My NX300 with my ClearViewer - a review

At the ripe old age of 51, some would say that I am old school when it comes to my photography. When I when I go shooting I want to have a camera in my hand that feels like a camera and that includes a viewfinder.

I also want something that is very light so when I travel I’m not carrying a small suitcase.

Enter the Samsung Nx300. After using the Nx10, and Nx11, I decided to break with tradition and get the Nx300. A sensational camera (before the Nx30 was announced) but with one glaringly poor feature. No EVF.

Let’s not get politically correct here. It’s poor in direct sunlight, particularly if the sunlight is coming in on an angle. I found most times shooting blind and almost always not able to read the aperture setting on the screen due to its blue font (I know about iFn but let’s not go there).

There had to be a solution, and there is.

Enter The ClearViewer (photos attached). Their website describes ‘The ClearViewer as a folding high-diopter lens which lets you view and focus on the LCD screen with your eye right up to the lens, less than 2 inches away from the LCD. You can use the LCD screen almost as you would an electronic viewfinder, and can see fine detail very clearly, in all sorts of lighting.’

And they are completely correct.

This is a marriage saver.

After ordering, my parcel arrived neatly packaged along with clear instructions to install. Within minutes, it was attached and ready to be used. The only recommendation would be to have an arrow or indication which side is up when installing so that the diopter lens is focusing inwards rather than outwards if installed upside down.

I immediately took it outside in the bright Australian sunlight praying that this will solve my woes. This is as perfect as it gets. The diopter performs its little miracle without my reading glasses, with my glasses and even my sunglasses. I can see the whole vision neatly as if I had my EVF back again.

There is one exception, and that is the side on light. The glare from the light makes it difficult to use but what I found was using my hand a ‘cover’ and all was perfect again. I have ordered an anti-glare film from 3M, which I’ll review soon.

The ClearViewer folds down neatly when not in use and packs nicely into my camera bag.

There are two types of ClearViewers, and I got the bottom mount.

Highly recommended. My vote 4.5/5

Larry Blode February 8th 2014

Rear View

Right Hand Side

Left Hand Side showing installation and Manfrotto Mount

ClearViewer retracted for normal use

ClearViewer in operating mode

ClearViewer in operating mode

Through the ClearViewer, the Aperture, ev, ISO and all screen functions clearly in vision

digitalcuriosity wrote:

Seems like you have to spend money, to fix something that should not need fixing.

http://www.clearviewer.com/Order.html

You're right. Samsung dropped the ball here but the point of the review is not to criticize Samsung but to praise Gary who thought outside the square to come up with a solution as there are literally hundreds of cameras that are in a similar situation that 'need fixing'.

Thanks for the comment.

Larry

I had initially thought about a loupe (Hoodman) but I found that to be to bulky in terms of having it attached to my camera and then in the bag.

At least with ClearViewer its permanent, fits the bag, not bulky and when I made the comment about using my hand (only one hand) to block the light it i does not mean taking ones hand off the camera but really just positioning the hand to grip the camera and block the sunlight. Realistically, this occurs infrequently but for the accuracy of assessment I included it in my review

Thanks for your feedback.

Larry

Thx for the review. Nice idea, but I still hope that samsung gets clever and releases a rangefinder camera and/or a nx400 with an optional evf, in the future. They should notice that most ppl are not happy with the lack of evf, yet they want a compact camera (and not a dslr like one).

As a paradox, the old nx100 had the option for an external evf. This is a field where samsung started well and went on bad.

Yes. Unfortunately the lack of optional evf coupled with the not very good visibility of the display in the bright sun is, along with the poor buffer, probably the worst point of nx300.

If you want that form factor and need an evf, the nx system is not for you (better to look at sony, fuji or panasonic).

Raw Jaw wrote:

$53 is alot of money for an incomplete solution.

For $80 I use a 3x2 aspect ratio diopter loupe and don't need it screwed in the base

of the camera, nor worry about any stray light..

Having to block sidelight with your hand is a 'no-no' when trying to shoot.

I can provide a link to my loupe set up and some bird captures using my loupe if you like.

I'd be interested in a link.

Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question, but I've seen other camera systems where you can buy a hotshoe mounted EVF. Does anyone know if it would be possible for Samsung to make one for the NX300? I'm not knowledgeable with the technical aspects and if certain electronic prerequisites are missing that would make that impossible?

I would just hate to spend my money on a clearviewer and then next thing you know, Samsung releases an EVF attachment compatible with the NX300.

I would even settle if Samsung can make one that connects to the nx300 via the remote viewfinder app in the Wi-Fi setting and sits on the hotshoe. Now that would be a cool workaround. Or is my imagination far to ambitious for my own good? Lol

Unfortunately samsung decided that customers wanting a smaller sized body can't have an evf. If they want it, they have to go with much bigger dslr like body.

I can't conceive such a marketing lack, but unfortunately it's there to be seen.

Thus, nx300 has no predisposition at all for optional evf (while the old nx100 had it).

And that's why I've been asking for a rangefinder like body, shaped like Pana gx7 (or better like nx300, just with an evf on one side).

If this camera does not come, I hope they'll at least allow for an external evf on nx400.