EX1 SDI Out Display: On Problem

[Keith Moreau]

Hi All

I recently got a SmallHD DP6 - amazing monitor by the way. I'm using the EX1 SDI out for the first time to the SDI in of the SmallHD. It works fine... but:

I can't seem to set the EX1 to output the information that I see on the EX1's built in LCD screen. If I go to the "Video Set/YPbPr/SDI Out Display:" to "On", it seems the EX1 is just putting out a blue screen. If I set that value to "Off" the image from the EX1 appears, however without any indicators, such as battery, duration, recording red dot, etc.

Since I sometimes use the SmallHD monitor a bit of a distance from the EX1, I rely on it for basic, info, such as "am I recording" how much battery do I have left, stuff like that, and I'd really like to know if there is some secret setting that I'm missing. If I connect the component outputs I do get the display information on my SmallHD if I have the setting "Video Set/YPbPr/SDI Out Display:" to "On".

Thanks for any advice!

[Duncan Craig]

Weird, It works for me on an EX1, HD-SDI out to an HD-SDI - HDMI convertor and into a 22inch LCD TV @ 1080p. I need the display out facility when I'm on a jib and can't see the camera screen.

Duncan.

[Keith Moreau]

Thanks for the info, Duncan, so what format are you shooting at? I do get an image if I have the display, just not the info indicators, just pure image. Great for recording to a external flash recorder, not so great if I want to monitor the status of the camera.

I guess I'm verifying that you do get the camera status info on your SDI monitor?

[Chris Medico]

I have a EX1r and the menus toggle on and off on the various outputs as expected.

Some things don't appear like the histogram but that is normal.

[Duncan Craig]

Same as Chris... I'm in 1080p25. All works as expected over HDSDI and composite.

The HD SDI display doesn't show the histogram or lens info. It's actually different from the composite version and what's on the camera LCD. It's higher quality of course but the overlayed data is almost like a different font, as well as a little smaller. (At least from memory)

[John Peterson]

Originally Posted by Duncan Craig

Weird, It works for me on an EX1, HD-SDI out to an HD-SDI - HDMI convertor and into a 22inch LCD TV @ 1080p. I need the display out facility when I'm on a jib and can't see the camera screen.

Duncan.

Duncan,

Do you have a model number and a source for the HD-SDI - HDMI converter?

Is it this one?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/478471-REG/AJA_HI5_Hi5_HD_SDI_SDI_to_HDMI.html
John

[Duncan Craig]

Its this one:

Holdan Limited - Datavideo DAC-8 HD / SD-SDI to HDMI Converter

Works well enough. It's all fixed to the back of the monitor and the monitor sits on a speaker stand fitted via a Vesa swinging arm. I'll have to take some photos sometime, everyone loves the screen on set.

With all these adaptors there's a slight delay on the signal, but nothing like as much as the monitor introduces. It still not enough to worry a director it seems.

Also worth saying I use a really 90 degree BNC to straight BNC with a barrel connector lashed onto the camera, then run to the monitor using long BNC cables.

During the shoot, instead of unplugging from the camera's own BNC everytime you just unplug your long fly lead from this short fly lead. It saves wear and tear on the camera connector. I do the same on the SDI to HDMI unit too with a short fly lead cable tied onto the back of the screen. The whole monitor drops into a flightcase at the end of the shoot with all the electronics attached.