Hot on the heels of Redrock announcing their microEVF, Zacuto has announced a similar HDMI viewfinder, the Z-finder EVF. Both promise to allow filmmakers to operate their DSLR much more like a real video/film camera thanks to positional flexibility. But while neither are available yet, in terms of pricing and specifications, there are some important questions:
First of all, Redrock claims their viewfinder will have "better resolution than the RED BOMB EVF," which is 1280x720. Redrock's official page lists the microEVF as having 1.2 million pixels, which would indeed make it higher-resolution than the $3200 RED equivalent (1280x720 works out to be 922k pixels). Meanwhile the Zacuto will have a resolution of 800x480, which works out to be 384k pixels. This means the Zacuto offers 32% of the resolution of the Redrock. Or does it? Redrock may be misstating their resolution by a factor of three, as 1.2 million dots is not the same thing as 1.2 million pixels. "Dots" counts each pixel as three (one each for red, green, and blue). Which, you'll notice, works out perfectly to 800x480: 384k pixels X 3 = 1.152 million (rounded up to 1.2).
If you're shooting on a 5D Mark II or some of the other DSLRs that drop to 480p during shooting, this difference in resolution might not be noticeable. But if you're spending money on a viewfinder, you want it to work with you next camera as well -- and while your next camera might have its own viewfinder (for example, if you get this Sony or this Panasonic), you might still find yourself needing a EVF if you find yourself shooting on RED in the future. Either way it's always a good idea to buy products that are going to last more than one generation.
When both of these viewfinders are out in the wild, there will surely be plenty of differences in terms of image quality, viewing options (e.g., how the different focus assist functions compare) and build quality. So: we'll see. If Redrock's claims are true -- that their viewfinder has 1.2 million pixels -- it's hard to see why one would buy the Zacuto. But that's a big "if."
Specifications
- Actual 16×9 screen
- 800×480 resolution
- .087 dot pitch
- Focus Assist
- Iris Assist
- HDMI loop through
- Operates off Canon LP-E6 Camera battery (1/2 day power)
- Includes a hot shoe mount or optional articulating arm kit.
- Can mount to other manufacturer's rig (RedRock, Cinevate, Letus, etc.) via 1/4 20 screw, 15mm rod or articulating arm
- All Z-Finder models snap on and off the EVF and can be used interchangeably between the camera screen or EVF screen
- Includes mini HDMI cable
- Professional grade construction
- 12 volt external power
What do you think?
Link: Z-Finder EVF
[via Cheesycam]
