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!
I would have been very happy if you had told us anything about powering the evf. Which batteries are able to power the evf? Which power cable do I need? Am I able to power the evf by the native batteries of the camera like the canon eos c70 for instance?
It requires external power. I can’t give details on every camera and its ability to provide external power. If you have a dtap power feed, you can likely power the EVF with it. Zacuto sells a variety of power cables for the EVF.
You know I would love to see an evf be able to screen grab a frame. I'm constantly in and out of gig where I will never get to see the raw footage again.
Thanks a lot for sharing this Scott! So from my understanding, there is no difference between inputing the EVF from SDI or HDMI as it will be displayed in 1080p anyway correct ? Also have you ever used an EVF with an external monitor/recorder ? If the camera has no SDI output, I was told that you can connect the camera to the monitor via HDMI then the monitor to the EVF via the HDMI output of the monitor but not sure if that would result in a lag. I contacted Atomos & they have no clue. Any thoughts ? Thanks again!!
I have the Zacuto Gratical HD, but I've been thinking of upgrading to the Kameleon. The higher resolution is a big selling point. The Gratical HD actually has a few advantages over the Kameleon, including dedicated function buttons and the ability to loop through HDMI input to SDI output and vice versa. Also, it can run on its own battery. The Kameleon, however, has full HD resolution 1920x1080 where the Gratical is only 1280x720. I need every bit of help I can get for focus pulling, so I'm hoping the extra res pays off. Also, my Gratical has screen burn in, which is very frustrating given how expensive it is. At least now I know so I can take measures to mitigate it. I assume the Kamelon would have the same issue. I'm a big fan of EVFs. I use them all the time and prefer them over monitors. I can get more intimate with the subject as well as see things that are easier to miss with a monitor. Not to mention an EVF avoids issues with the sun being too bright for a monitor. I wish there was more competition in the EVF market. The good ones are still quite expensive. I'd like to see Feelworld come out with a budget 1920x1080 EVF. They're doing a great job with budget monitors right now. I own a lot of Zacuto products and they are generally well built and reliable. And they darn well better be for the price! On a side note, does anyone know how this EVF could be configured to work with Canon's upcoming C70 WITHOUT having to use a big brick like a Gold Mount battery with ptap? The Kameleon coupled with the C70 is like a dream setup for me.
Right!... Hi, Scott. Thanks for this and other post&reviews... You're right and good.. Good face , good speaker , good light & sound. Yes!.. But, from respect, of course,... You could be "The One" in your post if you will gonna deeper inside menus, if you do more technical analysis, if you will explain each menu in more detail..slowly... Not so hurry. Thanks sir.
Hi Scott, thanks for the review. How do you prevent frying the SDI port on the Komodo? Do you unplug the SDI every time before switching on the camera?
There is a helpful guide on red.com. Basically, connect power to your accessory first, then plug in sdi connection. To remove, do the reverse, power off the sdi accessory then unplug the SDI. You should do this with any camera/device that has 12G SDI. They can all fail the same way.
@@ScottBalkum Hi Scott. Thanks for the input. I have seen that already on their webiste. Now here is my problem: I do mainly wildlife and it would be very annoying if I had to connect the SDI all the time trying to film after the camera was powered off. I am sure I would miss a lot of shots as you sometimes have to be able to power on the camera and start filming straight away. Sometimes things happen fast so it would be a pain in the a** to always wait till the camera is powered on, the EVF is powered on and then connect the SDI. The SDI / D-Tab cable from Zacuto has an on/off switch. I was planning to connect the EVF via d-tap to the battery of the camera. So I could switch on the EVF first, but does that means I have to connect the SDI cable every time I stop/start filming? Thanks
@@CatfishSaone Yes, you will have to disconnect and reconnect the SDI every time. You don’t have to do it when you power off the camera or evf. The potential power surge comes when you connect power to your accessory. So, if you have everything powered off but your accessory and komodo are connected to your battery, you don’t need to disconnect to power on. Only when you change a battery or connect power to the evf the first time on a new battery. As you know, we have to power off Komodo to change a battery anyway (if we are using v-mount) so the delay is absorbed instantly in the boot time of Komodo. Plugging in an SDI it a single second compared to 22 seconds of boot time for Komodo. 12G SDI is a pain in the rear for the industry. This is not a Komodo thing but actually an industry wide issue. It is what it is. All that being said, I am working with a vendor to help us in this very problem. With this new simple design, staying powered up should be a no-brainer for us. I too love nature shooting. So, I certainly understand the frustration, and live with it daily. But, staying powered up the entire shoot is really all we really need…. Coming soon.
@@ScottBalkum Hi Scott. Cool input. That is good enough for me if I can power off the camera and not need to reconnect the SDI every time I do so. But will keep in mind to disconnect the SDI when changing the battery itsef. That will work for me. My worry was to have to disconnect every time I power off the camera while the EVF is connected. Thanks a lot for your input!
@@CatfishSaone Yeah, understood. When everyone first hears about the 12G SDI issue online, it has been “onlined” so much that it makes it seem scary and impossible. When you get the facts, its just a simple process that everyone should be following regardless. If you are purchasing the Zacuto, you’ll love it. The special pricing isn’t available anymore but tell them I sent you and they might make you a little deal. Not 100% sure, but its worth a try. :)
I love EVFs. They are so much better for pulling focus since you don’t have any issues with the sun and the image looks larger than an on-camera monitor. One other benefit is with a monitor I notice my subjects looking at it because that’s what I’m looking at. Whereas with an EVF they look into the lens.
Scott, nice review. Any idea how to make the 4 custom function buttons stay programmed after you turn the unit off? As soon as I power down the unit it reverts back to the original setting. Am I doing something wrong?
I have the blackmagic pocket 4K and I’ve been looking at EVFs. But I’m wondering if it’s possible to simply mirror the camera itself-any monitoring LUTs, camera’s false color, aspect ratio, etc...instead of using the stuff in the actual EVF. If that makes sense.
Wondering if my beloved DSMC2 oled evf will be able in some way to be added on Komodo (even by powering it externally?) I have spent 4k for that product alone....
They are being processed as quickly as possible. There are over 100 in queue at the moment. Make sure you have answered all questions and provided accurate information to speed up the process.
There is no way to make a better review of this EVF. Scott, you win this part of the Internet!
Smattering will now be added to my vocabulary 😉 Great overview!
Hahaha, It sounded perfect at the time.
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!
Ha, that’s cool. Only negative would be to remember to disconnect the SDI before walking away. I’d probably snag myself 10 times before learning.
was thinking about getting the zacuto eye, but the kameleon looks like a more future proof product - good to have hdmi option too
Exactly! Join that RED Komodo Users group for a sweet surprise...
I would have been very happy if you had told us anything about powering the evf. Which batteries are able to power the evf? Which power cable do I need? Am I able to power the evf by the native batteries of the camera like the canon eos c70 for instance?
It requires external power. I can’t give details on every camera and its ability to provide external power. If you have a dtap power feed, you can likely power the EVF with it. Zacuto sells a variety of power cables for the EVF.
You know I would love to see an evf be able to screen grab a frame. I'm constantly in and out of gig where I will never get to see the raw footage again.
Thanks a lot for sharing this Scott! So from my understanding, there is no difference between inputing the EVF from SDI or HDMI as it will be displayed in 1080p anyway correct ? Also have you ever used an EVF with an external monitor/recorder ? If the camera has no SDI output, I was told that you can connect the camera to the monitor via HDMI then the monitor to the EVF via the HDMI output of the monitor but not sure if that would result in a lag. I contacted Atomos & they have no clue. Any thoughts ? Thanks again!!
I would feel quite confident that there would be some lag. As for how much, unknown. It would have to be tested by someone with both.
I have the Zacuto Gratical HD, but I've been thinking of upgrading to the Kameleon. The higher resolution is a big selling point. The Gratical HD actually has a few advantages over the Kameleon, including dedicated function buttons and the ability to loop through HDMI input to SDI output and vice versa. Also, it can run on its own battery.
The Kameleon, however, has full HD resolution 1920x1080 where the Gratical is only 1280x720. I need every bit of help I can get for focus pulling, so I'm hoping the extra res pays off. Also, my Gratical has screen burn in, which is very frustrating given how expensive it is. At least now I know so I can take measures to mitigate it. I assume the Kamelon would have the same issue.
I'm a big fan of EVFs. I use them all the time and prefer them over monitors. I can get more intimate with the subject as well as see things that are easier to miss with a monitor. Not to mention an EVF avoids issues with the sun being too bright for a monitor. I wish there was more competition in the EVF market. The good ones are still quite expensive. I'd like to see Feelworld come out with a budget 1920x1080 EVF. They're doing a great job with budget monitors right now.
I own a lot of Zacuto products and they are generally well built and reliable. And they darn well better be for the price!
On a side note, does anyone know how this EVF could be configured to work with Canon's upcoming C70 WITHOUT having to use a big brick like a Gold Mount battery with ptap? The Kameleon coupled with the C70 is like a dream setup for me.
In theory this should do the trick. I am looking at the same set up.
Core SWX Nano
Right!... Hi, Scott. Thanks for this and other post&reviews... You're right and good.. Good face , good speaker , good light & sound. Yes!.. But, from respect, of course,... You could be "The One" in your post if you will gonna deeper inside menus, if you do more technical analysis, if you will explain each menu in more detail..slowly... Not so hurry. Thanks sir.
Ha, yea, I understand. I talk very fast. It is how my brain works. You can actually watch me at .75X speed and it slows it down :)
Hi Scott, thanks for the review. How do you prevent frying the SDI port on the Komodo? Do you unplug the SDI every time before switching on the camera?
There is a helpful guide on red.com. Basically, connect power to your accessory first, then plug in sdi connection. To remove, do the reverse, power off the sdi accessory then unplug the SDI. You should do this with any camera/device that has 12G SDI. They can all fail the same way.
@@ScottBalkum Hi Scott. Thanks for the input. I have seen that already on their webiste. Now here is my problem:
I do mainly wildlife and it would be very annoying if I had to connect the SDI all the time trying to film after the camera was powered off. I am sure I would miss a lot of shots as you sometimes have to be able to power on the camera and start filming straight away. Sometimes things happen fast so it would be a pain in the a** to always wait till the camera is powered on, the EVF is powered on and then connect the SDI.
The SDI / D-Tab cable from Zacuto has an on/off switch. I was planning to connect the EVF via d-tap to the battery of the camera. So I could switch on the EVF first, but does that means I have to connect the SDI cable every time I stop/start filming?
Thanks
@@CatfishSaone Yes, you will have to disconnect and reconnect the SDI every time. You don’t have to do it when you power off the camera or evf. The potential power surge comes when you connect power to your accessory. So, if you have everything powered off but your accessory and komodo are connected to your battery, you don’t need to disconnect to power on. Only when you change a battery or connect power to the evf the first time on a new battery. As you know, we have to power off Komodo to change a battery anyway (if we are using v-mount) so the delay is absorbed instantly in the boot time of Komodo. Plugging in an SDI it a single second compared to 22 seconds of boot time for Komodo.
12G SDI is a pain in the rear for the industry. This is not a Komodo thing but actually an industry wide issue. It is what it is. All that being said, I am working with a vendor to help us in this very problem. With this new simple design, staying powered up should be a no-brainer for us.
I too love nature shooting. So, I certainly understand the frustration, and live with it daily. But, staying powered up the entire shoot is really all we really need…. Coming soon.
@@ScottBalkum Hi Scott. Cool input. That is good enough for me if I can power off the camera and not need to reconnect the SDI every time I do so. But will keep in mind to disconnect the SDI when changing the battery itsef. That will work for me. My worry was to have to disconnect every time I power off the camera while the EVF is connected. Thanks a lot for your input!
@@CatfishSaone Yeah, understood. When everyone first hears about the 12G SDI issue online, it has been “onlined” so much that it makes it seem scary and impossible. When you get the facts, its just a simple process that everyone should be following regardless. If you are purchasing the Zacuto, you’ll love it. The special pricing isn’t available anymore but tell them I sent you and they might make you a little deal. Not 100% sure, but its worth a try. :)
Thanks for this review!
Always!
Sir. I am subscribed to your channel.. lot to learn from you..
Thank you!
I love EVFs. They are so much better for pulling focus since you don’t have any issues with the sun and the image looks larger than an on-camera monitor.
One other benefit is with a monitor I notice my subjects looking at it because that’s what I’m looking at. Whereas with an EVF they look into the lens.
Thanks, will it work on Sony fx6?
Thanks!!
Scott, nice review. Any idea how to make the 4 custom function buttons stay programmed after you turn the unit off? As soon as I power down the unit it reverts back to the original setting. Am I doing something wrong?
I have the blackmagic pocket 4K and I’ve been looking at EVFs. But I’m wondering if it’s possible to simply mirror the camera itself-any monitoring LUTs, camera’s false color, aspect ratio, etc...instead of using the stuff in the actual EVF. If that makes sense.
Wondering if my beloved
DSMC2 oled evf will be able in some way to be added on Komodo (even by powering it externally?) I have spent 4k for that product alone....
I’m not sure that is possible.
I HAVE been looking for an EVF. Komodo user group is testing the limits of my credit cards 😓😂
Hahaha.
Don't even tell me! :)
Well I am waiting for days for approval for the Facebook group. Dunno how else to enter.
They are being processed as quickly as possible. There are over 100 in queue at the moment. Make sure you have answered all questions and provided accurate information to speed up the process.
Scott Balkum xD well I need to be patient then.
Hey, what is the name your request is under? Trying to sort through them all.
Scott Balkum Zhong To, my friend :-)
Thanks a lot for confirmation!!!