Hoodman H-LPP3 HoodLoupe 3.0 Professional 3-Inch Screen Loupe
by Hoodman Corporation
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Our Price: $79.95 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $74.95 (click here) Category: Digital Camera See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Hoodman H-LPP3 HoodLoupe 3.0 Professional 3-Inch Screen Loupe
Customer Review: Terribly expensive system.. but it works
Summary: 4 Stars
I've seen Hoodmans mentioned for years. I've always passed on them because of the terribly high price they sell at (and never go on sale).
I recently had a chance to try them at a photo expo and was sold on it right then - this makes viewing your LCD in the daylight incredibly easy. I found the most benefit from older cameras (like a canon XTi or 40D) - the newer ones like the T2i have a much brighter screen that is easier to see in sunlight (although the hoodman does make a noticeable improvement to those as well).
The usage is pretty straight-forward (just look at the product image!) and comes in a couple different sizes (I believe 2", 3" and 4"). I bought the 3" even though I have 2" LCD's (XTi/40D) - I didn't notice any problems with hitting buttons.
The eyepiece rotates left/right which acts as a diopter so you can see clearly. The eyepiece also pops off (although it's a bit scary the first time as it is held in place by a sticky-material) and can be replaced with a 3x Magnifying Eyecup for HoodLoupe 3.0 - I found this replacement piece to be much easier to use, but it costs half the price of the already-expensive Hoodloupe (the product you're looking at now). The eyepiece helps a lot for those with glasses as it blocks off external light from entering.
The other use for this is with Liveview and recording video on DSLR's - since all video is seen through the LCD, this lets you see it CLEARLY when used outdoors or in bright areas. The downside are the way you connect it - either with a 20-dollar rubber band they sell, or a Hoodman HCRN HoodCrane for HoodLoupe 3.0 (which is 90 bucks). As you can see, this quickly adds up and you'll be spending well over 200 bucks by the time you're done.
Does it work? Definitely! I love it! Is it worth that much money? If you can afford it or need it.
The Loupe also comes with a little zippered-bag to carry it, and a neckstrap to keep it on you.
For video on a DSLR, I actually keep it around my neck (on the strap) and place it up to the DSLR's screen.. if you use the eyepiece (linked above) you can actually just hold your eye up to it and keep it in place, avoiding the Hoodcrane or rubber-band options.. it actually works very well and the benefit is that it moves out of the way once you take the came away from your face.
The bag is nice as it will keep finger prints off (but doesn't quite fit with the bigger eyecup, linked above). The neckstrap is also nice, but definitely has a "nerdy" look to it when walking around in public (if that matters to you). The other thing is that this is a fairly hard piece, and can't squish down.. carrying it in a bag will take up valuable realestate.
Customer Review: Brilliant!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am very pleased with my Hoodman HoodLoupe 3.0. Yes, it is expensive but I know of no other product that does this job, much less this well. Like most people, as I get older, my eyesight is starting to get worse. Because of this I've found it very frustrating to review my photos on the fly. As a consequence I've noticed the quality of my photos was declining. Unfortunately, I don't have the intuition to setup my camera and take a masterpiece in seconds like Ansell Adams. I even tried carrying my netbook on shoots to review my pictures. As you can imagine, that was a wee bit cumbersome not to mention time consuming. I just didn't have the patience. The HoodLoupe is the perfect answer for me. The integrated adjustable Diopter eyepiece works like a charm. Plus, the workmanship and materials are excellent.
I had a little difficulty holding the loop steady when reviewing a number of photos and it would often shift. OK, so I'm not coordinated. I can live with that. The solution; glue a screen cover to the bottom of the HoodLoupe. Needless to say I practiced doing this many times before I actually applied the glue to make sure I would do it perfectly the first time.
First, make sure your plastic cover and the HoodLoupe are as clean as possible. Then very, very carefully and sparingly apply a fine line of gel super glue around the bottom of the HoodLoupe. (Don't apply it to the plastic cover whatever you do). Then take a toothpick and scrap any extra off so you don't smear any glue on the plastic screen cover. Finally, very carefully lower the plastic cover onto the HoodLoupe and gently press it with a clean cloth to make sure it seats firmly. I patiently let mine sit over night before I touched it again to make sure I didn't smear the glue.
I've used it a couple of times since and absolutely love the way it works. It's that final touch the Hoodman needed to make it perfect. As an additional benefit, it also help keeps dust out of the Hoodman!
I remove the HoodLoupe very carefully from the camera; bottom first, to make sure I don't break the plastic tabs that hold the screen cover to the camera. So far the tabs seem to hold the Hoodman to the camera very securely and appear to be pretty strong. That was my primary concern. Still, I don't think I'd want to trudge through the brush with this setup. I tied the Hoodman strap around my camera strap just in case the glue fails or it breaks off for some reason. If it does break, I can just clean the base of the Hoodman with acetone and it'll be as good as new. This seems to be a great idea but only time will tell how durable it will be.
I've posted a picture of my finished project under "Customer Images" at the top of this page. Have a look.
Customer Review: Indispensible for Video work and Great for Photography
Summary: 5 Stars
I also purchased this and the Hoodman HSLRM Cinema Straps that I mention later in this review.
The bundle comes with a sturdy zippered carrying case (not pictured). Very useful if you don't plan on having it strapped to your camera for long periods.
It's a pretty straight forward setup and fits nicely on my Canon 7D LCD screen. The rubber case is sturdy and rigid and gives me clear access to all my function buttons. The diopter lens works very well. It requires a firm turn on the dial to get the proper focus - which is a good thing. That helps minimize out of focus issues when stowing the camera or making other adjustments.
The loupe has a neck strap (also not pictured) for people who only want intermittent use to check images. If you're a dedicated Viewfinder
user, its convenient for quick check on images on your LCD.
I went straight to using the Cinema Straps (purchased separately)on mine. I've not been a big user of Live View outside of video work, but I'm adjusting to using this for photography - both shot composition and image review.
The adjustment curve is really my own as accessing/adjusting various functions in Live View are done a bit differently than when using the viewfinder. My speed on function changes isn't up to par as when I'm using the viewfinder. Again not a reflection on the loupe but me.
I have a 2x Extender I use on some L lenses. When using it with the 100-400mm there is no AF. Here's where the Hoodloupe shines, after a few manual focus tests, I was getting allot more usable shots than I would if I was using the viewfinder for manual focus.
Now where it really is exceptional is in Video use. Shooting video outdoors in Live View is problematic if you're dealing with an overhead Sun or bright lighting that glares on the LCD. The Hoodloupe is indispensable for video work and definitely worth its price for that purpose.
Customer Review: Not Pratical
Summary: 2 Stars
I have a Canon 5D Mk2. This camera has a top rated sensor not only great for stills but magnificent for video!!!!
Issue is: When using the video feature, the view finder is rendered inoperative as the mirror stays up so you have to use the 3" flat screen, called live view. Outside in heavy sunlight (I film airshows, boat races, car races) the monitor is easily bleached out, so the Hoodman Hoodloupe was the ideal choice.
Pros: The unit is well made with seriously good materials. The diopter has a good range and works well and is quality. If in place it does keep the glare out and allows you to film as it now becomes easy to see the screen.
Cons: If the Loupe would stay in place it would be the answer to my out-in-the-sun filming. But that's the problem: It doesn't stay in place. If using a Canon (No idea how it works on a Nikon given their ability to snap on a protective cover on their flat screen) the Hoodloupe cannot be attached to the rear of the camera, in its present design. The rubber bands that you can buy to stabilize the Hoodloupe merely stabilize the Loupe into the last position it has easily slid into. This sliding around is not only annoying, but VERY distracting. Wearing sunglasses is out of the question as the stability of the Loupe on the screen becomes even worse. The Loupe's position on the screen depends greatly or your ability to keep it where you want it with head movement pressuring it as it moves around.......this all while trying to remain mentally focused on the subject you are filming.
I really like Hoodman products, but this product, in my opinion, needs to be redesigned so that it attaches to the camera and remains rigidly in place...THEN it would be a great, and in my view, necessary addition to anyone who owns a Canon SLR with serious filming capability like Canons 5D2, 7D, 1D4, 50D.
Customer Review: Works as advertised but ended up staying in my bag more than being used
Summary: 3 Stars
So let me start by saying I rate items not just based on how well it works, its build quality, etc. but also according to how useful the item is, particularly when it comes to something like this which falls into the "gadget" category. Meaning it is not an essential piece of equipment but is designed to make life easier in a specific circumstance. First, it does what it is advertised to do in that it helps you see your LCD screen clearly in bright sunlight so you can see your image and your historgram before determning whether or not you are happy enough with your exposure and composition to move on. It is well made. The vendor is a great vendor. I think the price is reasonable for what it is and what it does. the real problem is that it turned out to be a bit more of a hassle to use than the value it generated, so more often than not it ended up staying in my bag rather than coming out and I used my hat more often to shield my LCD so I could read it. It is a little bulkier than you might visualize in your mind and it actually took up some pretty valuable real estate in my camera backpack that could have been used for something else. I guess you could just wear it around your neck with the provided lanyard, which I tried, but I found its relative bulk to be a nuisance (not to mention my wife told me it made me look like a dork) so I quickly dismissed that notion. There were times, however, when I did go to it because my cap wouldn't block the light enough and I really wanted to be precise on my exposure, and when I used it then it did the job it was designed to do and did it well. So three stars because it is far from being an essential piece of equipment, takes up valuable bag real estate, but does its job when called upon.