Opteka 11x Zoom Professional Large Director's Viewfinder with HD Multicoated Glass, All Metal Body and Click Stops

The media could not be loaded. With using your cinematography camera to get the best angles and shots wastes battery power. That is a thing of the past with this viewfinder!To be humbly honest this is awesome and very useful versus using your fingers in the shape of Ls. (Haha)Also for finding the best range that you need BEFORE shooting. A definite worthwhile investment!

$200 is pretty cheep for a director’s viewfinder and a great deal for a first time owner, but this isn’t even worth it. Basically this viewfinder works in a very different way than a professional one in which the FOV is represented by a rectangle moving forward and backwards rather than narrowing itself. This is not something even a first-time director should resort to as it will not work in the way that they should learn about. I give this a one star across the board for misleading advertisement, price for payoff, efficiency and overall satisfaction. They call it a viewfinder, I call it a paperweight.

This director’s viewfinder is a very good budget option if you’re searching for a solid product but can’t shell out a thousand dollars. It really is solid; it feels like it’s made of strong components. There isn’t any manual, but if you’re buying one of these, then you’ll already know the mechanics and get the hang of it pretty quickly just by playing with it. It comes neatly and tightly packaged in a box just large enough to fit it. You’ll have a tough little bag with a drawstring to store it. It has a lens cap and a lengthy lanyard attached. The only drawback, for me, is that although the aspect ratio selector ring “clicks” and sticks at every ratio option, the focal length, or “zoom” ring, is free-spinning. I wish it also “clicked” as it turned, so I wouldn’t lose my focal length when I let go. Still, go for this over any of the smaller mini viewfinders.

If you need something on the less-expensive end, this is a solid option. It's a good value and works well, but has some quirks it's worth knowing about. 1) The image you see through the viewfinder seems accurate but is VERY small and distant-seeming. 2) There is no adjustable diopter so if you wear glasses you still need them. 3) You'll need to USE A PAINT PEN to carefully add a mark for the focal-length adjustment dial to calibrate it to your sensor size; it has marks for 35mm, super16, etc, but these are approximate (and don't take crop factor into account) so you may end up having a few marks on it for common setups so when you line up the focal-length dial it is accurate. 4) The textured rubber grip slips a tiny bit sometimes; it should have been cemented on; you may want to add a couple spots of super glue to hold it in place.

If you use a professional cinema rig and camera, it is necessary to own one of these to compose the shots and getting new shot ideas without moving the giant rig around. This piece of equipment can wear around your neck like a necklace and is pretty light. Though it came with no instructions, it is very easy to figure out and understand if you know focal length and composition.I'd highly recommend it!

Estaba bajo la impresión de que este producto sería una herramienta para el trabajo profesional en la producción audiovisual. Pero resulta ser poco más que un juguete para niños. No es cierto que tenga un zoom x11. La imagen simplemente se hace más pequeña y distante sin ninguna amplificación hasta que lo que se ve se hace completamente lejano y diminuto. Completamente inservible para las situaciones en el set. Me siento engañado y decepcionado con el producto. No recomiendo su compra.

I do love this. It's well built and it helps me get the frame before setting up heavy gear. I only wish it had m43

I use cadrage for preproduction work but this is easier to pull up during a shoot. Image is SMALL as is with most viewfinders - but it gets the job done. Tip: If it breaks on you, peel back the rubber textured grip, align the rings, and tighten the screws. This happens if you over crank the zoom ring.