Evil Little LCDVF Twin vs LCDVF

• • 75 Comments

lcdvf-clone (10)
(Above) Original LCDVF vs LCDVF Clone

Here's a couple of snapshots i'm sharing with everyone LCDVF vs LCDVF Clone. One is the real, and one is the clone. You can barely tell any difference at all. Even the bag is legit! The clone fit 'perfectly' on my original LCDVF metal frame that was already mounted on my cameras. Magnetic strength was the same for both.

After each strobe fired, there was a bit of color coming off of the Replica lens. I swapped positions in the lightbox, but you could still see a bit more reflection from the LCDVF clone optics. There could be a bit of truth regarding the way the glass is designed. This would only be noticeable if light were hitting it in a certain direction, so I wouldn't even consider that a 'problem'. It's like having glare on a window, but once you got your face up to it blocking that light you can see clearly. As far as Magnification it's pretty much on point. I don't notice a difference against my LCD glass. It's about a $100 dollar price difference between the real and the clone. I'll let you guys compare the photos and read all the comments to decide which would work best for you.

Imitation is usually the best form of flattery, but this is so close to the real deal, if eBay finds there is some Infringement issues, say goodbye to these uber cheap LCD Viewfinders. If it still works, here's the link to the LCDVF Clone Viewfinders for DSLRs.

lcdvf-clone (20)
find-price-button LCD viewfinder x2,8 for Canon 5D MKII 7D 550D T2i

(below) Clone wearing the Upgraded Eyepiece found in this article
lcdvf-clone (20)

Don't forget the upgraded eyepiece can be found in this article.

fleece-professional-viewfinder
click image

75 thoughts on “Evil Little LCDVF Twin vs LCDVF”

  1. Emm

     Post author

    @chris - I haven't checked yet, but you don't see something called 'LCD Auto Off'?

  2. chris

    @emm ok cool, i've tried looking through my 60d and can't seem to find any option like that. are you sure its there?

  3. Emm

     Post author

    @chris - There's a setting in the menu to disable the LCD if you put your face up to the camera. I'll check mine later to see what that's called.

  4. chris

    for some reason every time i attach the lcdvf to my 60d the lcd monitor on it turns off! i've tried looking around for a answer and i can't find how to stop it from happening. it doesn't happen straight away sometimes it's good for a few minutes and sometimes it does it right away!

    any sugestions??

  5. Martijn

    i am SO greatfull for this!

    i was jut about to buy this originally!
    i already had the original, but i lost it. so with pain in my heart (and my wallet) i was just about to check-out at a local webstore.

    untill i saw this! great!
    you can also buy them from china, free of shipping through http://www.dealextreme.com

    thanks a lot!

  6. Sara

    I too had a hard time with the Frame. Both came unglued after removing the finder from the camera the 2nd time using it.

    Can someone recommend the glass protector I'm suppose to buy for a 60D.

    I wish I would've just purchased the lcf originally. I tested the original at B&H and finally got to see what this clone is suppose to be doing.

    But I don't wanna waste money so I'm stuck with it for a while. But I'd say go with the original lcdvf than this clone or at least test it out within the return period with the original.

    Disclaimer
    I purchased my clone on ebay from the Houston guy. Came quickly.
    I wear glasses.
    I have a 60d
    I got the one made especially for 60ds.

  7. Tom

    I forst ordered the fake LCDVF thinking it was the original. When I mounted it on my camera the metal on the LCDVF fake was pulled out by the magnetic plate. It would fall off when I viewed it through the eyepiece, Also, there was distortion of the image and it tinted the image as well. I returned it.

    Then I bought the real LCDVF, magnets worked perfectly, no distortion and no tint. I would say in my case, the LCDVF was worth the extra money

  8. Emm

     Post author

    @CareyD - ive been working on an idea to use a quick release adapter as a base plate for a viewfinder. would serve as a base plate and quick release adapter for your tripod. let me hash that out a bit..

  9.

    Hey Emm, I'm having problems with the frame for this Meike LCDVF sticking on my 60D. Best 'solve' for a sturdier mount?

    Some have mentioned JB Weld on a glass protector...if so I'll go that route but I'm wondering what protector to get for the 60D. The swivel screen poses additional challenges.

  10.

    Since using the original LCDVF on a Canon t2i is different then using it with a screen protector, does anything change if you use the LCDVF 3/2 with the screen protector on a canon t2i opposed to using the LCDVF 3/2 without the screen protector. has anyone tested it?

  12.

    I bought one of these clones from an eBay seller out of Houston and this thing is great. It was easy to put on, it stays on, it feels like it is built really well. I am so glad I visited your site first or I could have spent $100+ that didn't to spend.
    Thanks

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  14. xlerate

    @guru

    My Meike arrived today, I should have read all of the comments here, but there is a crop on both the left & right side.

    I have emailed the seller as they specifically stated 'for 550d/T2i'.

    I'm looking at the black & gold one on eBay that also says the same thing but has a buy now for about $49

  16.

    Hm, is it just me that noticed it's NOT the same spec ? LCDVF is 2x, and this one is 2.8x... or maybe it's just marketing, but personally I prefer 2x !

  17. Matias

    The CAPA view finder looks good, has anyone used it? I'd like to reduce the cost of the gear I'm buying and a viewfinder is pretty essential. LCDVF is just too expensive. Thanks

  19. video guy nj

    Can someone update that ebay link in the article above. I want to make sure I'm getting one with the case and the accesories!

  24. Sean

    So from what I can tell from the links there is not a VF dedicated for the 550D/T2i.

    I plan on getting the screen protector so are you guys just getting the one for the 5D instead or are there going to be 550D/T2i versions released soon?

    Thanks again

  25. Sean

    So from what I can tell from the links there is not a VF dedicated for the 550D/T2i.

    I plan on getting the screen protector so are you guys just getting the one for the 5D instead or are there going to be 550D/T2i versions released soon?

    Thanks

  26. Emm

     Post author

    It's physically impossible to support a 5D Mark II & T2i LCD screen perfectly. They are both of different sizes. You can put it on a T2i, but you will lose some area to crop.

  30.

    We do have the special LCDVF version for T2i.

    As for the price difference LCDVF uses achromatic doublet lens and the evil twin uses just plain plano convex lens. If you were to purchase this quality lens in 40mm diameter it will cost USD 90.00 alone. You can read meore from here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatic_aberration

    We use special 3M organic ahesive that will not leave any residue onto the camera once removed and by our tests our new adhesive will outlast the copy for few months in diverse conditions. We tested for up to 60 degrees Celsius.
    Our current version is still attached while the evil little twin fell of in 24h when exposed to heat.

    The holding/mounting power on LCDVF is about 75% stronger than on the copy product. And the magnets are safe for any nonmagnetic media such as memory cards.

    LCDVFs are handmade here in Europe.

    Tonis Liivamagi

    CEO
    LCDVF PLC

  32. Emm

     Post author

    Yes, but sometimes it can come off or some people want to permanently attach the view finder some way where it doesn't easily fall off from bumping into it. Instead of using heavy epoxy on the camera body, they are using the glass protector first, then using epoxy on that.

  35. ZYK

    I don't quite get why this is so expensive? Isn't it just a tube like thing with an eye pad? All it does is keep the sun out so why is it priced so high? It's just rubber from the looks of it & a bit of magnet at the end.

  36.

    Does this pose a risk to CF cards getting wiped out? Also would they work on 5D effectively? Anyone used them with it?

    Thanks for the website by the way, very very helpful. 🙂

  40. Andrew

    Wondering how this might work for my articulating 3" screen on Panny GH1. I assume magnetic frame would prevent me from flipping LCD to face camera for safer storage. I could live with leaving it flipped facing out but want to make sure frame will not protrude from LCD itself. LCD frame measures 2 x 2 15/16 inches, actual viewable area is 1 9/16 x 2 7/16 inches. Can someone measure the magnetic frame that I would need to adhere to my LCD? Thanks in advance.

    Also, who exactly are folks emailing questions regarding upcoming versions of these clones? Meike or the ebayer?

  41. alex

    hey, email the clone LCDF company, and they said that they will have a t2i version available in about 2 weeks.!!!! excited! ! !

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  44. Ben

    Just wanted to report that I received my 'fake' LCDVF with a bit of damage. There are a couple cracks around the areas where the magnets are inset into the plastic that appear to have happened when the magnets were forced in. At the moment it works fine, but I am worried the cracks could get worse and prevent the viewfinder from attaching magnetically. The seller requested that I ship the product back to them and then they would ship me a new one. I cannot really go without a viewfinder for the next couple weeks, so it looks like I'm just going to risk it with the cracks. Unfortunate because everything about the viewfinder is pristine as everyone else has said. Unfortunately for me their customer service isn't the greatest.

  46. Nick

    Thanks, I've given it some thought and before I go about hardmounting, is there any way for me to order more frames?

  47. Emm

     Post author

    Clean up any old residue from the frame and glass. Use 'epoxy' not super glue. My favorite is JBWeld two part epoxy, comes in a greyish color. That's some hard core stuff and turns into steel. Just use enough to coat the back of the frame.

  48. NickTorres

    Any suggestions on how to go about hard mounting the viewfinder to the LCD protector? I can thank my little cousin for tearing off the first magnetic frame that I had applied to the LCD protector and now the second one that I've applied is coming loose. Any suggestion is appreciated. Thanks a lot man.

  49. Tony Carretti

    OK,

    I just got my LCDVF clone today. I was worried because I am 48 years old and have to wear +1.75 readers for anything close up. I had read about some guy that had re-engineered this thing with an extra reader lens so that it worked perfectly for him and figured that I could always give that a shot.

    Anyway, I installed the 550D glass screen protector and then installed the metal viewfinder frame onto that using a little Gorilla superglue for good measure. Waited about a minute and clipped the viewfinder on and tried it with my readers on and it works pretty well. THEN, for the heck of it, I tried it WITHOUT my glasses and... it worked even better!

    I was very pleasantly surprised about this as I really thought I was going to have to jump through a few hoops to make it work. My thoughts on the viewfinder:

    Very good build quality. From the pictures I've seen online, I would say it matches the quality of the "real" LCDVF.

    Great packaging - Shipping took about 8 days to San Antonio, TX. It came with a nice neoprene bag and a lens cleaning cloth. There were two metal frames as well.

    I've shot some indoor as well as outdoor tests and it seems to work pretty flawlessly. The magnification is good, albeit a little "pixelated" but I'm sure I can get used to that as long as the critical focus issue is addressed.

    I almost went out and bought a Hoodman that I was going to try and adapt since it came with a diopter, but this seems to be doing the trick.

    So, two thumbs up here for the clone!!

    Tony

  50. Deska

    Anyone can help? I've got budget around 60$, which one is better for that budget the LCDVF clone or the digi finder pro? thank u 🙂

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  54. Martin

    Yesterday I received an email from the clone guys. They said that the T2i version should be available in about 4 weeks... I know some people received the same statement from them weeks ago.

  55. Waylon

    I may need another one too. My son always plays with mine and drops it. The corners are getting banged up!

  58. Emm

     Post author

    It can be mounted so that it doesn't. If you are in Live View mode, the sensor won't turn off the display. You can also go into the Menu and turn that feature off so you can disable the sensor.

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  61. Emm

     Post author

    Alone it will crop 1mm on each side. It does show a bit more when used in combo with the glass lcd protector.

  62. Pierce

    Im looking for a cheep viewfinder for my Rebel T2i. Could i make this work with it? or should i go for the DigiFinder Pro (which is 49 eur. so 64. dollars...plus what ever shipping will be)

  63. Emm

     Post author

    Light does not leak in. There is a metal frame that is attached first, then the LCDVF attaches over it. The magnets on the Filter are much stronger than the LCDVF magnets, but you don't want to put strong magnets directly to your camera - might not be good.

  64. Martin

    I want to apologize beforehand for these dumb questions.
    Since the LCD protector is only attached to the camera from the camera's viewfinder, does it leak light from the bottom of the procector (with the clone LCDVF attached to it)?
    Do you find the Z96 gels magnets as strong as the LCDVF ones?
    Sorry, but I did warned you about these questions.

  65.

    I just received mine today.
    The whole thing looks pretty much like the original lcdvf.
    A friend of mine owns one, they both deliver the same image.
    I'm very happy with it, the only "major" difference are the magnets wich are more smaller on the Meike.

  66.

    just received mine today. The whole thing looks good and pretty close to the lcdvf.
    A friend of mine owns the original, we're starting comparing.

  67.

    I just received mine from UK (I'm living in Spain) and I'm very happy!!
    They give me a free pouch (perfect for a lens!!!) as a present!! 😀

  68.

    I got my clone in the mail last week. I'm very happy with it. Hopefully this will force LCDVF to drop the price of their current model to be a little more competitive. They also have to go up against the Digi Finder Pro, which sells for ~$80 (same as the clone).

  69. Ashish

    Thanks for letting me know but when I saw the LCDVF listing, I could not locate anything listed compatible to T2i or 550D

  72. Emm

     Post author

    It will fit with a 1mm crop on each side. It looks better if you mount it on the glass protector first.

  73. Serge

    Awesome side by side!
    I love mine and have bragged so much about getting 3 for the or price of one that my friend with his real one has put it up on eBay and has ordered one of these knock offs. I have not noticed any issues for what I need it for, and that is just focusing, thanks for the heads up on the glare will be on the look out for it and have my lens hoods handy.

  75. olahf

    I also I have mine, has come today, it took a week, 53 euros free shipping, I have not tried the original lcdvf, but this is great, thanks for letting us know

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