Whose used the Alphatron EVF 035W-3G EVF (made by TVlogic)?

[Daniel Reed]

Hi,

If you've had a chance to try-out the new EVF by Alphatron, please share your experience.
On paper the specs look good; however, I'm concerned about ergonomics and build quality.

One immediate concern is the hinge to the loop itself.
Does it have friction like the smallHD DP4-EVF, or does the loupe just swing around like the Zacuto flip?

Outside of resolution, how does it compare to the smallHD DP4-EVF in terms of general use?

Another concern is the the eyepiece itself, specifically how comfortable is it to view through w/ glasses on.

Thank you for any input you can provide.

Below is a link to the Alphatron EVF product page from the US distributor, as well as a link to a video review:


http://www.alphatron.tv/evf.html


http://www.xdcam-user.com/2012/06/alphatron-evf-035w-video-review/

Regards,
Dan

 

[Mitch Gross]

First shipment has just arrived (these are all spoken for).

 

[John Howarth]

Ours have just arrived. First impressions: build quality is excellent, good design & ergonomics. So far, best 3rd party EVF we've seen. Don't have the SmallHD, so can't comment on ow it compares. Has adjustable diopter, so should be useful if wearing glasses. Only just out of the box, starting to out on rentals, so should have more feedback shortly.

We've posted a few pictures of one set up with an EPIC: http://pinterest.com/shootblue/alphatron-evf/

 

[Daniel Reed]

Thanks John for the update and photos of the unit. How smooth is the hinge and locking mechanism on the loupe?

Ours have just arrived. First impressions: build quality is excellent, good design & ergonomics. So far, best 3rd party EVF we've seen. Don't have the SmallHD, so can't comment on ow it compares. Has adjustable diopter, so should be useful if wearing glasses. Only just out of the box, starting to out on rentals, so should have more feedback shortly.

We've posted a few pictures of one set up with an EPIC: http://pinterest.com/shootblue/alphatron-evf/

 

[Matt Gottshalk]

Mine shipped from Abel today. Will try it out on the Scarlet as soon as I get it.

 

[Daniel Reed]

One other major concern is in terms of the image delay/retention. I appreciate it may not be as good as the RED BEVF; however, I'm curious how bad the motion blur from fast movement and how perceivable is the image delay/response times when compared to the Alphatron EVF stacks up to the smallHD DP4 EVF, Zucato, and Cineroid


Alister Chapman replied to me about the Alphatron EVF loupe hinge:

"There is no tension in the hinge. The magnet holds the loupe in the fully open position quite nicely. It’s not a very powerful magnet, but strong enough to hold the loupe open, not so strong as to make it hard to close it quickly when you need to. I haven’t used the DP4 so can’t compare, but the Alphatron is very good indeed and a real pleasure to use."

 

[Daniel Reed]

Sounds Good Matt! I look forward to hearing your impressions.

 

[Jean Bernard]

Just got mine and put it on the Epic & Nikon D800. For the price it is pretty good and will serve me well for both cameras and others for framing and operate but it is hard to pull focus with it! Don't get me wrong, it is a solid EVF but I have a few issues with it!:

Cons:
-Battery cover is cheapish plastic and finicky and when using a larger battery there is no where to put it, I guess I will treat it like a fragile lens cap and put it away safely.
-Rubber eye piece's contour doesn't wrap around the eye fully on the left by the nose... and allows light to sneak trough! Maybe I have a funny shaped face
-The loope display slightly softness on the edges of the monitor the image bends inwards a little on the side edge.
-There is a very noticeable lag when you pan and can get dizzy if you shooting action.
-Over all t is not really a high resolution monitor Like I was told at NAB You can see the pixelated image with a 1080 feed from epic's HDSDI and not ideal to pull focus on without the use of Focus assist at its max! And I am not sure where the comparison to iphone's resolution with Retina display comes from!

Pros:
-Light & rigged
-Precise customizable menue(Markers, Aspect Ratio, Focus Assist, Color Temperature, Contrast, Brightness, etc...) & easy to navigate with 4 custom keys on the side.
-3x mounting options
-Adjustable diopter and loope's open & closing both to see the monitor and the shutter to protect it from sunlight damage.
-SDI&HDMI IN&OUT With loop through.
-Price

Although unscientific; I took the iphone infront of the loope and it looked waaaaay sharper & brighter and overall high resolution than the monitor itself, even with the crapy iphone camera.

Getting close to matching the Epic's monitor colors, brightness, contrast, etc.. and saving it under user preset

Here the EVF with timecode display and Audio channels monitoring on the side

Shutter for the eye piece half way closing

Iphone in front of the loope checking out the actual retina display resolution.

 

[Tehben Dean]

-Over all t is not really a high resolution monitor Like I was told at NAB You can see the pixelated image with a 1080 feed from epic's HDSDI and not ideal to pull focus on without the use of Focus assist at its max! And I am not sure where the comparison to iphone's resolution with Retina display comes from!

Well "retina" displays aren't very hires compared to say the RED EVF which is 1280x1024 and half the size of the iPhone screen which is only 960x640.

 

[Jean Bernard]

True! And the Alphatron supposedly has the equivalent of the iphone display but the iphone seems to have far better image quality. Would be interested to see how the Alphatron performs against the other EVF in its class.

 

[Daniel Reed]

You're Awesome Jean! Thank you for your in depth review

One little thing to try, and it may sound silly...

Can you try feeding the alphatron an HDMI feed?
I've heard some reports regarding image degradation when using SDI.
I'm curious if the image quality changes at all w/ HDMI vs SDI

Also, what firmware are you running?

Thanks again!

 

[John Raadgeep]

Just got mine and put it on the Epic & Nikon D800. For the price it is pretty good and will serve me well for both cameras and others for framing and operate but it is hard to pull focus with it! Don't get me wrong, it is a solid EVF but I have a few issues with it!:

Cons:
-Battery cover is cheapish plastic and finicky and when using a larger battery there is no where to put it, I guess I will treat it like a fragile lens cap and put it away safely.
-Rubber eye piece's contour doesn't wrap around the eye fully on the left by the nose... and allows light to sneak trough! Maybe I have a funny shaped face
-The loope display slightly softness on the edges of the monitor the image bends inwards a little on the side edge.
-There is a very noticeable lag when you pan and can get dizzy if you shooting action.
-Over all t is not really a high resolution monitor Like I was told at NAB You can see the pixelated image with a 1080 feed from epic's HDSDI and not ideal to pull focus on without the use of Focus assist at its max! And I am not sure where the comparison to iphone's resolution with Retina display comes from!

Pros:
-Light & rigged
-Precise customizable menue(Markers, Aspect Ratio, Focus Assist, Color Temperature, Contrast, Brightness, etc...) & easy to navigate with 4 custom keys on the side.
-3x mounting options
-Adjustable diopter and loope's open & closing both to see the monitor and the shutter to protect it from sunlight damage.
-SDI&HDMI IN&OUT With loop through.
-Price

Although unscientific; I took the iphone infront of the loope and it looked waaaaay sharper & brighter and overall high resolution than the monitor itself, even with the crapy iphone camera.

Getting close to matching the Epic's monitor colors, brightness, contrast, etc.. and saving it under user preset

Here the EVF with timecode display and Audio channels monitoring on the side

Shutter for the eye piece half way closing

Iphone in front of the loope checking out the actual retina display resolution.

Dear Jean,
I would like to react on your evaluation of the Alphatron EVF. The battery cover can be taken off to allow the use of larger batteries (NP-F 570, 770 or 970) and is a simple as can be.
@ The Rubber eyepiece does not wrap around the eye fully. We soon will offer eye cushions made soft Chamois Leather, that solves this problem and giving you more wearing comfort as well.
@ Bending of the picture is very little, however could be possibly minimized by using an a-spherical diopter, which would be rather expensive and unpractical.
@ A certain amount of lag, while panning, is indeed noticeable because it is amplified by the diopter. We will be able to optimize this with a new software release. Please note that the Alphatron EVF software is field upgradable. In due course we will make this available on our website. It will be downloadable on an USB stick, which can be connected to the EVF, for automatic upgrading. This is one of our unique selling points.
@ The display is indeed the Retina display that is used in the iPhone4S. This has been confirmed by the manufacturer TVLogic.
The pictures you are showing do not mean very much with respect to resolution. As you are stating they are unscientific. You are comparing two pictures coming from different sources, recorded through lenses with a different focal point and different video processing. I guess that you are mixing up focus with resolution. If you want to compare resolution of your iPhone and the EVF you should use a test pattern, rather than two random pictures. I hope the EVF picture is not the result of a bad camera lens :nonod: ! So far all users are very positive about the easy way to pull focus. ( even without using the focus assist function )
With kind regards,
Alphatron Broadcast Electronics BV
John Raadgeep

 

[Ruff]

I wish the eyepiece loupe was removable.... like on just about every Sony viewfinder ever made... it would be super useful when you just want a small lightweight display, and not have the bulky loupe on top.

 

[Mitch Gross]

Here's a video showing the Alphatron EVF mounted on a Solid Camera EVF Support, which will attach to all the standard EPIC/Scarlet top plates.

http://blog.abelcine.com/2012/07/25/at-the-bench-solid-camera-evf-support/

 

[Jean Bernard]

Sorry for late reply, was on a job.

My Alphatron has been sent back due to some spots on the monitor that appeared to be possible early burns from the diopter loope. That is BandPro's initial assessment but they are sending it back to manufacture or repair service on Monday.

Will test the difference between HDMI & SDI when I get it back... but someone else here can also help you out.

FYI: When I was there, there was another Alphatron that had been completely burnt!!! So PLEASE close the eye piece as the LCD is apparently very sensitive due to the high magnifying loope and there is no protection layer on the display. The operator who damaged my Alphatron says it was never pointed upwards and was filming inside a car mostly.

You're Awesome Jean! Thank you for your in depth review

One little thing to try, and it may sound silly...

Can you try feeding the alphatron an HDMI feed?
I've heard some reports regarding image degradation when using SDI.
I'm curious if the image quality changes at all w/ HDMI vs SDI

Also, what firmware are you running?

Thanks again!

 

[Jean Bernard]

Hi John,

Thanks for the input and follow ups, its certainly a testament that you are listening to your customer. We appreciate that.

Please don't get me wrong... I love your product and the fact that it is light and easy to adapt all my cameras it is indeed one of the best out there and thanks for making one with an affordable price. My unscientific test was out of frustration after sending an Epic HDSDI signal through(using a sharp leica lens and well lite objects) which 1st looked great on your LCD and was able to match the colors/brightness?contrast with my red monitor and saved the profile, but the moment I flipped the EVF back on, perhaps due to high magnification, I saw pixels. Most of the other EVF have similar issues to some degree but yours has been put on a higher pedestal with the retina display advertised as a selling point and there are expectations.

Here are some of my other recommendations:

Battery Cover: Yes it can be taken off while using the larger batteries, perhaps you can design a larger cover that protects both small and larger batteries if possible. Besides... from a marketing point, the cover is the only part that displays your company name/logo and I am sure you want that to be shown on set set pictures as TV-Logic has been seen on major motion pictures being embraced by ASC DP's ;-)

Firmware: I was not aware of firmware upgrades in the making, thank you. Perhaps your website can reflect that, as I am really looking forward for the next release.

Shutter mechanism: Any remote chance you can offer another shutter mechanism as an option. Perhaps a pressure sensitive similar to the one found on panavision cameras where it opens when the eye press on eye cushion to look through? The reason I am saying this is because within a week of receiving my beloved Alphatron I had to return it back to BandPro for repair to probably send it to you due to what looks like light burn marks because the viewfinder may have been exposed to the some sun at some point during a recent shoot. And there was another Alphatron at BandPro that had even severe burns! So this may become an issue in the long run.
Can you offer any other recommendation on how to protect the monitor surface even further? Perhaps a clear polycarbonate LCD cover like the one offered by Sound Device for their Pix 240? The chances are the sun will sneak through here and there as situation changes on set for even the most cautious crew that will forget to turn the shutter off.

Retina display: Perhaps a more scientific side to side demo with matching image resolution between iphone and Alphatron is needed to really hit it home, showing results with both the LCD and the EVF and then share raw images with us for comparison.

Thanks John

Dear Jean,
I would like to react on your evaluation of the Alphatron EVF. The battery cover can be taken off to allow the use of larger batteries (NP-F 570, 770 or 970) and is a simple as can be.
@ The Rubber eyepiece does not wrap around the eye fully. We soon will offer eye cushions made soft Chamois Leather, that solves this problem and giving you more wearing comfort as well.
@ Bending of the picture is very little, however could be possibly minimized by using an a-spherical diopter, which would be rather expensive and unpractical.
@ A certain amount of lag, while panning, is indeed noticeable because it is amplified by the diopter. We will be able to optimize this with a new software release. Please note that the Alphatron EVF software is field upgradable. In due course we will make this available on our website. It will be downloadable on an USB stick, which can be connected to the EVF, for automatic upgrading. This is one of our unique selling points.
@ The display is indeed the Retina display that is used in the iPhone4S. This has been confirmed by the manufacturer TVLogic.
The pictures you are showing do not mean very much with respect to resolution. As you are stating they are unscientific. You are comparing two pictures coming from different sources, recorded through lenses with a different focal point and different video processing. I guess that you are mixing up focus with resolution. If you want to compare resolution of your iPhone and the EVF you should use a test pattern, rather than two random pictures. I hope the EVF picture is not the result of a bad camera lens :nonod: ! So far all users are very positive about the easy way to pull focus. ( even without using the focus assist function )
With kind regards,
Alphatron Broadcast Electronics BV
John Raadgeep

 

[Jean Bernard]

Thanks Mitch! Will have to swing by and test it out!

Here's a video showing the Alphatron EVF mounted on a Solid Camera EVF Support, which will attach to all the standard EPIC/Scarlet top plates.

http://blog.abelcine.com/2012/07/25/at-the-bench-solid-camera-evf-support/

 

[Jeff Garton]

Here's a video showing the Alphatron EVF mounted on a Solid Camera EVF Support, which will attach to all the standard EPIC/Scarlet top plates.

http://blog.abelcine.com/2012/07/25/at-the-bench-solid-camera-evf-support/

Thanks Mitch. Finally another EVF mount with variable tension, rather than all the ridiculous unlock-move-lock options out there. Why it took this many years for anyone other that Element Technica to make something like this is beyond me, but l'm glad its here. Looks like a winner.

 

[Paul Hazlett]

One of the 2 units that came to philly and went out on a test got burned as well. Seems like closing the loupe whenever your not near the VF is a good practice

 

[Brent Kolitz]

John,

One thing that I think should be a high priority for the next firmware update would be changing the "Scan" function button assignment to allow restricting it to toggling between only certain of the options. The way it is now is ridiculously slow if you want to jump to "Pixel To Pixel" and back again to where you were. Having to cycle through "Zero-->Over-->Pixel To Pixel-->User-->Zero" is so tedious that it makes it not worth it to even bother.

Also, particularly when using an internal Sony battery, I'm very surprised there's no option to display battery % remaining. There doesn't even seem to be a low battery warning. I almost thought my EVF was broken when the picture it displayed all of the sudden started having weird artifacts. Apparently, this is the "low battery warning" indicator.

Those should be the easy fixes. Unfortunately, it appears I'm stuck with some of the dubious hardware choices that were made, including needing 2 hands to unlatch the loupe, the inability to remove the loupe, and the very slippery (and extremely ugly) chromed plastic eyepiece shutter ring. If I had known about those issues, I might not have gone down this route. But after waiting for many months (with very little hard info but a lot of hype), I guess I'm either going to have to live with those issues, or else face big restocking fees.

I haven't even brought my EVF outside yet, but now I'm afraid based on some of these posts that this loupe may be more prone to burning than the competition...