Hoodman, makers of all sorts of cool production gear, have a real winner on their hands. It’s called Hoodloupe 3.0. Basically, it’s an eyepiece that you can attach over your DSLR’s LCD to block the sun, and help you focus using the LCD. Even in the best of situations, it can be tough to get critical focus using the LCD, that’s why Hoodloupe was invented, along with it’s direct competition, Zacuto’s Z-finder Pro ($395).

The real selling point of the Hoodloupe was the price. I was in the market for a DSLR viewfinder, because if you want to shoot video with these things, it’s pretty much mandatory. The Z-Finder, which by all means is a well received product, was a little out of my price range for what I still consider a hobby. So, I gave the Hoodloupe 3.0 a look. I chose the Hoodloupe 3.0 with the Hoodeye 3.0 and the Cinema Strap. B&H sells it as a cinema kit, which made it very affordable at $115.

The Hoodloupe 3.0 fits over the viewfinder using straps.  The Hoodeye cups your eye socket, just like a traditional camcorder. The embedded diopter allows you to adjust for your failing vision, a very important feature to have. Hoodman also sells the HoodMag 3.0 which offers 3x magnification to compete more with Z-Finder Pro.

My Notes

In 2 seconds, I had this thing on my 7D and focused. The straps are a little loose, and the viewfinder does tend to shift a bit during handheld use. I’ve been thinking about modding the unit with some velcro to make it sit in place better. The best part about using any viewfinder is that you press it against your face, and that inherently makes you steadier. When you hold a camera away from your eye, as in when you use the flip out on a prosumer camera or a DSLR without a viewfinder, you’re using your forearms to stabilize the camera, which is totally no good, and leads to arm fatigue quickly. Hoodloupe dramatically helped my handheld steadiness even at full 135mm zoom. Focus was also much easier, although still not terribly easy. I will assume the magnification of the HoodMag would greatly help that, and I’d probably opt for the upgrade, but now we’re upping the price another $40.

The Cinema straps are kind of flimsy, and discussions on the web point to them breaking easily, but I have not encountered that issue yet. It is a bummer that the straps wrap around the bottom of the unit making it hard/impossible to mount the camera on some tripods. I use a Beachtek XLR adapter and was able to attach it to the bottom of the 7D without much issue. It should be noted that the Hoodloupe 3.0 also comes with a lanyard, which allows you to have it around your neck and simply place the Hoodloupe over the LCD as needed. I see that much more of a photographer’s feature.

The Result

I am very happy with my purchase of the Hoodloupe 3.0 Cinema kit. It’s got a real bang for your buck. I would never shoot handheld without it. Check out Hoodman for other ways you can mount the loop plus more fine products.

HoodEye

Cinema Straps

PS:  Watch the Hoodloupe Demo Video on their site. I love the heavy metal intro.