Which HD Field Monitor would You Prefer?

[WORDpictures]

May I get your thoughts on a couple HD field monitor options? Of course, there are always trade-offs within budget constraints. Issues of greatest concern for my typical shooting scenario:

• Ease of packing & quick load-in along with several bags of up to 100 pounds of equipment
• Quick set up
• Highly portable on location with lots of moving about for B-roll besides interview set ups. Of course, I'm also moving lights, tripod, cables (furniture) with people waiting for the next shot throughout a shoot.

Which option would you prefer to use for focus/lighting check? Shooting full 1920x1080 • output to SD after edit:

• IKAN V5600
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont....y=0&Go=submit
5.6" LCD • 1024x600 (16:9) resolution • $680 • HDMI out • camera mountable

• IKAN V8000HDe
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...D_Monitor.html
8" LCD • 800x480 (16:9) monitor resolution • $700 • component/s-video out

[Gracetech]

Hey Teresa,

I like the looks of the IKAN V5600 but the draw back is it doesn't have a SDI input. When using a EX1/3 i consider it a must to have a SDI connection to make sure your focus is razor sharp. I so wish the EX1/3 had an HDMI output, it would be easier on the wallet that way.

crt

[WORDpictures]

That was the catch with this reasonably priced option. And "ouch" the converter is pricey - I had checked into that previously and forgotten. There's never an easy route to get everything to work together. And therefore, the reason I'm "still" needing a monitor.

[petereit]

I can't say enough good things about my LSDesigns Carrion A. $1,500 and about a 6-month waiting list, but absolutely worth every penny and the wait. I've tried other lower resolution/cheaper monitors, but they all had very poor video quality and were worthless for pulling focus when shooting HD.

The Carrion is crystal clear, very viewable in direct sunlight and from wide angles, can instantly switch aspect ratios and several zoom settings, including 1:1 which really helps for critical HD focus situations.

My only complaint with the unit was the wait time after I ordered it. Luis Sinibaldi is a one-man shop and the monitor business is not his primary job. He's an architect that sidelines as a camera op in LA. The Carrion monitor was a project born of his own frustration trying to find a quality affordable field monitor -- so he just used his own mad skills to birth his own. His secret got out at NAB 2008 and he's been swamped with orders since.

This photo was taken shortly after I received it and excitedly threw it on top of my camera. I have since switched cables which allowed me to flip the monitor around (cables now come out the bottom right where it makes more sense.)




This photo was taken about 5 minutes after setting up the monitor. I didn't take time to calibrate at all -- just threw the monitor up, plugged it in, turned it on and out popped the cleanest, most beautiful picture I could imagine! (Photo doesn't do it justice.) Camera was in SD mode at the time, which explains the 4:3 ratio.

[tedanderson]

• Ease of packing & quick load-in along with several bags of up to 100 pounds of equipment

That's reason why girls are not.... errr ummm.. Oh- did that come out on the screen?
(note to self- turn off headset typing tool while replying to posts)

Other than price, honestly I can't see a real advantage to having one over the other. After all it is a field monitor and I imagine that your perspective in the studio is going to be much different anyway.

[WORDpictures]

100 pounds... that's reason why I use "wheels" for load-in. Point being, lots of other stuff - and can this device squeeze into one of those existing bags without requiring yet another one or another trip to my vehicle. Seems there's usually a chivalrous gentleman around who carries much of it in anyway.

[tedanderson]

Real men don't need wheels anyway.

In looking at the descriptions on those monitors, it seems like the cheaper one is the better deal due to the fact that you can mount it. Even if its not on the camera, you can use a spring clamp with a hot-shoe attachment or something similar. As far as the SDI, you would know better than I would as to whether it is a necessity. I have always been happy with the CV output of any digital rig that I have used.