I think it's a very good review. Looks like the Zacuto has knockout the SmallHD this round. Like you, I'm interested in the SmallHD because of the bigger screen which can also double up as a monitor. However, after seeing the review, I think Zacuto is still a better buy. Probably I will just buy the Zacuto EVF and the newly launched Lilliput 7" monitor.

I have the Zacuto EVF and I'm very happy with it. I recently had a shoot with a mix of natural light and practical light. Although I have not had a chance to fully calibrate it, I used the EVF to gauge color temp and I was very surprised to find how accurate it was. The EVF makes focusing a joy. My shots all came out very sharp. But I believe that could also be said of the DP4

One nice feature of the Zacuto is that it has a GH2 screen-size mode built in. It is my understanding that the SmallHD does not, but that was a couple months ago so that might have changed.

I find the form factor of the Zacuto to be quite nice and in line with the GH2. I also really like the eyecup and that you can change the diopter's distance. Not sure how much of an issue it is with the DP4 but I really like that Zacuto added an anti-fog filter to their EVF.

My gripes are with the way in which you flip the diopter up. The clip is nice in that it keeps the diopter firmly in place, but I can't unhinge it with one hand easily when shooting with a shoulder rig. Also, it's very easy to pull the diopter off the EVF if you're not careful. The solution? Just be careful and slowly detach the diopter.

It would be very nice if the Zacuto were 1" larger. But hey, it's great for what it is and I can always zoom in to see 1:1 detail on the image. Price being the ultimate factor in my decision, I lucked out and found a deal on Craigslist. So, if you find someone trustworthy and can check out the unit before purchasing (get a receipt, etc...) then I recommend buying one used.

If I were buying one today and price was not an issue, my decision would be based on whether or not I wanted to use the diopter when shooting. If no diopter, then I would get the DP4 since you need the larger size. And if you like shooting with a diopter then I would get the Zacuto.

Hope that helps!

@EOSHD, I know right. I'm hopping that with all the HD 4.5 plus smartphone screens out there and more to come, someone will come out with a good app.

@fetzu From the review, the difference in exposure and color accuracy between the 2 EVF is quite drastic. I really want to like the SmallHD EVF, but well...

What's the latest on the Cineroid? Has it fallen by the wayside? Seemed like a nice product when it was released, a viable alternative to these two.

Cineroid has already been launched awhile back. Probably was the first in the market. There's another player in the EVF market, Kinotehnik http://www.kinotehnik.com/products/electronic-viewfinder/overview Kinotehnik are the same people who make the LCDVF. Not sure whether this is also another vaporware as it's been listed as "available soon" on their website for the longest time.

FYI, The Record Mode gets disabled (grayed out) with Zacuto EVF plugged in.

@cafeteriacarlos

There is a GH2 preset in Z-EVF. What else are you looking for?

@cafeteriacarlos Yes, the image is different on the EVF vs the LCD and I found that EVF colors are more true colors than LCD's. For some reason LCD colors are more pinkish in my case and I would love to know how to calibrate the camera's lcd screen instead of the EVF. I was actually going to take a pic and post it for people to recommend a solution.

The SmallHD DP 4 EVF arrived on Friday and I've been playing around with it over the weekend. Here are my thoughts:

Overall, it's a terrific product. I love the feel of it - enough weight for it not to feel fragile but at the same time light enough to not make the rig over the top. The features are easy to navigate through, it came with a ton of accessories (I got the bundled NAB mega deal and saved myself $350) although I can see the included 6" articulated arm could fail after a bit of use.

To be honest, I hate the screw mounting of accessories like monitors or field recorders - a tiny bit of torque in the wrong direction and the thing is loose. Why the hell doesn't someone build some kind of simple, small but strong quick release system with a 1/4-20 screw in? It's fiddly spinning the monitor around and around onto the articulated arm when I could just snap it into place.

The Small HD DP4 EVF is I would say about 95% perfect for my needs. I like the flexibility and feature set it offers whilst still allowing me to travel light. The focus peaking alone is going to radically change my shooting, everything else is icing on the cake.

Small niggles:

• The 1/4-20 hole on the bottom has no stainless steel threaded insert like the left and right holes do so this could be a problem in the future if I'm not careful screwing it in (see above re: "fiddly spinning"!).

• You can't side mount the monitor on the 1/4-20 hole and use the included sunshade at the same time since the velcro straps go right by where the 1/4-20 hole is located.

• It would be nice if the EVF had a plastic snap on cover for it when not in use to protect it from dirt and dust. I guess that's why we have cans of dust-off and rocket blowers, right?

Other than that, this is a really well put together product and I highly recommend it. Definitely a huge improvement over the camera's LCD or the Trusmt viewfinder I was using and a helluva lot more reliable than the Lilliput 7" 5D-ii-o-p that I was initially excited about but in the end chose the Small HD - zero buyers remorse here.

@5thwall QUOTE The EVF makes focusing a joy. UNQUOTE

I've been using Zacuto EVF for about a month and still I've not got used to focus properly. The only way I can be sure about focusing is to switch to 1:1 scaling. The focus peaking assist feature of Zacuto EVF is useless to me. I tried every type of setting: 1, 2, 3 - it's a pain to get image focused. The only setting of focus assist of Zacuto EVF that I can live with is '1'. There is always some tolerance. Finally simple focusing by looking through standard viewfinder of GH2 provides faster and better results. Zacuto shows accurate color and exposure though the Zacuto EVF is useless for critical focusing. It may be that I'm doing something wrong. That is why my question to @5thwall is: what are your settings? How do you focus? May you please share your experience by making a video tutorial? I like everything about Zacuto EVF but focus assist. I wish to keep on using Zacuto EVF, please explain the best method to focus with it.

P.S. I contacted Zacuto via Email this week and they were confirming that there were no plans to update Zacuto firmware for focus assist nearby MONTHS!

@5thwall thanks, duly noted. as one say: practice is a way to expertise. I'll keep on trying.

I like the DP4 as well, cuz focusing is a lot easier. I just can't get the colors right. Does anybody find good settings?