Comments on: Quick Take Review: Cineroid, SmallHD and Zacuto EVF Systems.

By: SmallHD

SmallHD — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:36:00 +0000

A few things you should know about the DP4 and DP4-EVF that were not mentioned in this brief overview.The DP4-EVF was designed to provide maximum shooting flexibility at the lowest possible cost.

These may or may not apply to you.
1) More inputs supported (HDMI, Component & Composite)
2) More signal types supported (including 1080p, tested up to 1080p60)
3) 2x larger screen area for stand alone monitor use.
4) Brighter display that can be used in sunlight (It was shown at 50% brightness)
5) Aluminum construction vs all plastic

The high-powered processor also reduces signal delay (response time) and minimizes image skewing on fast pans.

Items 1-4 above does cause the DP4 to consume more power and run warmer, but that’s the trade-off for higher performance. As for battery life, you get at least 3hrs on a single LP-E6, 6hrs when using two. Performance vs battery life will always be a trade-off only you can make.

With the 2x larger screen, the DP4-EVF is heavier than the Zacuto by 3.8oz (19.2 oz vs 15.4 oz). However, the DP4 monitor is just 6.6 oz without the optics (Zacuto is 6.4 oz without optics).

As for toughness, we will have some videos on the topic out soon that I’m sure you will enjoy. It is bit difficult to judge toughness by feel.

If you have any questions, please contact our support team at
http://www.smallhd.com/Support

Thanks!

-reed

By: Chris Collins

Chris Collins — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:56:00 +0000

The Zacuto EVF survived harsh, dusty, and sometimes rainy conditions along with an unexpected drop test here in Africa. I couldn’t be happier with it. Just make sure to have the fogless Z-finder to go with it. The menu is incredibly easy to navigate. The 5D scaling was an absolute dream! As Jared said, try to avoid the hot shoe mount with an Israeli arm or something similar.

By: Eric Diosay

Eric Diosay — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:34:00 +0000

I expected as much. Ultimately, I went with Zacuto’s EVF despite it’s price point. But you do get what you pay for. After seeing how robust the EVF after a fall, it’s functionality and small form factor, the decision was clear.

The only drawback is it’s power source. I want to power everything on my rig with one battery and Zacuto’s DTAP solution is kinda bulky and clunky. Would have loved a reinforced barrel plug to lemo or DTAP.