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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Director's viewfinder

Ramesh Jai said:
Can anyone suggest a good Director's viewfinder? Are many people out there using it? Thanks.
Click to expand...

ARRI. We had custom ground glasses made for RED framing. They are rented ALL the time. I will say ... the new trend I am seeing with some DPs is using a DSLR like the 5D or GH1 with a zoom.
 
.....the new trend I am seeing with some DPs is using a DSLR like the 5D or GH1 with a zoom.[/QUOTE said:
I tried that. But on a busy shoot with many people, carrying a 5D is a bit too cumbersome. Plus one tends to be a bit careless leaving stuff around.

Is there are model number or name for the ARRI you mentioned? I am gong to google it anyway. Thanks
Click to expand...
 
ARRI Media Finder, made by ARRI Media in the UK.
I have two, purchased from ARRI CSC in New York. I also had a custom groundglass designed for the Red One, using Arri's Groundglasses On Demand. I actually would have made them different if I was designing them now (although I will have to get new ones made for EPIC) and simpler. I included safe action which turns out to be a little confusing.
Cheers,
Harry
 
Great scouting tool, but not super accurate as the Micro Four Thirds sensor is smaller than Red One and Super 35.
Setting shots on set requires a greater degree of precision usually.
Cheers,
Harry
 
The difference is whether you are looking through the real PL mounted lens (much more accurate but much more cumbersome and more expensive) or a little zoom lens with adjustable masks to match various aspect ratios (much smaller, cheaper and easier to deal with, but only an approximation of frame size and no actual lens characteristics (DOF etc). The Cavision, Gordon and Kish finders are all of the little zoom lens variety. Both kinds have their utility and their place. Most convenient is to have both.
 
Abel sells the ARRI Director's Finder with a new custom groundglass for the RED 4K frame. We have a couple in rental and they are very popular.
 
I bought an Alan Gordon MKV about 10 years ago, and I use it constantly.
Its a solid piece of kit, and will stand the test of time. Only minor complaint I had
was that the little rubber eyecup has a habit of coming off, and Alan Gordon charges an outrageous amount of money for a replacement, so don't lose it...
 
There is just a world of difference, however, between the kind of finder Mitch is talking about and the kind that Michael is talking about. In the Arri finder (and other similar finders) a real PL lens projects the image on a real groundglass. So it really shows what the camera would see with that lens. Of course that means you have to have access to whatever lens it is that you think you might use, so the whole system is expensive and cumbersome, but very good. The Gordan (and similar) finders just allow you to basically see field of vision of the lens you want as approximated by its zoom elements and masks. Each of them has its place.

You can never really tell what the camera will see when it is in its shooting position unless you have a groundglass viewfinder and the correct lens.
 
Yes.
The PL-mount viewfinder is the superior tool, useful for tech scouts and "on the day".
But the Alan Gordon and APS type DSLRs and good "quick-and-dirty" tools for creative scouts and when money is tight.
As Rob says, each has its place.
Cheers,
Harry
 
What has always bothered me is the extra handling of the lens between the director's view finder and the camera mount when using ARRI or anything similar. It seems to me that all you are doing is giving dust the edge in getting into the camera and/or lens. You see directors looking through these things all the time, but is it for real or for show? I would think that with experience, you have a good idea of what the cropping is going to be as well as depth of field without that extra labor and danger being added. I've liked the Alan Gordon, but rarely use it, relying on the DP or cameraman to get the agreed look and then use the view finder on camera for correct blocking in the frame. What am I missing?
 
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