[ Ken - if you wanna move this post somewhere else, please feel free .. but I thought it would be also good for newbies to see what "could" be . . yeah? .. But move it if you think I would get a better/wider response somewhere else. ]

I've been wanting something like this for sometime now. I'm getting jobs where this would be a real boon for me:

http://www.studio1productions.com/lcd_monitor.htm

It's the Marshall 5.6" Pro TFT LCD Monitor - I'm trying to source something like this in the UK.

1 - Anybody using something like this in the UK?

2 - How much?

3 - PAL ready?

4 - Black and White as an option?

TIA,

Grazie

Graham,
I use a 7inch TFT 16:9 monitor from ntrac.co.uk, but you could also look at b-hague.co.uk for their series of monitors. They're a very good site for other things like dollies etc. I've got their tripod dolly as well as their rolling spider.
As for your question about "on screen" with the lanc controller, it's so that you can switch onscreen info on or off. Very handy if you don't want a cluttered viewfinder, although I do like to know what's going on most of the time ;-)

Robin.

You little BEAUTY! . . Y'know what Robin me ole mucker? I spent the best part of yesterday - in between the Venus:MAria match .. . ppphhhoarrhggg .. how many male [ or female come to that! ] fanatasies were being worked out there .. ANYways, yes I surfed and surfed looking for LCDs .. and you, Robbo, straight in with a BUllet! ! Thanks PAL!

Okay, you really don't want me to have anything less than 7"? You obviously find an advantage - yeah? . . I hadn't even considered the 16:9 . .IDIOT! ! ! .. can't believe I didn't . . How do you power the 12volts?

Okay, TeleTEst are gonna be coming out with a 4" or 5" soon. This will take my Canon BP945 7.2 volt .. . this can be a big factor for me . . but you might have a more suitable solution ..

I must say the LCM-7 looks good value . .

TIA Robin - YOU BEAUTY!

Grazie

...I say old chap, hold on a bit... a bit more of the stiff upper lip what?
He He, glad you liked the links.
I bought a small 12volt battery from Ntrac which was on offer with the monitor. It's not too big and powers it for about an hour. You can also use the mains converter that comes with it.

Robin

. .I'll calm down now . .Robin, I'm looking for a postal address for this firm .. you got one? . . Do you have a picture of how you use it with your XM2? What brackets or advise .. ? Are you using the LCM-7? . .You must be .. the others are with free standing feet . .yeah? What and where do you make connection to the XM2? Throught ehBNC or through the rear? I've got the MA300 it's got the BNC thingy on top.

Grazie

I haven't got any pictures - sorry, but I use a bracket from Hagues. This page also shows the battery details.
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ntrac/options.htm
I attach the bracket to a tripod leg, or it can sit on the hot-shoe if you have the right adapter for that.
I use the av lead from the XM2 into the RCA phonoplug socket on the monitor.
By the way, make sure that you get a 16:6 / 4:3 switchable monitor (that's if you need to)
Mine is 16:9 only, but I don't find that a problem

Robin.

Robin, can it go Black and White? I might like this as an option .. You gotta a postal address or POST code from an invoice or off their paperwork?

. . yer wanna email me with it .. ?

Tell me, what have been the advantages you've found with using it? Have you thought, "Ah, now THAT'S something I couldn't do before!"

Thanks Robin,

Grazie

It can go to B&W by going into the menu and taking out colour.
I haven't kept the invoice so I don't know their address, but you could phone their number I suppose and ask.
The big advantage is when the camera is on tracks. You can stand back and assess the picture a lot easier than having to keep your eye to the viewfinder and the little LCD is far to small.
I've also used the Manfrotto Magic Arm to hold it rather than the Hague clamp sometimes - it's very versatile.
I've been thinking about getting a jib arm from Hague's - that's another situation where you need an independant monitor.

Robin.

Thanks Robin - I'll consider what I'm gonna be doing. But first off having an option of NOT peering into the onboard LCD or the E/P is gotta be a boon for me .. . The bracket thing I'm gonna think through. Maybe a type of 360 swivel 3D gimbally type thingie .. one where I can make it swivel and twist.

Great info Robin - I'll bell them tomorrow ..

Grazie

The Hague bracket comes with a little ball-and-socket mount so that you can indeed swivel and twist the monitor as you like...

Robin.

Graham,
I just found this old picture of the monitor on the camera, just to give you some idea. (the lightshield is just a piece of black plastic with Velcro (bloody marvellous...)

http://img45.photobucket.com/albums/v137/robind-r/03032105.jpg

Robin.

EXCELLENT, Robin! Now that IS the Canine's Testicles . .. and no mistake! . . .That's what I want .. NOW! . . .er . .the LCD screen I mean, not the anmal thing! . . . You could see in the daylaight .. using the shroud? Great stuff!

See you are using the WD58h the ZR1000 .. oh .. I do like that long handle .. . was that a "Davies-Rollinson" special?

Robin thanks for your help today. Seems like I may have a job lined up for later this year where I could reeeeeally use this type of setup.

Cheers,

Grazie

Er . .Robin . . .? Spent the morning up and down Tottenham Court Road . . . I phone Nitrac . . . . priced the LCM-701 . . plus the charger and inc taxes . . er . . £300.00 . . . bit too much for the Grazie budget at the moment . . . so . . don't give up on me . . I went to MAPLINS .. . er . .they had a TFT LCD TV/Monitor . . . er . . £99.00 inc vat . . its got AV I/O . . . okay it is not any where near the spec of the LCM-701 . . but having now tried it out with all my kit and all, it is leaps & bounds forward from the XM2 squinty option . . it is 5" .. . it is 4:3, no 16:9 option. . . . it can go B&W .. . it's got colour; contrast; brightness and sharpness controls . . . and when I get bored I can try the TV tuner too! . . .

Now I can relax back and scan the horizon; focus and rack focus; zoom and pan . . go in hard and focus .. get a real feel for the shot infront of me and have "reality" as a comparison .. none of this one eye open and one eye in the eyepiece . . yeah . .I know exactly what you mean . . I will get/make a black shroud for it too .. I like what you did . . . .

I can stick in 10 batteries OR get meself a 12 volt power pack . . . OR mains .. .

Look, maybe 4 or 5 or 6 months down the track I may be thinking, "Wish I'd gone for the LCM-701 . . " well, we'll see . . and it is bright too. Now what I need to do is get some form of bracketing .. and yes you've given me the contacts for that Hague . .yeah? So I'm kinda fixed up . . .

So Robin, all in all I think I'ev got what I need for the moment . . .

Thanks again - you DID help me to make some well founded decisons from some targetted research . . cheers!

Grazie

Graham,
Glad to hear that you found the Maplin's monitor - sounds ideal. It really does make a difference doesn't it!
Don't worry about the 16:9 option - we're all used to seeing the compressed image in the Canon viewfinder anyway ;-)
By the way, have you tried the letterbox title mix template yet? I'm using it all the time now, when I'm not in 16:9 mode.

Robin.

Yeah .. it really makes a difference having a separate monitor . . my rack focus and general "awareness" is vastly improved . ..

Er .. what is the "By the way, have you tried the letterbox title mix template yet?" you refer to? Isn't this something I can do in post? . .Or have I lost the plot again . .

Grazie

It's featured in these forums somewhere. You can utilse the title mix function of the XM2 to do an in-camera crop for letterbox. Saves all that rendering in post and it's instant!

Robin.

. .. oh yeah . .why? What's it for?

http://img45.photobucket.com/albums/v137/robind-r/03032105.jpg



Thats incredible! exactly what I was looking for. Anyone know where to get that bracket? and how its powered.


John

John . . Go knock yerself out .. .

In the UK:-

http://www.b-hague.co.uk/Monitors%20&%20Btackets.htm


In the Ole US of A:-

http://www.nebtek.com/product.html

http://www.nebtek.com/SMP.html

. . er . . .not sure what you mean by how is it powered?

Grazie

Graham,
For more info on the Title Mix letterbox function, go to Searech and put in "Title Mix GL2"
I'm surprised you haven't come accross this thread before ;-)

Robin.

...or even "search" !!!

" . . . I'm surprised . . " . . are you? And from me too!?!? . . Robin it is the little grey cells . . bit old and . . er . . wotz the word . ? Forgetting! Forgetful! . . Sorry Robin, is this to give me immeadiate 16:9 ? . . . I think it is a neat "use" of the XM2 . .. maybe I'll relook at this as an option.

Okay, tell me where you've used it to good use and I'll give it a go!

Grazie

Graham,

<<Okay, tell me where you've used it to good use and I'll give it a go!>>


http://robindr.neptune.com?selectedalbum=robindr54027

but it's a big file if you haven't got ADSL :-(

...er .. got ADSL, but it IS taking lodsa time! ! ! ! - Couldn't wait . .moved on .. . . sorry .. any other option Robin?

Grazie

Sorry Graham,
Here's a couple of frame-grabs:

http://img45.photobucket.com/albums/v137/robind-r/title_mix_crop_2.jpg

http://img45.photobucket.com/albums/v137/robind-r/title_mix_crop_1.jpg

Both shot 4:3 and cropped in camera.

Robin.

Nice! . . So the idea is to film AS if i had a 16:9 lens and setup and go straight to my NLE and edit there .. . What am I missing out on? Quality? . . er . . . Quality . . . ?

Grazie

Graham,

You're keeping the 4:3 resolution of the CCDs. It will appear to seem better than the 16:9 full-height anamorphic setting, though that has been discussed to death here and elsewhere...
Aesthetically, I prefer to frame in the wide format.

Robin.

"Aesthetically, I prefer to frame in the wide format" . . and then film in 16:9 too? . .

Oh the done to death thing, yeah . . most of it went waaaaaaayyyy over my head . . BUT, with your gently nudging, I now see what it was all about! . . Ah, so THAT was what it was all about . .!


. . .interesting how I grasp "stuff" when I want to know . otherwise I just . . . switch-off?

Grazie