Canon EP-EX15 extender: a mixed blessing

[hyunyu]

Finally having had enough of nose prints and skin oils all over the LCD of my

30D, I went ahead and picked up the EP-EX15 extender. It's a mixed blessing:

my nose now won't touch the LCD screen at all (the extender adds about 12mm,

sliding in in between the eye cup and the body), but the viewfinder is now 50%

size of the nice, clear, big original viewfinder view.

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If anyone else uses them, I'd like to hear some feedback. Is this something you

do get used to after a while?

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Interesting wording on Canon's part to describe the shrinking viewfinder view:

"The viewfinder magnification will be <i><b>increased</b></i> [my emphasis] by a

factor of 0.5". Wouldn't it have been more intuitive to say "decrease by 50%"?

[PuppyDigs]

The 30D VF is small enough already. Why increase it by .5x?

 

I installed a LCD protector on all my screens. They're much more tolerant of nose and finger

shine and clean more easily than the bare plastic of the screen.

 

On the other hand, you may wish to consider installing a nasal mask...

[jon wilson]

I had one on my 10D and had to sell it after a few months, i never got used to it, the

viewfinder was just to small after adding this accessory on an already small viewfinder.

[v.anisimov]

I don't use any eyecups on my 20D. I find it's much easier without them. Bigger viewfinder, easier to cover for tripod work, can't lose anything.

[alexandru_petrescu]

Inside the EP-EX15 there are two pieces of plastic serving as lens, one concave one double-convex. One can easily remove them, needs a fine "philips" screw-driver (x-shaped head), same used for e.g. fixing a too loose arm for eye-glasses.

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If you remove them then the viewfinder will look the same as if the EP-EX15 wasn't there, except the eye is further from it. If one installs a round rubber eye-cup (instead of the 3-leg rubber fitted by default) then the experience of using EP-EX15 is almost like without it. Just one has to stretch the eye a little more to find the corners of the display.

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One can even try different combinations of the two pieces of plastic (different order, turned-returned) as an exercise in optics.

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A "Universal rubber eyecup for Canon" can be found at <a href="http://bocaphoto.com/products/new/canon/canonacc.htm">http://bocaphoto.com/products/new/canon/canonacc.htm</a>.

Similar eyecup product from Nikon also fits the EP-EX15.

[hyunyu]

Alexandru,

 

Thank you very much for the helpful information. I will go ahead and check them out.

[alexandru_petrescu]

Sure, tell us what you think after removal. I personally enjoy it. More than if I used a clapet over the screen.

 

One thing is that ep-ex15 being an extension it is an additional protuberance, so I have to take care when carrying the camera on shoulder, or when putting camera in bag, for it not to slip off.

 

Worse is when I carry the ep-ex15 in pocket and the anglefinder c on camera, ready to switch. The anglefinder c is more of an inconvenient protuberance, it's bigger and easily slipping off the sliders.

 

Anyways, let us know.

[hyunyu]

Well, I took the two little lenses out of the EP-EX15, and I like it just fine now. You do have to look a bit to see the edges of the viewfinder, but not much. I'm going to get myself a eye cup like what Alexandru mentioned and see if it helps more.

 

Funnily enough, before I took the lenses out of the EP-EX15, I forgot I had it on and used the camera for a day or so. I guess I didn't really notice that the viewfinder was 50% smaller!

 

On the plus side, no problems whatsoever anymore with smudges on the LCD from the nose... :-)

[bill downey]

Thanks Alexandru. I removed the lenses as per your instructions and purchased the eyecup as well. I found that I like the eyecup without the EX15. In using the eyecup over the weekend it slipped off or was brushed off the camera 5 times. I emailed the seller and here is his answer:

 

"If it slips off too easily it can be tightened by bending the metal clips so that there is more spring tension in the mount or by adhering a piece of double-sided tape ( or folded-over scotch tape) to the back of rhe eyecup before mounting. Tape will only help if it sticks to both the eyecup and the camera at the same time."

 

For a $6 item I can't complain ane will probably order a backup.