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Viewing the World through the Zacuto Z-Finder EVF
Today’s technological world is about balance. People love large, epic technology in their homes, but the small portable for the everyday. Location production is no different. Sometimes location productions warrant a monitor when the camera is locked down, but sometimes the production is too run-and-gun to utilize a monitor. Zacuto has presented a good balance between those two situations with their Zacuto Z-Finder Electronic Viewfinders (EVF). Their line of attachable viewfinders has a 3.2” monitor that works through the HDMI port and attaches best to a camera’s rod system. Zacuto’s electronic viewfinders start with the basic 3.2” attachable on-board monitor and range to an optical viewfinder that can detach and still serve as an on-board monitor. Designed originally for DSLR cameras it will also work with the Panasonic AG-AF100, Sony FS-100 NXCAM, Sony PMW-F3, Red One and Epic.
The Zacuto Z-Finder EVF series come in several different models. The EVF Snap is their most basic monitor. The Snap connects to the camera and can act as a simple on-board model. The EVF Flip is Zacuto’s recently released EVF and a winner of the Black Diamond Award at the 2011 NAB show. It has the monitor just like the EVF Snap but with a viewfinder that will flip 180 degrees, so you could use it as a small onboard monitor or a viewfinder. The next step-up is the Z-Finder EVF. This is a complete electronic viewfinder that has an optical viewfinder with anti-fog feature. You can also remove the viewfinder completely to use the monitor. Their highest model is the Z-Finder EVF Pro. It is much like the Z-Finder EVF but has a 2.5x optical viewfinder with a diopter. This EVF Pro is the only model equipped with the diopter to help with additional focus within the viewfinder.
The Zacuto Z-Finder EVF gives you more flexibility with your camera. The original design allowed DSLR cameras to have a much larger viewfinder, or on-board monitor, to make the camera similar to a traditional video camera and now Zacuto has taken their EVF to the world of large sensor video cameras. The Z-Finder EVF allows the option of having a small monitor for a client or producer to approve a shot, while allowing the privacy of a viewfinder while operating the camera. It also comes with a plethora of viewfinder options; monochrome mode, pixel to pixel, image flip, focus assistant. The Z-Finder EVF will also give you frame line modes for a vast array of different aspect ratios, 1.33:1, 1.66:1, 1.78:1, 1.85:1, 2.35:1, with the additional rule of third lines and action safe mode.
Has your Chicago video crew been using the Zacuto Z-Finder EVF for one of your cameras? Is there another product you would like to recommend to your peers?
Check out the Z-Finder series
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