the Zacuto product.  The new magnetic system along with the thin profile metal frame have given the LCDVF system a huge advantage.  Winner: LCDVF

What you read above was a re-assessment of the Build Quality, Aesthetics and Mounting System.  Now I’ll continue to Part II, the portion everyone has been waiting for…   How do they work?

Optics

Both the Z-Finder and the LCDVF use high quality optics.  I could not see any difference in either system.  Both systems offered bright, clear, crisp resolution.  For some reason the Z-Finder tended to fog up faster that the LCDVF, but Zacuto counters this with the availability of anti-fog tissues which work remarkably well.  One very important distinction between these two is that the Z-Finder has a diopter built into their system.  I’m guess that this adds quite considerably to its hefty price.  If you have perfect vision or wear contacts then the lack of a diopter in the LCDVF shouldn’t be an issue.  I wear glasses to correct my myopia (nearsightedness) and use the LCDVF without contacts or glasses without any problems.  I image if you suffer from hyperopia (farsightedness) you may have issues using the LCDVF with the unaided eye.

One interesting difference between the two is the way you view the screen.  The optical portion of the Z-Finder is much closer to the camera’s LCD than the LCDVF’s.  This has two effects.  First, the image is more magnified; which is the main purpose of buying a LCD viewing aide in the first place.  Second, with the enlarged image you loose sight of the corners of your screen.  This is hard to describe, so please refer to the photos.  The LCDVF’s optics are placed further back, giving you a less magnified view, but retaining full view of the LCD.  There are pros and cons for each approach.  Winner: Draw

This is the view as seen through the Z-Finder V2. The missing corners are slightly exagerated due to the placement of the camera taking the photograph, but gives you an idea of what the missing corners will look like.

View as seen through the LCDVF. All corners of the LCD are visible.

Comfort

Each system uses a soft rubber eyecup to block ambient light.  The Z-Finder’s eyecup is noticeably larger than the LCDVF eyecup.  In use, each one was equally comfortable.  Things change quite a bit with the inclusion of a microfiber eye cushion.  Tonis, the creator of the LCDVF, includes a microfiber eye cushion with each LCDVF.  Once the eye cushion is added the comfort level is raised dramatically in favor of the LCDVF.  Winner: LCDVF

LCDVF with included eye cushion.

Cost and Warranty

At the time of this review the Zacuto Z-Finder V2 is selling for $395 and the LCDVF is on sale for $159 (normally $179).  The LCDVF comes with a two year warranty.  Although there is a great difference in price, it should be noted that the Z-Finder V2 does come with a lifetime warranty.

Conclusion

Trying to achieve focus by looking at 1,000,000 tiny dots on a 3” LCD monitor from 18” away is nearly impossible for me.  Several people learned to adapt the Hoodman Hoodloop to the rear of their V-DSLRs with various mounting methods.  It wasn’t long before companies jumped in with specifically designed LCD view finders to aid the videographer achieve critical focus.  I’ll conclude this review by saying both systems presented here are head and shoulders above the results you’ll get by trying to focus without an optical aide.

To make things worse, with a V-DSLR we have the luxury of taking advantage of Canon and Nikon’s availability of fast primes that give you an extremely shallow depth of field.  Working with such a shallow DOF means that focus is even more critical.

Some type of a viewing system is critical for using a video DSLR.  For me I’m going to be keeping the LCDVF.  Both products are remarkably good in aiding you shoot video, but in the end money has to be a consideration and at $159, the LCDVF offers everything the Z-Finder does, with the exception of a diopter, for 60% less.

GNAR Rating: (Zacuto Z-Finder V2) 4-Stars

GNAR Rating: (LCDVF) 4-Stars

Overall Winner: LCDVF

I was thrilled to be part of the pre-production group for Tonis’ LCDVF and have just received the production model.  Upon first inspection it appears much more polished and refined than the ‘beta’ version.  The adhesive mount is being applied now and when it’s secure I’ll run the new LCDVF through it’s paces.

It appears that the most current version of the LCDVF has arrived.  However, it is being held behind the postal counter until the post office opens on Monday.  With the arrival of Tonis’ new and improved LCDVF some of the previous review will be re-written to reflect the updated version.

There are three possibilities for shooting video with the Canon 5D MkII.

1. LCD only.  This obviously is the cheapest way to go about shooting video, but there are drawbacks.  Focusing is not as accurate and the presence of harsh ambient lighting may obscure the LCD.
2. External monitor.  I don’t have any experience shooting this way so I can’t fairly make any judgments using this method.  The one thing I can say is that there seems to be a considerable expense and the bulkiness of your rig may prevent you from shooting in some situations.
3. LCD viewing device.  Currently, Hoodloop 3.0, Zacuto and LCDVF make devices that attach to the LCD and magnify the screen and at the same time block ambient light from hitting the LCD.  Additionally, these three systems allow for an extra point of contact with the camera body allowing for a slightly more stable platform.

For the purposes of this review we’ll be looking at the LCDVF and Zacuto Z-Finder V2.

In the box

Zacuto Z-Finder V2 ($395) – Box includes the lanyard, mounting piece and instructions.  I also had anti-fog wipes included in mine even though I didn’t purchase them.  This was a pleasant added bonus.

LCDVF ($159) – The box included a lanyard, the mounting bracket and a very comfortable eye cushion.  The manufacturer as a bonus included the eye cushion.  Nice touch.

Build quality

Both products are made with a hardened plastic that appears nearly unbreakable, unless you purposefully set out to destroy them.  Both products look like they would easily survive the wear and tear of everyday use and possibly the occasional drop.  As a precaution to dropping the Zacuto or LCDVF, each manufacture has included a lanyard as a means of protection from drops.  When it comes to build quality and durability both meet the needs of the job, but the Zacuto product looks like the most durable of the two.  Winner: Zacuto

Zacuto Z-Finder V2 (left) and the LCDVF (right)

Aesthetics

Aesthetics do not really mean much for functionality, but it does mean something.  Each of viewfinders takes a different approach.  The Zacuto looks boxy and industrial whereas the LCDVF has a more refined, slender look.  This is a personal taste issue, but I prefer the smooth, more refined look of the LCDVF. Winner: LCDVF

Mounting systems

The LCDVF has a unique approach here.   After mounting the metal bracket the LCDVF adheres to the camera with magnets.  Magnets and electronic do not mix well, but I’ve been assured by the manufacture that the magnets used on the LCDVF are well with the safe limits of using them with the 5D MkII.  The Zacuto uses a plastic frame that attaches to the camera’s LCD screen with tape.  After peeling the tape on the Zacuto it is recommended that a heavy weight is place over the plastic frame to help make the best possible seal.  In my opinion the simplicity of the Zacuto system seems to be the better solutions.  It also has a stronger fit to the camera body and is less likely to accidently bumped off during shooting.  I like the idea of the magnets, but the size, fit, security and bulk of the metal bracket system is a drawback for me.  Winner: Zacuto

Just for kicks I shot the GH1 with the 7-14mm @7mm and the Canon 5D MkII with the 16-35mm L @16mm.  Obviously the Canon set up will beat the GH1 in every category, but by how much?  The GH1 was purchased to lighten my load when traveling and the vast majority of my photos are only displayed online.

I wanted to see just how much I was loosing to the 5D in terms of quality so I shot this scene very quickly.  There’s nothing scientific about it so there’s no need to go into the facts that I didn’t use mirror lock up, tripods, cable releases, etc.

The following two images were taken directly from the camera as raw images, imported to Lightroom 2 and exported.  Here’s the result.

Taken at 1/13th, f/4, ISO800

Taken at 1/13th, f/4, ISO800

My conclusion:  I won’t hesitate to reach for the GH1.  When you consider the size difference you’ll see why I’m more inclined to grab the GH1 combo.

Massive size difference between the 5D combo and the GH1 combo.

The biggest drawback for me when looking at alternative systems is the lack of fast lenses.  Canon and Nikon have their share of fast primes, but the micro four thirds systems didn’t have a fast prime until now.  Panasonic recently released the 20mm f/1.7.  Not only is it a fast prime, it’s also a pancake lens that only adds about 1 inch to the the body.  It currently fits Panasonic’s GH1, G1, GF1 and Olympus’ EP1 and most-likely Olympus’ upcoming EP2.

Nice color, contrast and sharpness is easily found with some minor adjustments in Lightroom.

Low-light work and shallow depth of field is where this lens shines.