Thorsten Schönrade upgraded his Portkey’s LEYE EVF to overcome lens issues he was facing, and the results are pretty great.
It’s no secret that current electronic viewfinder options are seriously lacking. Some of the best EVFs on the market are specifically tied to the manufacturer. RED, Arri, and Blackmagic’s viewfinders would be a good fit on just about any camera. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of competition in the third-party market. Starting at $399 on the lower end, we have Portkey’s LEYE.
The LEYE isn’t competing for the world’s best EVF, especially because of its cheaper foam eye cup. Behind the eye cup is the lens, which Schönrade realized didn’t compare to higher-end products. So, he 3D-printed a mount for Zacuto’s Z-Finder. Older versions can be found on eBay for under a hundred bucks.
“The result is amazing, providing you an image that‘s twice as large as the loupe from PortKeys delivers” Schönrade explains on his website. He’s freely offering the 3D models online right now if anybody wants to try this too.
From experience, the Zacuto product feels and works brilliantly. It’s certain to outlast the Portkeys loupe. It's a great result for a project that will only cost about $500. This is a Goldilocks EVF that sits between usability and affordability.
