List Price: $477.74
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I chose the Cinevate Cyclops for my video viewfinder for two specific reasons. I was first attracted to this product because I am seriously nearsighted and cannot use a regular loupe, because if I take off my glasses and put my eye to the rubber eyepiece there is no way at all that I can adjust the diopter so that I can see the LCD screen. I did purchase one such item, but I found it completely impossible to use while wearing my glasses, and useless without my glasses, so I returned it. The Cyclops is well-suited to people wearing glasses because the business end of the viewfinder is quite wide and not rubberized. Personally, I wear bifocals, and I have no problem using the Cyclops. I am actually able to hold my face a little away from the end of it and still get a good view of the LCD screen. I am certain that this will alleviate fatigue during extended shooting, because there is no need to hunch your head to press your eye to the viewfinder. The magnification is 5X, and due to the very high quality of the optical element, the view is crystal clear. It is actually possible for two people to use the Cyclops at the same time.
The second important reason why I chose this product is that it does not require sticking anything gooey to the LCD screen. It is fitted with a "sled" that attaches the viewfinder to the camera by its tripod socket. The sled is very versatile and is easily mounted to a tripod. I have a Canon 7D, and I found that it requires a shim that comes with the unit. The shim adjusts the height of the camera when it is mounted on the sled. The sled is a versatile piece of hardware, meant to be adaptable to almost all cameras. It has adjusting slides that move it up and down, back and forth, and side to side.
The rectangular opening of the Cyclops that contacts the camera measures 7 cm x 5.5 cm. That comes out to about 2 3/4 inches along the top and 2 3/16 inches along the side. It is slightly bigger than my Canon 7D LCD, and the company that makes this product, Cinevate, has future proofed the Cyclops by making the end that fits onto the LCD screen removable so that when LCD screens become larger in the future the whole unit does not have to be replaced. The rectangular end that fits onto the LCD screen comes with a rubber gasket that is meant to help prevent light leakage and protect the camera.
The screws on the Cyclops, including the one that attaches it to the tripod socket on the camera are all hex head. Hex wrenches come with the product so that you can adjust it to fit your camera. The tripod mounting screw that came with my kit actually was a little too short. I called Cinevate at 1-807-344-7153, and informed them of the problem, and I was told that they would overnight me a new screw that would be a little longer. Their customer service is excellent!
Another interesting feature of the Cyclops is that the optic inside it is removable, and it is threaded the same way as a filter. It may be removed and used as Macro magnifier. The threads are 72 mm, in case you just happen to have a lens of that size. Otherwise, you will need an adapter ring.
Cinevate makes a very wide range of add-on equipment that can be attached to the sled. The sled is just the basic building block for creating any level of video rig that you care to think of. If you visit the Cinevate website, you will be able to see the many, many add-ons that would allow you to expand your system, and view the many instructional videos.
I would recommend this product very highly to anyone seeking a professional solution to viewing the video LCD screen on their DSLR. It is far more than just a loupe, but the basis for building up a video rig of any size and complexity. My own particular rig is still fairly simple. But I am confident in my purchase of the Cinevate Cyclops that if I care to move on and grow as a videographer that this purchase will never be obsolete.
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