Customer Reviews

Hoodman H-RAV Universal Right Angle Finder

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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 !!!

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.

There is a very thin/cheap plastic cover over the 90 degree angle - easily broken in shipping/field work. At this price point, it should be better made and the manufacturer should stock parts. Besides that part of the build quality, I like it - but haven't compared it to its more and less expensive competitors

Rumor has it they are coming out with a H-RAT (I'm guessing marketing didn't come up with that name ;-) in August. Maybe it will be well-made and they will stock parts.

Most of my DSLR shots are Macro, so this Hoodman Viewfinder is invaluable because I am not a contorsionist. Seriously, every serious photographer needs to have a Hoodman Viewfinder in their gadget bag. There are generic knockoffs out there, but I have never been disappointed with Hoodman products. The optic clarity is top notch at each magnification level.

Excellent unit. Provides great assistance in photography via trinocular microscopes. Also important for macro photography in the field, allowing the shooter to take photos at ground level.

Great little device that I use when doing Macro photography. It has good magnification allowing precise focusing on the subject.

Comes with adapters for vitually every camera. Works good, not quite excellent, but good.

I do use mine and I would recommend it to a friend.

Product seems very good but, honestly, haven't had an opportunity to actually use it yet! Initial set-up was very good and I believe it will work for me in my application of taking Astro Photographs. Only concern I have about it is that the Detents on the swivel portion seem excessively loose and I anticipate that over time (short time) they may become too loose.