Zacuto Z-finder 1st Impression

I received my Zacuto Z-finder yesterday, so I had to leave my 7D for 24 hours until the mounting frame was securely attached. Today, after getting back home around midnight, I wanted to test it a little before I go to bed. (Note: this is a very quick test)

3x magnification is really nice. A big difference. However, you should know that each pixel on LCD is blown up 3x so it looks sharper WITHOUT the Z-finder. Focusing is easier WITH Z-finder, but the whole screen looks "prettier" WITHOUT Z-finder. I shot a couple weddings with 7D and when I got back to my studio, I noticed the focus on many shots weren't very sharp. I had to trash many shots because of it.

Z-finder serves 2 purposes. Focusing & Stabilization. I have a Nikkor 50mm F1.4 lens that I can use with an adapter. (Borrowed from my brother-in-law who is a Nikon fan) But 50mm focal length and lack of stabilization feature together result in very shaky footage. Almost useless. So, I couldn't use the lens without Z-finder. Especially when lens is wide open, I need to make sure the focus is perfect.

Ok. Going back to the test.

First I tried getting the right focus with & without Z-finder. Somehow, two shots did not differ significantly because I didn't have much problem getting the focus WITHOUT the Z-finder. Probably because my room is dark, and LCD looks very bright and clean. So I did not use those footage on the video I made.

Secondly, I tested stabilization. This is what this video is about. Tried to hold camera as stable as possible. Difference is somewhat noticeable. When it's viewed in bigger size, the footage shot WITHOUT Z-finder is almost too shaky. But, this is the case mostly because the lens is without built-in stabilizer.  With Canon lenses that have stabilization feature, it will look much better.

Final verdict. Don't have it yet.  As far as I know, it doesn't do the magic for you. I think it will very helpful when shooting outside. When shooting an outdoor wedding, I had hard time looking at the LCD. 

Do I regret spending almost $400 on this little piece of equipment, instead of Canon 35mm F2.0 lens? NO. That small difference in stability will give the edge that crosses the line between usable shot and useless shot.