Hoodman H-RAV Universal Right Angle Finder

by Hoodman

Product Details

• Item Weight: 12 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000GVL34U
• Item model number: H-RAV
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

Professional Right Angle Finder

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hoodman right-angler viewfinder 1x, 2.5x, May 23, 2007

By 

Ed Okie (Florida USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hoodman H-RAV Universal Right Angle Finder (Electronics)

Tested the Hoodman r-angle viewfinder doing indoor tabletop setups using the 100mm f/2.8 macro, and then with wildlife in the swamp with the 400mm f/5.6+1.4X extender. It's a lens combination that's always a bear to manage. "Focus-ability" does improve, but far from remarkable. Almost as much trouble as it is worth. Workable, yes, but hardly noteworthy.

Definitely has a jury-rigged quality feel, akin to one of those weekend shop projects cobbled together.

Flip a switch and the viewfinder changes from 1X to 2.5X (magnification, but only a small portion of the total image is visible at 2.5x).

But the units' diopter ring requires a major adjustment (roughly a 90-degree turn with no stops on either end) when going from 1X to 2.5X and back. A major pain, and time consuming... of an image that really isn't crisp to start with. At 2.5X one ends up seeing a healthy dose of pebbly-grain on the camera's viewfinder, the image itself doesn't "pop" in and out of focus.

Another negative, the right-angle viewer (mirror plus glass within) kills more camera viewfinder light.

Eyepiece isn't really suited for wearers of glasses (as 80% of us do). Glass quality of the Hoodman unit is tolerable in the center, falls off rapidly towards the sides. Eye-opening requires that the eye be exactly over dead-center.

On a 5-Star scale I've give it a 2-star rating.

Unless otherwise judged a required item for low-angle work, save your money. This isn't a professional tool.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not worth the price !, December 3, 2009

By 

Alex Candelaria "American Dreamer" (Albuquerque, New Mexico) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hoodman H-RAV Universal Right Angle Finder (Electronics)

I thought the Hoodman products are good and worth the price. I got an Opteka at a fourth the price and it is a much better product. You have to refocus the Hoodman when you change magnification and the focus barrel is very hard to turn. The Opteka holds the focus in all magnifications and the focus barrel is easy and quick to turn and is very precise. Don't waist your $$ on this, you'll be sorry you ordered it. I am !!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Best I could find, but limited optics, November 5, 2009

By 

Frank Deits (Ridgecrest, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hoodman H-RAV Universal Right Angle Finder (Electronics)

The optics require very accurate centering of your eye in the eye piece making it unusable for quick shots. The other problem is that changing to the 2.5X setting requires refocusing the eye piece. In my case it requires turning a stiff eye piece to nearly it's limit. I'm using it with a Canon Rebel XTi. My previous experience with a Hoodman LCD viewer was very good. I expected more from this item.