As regular readers are more than aware, one of my biggest gripes about Nikon's "mini-pro" cameras like the D300 and D200 (and other mid-range models all the way down to the D40) is that they do not have the excellent locking eyepiece system of the D3 and D700 which allows the DK-2 eye cup to securely lock onto the camera. To fix this problem i've bought no less than 8 different accessories marketed to solve the problem, but not until today did I find one that worked...

The Hoodman HoodEYE is exactly what I was looking for. Because it has a bottom lip it locks very securely onto the square eye-piece (I purchased the model H-EYEN22S, designed for square eye-pieces) so the major problem of the adapter being knocked off is gone. And Hoodman has done a really good job of securely attaching the eye-cup to the adapter, so I don't think the eye-cup will come off either (another issue with some of the other produces). And the opening in the adapter is quite large so it doesn't restrict your view.

The eye-cup material is a little stiffer than the Nikon DK-2, so it is not quite as buttery smooth or comfortable, but will probably last longer--which after you've spent $30 is probably a good thing.

The only gripe I have is that the HoodEYE only comes in an elongated style (like a form-fitting binocular eye-cup). This is probably a better shape and it can rotate to be used with either eye but I'm used to the round eye-cup and would be just as happy with it. I also think the elongated version doesn't work well with glasses, so it will be a problem for many folks. I'd like to see them offer a simple round alternative.

Hoodman also has a model for Canon which I think would be just as valuable for the non-eye-cup Canon models. They also have one for round eye-piece cameras but I don't see the need since Nikon provides a perfectly good solution for them. But if you want the elongated eye-cup then of course the HoodEYE would make sense.

Let us know your thoughts and experiences on the HoodEYE and other eye adapter solutions!