Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2")

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

I purchased this EVF specifically for use with my Canon 5D Mark II DSLR camera, after carefully comparing it with the SmallHD EVF.

The Zacuto won hands down with its scalable video presets, colorimetry, sharpness and rugged construction.

Its battery life is excellent, and the versatile (rotatable) supplied HDMI cable is just the right length.

The only downside is that it is small for using just as an on-board reference monitor, though it is doing double duty as an EVF. All in all I am extremely satisfied with this product and Zacuto's excellent after-sale support.

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

I use to film wildlife with my canon 5d and it work perfectly. It is an amazing tool and helps a lot! several cool functions like zebra, peaking, adjustments. Without it is very hard to film outdoors! i recommend!

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

I bought this viewfinder for my Canon 7D and I am very happy with it.

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

I use the Zacuto EVF on my Canon7D and it work like a dream. All the settings works well and the battery life was surprisingly longer than I thought.

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

Nice clear picture on the monitor and with the eyepiece, a nice big clear picture.

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

If you shoot DSLR you got to have it!
What you shoot MUST be in focus! Or lets put it in another way, you have to have certainty about where you are focusing! If you are not using a 7", a 9" or more monitor and need the light weight, compactness, to move around, this is it! Can't think of anything else that does the job so well.
The biggest problem with the Z-finder by itself, is that it is mounted on the back of the camera built in monitor and it restrict a lot where you can position the camera to shoot. But with the EVF + Z-finder mounted on an arm you can literally put the camera on the ground and look straight down, or high up.
The built quality is typical Zacuto and you can shoot all day on one battery!
Great stuff...

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

i use this for professional video with a hdmi out to a client monitor. it works great, no splitter needed and it is so easy to pull focus of the 5d mark ii or the 7d. the only thing i didn't like was the fact that you need the special charger to charge the battery but not a huge deal.

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

Just buy it, it's worth it. I should have bought this months ago. Shooting with a DSLR is easier than ever now...no more guess work. Works fantastic in broad daylight situations. Could not live without it now.

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

A professional grade view finder. A must for shoulder mount rigs. The zebras and peaking functions are very good. Light weight and very high quality. Highly recommend!

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

really fabulous product. Though I find it little too sharp. Having got used
to Zebra it was a pleasure to use this function in the EVF. However I do not
Like the supplied mounting attachment

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

The features are awesome....

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

I bought this because I had a video project where I was going to be shooting outside for several days on a dairy farm. If I didn't have this I wouldn't have been able to see what I was doing at all on the camera's LCD, and squatting constantly to check the viewfinder was just not practical.

I found the menu system easy to figure out and navigate. The built in presets make this thing a snap to setup. I'm shooting with Panasonic's GH2, and the color on the Zacuto EVF compared to the LCD on camera is really much more accurate. The Zebras were a great feature, too. Made me feel like I was using a real video camera :)

When hooked up to the GH2, you loose the ETC mode (but can always unhook the HDMI for shots that require it). You also loose the zoom-in-for-focusing that is built into the camera, but the 1:1 pixel zoom on the Zacuto EVF was a fine substitute.

1:1 zoom, peaking, and zebras are the default function buttons on the side, which works for me, but you can program them to whatever you'd like, I believe.

The build quality seems very nice. Solid construction. I feel a little weird disconnecting the Z-Finder form the EVF. You kind of feel like you're going to break it, because you have to really snap it off with some force, but Zacuto says not to worry, and I don't foresee doing this often anyway.

I bought an extra battery for the EVF, but never needed it. I charged the battery at night inbetween shoot days, and it lasted all day both days, which were about 10 hours. I did turn it off when not in use, like when traveling between locations. As a reference, I used 3 of my camera batteries each day shooting about 2 16 gig cards worth daily.

So far, I really only have a few issues, and they are mostly small in nature. The most major of problems I had with it was that the dang eyecup kept falling off, and the anti-fog guard with it. It was a pain, and really embarrassing as it was constantly happening in front of the client. Luckily it never fell in cow dung, which was everywhere. Eventually I taped it on with Gaffers tape, and that put an end to that issue.

My second issue was in a run & gun setting, I wish the ball joint that comes with it was a little quicker to adjust, and better at locking in place. I feel like you really have to tighten it down hard for everything to stay in place. It's certainly nice to have in the package, though, because it allows you to position the viewfinder at just about any angle. This may just take some time getting used to.

The two other issues are really minor niggles, but I wish the EVF overlaid a little recording indicator in the view finder when recording. It's just comforting to see something that says RECORDING there. Otherwise, all you get is the battery indicator for the EVF. Seems like Zacuto could program in that overlay, pretty easily. I was doing a lot of interviews, and I would have loved it if it could somehow show other camera display items such as battery life and card space remaining while recording, but I realize that's more of a limitation of how the camera outputs HDMI signals. Now that I think about it, there may be a menu setting in camera to adjust that, but if you're using the HDMI loop through, you may not want that display to be sent to wherever your looping to.

The last tiny little gripe is that the HDMI input on the Zacuto EVF is on the opposite side as the output on my camera, so the HDMI cable has to swoop around the camera to make the connection. It was easy enough to work around, but still would be nice if it was more out of the way.

Oh, and watch out for leaving the Z-Finder tilted up to the sun without the little provided cap popped in. The Z-Finder is basically a large magnifying glass, and the sunlight can burn the LCD screen. There are warnings all over the thing to help you remember to be careful. The provided Z-finder cap fits OK, and is attached to the Z-finder with a little string so you don't lose it. However, if there's a breeze, or you're moving, it will clack against the camera and is very noticeable with the in-camera audio. I was shooting double system sound, so this wasn't a problem, but if I was hoping to use in-camera audio for anything, I would have been very disappointed. I'd recommend getting some poster putty or more Gaff tape, to stick the cap to he top of the EVF when not covering the z-finder.

All in all, excellent product though, and I would not have been able to do this shoot without it.

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

I use this on every project. It is great for allowing my DP to watch my shots or on the go to rapidly begin movement on my shoulder rig.

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

Great for pulling focus, but keep in mind that the 5D MKII is sort of crippled in a number of ways which holds back an awesome EVF from being more awesome. Mine has some minor bugginess with the software but nothing a reboot doesn't fix.

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

Crystal clear image. Not heavy at all.
LCD screen can be damaged if exposed to the sun for long periods of time, so better take good care of it.

Comments about Zacuto Z-Finder EVF Pro (3.2"):

This electronic viewfinder is nice and rugged and offers a very nice picture quality, and helps to see clearly under strong sunlight or other challenging situations. It's also nice to articulate the finder in different ways for different shooting situations. I use it with my 5D and love the way the image fills the screen when you push the record button!The HDMI out is a an excellent feature for an external monitor for a director.
But since this is and electronic device (and not an optical one), the picture gets kind of strobey in fast motion situations, in which case focus is tricky because it's hard to see. The sharpness is also good but to my eye is not as good as the camera's own LCD screen.