Photography Gear and Technique / Archived topic
Started by Snappy ·
Read-only discussion
I found it! The solution! Now i don't have to press my mask against that small hole, get my reg caught on the bulkhead and so on: the answer is Zigview!
Now all I have to do is ask Santa (Ike!), can you please design a new back for my 20D housing so this will fit??
Interesting. On land it would be useful for shooting with the camera low or high as advertised. But for all other shooting it would really interfer with my camera holding technique which icludes pressing the view finder against my upper brow for added camera stability.
That would be cool for a UW housing, but I agree with Peter, I am not sold on using it topside (at lease exclusively). But in a housing, that could be a winner.
Joe
I can see many uses for this topside too. And if it is possible to seperate the little camera that films into the viewfinder and the screen, then we would have something really interesting for pole cams too!
one tiny little remark from an analog digibete:
why is this such a big deal: there is such a screen on all digital cameras (not angled , but... If it was really that usefull, why is everybody so happy to use a dslr instead of a point and shoot.
Gerard
Mostly, the argument would be that on DSLR's you can't see the image until after it is shot. With this little gizmo, you would have something similar to a point and shoot where you can view the image, compose it and so forth with that snap on viewer. You cannot compose a shot with a DSLR's large screen.
Joe
I'd buy it in a heartbeat if Ike would make a replacement housing back plate to fit my 20d.
regards--aaron
We bought some Zigview thingies to evaluate, but thought refresh rate was too slow and critical focus could not be ascertained with them. We weren't smart enough to figure how to add without sacrificing the viewfinder, camera screen or lcd panel.
My hunch is that the next generation of DSLRs will probably allow for live preview optionally.
We weren't smart enough to figure how to add without sacrificing the viewfinder, camera screen or lcd panel.
Darn!
Hmmm..perhaps one could put the zigview in a box by itself, and attach that one on the outside of any housing soemhow. Looks like I will have to buy one and start experimenting... As for the refreshrate and all that, perhaps the newer zigview-R is better. With built in motion detector one would hope its reaction time would be reasonable.
EOS Magazine has a piece about the Canon EOS20Da (based on the 20D) - a camera designed for astrophotography but which 'can be used for daytime shooting'. The disadvantage of doing so is that 'the modifications to the infrared filter may show an increased sensitivityto red objects". And of real interest to some is that it also feature a 'live preview mode ..... to allow focusing on the rear LCD display in real-time'.
Could be an interesting camera to house......
Ike brings up some good points. What are you really seeing? Can you view critical focus points? That's important stuff, Ike. Thanks.
Joe
With most camera LCD's you get 220,000 pixels. That's just not enough to use for critical focus. I bet this Zigview thingy uses even less...
I'd like to put my money on a large Ikelite optical viewfinder, ok Ike? :-)
Cheers
James
Perhaps the fact that I do 99,9 percent wideangel shots, combined with the fact that I trust the autofocus with its red indicator lights, would make this device more useful for me than many other wetpixeleres. Pluss all the topside uses i can see myself using it for.
EOS Magazine has a piece about the Canon EOS20Da (based on the 20D) - a camera designed for astrophotography but which 'can be used for daytime shooting'. The disadvantage of doing so is that 'the modifications to the infrared filter may show an increased sensitivityto red objects". And of real interest to some is that it also feature a 'live preview mode ..... to allow focusing on the rear LCD display in real-time'.
Could be an interesting camera to house......
Hi Paul,
I just started a new thread based on the Canon 20Da before seeing your message here. The 20Da indeed looks like an interesting UW camera for more than its "life LCD". The increased sensitivity to red objects may actually be a big advantage for UW shooting in general and magick filter use in particular.
Bart
I second James' comments on the large viewfinder from Ike. In an earlier forum I thought Ike said he was working on this. Ike, is this in the works?
Mark
Hi!
UK-GERMANY also tested the ZigView finder. You can't judge focus. Forget it for macro. It's a pretty poor image quality at all. The camera (a 1.3 Mpix, as used in cell phones) isn't that good and the result is just enough to be presented on the small screen. Low refresh rates lead to a jagged and bumpy image when things are moving. You get sort of "secondary" shutter delay, just what you wanted to get rid of with a DSLR.
There's a new version of ZigView out that has an external video out so you could use a somewhat larger (and remote) display at any given angle. I remember that Bruder did some solution with a small video camera and a 2" housed external display but it wasn't that good either. It didn't survive the prototype state.
My current project is a pure optical finder with approximately 1:1 representation of the camera finder. The 45° angle and the additional distance to the housing allow relaxed camera handling. The real big problem now is to get the design cheaper so it'll sell at what I think is the reasonable limit for such a device.
Helge ;-)=)
Interesting Helge!
Let us know when you got it ready, I would find it very useful, both underwater and on land. Pretty please: make it with a video out plug, I can see many uses for such a device both under and over water.
Hi!
I think you got something wrong here.
To make it clear: The standard ZigView presents an image that is worse than what you know from any compact digital camera. It's close to a low bandwidth webcam.
If you use it portrait the finder image is cut down to a square.
I therefore use an optical 90° angle finder topside. It has a switchable 2x magnification and allows excellent focusing.
The new ZigView model already has a composite video out. You may attach any display capable of composite video there. I haven't seen it working yet but will so in a couple of days. Maybe image quality improves on a larger screen. For UW use, there's still the question of the houising. It would make no sense to house something as bulky if you don't use the built in display. In case of an external display you could use a small video camera instead.
What I'm currently building is a pure optical solution that has nothing to do with ZigView or any other related video solution. It's just lenses and a prism. I'm currently reducing the complexity of the design to make it able to sell below the "magic 1000 EUR line" (not significantly far below, actually).
The finder will fit to UK-GERMANY housings (also most existing ones) and will be available as OEM product for housing manufacturers as well.
Helge ;-)=)
Yes, you are right: I misunderstood. But if you will be getting the new Zigview for testing shortly, I would be very interested in hearing about the result.
A friend of mine has tested (only topside so far) this, with luck: http://www.viosport.com/
The various lenses makes it possible to attach the camera to the viewfinder and get quite a decent picture at a remote screen.
But as I said please tell me how the new Zigview is handling.
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