Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The quality of the Canon Right Angle Finder C is high but the fit was quite loose on my Canon XT and 50D. The metal portion of this finder with the prongs had slightly worn a tiny bit of the top edge of the glass LCD so I decided to look into the Seagull version. The fitting of the Seagull version is plastic so it should not damage glass at all. I also heard the fit was tighter, which I hoped would be safer after I accidentally popped my Canon one off the camera quite easily a few times.
I actually received the newer model of the Seagull that goes up to 2.5 in magnification (there is actually an even newer one providing 3x magnification). The adapters were supposed to be made from a better quality of nylon than the previous versions. Here's my findings:
1. Quality:
The Canon is definitely a higher quality item and it has a heavier feel. The Seagull is much lighter. They both are mainly plastic with a metal barrel that is rotated for focusing. Both the Canon and Seagull fit snugly into their included soft cases. The Seagull appears to be a little snugger fit and may take a bit more fiddling to get it into its case.
2. Fit:
This may vary depending on the camera but I will report on what my experience is with my Canon. The adapter labeled for my Canon 50D was actually too big. I had to use a smaller size (labeled for the Canon Rebel line) that fit too snugly. With the Canon finder, I did not require using an adapter but it attached too loosely to my camera, even though I tried to bend the springs in to make it fit more securely.
The Seagull's adapter had a tighter fit but it was so tight that it was not possible to remove the viewer together with the adapter still attached to it. The fit between the viewer and adapter was loose enough that swiveling the viewer misaligned it from the adapter much too easily. The tightness of the "clicks" inside the rotating mechanism meant that I had to firmly hold the base while I rotated the viewer in order to keep the whole unit properly in place on my camera. This was the same problem I had with the Canon viewer.
When removing the Seagull viewer, the unit itself came off easily and left the adapter attached to the camera tightly. The fit of the adapter was so snug that I had to use both thumbs under both corners to push it off the camera's eyepiece fitting (and hoping I don't pop it off into oblivion). However, since this adapter is plastic, it might wear down over use and become looser.
3. Operation:
The optics of the Seagull is as good as Canon's. Like the Canon viewer, ball bearings can be felt when swiveling the eyepiece to different angles.
There are also little "notches" that can felt that are set to specific angles for the finder. These are much looser in the Canon viewer and it was very easy to accidentally rotate the eyepiece from where you had it set. The Seagull's are much tighter and the force required to rotate the eyepiece actually causes the unit to misalign from the adapter attaching it to the camera. With both the Canon and Seagull viewers, you have to keep the right angle viewer in place with one hand while you rotate it with your other hand. This can be awkward especially for handheld photography.
The focusing systems are very similar between the Canon and the Seagull.
4. Value:
As mentioned at the beginning, the Canon right angle finder is a better quality piece but it also costs almost 3 times as much as the Seagull version. The Seagull finder works as well as Canon's and is a good deal in comparison.
Conclusion:
The Seagull right angle finder does what it is supposed to and would be especially trouble-free for photographers who often use tripods and do not remove the finder from their cameras as often as street and event photographers or move around as much. I was disappointed to discover that the problem of looseness was still there... but in a different form than my Canon finder. The adapter attached to my Canon cameras too tightly and was too loose where the adapter itself attaches to the Seagull finder. To shoot in a "normal" mode without the right angle finder, this meant that I had to first remove the Seagull finder itself and then use both thumbs to push off the adapter. This is a nuisance that varies depending on the individual.
This loose fit with both the Seagull and Canon right angle finders requires that one much be careful not to accidentally knock it off the camera. The Seagull finder is much more reasonably priced and the build seems to be of a good quality. It is a good alternative to the Canon version as it provides the same purpose of use. I gave this a 4 star rating because of the general loose fit onto the Canon camera. If the adapter and the fit between the finder and the adapter where both equally and adequately better fitting, it would have been perfect. Only time will tell if some of the tightness of the parts will loosen. I would have given it a 5 star rating if I only considered the price and quality.
Update: 01/26/2008
I have used this a few times now. It feels and operates exactly the same as my Canon right angle finder. This also feels more secure on my camera and would take a good bump to knock it off. The Canon version always feels as though it could slip off because of its heavier weight.
I have noticed that the Seagull finder's case is too tight of a fit. It takes some fiddling to get it back in when I am done with it. I might pick up a small camera case to replace the one it came with.
Update: 02/12/2009
I picked up a Crumpler gadget pouch which the viewer fits much more easily into. After using the Seagull viewer for a while, the fit onto my 50D has loosened a bit and it is easier to remove. I have noticed no difference in the way this works in comparison to my Canon right angle viewer. The Seagull version actually feels more secure on my camera since it is lighter and doesn't feel like it will fall off because of its weight.
For anyone who doesn't care about having the Canon logo on this accessory and would rather save some money on what essentially does the same thing, the Seagull right angle viewer is a great alternative. If I had a chance to decide all over, I would have purchased this instead of the pricey Canon one.
Update: 01/05/2010
It has been almost 2 years and one of the prongs on the plastic adapter broke off. Luckily, the Seagull finder still stays on fairly securely with the remaining prong but I have been unsuccessful finding out how to replace this broken part. I have tried contacting the original seller, the distributor and the manufacturer in China by email. It has been about 3 weeks and I have still not heard anything from any of them. I guess I will have to continue using this viewer with the broken adapter.
Update: 04/15/2010
The adapter loosened with use and eventually popped off without me noticing at a beach. Having contacted almost every seller of this viewer I came across, the ones who did reply were either unwilling or unable to sell me just the adapter that I needed. I decided to give in and purchase another entire Seagull Right Angle Viewer, even though I still have my Canon version. I had used it a lot over the two years that I had it so I suppose it was worth making the purchase again. It is just too bad that I could not just purchase the adapter so I could still use the one that I already had. Beware... getting any service or assistance after purchasing this is near impossible but the low cost sort of makes up for it.
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Seagull 1x-2x Right Angle Finder for Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Minolta, Fuji, Olympus and Leica SLR camerasProduct FeaturesCompatibility|Canon 18 mm adapter for: Canon 10D, 20D, D30/D60, 300D, 350D, 400D, Digital Rebel, XT, XTi, EOS10, 66, 88/88QD, 100, 300/300V, 500/500N, 700/750, 850/888, 1000N/1000FN, 1/1N/1D/1V |Canon 22 mm adapter for: Canon EOS3/30/33, 50D/50E/55 |Nikon 22 mm adapter for: Nikon D1, D50, D70, D70s, D100, FM10, F55, F65, F80 |Minolta: no adapter is needed |Pentax: no adapter is needed for SP, M, K, Z, P, MZ|Fujifilm: S3 Pro, S2 Pro, S1|Leica|OlympusTechnical Details |Lens Construction:| 9 elements in 5 groups, high quality glass roof prism.|Magnification:| 1X and 2X |Angle of rotation:| 360 degrees |Diopter adjustment:| Built-in (+/- 4) for variations in eyesight |Eyepiece fittings:| Canon EOS, Nikon, Minolta, Leica, Pentax & Olympus|Adapter:| Plastic slot-in type |Dimensions:| 60 x 35 x 85mm|Weight:| 82g
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