I've been shooting since 1988, a true cinematographer uses a viewfinder. I had the Gratical, but the Kameleon is a fantastic upgrade. You need to immerse yourself into the scene you are shooting, a monitor is distracting. Great review.
Thanks for this review Maam. As a amature videographer, I recently upgraded to a FS5 , old but very low hrs and in new condition. Main reason for this instead of a FX6 , was the EVF, as I can't use a monitor to compose , focus an just even "get into" a shot! So refreshing to hear and read people say that EVF's are the way to shoot ! When I do upgrade again, I will be checking these out for sure. Chers, Gregg.
I think you nailed it. I've always felt this disconnect with my material when shooting on set or setting up. People talking, background noise, and so on, but an EVF is the missing link. Just that moment of being able hone in and focus on the frame. Monitors are great, but they aren't intimate instruments. Thanks NLP for the upload and info. I may have to invest in an EVF!
Still learning about different gear and their benefits in a shooting environment. EVF's have been on my radar lately. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!
Thanks for the nice review! Zacuto now makes a battery plate [Zacuto EVF Battery Pack] that screws into the (free) rosette, so you can power your Kameleon or Gratical EVF for about 2 hours with a Canon LP-E6 battery. Quite a convenient solution for small camera rigs where you may not want to add a large V-Mount battery.
It’s a great review of a very pricey viewfinder. With options such as the Portkeys LEYE do really need to spend that much money on Zacuto offerings, for marginally better features or picture quality. The LEYE is certainly sharp enough. If money is not a concern I would certainly buy Zacuto, but there is no way I would buy the Kameleon with the power cable coming directly out of the bottom of the unit. That’s nuts and a total dealbreaker no matter how great it is. When you shoulder mount a camera or handhold that cable is going to obstruct reaching the lens barrel features. Terrible design flaw!! And even mounting it the way you do on a DSLR style rig you can tell it is going to be pain holding the rig unless you raise it high. Zacuto got it right with the Gratical HD with the SDI/HDMI cables coming out the top and power cable neatly tucked in on the outer side. The Gratical Eye has the cable porte recessed and up on the unit as well where they do not pose a problem as described. Forget the Kameleon until they re-design this flaw and go with the Gratical Eye if you have the money. Chances are the LEYE will do just fine and it is much lighter and draws less power.
Thanks so much for this review Kelly. I was looking for an EVF and you helped me choose the Kameleon Pro and I'm so pleased with it. It works with my Ursa Mini Pro using SDI as well as my mirrorless using HDMI. As you say, it has every feature I could ever hope for and has a beautiful screen and diopter. Thanks again.
Loved this very thorough review. My eyesight is getting bad upclose . Using a monitor shooting live music video I sometimes miss something in the image framing . Once an external microphone . The dead cat was in the framing when I zoomed out to 16mm . I was shooting a music video and it ruined some shots . I’ve been wanting an evf for some more shoulder mounted video. It’s for a Nikon Z9 and I’d like to ditch the Atomos Ninja V for most applications.
I definitely need to invest in an EVF at some point soon. At the moment, I just fly with a monitor, but I find that running it in a shoulder configuration is just hard on my eyes. Thanks for the review! I'll be looking into this as an option next time I feel confident that the gigs are going to be steady for a while.
Thank you Kelly. This is a great review, you adopted a very tactile approach and as such it conveys very well the look and feel of the EVF. I’m coming from a Fuji mirrorless hybrid system to the FX6 and even though I have a monitor mounted to my gimbal for the Fuji , I have otherwise always shot using the EVF on the camera. I agree with you about the absence of distraction, and it’s a like the mindfulness that operates when filming, you are totally absorbed in the moment, so I can see myself getting a Kameleon because it does as you say make a difference and allows a more intimate relationship with the scene before you.
I put this onto a NVG mount using a modified PVS 14 J-Arm. The NVG mount is attached to a Crye Precision Nightcap, which is better than a bulky helmet. I put a smaller sized V-mount battery where the night vision battery would normally go (also acts as a counterbalance to the EVF). This allows me to use it without constantly having to bend my neck to the viewfinder and I can it flip up out of the way when I don't need to use it. I can use it with a gimbal as well!
Awesome review, thank you very much! Question: the Gratical HD has the battery option and cross conversion. Both, very useful. Althought do you think the Kameleon is worh over the Gratical without those features?? I know this is very subjective and that’s way I’m asking you. Thanks!
Hey Nice Lady!!! Thank you for your insight. I agree with your point about how much more intimate you get filming with an EVF instead of a monitor. Non related question: Which tripod legs are the ones at 1:09 ? They look amazing.
Nice viewfinder. The power cable from the bottom is a deal breaker, particularly mounted on the shoulder rig. It’s obviously in the way of your hand on the lens barrel. Terrible feature what otherwise is great. Buy a used Gratical HD instead for less than half the cost. With all the same features and a sharp image. Zacuto also needs to update the firmware as it’s dated.
Awesome review...couldn't agree more...there is nothing better than just you and the image ...no distractions. But nice if the price was lower...coming from Australia, the exchange rate and GST tax kills us ....looking at 40% more on top...not cheap...but ohhhh so gorgeous. Do you have a review of the pocket 4k?... thanks for the upload...always loved your reviews, you tell it from a shooters point so well.
Yes, I know, it's an investment for sure. The Gratical I bought was expensive at the time, and I'm in Canada so the exchange rate wasn't great, but I've had it for years and I've used it on so many cameras. I noticed in the Zacuto store they have open box Kameleon EVFs (not the Pro version, so no waveform) for $700 less. Thanks for watching my review and commenting.
Hi Kelly, thanks for the review. I have the Gratical eye and it’s starting to get some rather bad burn-in. I was considering having the OLED replaced, but now I’m thinking about getting the Kameleon Pro. Is it definitely worth the upgrade over the Eye?
Hey!! Sorry to not respond sooner. How much is OLED replacement compared to getting a Kameleon? Do you use HDMI cameras? That would be a reason to upgrade.
Hey, thanks for the clear review. I was wondering if you ever suffered burn in on one the Kameleon or gratical eye. Do you evade displaying camera info to counter this?
I really wish the powering options would have been covered a bit more in detail. Seems like in all the images the power cable is going to a v lock hidden somewhere?
Everyone powers their cameras differently, a lot of people run a v-mount battery off the back rails of their camera or the back of a shoulder rig. I mentioned that I had a v mount battery attached to my tripod leg via a clamp on mount. You could also add a v-mount battery plate to a gimbal handle etc... totally depends on the setup. When I'm using an SDI camera, the camera is usually powered by v-mounts anyway with a d-tap port, it's mostly HDMI cameras where powering is something to consider.
Hi, and thanks for your quality videos. So do you think the gratical is still a good option, especially for small builds where we don't have p tap or other power? What are the features or drawbacks of it compared to what's new today
Hi Kelly. I have a question for you. I have a Bm pocket cinema pro 6k and just got a zacuto kameleon pro. How do you find the colors and brightness? Did u need to calibrate the kameleon to match it to the BM pocket? Also do u use luts,like rec 709 from the kameleon or lut from bm pocket, when filming in Film dynamic range? Also any other insights about the pairing you have that you can share i would be greatful to read.
Does this, or any of the models, have an hdmi out so one could use a monitor as well? Also, is there another EVF you would recommend that’s a little less expensive? I have never used one in my life. But it’s a possibility in the future.
Great review, I am using a BMPCC4K can you describe your setup, I am looking to purchase this EVF yet want to know how you rig it with your BMPCC4K Thanks
Do you have a cage for your BMPCC4K? I've updated the links under the description of the video to add the gear. I'm using the SmallRig Half cage. I've added a short Zacuto nato rail to the top (they call it a z-rail, Smallrig sells these too). From there I have a a piece that goes on the nato rail and has a 15mm rod hole, I would try the one I've added under my description as it's taller and would make accessing the camera's buttons easier. Then the Zacuto Axis mini for attaching the EVF to.
Enjoyed your program. I can't seem to get the 4 function buttons to save beyond when you power the Kameleon Pro off it resets back to the way they were. Is their a secret that I'm missing?
That seems strange. Maybe reset the EVF, I think there's a factory restore in there or update the firmware. If that doesn't work call /email Zacuto, they are super helpful.
@@filbilly No. The EVF does accept 4K30 as maximum resolution, but down samples it to 1080p for viewing. So the image you see is never 4K, always HD. The actual screen is less than 1", so even with HD the pixel density and sharpness is incredibly high and the resolution is higher than human eye can resolve. 4K on such a tiny screen is entirely unnecessary, it would only have been nice if you could zoom in on the actual 4K image without resolution loss for focussing
@@Edwin--Thanks Edwin! I went ahead and bought one and love it. I can punch in through the FX3 so that does help if I need the image magnified. All in all, best all around EVF I've ever owned and used.
I'm a newbie. Not at the EVF stage yet. I'm just now getting my first (used) cinema cam. However, I would like a viewfinder. Which of these (or another decent off brand) would you recommend as a "beginner". Doesn't have to be electronic.
@@NiceladyproductionsCanada C100 (re: EVF) I'm a screenwriter /producer foremost, so I'm not trying to spend alot of money on personal camera/audio equipment, just the basics so I can continuing learning and better explain my vision. Also put myself in my crew's position and understand a little of what they do/challenges they might have for better production results. I would also be using for (solo crew projects) documentaries and microfilms (practice).
That really helped a lot to be sure we will not order our URSA G2 with the BM EVF but with the Kameleon. Thanks! I hope it also is better in terms of the vignetting we saw with the small eyepeice of the BM (just 0,5" of glas - you must be close to see it all). Is that better with either the Kameleon or the Gratical eye?
Yes, Kameleon has a 0.71" diagonal OLED screen, so bigger than the BM. I would say the Kameleon can be used with a lot more cameras and has more features built in.
@@NiceladyproductionsCanada Hi and thanks for the info. Can you say anything about my "special concern", which is "will the Kameleon provide a better visibility of the whole OLED screen even from a small "distance", like 1inch or so"? This is where we found the BM EVF not suitable as you really have to push your eye "in it" to have no vignetting from the rubber eyepiece. We are coming from ENG EVF (Sony 20/30) and with these you can see the picture even from more than one inch which is nice in run and gun situations. Thanks for your help on that - I have to admit - very special question ;-)
@@dauberich yes, I'd say you can see the image from further, the camera I point in it shows that, which would be only useful for quick viewing as I wouldn't want to pull focus based on this. I would really want to dial in the diopter for the text to be clear and judge sharpness based on my eye being directly in the eyepiece.
