Gear News and Reviews

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

You can draw your own conclusions of these two system by looking at them side-by-side.  They are roughly the same size, however the basic design approach looks quite different.  The LCDVF has a smooth, more organic look whereas Zacuto’s Z-Finder V2 has a more industrial look.  The LCDVF actually has more in common with the first generation Z-Finder than the V2.

The first thing noticed in this view is the red adjustment ring on the Zacuto.  The height of the LCDVF also appears somewhat exaggerated in this view.

Slightly elevated view.  You can start to see the heart of each system, the optics.

The business end of these two viewfinders.

Shortly, I’ll have two viewfinders for review, Zacuto’s Z-Finder V2 and the LCDVF.

With the addition of HD video capture on several Canon and Nikon bodies, companies large and small have been scrambling to come up with a solution to the manual focusing issues of these V-DSLRs. Manual focusing isn’t too difficult through the viewfinder when shooting stills, but it can be a challenge with shooting video, since only the rear LCD is available for review.

With a limited number of pixels on a relatively small screen it can be hard to attain critically sharp focus especially when using fast lenses with wide open apertures. Stay tuned for the shoot out.