Kinefinity has officially released its new EAGLE HDMI e-Viewfinder which was first shown as a prototype at IBC 2024.
Above you can see my interview with Kinefinity at IBC 2024. Please note that changes have been made to the design and feature set since the prototype was shown.
The Eagle HDMI e-Viewfinder is based on the Eagle SDI e-Viewfinder that I previously reviewed on the site. While that is a great EVF it only has an SDI input and wasn’t suitable for use with a lot of smaller cameras or mirrorless hybrids.
The Eagle HDMI e-Viewfinder looks to be a great option for anyone using smaller-sized cameras that only feature HDMI outputs. It retains many of the features of the SDI version, equipped with a full HD 0.7″ Micro-OLED display and excellent optical design. The viewfinder includes advanced 10-bit color processing to ensure accurate, sharp, and clear images. The EAGLE uses an innovative FPGA-based hybrid processing architecture for quick startup, rapid response, extremely low power consumption, and no additional image delay. Additionally, its fanless design allows the EAGLE HDMI to operate silently, enabling filmmakers to work in quiet environments without distractions.
There have been very few decent and affordable (of course this is subjective) third-party EVFs on the market.
Kinefinity set out to change this, and their Eagle SDI and HDMI e-Viewfinders offer a lot of features and functionality in a compact form factor.
The Eagle HDMI e-Viewfinder is powered via a USB-C input and it features an HDMI input and an HDMI loop-through output.
There have been options in the past from companies such as PortKeys, and Zacuto, but not many others. There are of course a few proprietary EVFs made by companies such as ARRI, Sony, RED, Kinefinity, and Canon, but those options are generally pretty expensive.
I think we haven’t seen many options come to market because a lot of younger shooters don’t use EVFs (scratches head).
Zacuto’s Gratical and Gratical Eye EVFs were arguably the most popular options for many years. The original Gratical was very large and it wasn’t until 2018 that the smaller and more compact Gratical Eye was announced. The Gratical Eye did away with the battery plate and this allowed Zacuto to make it considerably smaller than its predecessor.
In 2019, Zacuto followed up with the Kameleon Micro-OLED EVF.
A few years ago I told Kinefinity that they should make a universal EVF based on their KineEVF OLED Viewfinder, and it seems that they listened.
The new viewfinders are somewhat based on their existing KineEVF OLED Viewfinder, which uses a single proprietary cable to send both power and the image from the camera to the EVF.
1920 x 1080 Micro OLED panel
The EVF utilizes a 0.7″ / 1.3cm 1920 x 1080 Micro OLED panel with a contrast of 10,000:1.
The panel supports 8-bit depth and 16 million colors. However, internal processing is conducted at 10-bit depth.
Each EAGLE HDMI e-Viewfinder is claimed to be precisely color-calibrated in production. Under normal circumstances, further calibration is not necessary. If needed, factory calibration is available.
The diopter has a range of -6D~+2D
HDMI Signal Formats 1980×1080
- @23.98p/24p/25p/29.97p/30p/47.95p/50p/59.94p/60p
- @23.98psf/24psf/25psf/29.97psf/50i/59.94i/60i
Size & Weight
The Eagle HDMI e-Viewfinder weighs 348g / 12.2oz and it has physical dimensions of 105 x 54 x 59mm / 4.1” x 2.1” x 2.3”.
Mounting
Kinefinity makes some good mounting solutions for the Eagle HDMI e-Viewfinder that allow it to be easily attached to a wide array of cameras.
The viewfinder features a replaceable Rosette design, and through Quick-lock Mount, 1/4″-20, and M6 threads, it can be assembled in at least five different configurations, allowing easy integration with professional cameras and providing flexibility for various shooting needs.
Powering
The Kinefinity Eagle HDMI e-Viewfinder can be powered via the USB-C input.
In the EAGLE HDMI e-Viewfinder CORE KIT Kinefinty includes an Accsoon Toprig Battery Plate x1.
In the EAGLE HDMI e-Viewfinder PRO KIT Kinefinty includes a GripBAT 2Si x2 + PD Hybrid Dual Charger Pack x1 that you can use as well as an Accsoon Toprig Battery Plate x1.
The Power Voltage Input is 5V and the Power Consumption is 3W.
Price & Availability
The Kinefinity Eagle HDMI e-Viewfinder will be available in the following kits:
- EAGLE HDMI e-Viewfinder $1,199.00 USD (B&H currently has it for $1,099 USD)
- EAGLE HDMI e-Viewfinder Core KIT $1,349.00 USD (B&H currently has it for $1,224 USD).
- EAGLE HDMI e-Viewfinder Pro KIT $1,649.00 USD (B&H currently has it for $1,484.10 USD).
If you preorder you can get 10% off on all products. This is valid from January 7th- January 20th. The first batch will start shipping on the 7th of January.
This is what you get in the kits:
EAGLE HDMI e-Viewfinder Body
- Kinefinity EAGLE HDMI e-Viewfinder x1
- E-Viewfinder Cord CH25 (Type-C, 25cm) x1
EAGLE HDMI e-Viewfinder Core KIT
- Kinefinity EAGLE HDMI e-Viewfinder x1
- E-Viewfinder Cord CH25 (Type-C, 25cm) x1
- USB-C Cable C25 (C2C, 25cm) x1
- E-Viewfinder Mini Mount x1
- E-Viewfinder Rosette (1/4″-20) x1
- Kinefinity Bracket Adapter x1
- Accsoon Toprig Battery Plate x1
- E-Viewfinder Eye Cushion x1
- 1/4″ to 3/8″ Screw Adapter x1
EAGLE HDMI e-Viewfinder Pro KIT
- Kinefinity EAGLE HDMI e-Viewfinder x1
- E-Viewfinder Cord CH25 (Type-C, 25cm) x1
- USB-C Cable C25 (C2C, 25cm) x1
- E-Viewfinder Mini Mount x1
- E-Viewfinder Rosette (1/4″-20) x1
- Kinefinity Bracket Adapter x1
- Accsoon Toprig Battery Plate x1
- E-Viewfinder Eye Cushion x1
- 1/4″ to 3/8″ Screw Adapter x1
- E-Viewfinder Cord CH50 (Type-C, 50cm) x1
- E-Viewfinder Cord BH50 (D-Tap, 50cm)x1
- Movcam Carbon Fiber Handgrip x1
- Kinefinity NATO Rail x1
- GripBAT 2Si x2 + PD Hybrid Dual Charger Pack x1
Specifications
