Zigview Review

What is it?
A Zigview is a screen view finder attachment for a 35mm SLR camera providing the user with low-level and overhead photography. The Zigview has a LCD TFT angled color, display showing the camera view finder image on the screen for low level macro and high angle photography and is a great aid to anyone who has a problem with standard eye level framing and camera control operation.

There are two models. The V100 and the V100R where the V100R has time and motion sensitive abilities for stalking and macro photography. A nice feature to have if you are into macro photography. From a value point of view, the R model which is about $50.00 more than the regular model but has much better capability and better resale should you want to sell it one day.

Retail price of the model V100 is $249.00 while the V100R will cost you $300.00 plus a shutter release cable of $30.00 if the cable packed with the Zigview is not the correct one for your camera. This is not inexpensive and I belief over-priced for a camera accessory however, considering the complexity of the unit and your need, acceptable. In addition to the acquisition cost, there is a list of accessories including remote control gadgets that can easily add another hundred or so. So, that narrows marketing to professional and industrial buyers while the big users probably are the advanced affluent amateurs. As mentioned above, be aware when you purchase the R model, that a shutter release cable maybe needed (if the one in the box is not the correct one) depending the camera you intent to install the Zigview on. Check this out before you place the order!

The Zigview comes with two of the most common view finder adapters (Nikon and Canon.) The adapter is screwed with a number of small screws onto the Zigview before the Zigview is attached to the eyepiece of your SLR camera. The fit between the camera and the Zigview depends on this plastic adapter which, depending on the molding tolerances, can be tight or very loose. The viewfinder image is captured by a CMOS sensor built into the Zigview and relayed in real time to a 3 x 4 cm/TFT (1.125 x 1.570 inch) color display for viewing at any reasonable angle. The manual makes reference to a 1.9 inch LCD. Where this dimension came from is anybody's guess. (As with all LCD displays, when the viewing angle becomes to steep you lose the picture.) The Zigview can be turned side ways or upside-down viewing accommodating up-side-down "over the heads of a crowd" photography. The paparazzi people may be enthusiastic about this when they read the Zigview sales literature but from a practical point-of-view, using the Zigview overhead is not a simple task because of the inherent disorientation factor.

As a whole, the little marvel is well designed and an interesting addition to any camera from a gadget point of view and it is ideally suitable for macro and low level photography. The Zigview R Model with sophisticated time delay and motion detection shutter release, provides the user some very unique capabilities not seen before and not available other than in laboratory setups.

It is obvious that the designers wanted to reach the macro photography market as well as the journalistic professionals were a Zigview mounted camera can aim and frame from an overhead position holding the camera upside-down. With that in mind, how practical is this gadget when it comes to shooting "overhead" being in a crowd of photographers. I already mentioned that overhead shooting and using the Zigview to frame the picture, is not a simple task. I had significant difficulties keeping the subject in the frame and the frame in the Zigview LCD while manipulating the camera's shutter button. Maybe action photographers have better overhead control than I have and I leave at that. It casts however some doubt about the every day use of the Zigview by action photographers.

The Zigview, mounted to the camera eye piece, protrudes away from the camera almost as much as a standard 55mm lens mounted up front extending the length of the camera about three inches. While most action photographers use long and considerable heavy lenses giving the camera a lot of inertia, the Zigview can become an irritable item because it might need constant attention and protection. If the Zigview had a folding feature in addition to the rotation ability that would allow it to be pushed flat against the back of the camera then, when not in use the portability of the Zigview would be a lot less worrisome but that appears to be out of the question. Better yet, a live LCD screen should be, in addition to the optical view finder, part of the SLR camera but that would do away with the standard Zigview. Considering what has happened in the past two years with digital camera development, this could very well happen.

Wax on, wax off.
Storing the camera in a camera bag with the Zigview mounted does not seem to be practical for it takes up considerable more space. You could put the camera with the mounted Zigview in a special bag but I found that to cumbersome. One bag is already to much, two bags would most certainly be a problem. So, I decided to mount the Zigview as I need it and demount it when not needed. While the Zigview itself is not particular fragile, it is the view finder bracket that must absorb everyday handling. How well this bracket can take everyday working abuses remains to be seen. Removing and reattaching the Zigview over and over again may weaken the bracket and will certainly loosen the eye piece slide reducing the original firm fit. The Canon bracket I tested had a loose fit from the get-go and became looser after removing it a half dozen times causing the LCD image to move considerable when toughing the Zigview.
LCD Functionality.
The 3 x 4 cm color LCD (not 1.9 inch) is adequate for studio and/or indoor framing however, using the Zigview outside on a bright day, LCD details (at setting 10) are difficult to see making manual focusing impossible unless a hood (available) is attached making the use of the gadget even more fragile. What can be done about this problem remains to be seen for all LCD displays loose functionality when the light becomes more intense. I do feel, that the Zigview hood should be part of the package instead being offered as an accessory. If the Zigview is used outside on a dark day for framing only and you rely on the AF capability of the camera (which most users do) then there is no problem using the Zigview as a view finder..

Battery life.
Another potential problem can be the limited battery life. The product specifications say that the 3.6 Volt battery life is estimated at six hours of constant use while it takes three to six hours to charge same. That equates to the following possible problems. Action (journalistic and "paparazzi") photography demand long "stand-by" periods. Therefore, as not to drain the battery, you can put the Zigview manually in a "sleep" mode and awake the Zigview by pushing the joystick button and push the side button on the Zigview to awake the camera. Providing the side button to awake the camera is very helpful however, it does not do anything for the sudden activity problem making the camera available for that long awaited shot. (Fumbling for the Zigview button to awake it and checking the LCD etc., you know?) Also, I could not find any instructions on "How to replace the battery" but to replace it, it appears that the Zigview must be taken apart. How long or how often the batter must be replaced is anybody's guess however, a small compartment with a lid and one or two small screws would have been a better approach.

Since the Zigview and the camera are two different entities, one entity does not know the readiness status from the other. Since the camera (most are) is on auto-standby or sleep mode, it is the Zigview that must be left on or manipulated manually to make it camera ready. It would be ideal to have the Zigview wake-up-power-on tied into the camera shutter button but that would require an "outlet" of some sorts on the camera. An On/Off outlet on the camera would not be a bad idea because other digital items will certainly be created needing a status signal from the camera.

While the short battery life is adequate for everyday photography, timed or motion triggered outside photography is limited by the life of the Zigview battery unless, a 115 Volt AC power supply is nearby to connect the power supply into.

Zigview R
The Zigview R has the same capabilities and problems as the standard Zigview but has two build-in triggers systems offering uncanny capabilities. It seems to me that the real value of the Zigview is in the "R" capabilities allowing you to do things with your camera one can only dream about. Imagine, to aim and focus a telephoto equipped camera on a tripod controlled by a zigview set for motion detection, on a let's say Eagle nest and the bird comes home about to strike at the edge of the nest and.... get the picture?
How does it work?
A nine zone, (similar as the AF sensors on a camera) sensor fires the shutter when movement is detected based on changes in light intensity in any one of the zones in the viewfinder image. The nine zone setup can be changed to one single zone and either method has LCD magnifying capability. For instance, if you aim the camera with a Zigview mounted on a birds nest of light colored birds with a darker than the subject color background, then bird movement will be detected by the shifting of the color intensities. If however aiming the camera on a bear den to snap a picture of a brown bear with a similar color background, changes are you loose the shot because of insufficient color brightness difference between the foreground and the background. It is not clear to me if the LCD detection of the color brightness differences is detected by a zone and compared to a zone or a group of pixels is used to do the triggering. This innovative design allows the sensor area to cover any focal distance including telephoto lenses. This creates enormous possibilities and the use of application only ends with the imagination of the user. The second method of triggering the shutter is by interval-o-meter or digital timer with infinite setting capability. Both the motion as well as the timer can be started manually immediately or in a timed fashion with a simple push of a button. The setting of all the available variable values can and will get complicated keeping in mind that a camera shutter release must occur when the subject is properly framed. The management of this part of the Zigview is not for "sissies." When setup requirements are met, the camera shutter is actuated by a shutter release cable.

The manufacturer describes the sensing and trigger capabilities of the Zigview R as follows,

Camera Wake up and AF Time - All SLR cameras are different regarding "wake-up" and AF time needed. The Zigview R can be programmed to allow a user set period of time for the camera to become functional or "wake-up." if the camera has gone into the sleep mode, and to focus when in the AF mode before the shutter is actuated. This programmed setting assures camera readiness and assures a time period to allow the camera to wake up and focus.
Motion Sensing - This ability performs a shutter release when small variations in the brightness or light intensity level in nine areas of the LCD view finder screen indicate movement in the image.
Motion Detection Interval - The interval between motion detections is adjustable to longer periods in order to detect the motion of slow moving subjects, or shorter periods to detects fat moving subjects. A delay time can be set after motion is detected to allow for camera mirror action of the camera or to prevent the same subject from continuously triggering the shutter.
Variable Sensitivity - Any and all nine areas have sensitivity adjustments and can be controlled individually as well as turned on/off to control selective areas in the image. All nine sensors can be controlled in a series fashion as if all nine were only one.
Distance and Angle of Measurement - The nine area motion sensing capability is not restricted by distance or angle of view because it is sensing movement from the image projected through the lens of the camera. Therefore, all lens types from wide angle to telephoto will work just fine.
Timer Features - Motion detection can be started immediately or after count-down cycle of up to 24 hours in one second increments for up to 100 day period. Timer features include Stop - Endless meaning the Zigview will continue motion detection until user intervention.
Exposure Number - The Zigview can bet set to stop after any number of exposures or can be controlled by a date/time setting.
Exposures per Detection - The Zigview can be set to capture a number of exposures per motion detection execution with intervals of 0.5 sec. apart.
Bulb Interval Exposure - With the camera set on "Bulb" you can set the Zigview R to expose the subject for a specific bulb duration within the interval timing cycle. For instance, you could set the unit to make a five second exposure for every interval cycle programmed.

Having dully translated the manufacturers specifications, you can evaluate them for your needs,

Below are four examples taken from the ZigviewR manual. Two are related to the Interval-O-meter abilities where the bottom two are examples of the Motion detection ability.


Final remarks,
While the Zigview is useful for certain applications, it is (in my opinion) not as useful as some advertised activities such as overhead photography in a crowded active area. The use is not conducive for frequent re-mounting because the plastic mount provided will wear quickly. Outside use is limited by LCD readability unless a hood is use. I can not comment on how well a hood will work because I did not have one at the time I played with the unit. When used in an active environment, be aware the Zigview is "there" because forgetting it will certainly result in unintended damage. The unit serves well on bench and studio setups. The basic Zigview is for what is does, not a reasonable value for the price advertised. The Zigview R however, with its motion and timed shutter trigger capabilities, is a different story offering many capabilities from the mundane to the exotic for many applications from nature photography to scientific and laboratory uses. Will the Zigview R be adapted by the advanced amateur market remains to be seen considering the investment required.