ZigView Digital Viewfinder, with 360° Rotating Angled 2.0" TFT Color Display

2007-12-11T19:00:00

Cons: 1) Minolta eyepiece adapter broke within an hour of my using it, 2) slow frame rate which I un-scientifically estimate at 15-20fps, 3) low screen resolution, 4) no live views when changing screen parameters like Backlight Brightness, AE Compensation, AE Mode, Color Effect, 5) joystick controller needs work in the area of 'center-joystick-and-push-down-to-confirm-selection' - imprecise, 6) no center detent to keep the unit from constantly rotating and throwing it off the standard horizontal orientation.Pros: 1) light, 2) durable, 3) long 6-hour battery life, 4) [...] My Humble Opinion: you're better off with an optical viewerI got this unit because I do a lot of macro photography of flora, which is one of the applications the company says this item is ideal for. However its low resolution especially precludes me from relying on it for sharp focus - I have to trust the alignment of the camera's focusing aid, rather than the overall sharpness of V100's screen instead. Color saturation is weak and unpleasant to look at, making the switch to b/w mode much more desirable. A lens hood is a must when working outdoors in the bright Hawaiian sun I'm under.A real peeve is that there is no center detent to keep the unit from constantly rotating out of the horizontal. I am seriously thinking of applying superglue to lock it in place. If I were to price this item I'd sell it for $50-70, which would please me just fine. However I shelled out [$] for it, along with a lens hood and a now broken eyepiece adapter, which makes me particularly upset about this purchase. The maker had great intentions when making this product and I have to say in all fairness, this was a good first effort - but it needs work. I will keep it as an novelty to attach to my Minolta SRT-303 and 110 Zoom cameras, but it is othewise an expensive, nearly useless toy for macro work, and less-than-ideal substitute for an external optical viewfinder.

LarryLMedina