Otis Memorial Pentaxian
Loyal Site Supporter Registered: May, 2011 Location: Richmond, Virginia USA Posts: 2,900
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 7, 2013 | Not Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 4 |
| Pros: | concept - should have worked | | Cons: | not durable enough, too big for the q, frame not flush with q back | |
the concept was exactly what i was looking for...inexpensive viewfinder that would help me to see on bright days with my q...maybe for the price i was expecting too much but these were my problems:
-the frame wasn't flush to the camera and the weight of the viewfinder would pull the frame out more which made it flop around
-the hood which attached to the frame with little magnets would fall off if i wasn't paying attention
-dust was attracted to the inside and outside of the glass/plastic which made viewing more difficult
-i wear glasses and had trouble with looking through the view piece...seemed too big for 1 eye but not big enough for 2
-if i tried to use it only when i needed and put it on quickly the magnets didn't line up correctly and then it wasn't sitting on the frame properly...it would sit on properly if you took the time
-the frame was the final frustration for me...it overlapped the screen into the crooked arrow button and i had a hard time pushing the button when i wanted to change the flash or shooting series
in the end i really didn't like looking through the eye piece and the flopping frame which seemed to me to get worse the more i used it..
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Veteran Member Registered: November, 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 2,275
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 14, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $18.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Works incredibly well, very bright, non-adhesive mount, cheap | | Cons: | Frame is easily bent, no diopter adjustment, easy mod needed to center on Pentax Q screen | |
I bought this based on panoguy's review & I'm glad I did. This attachment makes focusing a snap, and aids somewhat in holding the camera steady. The view is huge, super-bright, and very easy to see even the smallest detail. Attachment of the frame is via the tripod screw, so there's nothing to stick to your camera. You can leave the frame on the camera and simply mount the loupe to the bracket when you want to use it. The tripod screw also has a tripod socket in the bottom, so you don't lose your tripod socket when it's attached to the camera. The loupe affixes to the bracket with magnets, and it holds pretty well. If you knock it around it could fall off, but as long as you're reasonably careful it should be fine.
The main downside to it is the frame. It's somewhat flimsy metal and easily bent. When you dismount the loupe from the frame it's best to pull the bottom edge off first to avoid bending the frame outward from the camera. If you do bend it, it's easily bent back into shape, though.
There's no diopter adjustment, but it's fine for my eyes as it is.
When you mount it to the Q, it's situated too far to the right side of the screen. An easy fix with a drill or Dremel tool will take care of that, though. Remove the c-clip holding on the tripod screw and remove the screw. Measure back 7 millimeters from the edge of the mounting tab that faces the front of the camera, and draw a line parallel with the frame. Elongate the hole 3 or 4 mm centered along the line, on the right side as you're facing the rear of the frame. Trim the rubber pad if necessary inside the hole, replace the tripod screw, and you're good to go. The new slot you just made will allow you to center the frame in the middle of the screen as it should be.
I wanted a loupe, but I didn't want to glue something to my camera. For $18, it's a great deal and an essential bit of kit for any Q owner. Amazon also carries them, and as of 1-14-13, they're $13 with shipping, which is an excellent buy.
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Pentaxian Registered: September, 2007 Location: Washington, D.C. Posts: 3,327
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 3, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $25.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Easily removable, bright, well-made | | Cons: | Not perfect fit, no diopter adjustment | |
I purchased this LCD loupe after considering many, many different types. Almost all of them required attaching something to the LCD screen or camera body with an adhesive. This particular model does not, since it attaches a metal frame to the tripod mount of the camera, and the loupe itself has strong magnets embedded in it to align and attach to the frame (and therefore the camera LCD).
This item is sold as a "2.8x LCD viewfinder loupe for Nikon J1" by eBay seller Jinfinance, but after examining the two camera body styles, I decided to gamble that this would fit the Pentax Q (and Q10). It fits very well, but is slightly offset toward the right of the screen, without obstructing any buttons or much of the active area of the LCD screen (see images below). The tripod mount also remains available, due to a second tripod thread in the bottom of the mounting knob!
The loupe provides three advantages: It magnifies and shades the view of the LCD (since the Q has no viewfinder, this is great for manual focus and bright sunlight), it provides a point of contact to your head to steady the small camera, and it can be easily and quickly removed. Many other LCD loupes provide the first two, but very few offer complete removal along with a firm attachment when desired.
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