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Varavon Loupe EX GH1/GH2 , reviews, impressons
  • fehafeha

    Here comeas my short video review ... I recommend Varavon Loupe EX from my heart ...

    Got at http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/1029/catchit-deals-limited-time-deals-various-stuff

  • 110 Replies sorted by
  • khoumphonhkhoumphonh

    just picked up the loupe ex supporter. i feel that it'll be a great help on a shoulder rig. so i could minimized the configuration of it. meaning i wouldn't have to buy addition pieces to have the camera offset so my lcd wouldn't have to be directly in front of me. i'm very exciting on this purchase.

  • jodydbjodydb

    just got my loupe today! It works great, much better then the cheaper ones I have tried. Recommended for anyone with a Gh

  • fehafeha

    I got my Varavon loupe for GH2 today, can say WOW, this is a great build quality, did not know what i was missing until i got this and used a bit ...

  • kazuokazuo

    Yeah bought this a while back. Really cool device. I have used so many loupes, from Zacutos to China made brands, and while each served its purpose, every single one was custom built for Canon cameras till this came along. Damn, for the longest time, as a Panny user, I'd felt like an orphan. This device makes u feel justified, that finally Pannys do have a place in the industry.

  • itimjimitimjim

    @feha Would you still use one of these even if you have a 7" monitor attached? Great review by the way.

  • lenuisiblelenuisible

    @feha Nice review, can't it be used when the LCD is closed ?

  • fehafeha

    @itimjim , i sold my 7" monitor as it was too big for the rig , i do have one lilliput 5" is quite OK, but sometimes is needed to configure the rig and make it slim, than I would use the ViewFinder :-)

    @lenuisible , unfortunately not, i think they could make it work but this might be sales policy :-) if they made it to use with "closed" LCD i mean the LCD i viewable but in closed position that would be great and same one could be used probably even for other cameras , s GF2 etc ...

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @lenuisible

    If you like use closed position, get UNI variant.

  • rdarda

    Another rave review for the Varavon GH2 loupe! Thanks for swinging this great deal!

  • fehafeha

    As soon as i get some funds will be ordering one more a UNI variant, as I need it for GF2, as GF2 have no viewfinder and you can't connect HDMI monitor (the HDMI out does not work when pressing Record).

  • elcelc

    Adding my voice to the praise for the Varavon loupe — it makes a world of difference on my GH1. One of the magnets holding the hinge closed loosened up after a couple of days of use, but I glued that sucker down and it works great!

  • lenuisiblelenuisible

    @feha thanks, it's what I was thinking

    @Vitaliy_Kiselev I would like both :) It doesn't seem too hard to make small adjustment to their GH version to be able to do it. I'm afraid @feha is right about sales policy, I think they are smart enough to understand a dual mode version would be nice, but if you have some contact with them, maybe you can ask if they think about an updated version that will do both ?

  • airboxlightsairboxlights

    How were you pulling focus when both your hands are in the frame??

  • fehafeha

    @airboxlights, :-) top secret !!! I used my second camera GF2 (also hacked) in auto focus mode , the lens 14mm pancake ...

  • ChainsawFilmsChainsawFilms

    I've ordered one of these, looking forward to getting it. Encouraging to see such positive feedback.

  • airboxlightsairboxlights

    And it auto focuses while rolling?? My 17mm pancake doesn't do that, nor does my leicasonic 14-50, nor the crappy stock 14-42 that I sold. Is it only that lens?

  • Vitaliy_KiselevVitaliy_Kiselev

    @airboxlights

    I really do not think that it is proper topic to ask this. Use PM or make new one.

  • BenibubeBenibube

    Sorry, but from what world is it ?

  • ipcmlripcmlr

    I also got the loupe. I really wanted a loupe for stability rather than help with focusing. But I was surprised on how easier it was to focus. Stability wise I think it helps but the uni might be more stable sine I'm afraid I might push and break the LCD hinge. I was also hoping it could be used closed but I guess I'll have to buy the uni version... Pretty well built even if it's made of plastic. No way to lock the diopter into place but it doesn't move around too much when I adjust it.

  • JDNJDN

    I bought one, then returned it and got a DP6 (which I love) but am no thinking about buying it again. The downside of a monitor for the gh2 is that it won't monitor 720p60, nor ETC mode. So while the DP6 looks great and is small enough to use on my rig (or for other purposes... use it frequently when car mounting the gh2 but want to still see what I'm shooting), I may now order a loupe again. Be forewarned though, putting it one is not going give you anything close to the experience of a viewfinder on even a $5K camera like the fs100 -- you'll really, really see how poor the resolution is on our Electronic Viewfinder. That said, you will be able to focus. I do a lot of two camera interviews with mf primes and nature photography so I'll probably use the loupe to focus on etc with the 100-300 as well as focusing the second camera, while using the monitor for everything else.

  • GrueGrue

    I've always been a bit dubious about the value of using some sort of LCD viewfinder/loupe on the GH2--the (relatively) low resolution screen gives me pause, especially realizing that the Canon DSLR's have a much higher resolution screen. (Though admittedly, using an LCD viewfinder is the only option for Canon shooters.)

    Are my concerns unfounded?

    Does the Varavon Loupe really work that well with the GH2's screen, enough to easily judge critical focus during recording? How does it compare to using the electronic viewfinder?

  • fehafeha

    @Grue, the loupe can't replace in anyway the quality you get with EVF, it can not replace the external ones either. Using this I did not had problems while focusing, however the LCD dots are bigger due to optical enlarging, so this is a good alternative but not a replacement of high quality monitor or quality EVF. This is much better than "bare" lcd and high quality made compared to other cheaper loupes.

  • theteddytheteddy

    What is the range of diopter adjustments for eyeglass wearers on the GH2 Loupe ? Thanks

  • SangyeSangye

    I bought a used one for really cheap on eBay. It was broken in two places (diopter handle, and a crack near the LCD housing). Even so, I love it. It works great, and gives my rig a much more professional appearance. It's hard to overstate how important that factor is in commercial work, when working with a small camera like the GH2.

  • RamboRambo

    theteddy said >What is the range of diopter adjustments for eyeglass wearers on the GH2 Loupe ? Thanks

    Ditto, i have another Loupe and it's diopter only has very small range (Manuf claims +/- 3 ... bullshit) i need an extra 1"' (25mm) distance from the screen to correctly focus to my eyes.

    Anyone over 50 and wears glasses tried the Varavon without glasses.

    Thank you.

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