Inon Prototype Magnified Viewfinder

OK, now that the DEMA report is posted and the pictures are live, I'd like to comment on something that slipped by many people - the Inon magnified viewfinder!

Here's a photo of the prototype:

Please poste comments and useful feedback about the viewfinder here. I'd love to see this viewfinder become a "standard accessory."

Thoughts?

Cheers

James

But isn't one of the advantages of digital the ability to review the shot and adjust. I don't see the LCD in that shot but it could just be the angle of the picture.

I had the oportunity to look into this finder, nice view and it rotate allowing for vertical shooting, nice job, my only concern was that it kind of chopped your view of the LCD somewhat. the focus control on this housing was magnetic, cool feature to play with but I would miss the firm rack and pinion feel in real life.

Todd, you can see the LCD, you just need to tilt the housing and look at an angle, but you can see it.

Honestly, I think that housing & Viewfinder were more "concept car" than production first glimpse, although I'd love to see it some day.

Ryan: agreed. I think they could use some Wetpixel user feedback for future rev's of that viewfinder. It looks a lot like the Seacam S45, just not as slimmed down and rounded. The Seacam S45 does not block the LCD screen on my camera.

Cheers

James

This is so new that they I can't find any info on Inon's website <_< .

I suppose it only fits Inon's housings, am I right?

In any case, James is right. The S45 is much slimmer, while the Inon model looks like it could use some refinement in the shape...

Cheers,

Mat

They call this prototype, one has to be carefull about theses, I have had my fair share of experience, (one did quite a row on this venerable site ). Very often a manufacturer will come out with a work in progress, anxious to show the world he is doing something, new or exiciting, only to have said world come down crashing on him. its a tough call sometime, you want the info going out but you risk negative feedback because this look unfinished, is missing this and that. this is apropriate in a prototype but would be innaceptable in a production model.

One thing I noticed is Inon where not marketing the housing but instead where on a sounding board approach, looking for comments and sugestions to improve the product, and I know they paid attention to the finder obstruction. I think this ppart of the reason it went under the radar.

Bottom line is, when it comes down to prototype, the maker usually is looking for opinions or sugestions. If he goes to production without listening to its user then let him (us) wear the flak jacket and get it from you folks .

My personal feedback, based only on the photos - not actually seeing the finder - is that it needs to be slimmed down so that it doesn't block the LCD screen on cameras that have the screen in the center.

I also prefer a straight-through finder to an angled finder. When I bought my Seacam, I was fortunate enough to get to try both types on a number of dives. Shooting macro with the angled finder was AWESOME if the critter was down on the bottom, but shooting up at a subject that was on the same level as my head, or above me was VERY difficult.

As for the port - the magnetic lens drive is a novel approaceh. The reason I prefer a gear to this type of drive is that I don't like to have to twist the whole ring underwater - too much hand movement right up in front of the housing is likely to scare the critter away. Wit a small knob/gear under the port, it's easy to twirl the knob with two fingers with a minimum of movement. The magnetically coupled drive may be good for wideangle, but I'd not want to use it for macro.

Cheers

James

I agree with James.

I spent a good while reviewing this finder and talking with

the designers (traslator present of course).

I like the overall feel bu it had some serious drawbacks in particular the

fact that the angled piece angled downward hence really obscuring the LCD, especially on smaller housings like the D70 or 20D.

If it must angle then it must be on an upward direction to take the finder away from the LCD>

YOu can use the finder in one of many positions but only one or two are realy practival ones.

The finder suffers like many others from black outs on the edges.

Initial overall impression was one of "great" finally a finder....then with more careful analisis it did not look good for the use we require.

I heard that they (the designers) listened to the constructive critism and are back on the drawing board with some omproovments. Lets see what ultimately comes out.

Maurciio Handler

I wasn't so bothered by the limited blocking of the lcd screen. The upper right & left corners were viewable, and the histogram wasn't obscured. The VF could also be swiveled out of the way, obviously this isn't something you want to rely on.

This finder did appear to mask a little more of the corners than other finders I have experience with, and may have been slightly more intolerent of varying eyepoints.

I've never dove a 45 deg finder, but do like the idea for the macro shooting I do. I would say the majority of shooters, unless they make their living w/ over-unders, would prefer a straight 180- viewfinder.

On another note, the d2000 is a pretty nifty strobe. The x2 allows the flash to be popped up on the 20d, and using hte d2000 in sTTL mode (an optical slave ttl) I got accurate flash exposures from f2.8-f22, which is amazing considering the multiple, modulated preflahses that Canon uses for ETTL. I wish I'd have used my own card so I still had the pictures...

Ryan,

Do you know if the flash can be popped up (and fires) on the Ikelite 20D, 300D, and 350D housings? If so, perhaps it's compatible with the D2000 as well. Of course, you'd have to rig some kind of a fiber-optic mount.

Cheers

James

What is an X2? Were you refering to the new version(s) or old version of the D2000 strobe?

Tom

I'd be very against a finder that blocked the LCD. Being able to see the whole image clearly on the LCD is very important to me.

Canon and Nikons tend to have different issues with this. Nikon LCDs tend to be more prone to being blocked because they are directly below the camera's viewfinder. Canon LCDs are off to the left and therefore less prone to blocking.

Alex