Carry Speed VF-3 View Finder – Available Today

• • 85 Comments

First inventory of this item sold out in 24 hours, and there's been a bit of a wait, but today the second shipment of new inventory has arrived. Introductory pricing still available (at this time). For more information about this product, check out my old article here: http://cheesycam.com/new-gear-swivi-lcd-view-finder/

Some good news is that Rob shared these photos of the VF-3 on a 60D with and without battery grip. [Thanks Rob]
ViewfinderViewfinder2
Viewfinder3Viewfinder4

I have also confirmed it to work with a Nikon D7000 (with and without battery grip), Canon T4i (with and without Grip), Canon 5D Mark III, Nikon D800, etc. The adjustments make this possible to work with many different camera types.

You can find the Carry Speed VF-3 product page at the website CarrySpeed.com (Click Here).

Carry Speed Swivi LCD View Finder
find-price-button Carry Speed LCD View Finder

[Update] The website got slammed, so if you can't order, here's an alternate listing via Amazon:
Carry Speed Swivi LCD View Finder
find-price-button Carry Speed Swivi Universal LCD View Finder via Amazon

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85 thoughts on “Carry Speed VF-3 View Finder – Available Today”

  1. Raf

    @LaFilm @Frank @Joey

    You don't need any additional plates.

    The red plate un-mounts with a 4mm hex tool. Remove the 4 bolts and slide the plate over 1 hole.

    TADA! No more centering issues for your matte box!

  2. Emm

     Post author

    @Frank - I'm not sure what you're question is. He first adds the quick release plate of the VF-3 to his camera, and then mounts the entire thing into a standard Kamerar Tank Cage.

  3.

    @ Emm - I also own VF-3 with a T2i and wonder how this guy did it while using a complete rig setup from Kamerar. I posted a question on YouTube, Carryspeed and Kamerar, but haven't heard back yet. Not complaining here. It's been under 24 hrs. 🙂

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE1gpUCsIL0

    Go to 18:55 and you'll see nothing else is attached like the items you mentioned from Cavision or Ikan.

  5.

    @Joey, I haven't come up with a solution yet. It's kinda aggravating! I did use a friends D|Matte directly mounted on the lens. This worked great as alignment was a non-issue. I did some thinking about doing a "simple" purchase of an Arca-Swiss type baseplate mounted to the PocketRig and adjust the VF-3 on there. I just haven't gotten around to trying it though. I may end up purchasing a D|Matte for myself and just use that.

  6. Joey

    @LaFilm, did you come up with a solution for being able to use your matte box with the view finder?

  7. Emm

     Post author

    @LaFilm - Hmm, typically on a full rig you can change out the baseplate to an 'adjustable' baseplate. There's dozens on the market like this one (here).

    The Pocket Rig is an entire rig, so that wouldn't work for you. It would require another baseplate that slides left / right, or a MatteBox that can shift left / right.

  8.

    @Mike @Emm - I, too, ordered the Swivi VF for my 60D and absolutely LOVE it! I just received my Pocket Rig from Edelkrone thinking that the marriage of these two bits of kit would be "made in heaven"... One major issue... when you mount the Pocket Rig on the Swivi baseplate, the 15mm rods are off-center from the camera lens. This is due to the fact that the 1/4-20 holes on the VF-3 baseplate are off-center due to the mounting hole being "on-center". My DFocus FF works well enough, in that it can span the extra distance, but use of a matte box is unfortunately off the table. Do y'all know of any solutions to re-align things? The VF-3 and Pocket Rig are great and should work well together.

    Thoughts?

    An Arca Swiss style baseplate between the two?

  9. Emm

     Post author

    @Mike - There are 1/4-20 threaded mounts under the baseplate of the VF-3 that will let you mount it to the Pocket Rig.

  10. Mike

    Do you think this could still work with the Edelkrone Pocket Rig? I can't make out if you could attached the Pocket rig under the attachment of the viewfinder.

  11. imgpro615

    I use 2 camera bodies and wanted to use the swivi between the two...so i contacted carry speed directly and requested an additional receiver plate for the swivi...$30USD [via paypal] and a couple days later i have both cameras ready to go and can switch out at a moment's notice...

  12. Chris

    This does work with the 5D3 but it does not fit if you use the Battery Grip. I wish the vertical arms had about 1/2 inch more.

  14. imgpro615

    arrived today...absolutely loving it!! this plus the gearbox and a couple PnC arms, total legit status for my gear!!
    I hope they offer standalone swivi baseplates so i can use it on multiple bodies!!

  15.

    Got mine in two days, I love it (but I'm a long time Arca/RRS baseplate user so it was a no brainer). Been shooting with it and it just really works at a price I am happy with. Shot last night wide open (35 f1.4) and a larger percentage of usable footage, in focus, hand held.

    Cheesycam strikes again! Love this site, use the click thrus.

    R.

  16.

    Got my LCD VF!

    I managed to steal my colleague's OMD EM5 + Grip with the LCD VF and would like to report that it fits with the grip (in terms of height) but there was a small 0.5cm of crop on the left hand side of the LCD because that was the limit of the adjustment. 🙁

    Works top notch with the 5d3 though as we all know (:

  17.

    Thanks for the support, guys (: Anyway, i've been in contact with DHL since and well, DHL have made me feel more at ease with the shipping even though there were a few other hitches here and there (they somehow needed to call me to confirm my shipping address even though they already had it) and it got delayed another day because of that lol.

    But they've been in close contact ever since and even offered to deliver it to my studio because i won't be home to receive it at during office hours. (:

    Just cant wait to get my meaty paws on the LCD VF! Exciting days 😀

  18. impoze

    I received my shipping confirmation yesterday & it arrived on the same day!

    I checked the date it actually got dispatched and it was a few days earlier, it was just the shipping confirmation that was late.

  19. Cole

    @Habez - You might also want to keep in mind that Rosh Hashana was this past week, so some companies were closed up until yesterday. I ordered a Lowepro Fastpack from eBay on the 16th and it did not ship until yesterday. B&H was also closed for Rosh Hashana until yesterday. Not sure if this is the case for you, but just something to keep in mind. If you ordered from eBay though, it should have given you a disclaimer stating that the 'seller is away, may be delay in order processing, seller will return on X date, etc'.

  20. Emm

     Post author

    @habez - Maybe a coincidence, but if you purchased after a certain time on the 14th (friday), it would not have been processed until the 17th (Monday). If it shipped on the 19th, that would be at most 3 business days. I know if I order something from Amazon on Monday, I can get it in two days (Prime Shipping), but if I order that same thing on Friday I have to wait longer because they don't ship over the weekends.

  21. impoze

    just tested mine out on my mkIII

    its great,

    as others said the diopter is giving me a lot of vignetting, esp where the red record icon is.

    Also, ordered 2 and I had dust in each one of them, had to open them up from the eyepiece side (4 screws) and blow the dust out.

    How do I put a blue star eye piece on it? won't the lock thing block it?

    thanks heaps!

  22.

    Hey Emm,

    I purchased my set from the carryspeed website directly on the 14th of September (Order #3153) and i've only received my confirmation email that it is shipped today on the 19th 🙁

    Even by ebay standards for shipping that was slow i think.

    I didn't contact them earlier under the assumption that they sent it out earlier. I guess not.

    Slightly disappointed with the dispatching speed. Have bought from their products from ebay store before and it seems faster from there compared to this transaction.

    Ah well. I'm just hoping it comes in time for my big job in a week's time :S

  23. Paul

    Just got my unit and overall I'm pretty happy with it but have major concerns regarding using a quick release plate.

    I dont like that to use the unit, i will have to mount the baseplate to a camera, and then mount a QR plate separately every time. the 717ah plate blocks access to the mounting screw.

    I also don't like that the tripod threads are not centered with with the lens so Im curious how that affects panning.

    Im thinking if I can find a double length screw and mount them together without too much wiggle I can make it work. What would be even better is if there was a 717ah plate made that had a a built in slot and tightening knob replacing the arca swiss that is used now. Im sure a ton of people her would greatly benefit from that.

  24. impoze

    anyone know where to get some blue star eye cushions in australia?

    the eyepiece is a bit big for my face.

    thanks

  26. impoze

    I finally got my tracking number but theres no link.

    does anyone know which shipping company are they using for australia?

    thanks

  28. impoze

    Hi Emm,

    yes, I've been contacting them via support email.
    i contacted them on facebook as a secondary measure

    I'll wait and see what happens.

  29. Emm

     Post author

    @impoze - I wouldn't rely on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, etc. for customer support questions. The support email listed on the website is best. BTW, after all the comments Lee Mullen just commented on Facebook that his arrived today. I would give it sufficient time to ship, before panicking.

  30. impoze

    ordered on the 14th as well and havnt received any emails regarding dispatch.
    I contacted on their facebook page as well but no response.

    Are they all at photokina or something lol...

    @Lee Mullen, did you order on first or 2nd batch?

    thanks

  31. Lee Mullen

    Emm - no worries it finally arrived!! Seems all good, but doesnt have the Carry Speed logo on it like yours.

  32. Len

    Emm, I know that you did and that information helped me make the decision to buy the viewfinder. I also realize that my battery grip might be causing the alignment problems and stated "That might be caused by the battery grip" in my comment. Only the very top edge of my live view window is above the Carry Speed viewfinder and, as I stated before, I could live with that.

    My frustration and disappointment is that Carry Speed isn't taking care of the problem that the company caused -- the improperly placed screw hole in the tab that connects the viewfinder to the quick release. It's the smallest and least expensive part of the entire assembly and a replacement should have been sent to me immediately. The viewfinder is useless if I can't connect it to the camera.

    I'm a businessman and would never treat a customer that way.

  33. Emm

     Post author

    @Len - I've verified it to work with a D7000 and D7000 with OEM battery grip. I guess the aftermarket Bauer you have is not the exact same design.

  34. Len

    I said that I would report back after receiving the viewfinder and am sorry to say that I'm disappointed with Carry Speed.

    There's a tab, which fits into the quick release, that projects from the bottom of the adjustable bracket that holds the viewfinder. It's supposed to attach to that bracket with two screws. One of the screws was loose in the viewfinder bag. The cause of the problem is that one of the two threaded holes in the tab is drilled off center and doesn't line up with the slot at the bottom of the bracket. I can force the screw into the tab, but it sits at an angle and doesn't project far enough into the hole. That's why it fell out in transit.

    I called Carry Speed's customer service number yesterday. The woman who answered the phone had no idea what I was talking about. She asked me to email customer service, which I did.

    Customer service responded today and asked for photos or a video to show the problem. They want me to photograph a tiny hole in small black tab and show how it doesn't line up with a small slot in a small black piece. That would be difficult to do. The part that I requested is the smallest and least expensive part of the viewfinder. Carry Speed should have mailed the replacement to me already, but they haven't. That's poor customer service.

    I've found two other problems with the viewfinder. I'm using it on a D7000 with a Bauer battery grip. At it's highest setting, the viewfinder doesn't cover the very top of the camera's live view screen. The Carry Speed also doesn't sit flush against the back of my camera. There's a space between the Carry Speed and the top of the camera's live view window. That might be caused by the battery grip.

    I could live with the last two problems if the misaligned hole problem was taken care of. If Carry Speed doesn't send the part quickly, I'll protest my payment with American Express and ask for a pick up of the entire unit.

    Carry Speed seems to make good products, but poor customer service will probably stop me from doing business with the company again or recommending it to friends.

  36. Emm

     Post author

    @Okze - Did you place an order or are you asking them questions? Keep in mind they are currently at Photokina also, so they may be slower to respond to questions for the next week.

  37. Emm

     Post author

    @Lee Mullen - They ship quickly no matter what country. You'll find tons of comments on this blog from others in different countries who have received their item. Through my contact form, send me your order # and the day you placed the order. I'll see if I can follow up.

    If you ordered it they day it was released, it has barely been 10 days, which is not sufficient time to ship to your country. It's probably en route and just needs a few more days to get there. International can take up to 18 days to AU (longer in some other countries).

  39. Lee Mullen

    Nope nothing at all Emm. Just wondering becaue Im outside the US they have put my order aside until the next batch arrive. Not impressed.

  41. mad

    got mines and to me it feels pretty damn solid. it fits with the rest of my equipment... well, almost.

    i have it on a t2i with a edelkrone pocket rig and edelkrone FF one pro plus a 3rd party/knockoff battery grip, which seems to drain my batteries even when the camera is off :/

    one con is the battery grip keeps a space between my cameras lcd and the vf because of the way it sticks out, which might make it to where light enters if outside in the sunlight, or bright light is pointed directly at me from the side. i still get a good clear view of my lcd and cant event tell the space is there when looking through the eye cup.

    im new to viewfinders and haven't even really played with my small hd dp4 vf that much cuz i just barely got it so i dont know if this space is defeating the purpose of a viewfinder or somewhat degrading the quality of what i see.

    overall, it rocks like Alex said and my setup looks pretty damn sexy with it attached. thank god for the adjustments

    and thanks to emm for posting

    peace!

  42. Emm

     Post author

    @Lee Mullen - Check your Spam or Junk email folder, it's common to believe there is no response, but your email client might be filtering the emails. Make sure you add the responding email to your contacts (address books) to prevent the response emails from being flagged as spam or junk.

  43. Lee Mullen

    Ordered mine on the day they were available to get posted over to Australia. Never got any tracking confirmation or anything and they ignore my emails. If I get no response to further emails by Friday I start a PAYPAL dispute. Not impressed with Carry Speed's communication!

  44. Cole

    @Alex - Which Bluestar cushion did you use? Oval large or oval long? I ordered an val large but I think it may end up being too small.

    I got my VF last week and I must say that it has been phenomenal. It is such a solid piece of kit. I shoot on a T3i, so the quick dismount of the VF is great when I need to use the articulating screen quickly.

    The only thing I don't really like about it is the diopter. It's got some serious vignetting going on and the ring is not very dampened so it makes a significant amount of noise if you barely touch it. I am VERY happy with it overall, however.

  45. Alex

    Just got mine today - it rocks!! I was worried that it was going to be too big, but it isn't. I was worried that it wasn't going to be flush against the camera and it is. I was worried that it would be too heavy, but it isn't. And, it works great with the oval BlueStar eyecups. I wish you didn't have to turn around the attachment to the quick release plate just to make it smaller to pack, but I guess minor. Diopter doesn't do much but it works well without having to take my glasses off, so that's a big plus over older units and makes the diopter not needed. Its well built, well designed. I'm sold.

  47. Mark

    Thanks for the replies, folks. Yes, the original mag mount LCDVF will come off it you knock it, but it takes a bit of effort. I have the neoprene sleeve but don't ever use it.

    The concern with the new model is dealing with a cage and rails.

  48.

    kg. I have ordered from the UK. No tax is added at the checkout unlike with some vendors. It is pretty much a lottery just as if you purchase stuff from Hong Kong.

  49. Emm

     Post author

    @kg - For the features and quality of this viewfinder, I think the Introductory price + shipping + customs tax could still be cheaper than buying one your local store.

  51. Emm

     Post author

    @kg - I don't really know how that works in the UK. Some countries have to pay to pick up the items from customs. Maybe someone from the UK can answer this?

  56. Emm

     Post author

    @Kyle M. - I suggest watching the video in the original article I posted. I show use with a Canon 5D Mark II.

  57. Emm

     Post author

    @Chris Wilmshurst - Yes there are some threads to support mounting a QR plate underneath the baseplate.

  58.

    I just got my 2 that I ordered. They are amazing! I had the LCD VF before and thought it was fine, but the quality of this guy is some much higher it is amazing!

    I really do love the way it attaches too. I have several cameras in our fleet and I can see how I won't have to be selling this guy in a few years.

    Once again thanks for posting this Emm!

  60.

    @bumpintheroad - an older version of the carry speed viewfinder had a flexible sleeve that could hold the vf and slide on and off the articulated 60d screen. it's the only cheap mounting solution i've found

  61.

    So, it says it works on the 5D Mark 3; does that mean it will work on my Mark 2? I don't have a battery grip or anything yet, just the body and a lens.

  62.

    @Emm Pulled the trigger the moment i saw the post emm.

    Thanks for the great equipment again and for making all our lives a little bit better (:

  64. Emm

     Post author

    @ed - The height of the GH2 LCD is too short. This View Finder extends lower than the LCD and will not mount under the GH2. If the GH2 had a battery pack underneath, maybe it would fit better.

  67. Emm

     Post author

    @Frank - I can't see why it won't fit, and it fits nicely on the other Nikon cameras. Heck, if the price goes up later, maybe you can make a profit if you have to sell it. LOL.

  68. Frank

    Thanks. I know that the D600 isn't available yet, as I have one on backorder. Is it safe to assume that if it fits the Canon 5D Mark III as you stated in your review, it would fit other 3.2" LCD cameras? I was hoping to order the view finder while it was still at the introductory price. Thanks again for your help.

  69. Emm

     Post author

    @Frank - Nobody owns the Nikon D600 (yet), but from what I see in photos it should work. I'll let you know as soon as those cameras are on the streets.

  70. Frank

    Any idea if this will work on the new Nikon D600? it has a 3.2" LCD? I contacted Carry Speed customer service and they didn't know. They referred me to your site. Thanks

  74. Rob S.

    @bumpintheroad No offense, but I'm glad this doesn't use magnets. I have the original LCDVF and it wasn't very secure. It got knocked off all of the time. This is far more secure and gives you quick release capability to slip off the entire viewfinder that can allow you to use the flip out screen on the 60D. It's really the best of all worlds.

  77. bumpintheroad

    Interesting. I have the Swi-View LCDVF and am disappointed that the metal frame attached to my 60D articulating LCD prevents you from storing the screen in to the camera for protection (maybe I attached the screen wrong?).

    I'd love this for the diopter adjustment alone, flip-up capability is gravy. But again I see huge inconveniences in using the articulating LCD. Hopefully some more versatile mounts will come out over time.

    BTW, my Swi-View LCDF magnets sticks very securely to the mounting plate. I'm not sure why the same arrangement couldn't work here.

  80. schill

    Is there any difference between ordering it directly from the site and ordering from the link to Amazon that they provide?

  83. Emm

     Post author

    @Daniel - More bulk, higher price, not everyone uses 15mm rods. If you really had to, you could still add a 15mm baseplate under the view finder.

  84.

    Ok Emm, you sold me on this one, I just ordered one. Thanks for the other video you made on this. Looks like a great product for the price. I fear going to your site because I will end up buying something. 🙂

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