Zacuto Z-Find-Pro3 Optical Viewfinder

Pros: Great Viewfinder. Well made, the anti-fog coating covers are wonderful. It is simply great, fits perfectly on my T2I. I suggest buying the "Z-Finder Mounting Frame" if you have the Canon T2I so you don't have to unscrew the mounting plate every time you have to change the battery. Plus if you have only one viewfinder and a spare camera, you can swap between the two.

Cons:It is very expensive...there are much cheaper ones, but I am unsure of the cheaper one's quality.

Final Thoughts: I took off one star for the price, but in my opinion, when filming video on these DSLRs or any video for that matter, one of the most important things is seeing what you are recording. Focus is SO important. So I decided to not skimp out with this one item, and I am very happy I did not skimp out. Dont get me wrong, you may be able to get similar results out of another viewfinder, but I have not found any that are 3x and that have anti-fog and a diopter. Plus most others use magnetic strips which...I don't like the idea of magnets near my electronics.

This product review is more about application and less about the product itself. This viewfinder is great, the gorilla mount is super heavy duty, the viewfinder is rugged and solid, and most importantly it works really well and does not fog up. Even the fact that it snaps onto the plastic clips, which originally seemed like a flaw and something that would wear down and eventually stop working, have held up pretty well for me.

The issue is, I use it less and less. I have a Canon 7D and a Canon 60 D at my disposal, obviously this presents a problem with the 60 D because it'll eliminates the FlipOut LCD screen. On the 7D, it's fine but I find I'm constantly popping it off and on because otherwise it limits your shots. We do a lot of run and gun shooting for weddings and corporate events and I found that this viewfinder sits in my bag more than it sits on the camera. That being said its great for shooting a speech or conference because you don't always have the luxury of getting a critical focus at the beginning of a speech and nothing is worse than being out of focus for a full speech (in 12 minute increments of course...damn limited recording time!)

Bottom line, it's something good to have, but if you're starting out building your kit and you keep reading all these reviews that you can't trust the LCD screen on your camera that's not true either. If your on a limited budget and it's between this and something else you might need like a mic or a lens, get that first.

If someone reads this and thinks I'm full of it and has a better workflow for running and gunning I'm all ears by the way :)

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I've looked at all the options for a compact solution to solve the question:

What product will help me improve my focusing ability on my DSLR?

This is it.

Excellent construction and handling. Fits perfectly, works perfectly.

Note: Some may prefer the 2.5x version. If I had to do it again, I might get that version, because the 3x makes the screen of my Canon 5D mk2 look a bit pixelated (ie: not enough resolution for this much magnification).

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Purchased this for my new Nikon D7000 which I acquired primarily for video shooting

As a long time Pro Photographer I wasn't used to shooting with the LCD screen on my dslrs...manual focus was proving problematic at best while shooting video so I decided to add a loupe to assist until I can justify getting a SmallHD D6 video monitor (check it out...it's the ultimate hddslr wish list item ;-).

First tried the Hoodman combo and returned it after one day...the rubber they use attracts dirt, fingerprints and dust like a magnet so it looked beat up after a few hours attempted use. I say attempted because it moved around a bit when used as a third brace point and wasn't the most comfortable against my eye...the $16 rubber band is a joke and kept blocking the lens opening during changes.

This was what I should have ordered from the start...pro build quality, excellent optics and feels solid and comfortable against my eye with or without glasses. The slight offset it's mount causes when adding a quick release plate actually worked well for me with my Shape Composite Stabilizer shoulder rig adding just a touch more offset of the camera on the rig and placing it directly in front of my eye...set up was quick and easy as I didn't need any of the extender frames and things just popped into focus bright crisp and clear.

I took 1 point off because for this price you'd think they'd include a bag to store it in and protect it from camera bag dust as even the less expensive ones do...

I justify the price paid by thinking about it like I do my lenses...Always buy the best optics you can...the glass you use will be around through many camera bodies...

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Purchased the 3x version over the 2.5x version based on a gut feeling, thinking more would be better... Well, upon first use I thought I may have made the wrong choice. The view is so much bigger that initially I wasn't comfortable with it. But after a few weeks of use I really appreciate having it. (If you are lucky enough to compare the 2 versions, I recommend you do before you buy)

My Nikon D7000 has the battery attachment. So, I also order the Zacuto extended mounting plate for cameras with battery grips. It all fits around the LCD perfectly. However, it does make it a little harder to use the selection pad around the OK button since the frame is robust and cramps the space normally between the LCD and the selection pad.

Some minor issues after a few weeks of usage:

* Try not to get the anti-fog shield dirty it's sticky. They do warn you in the instructions. But, if you're like me and don't read them, then you'll find out the hard way the first time you try to clean it. READ THE INSTRUCTION on how to clean it properly.

* The lanyard is oversized in every way a giant billboard that is unnecessary. I would've preferred a simple tether to keep the loupe secured when not attached. There's been a few times that it has actually gotten in the way and caused me to yank the view off the camera... I've since replace it with a much shorter and detachable strap/tether.

* The plastic eye cover is attached with a simple cord, however the cord was cut and melted as a way to keep the cover attached. Unfortunately, this made a little ball of plastic at the end of the string on the inside of the cap which gets in the way of letting the cap sit flush within the eye piece. So the cap keeps coming off and won't stay on while I'm handling the camera.

* I have a sinking feeling that with a lot of usage, taking the loupe off and on the bracket a lot... I think after a lifetime of use, either the frame attachment point(s) or the inside attachment point(s) of the finder may wear down and not bind strong enough to keep the finder attached. Right now it's solid...

* The spacers are tough to separate! Make sure you actually need them before snapping them together and trying them out. I had a tough time separating the 3 provided I didn't want to use any tools that might have damaged them. So I had to work them apart by hand...

* As attached to a Nikon D7000 with a battery grip, the extended frame does fit, but it is not flush at the bottom of the Gorilla plate. There's about 2mm of the frame left at the bottom stick out past the plate. You'll have to consider this if you then plan on attaching a tripod head plate you'll need to position it to accommodate the extended mounting frame. (Maybe if you file it down to be flush with the bottom of the plate, then it won't be a concern...)

* No carrying case or pouch although it may not get used as much it would've been nice to have one included.

Conclusion:

So far this is a worthwhile purchase. When filming in bright daylight this is a must have for the LCD. The build quality is excellent. The 3x version does take some getting used to and does show a little pixilation with that level of magnification, but on the Nikon D7000 it is working great! With the magnification you'll also see just how bad your handheld technique is!

I only give it 4-stars because of its price and the number issue I described... for the money I guess I expected a more flawless experience.

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