Field monitor for Canon XH A1

[Doug Tessler]

Used the hd version both inside and outside and its good for focus but I am very disappointed in its color rendition. Seems very blue and I couldn't find any way to set up the monitor with the blue setting that most professional monitors that I have used have in the settings .I eyeballed the colors but was not impressed. I worked with a marshall 70 P which a week before was much better.

Doug

[Brian Luce]

Originally Posted by Paul Mailath

We used a Macbook with FCP for critical focus - it was a pain due to the delay (we thought the camera had some sort of delayed autofocus on) but it did the job once we got used to it.

Hi, did you use firewire for the feed?

[Sander Wijnants]

Anybody knows tv-logic for onboard-monitors ?

I'm looking at their 7 inch-model, but regarding the price, I would like to hear opinions from people that have experience whit this monitor. The viewing angle is dissapointing: 130, will that really bother ? Is it better than the Marshalls or the Ikans ? I'm using a jvc hd201 most of the time.


LVM - 071W
7 inch Multi-Format Monitor

Multi-Format SDI Signal Support
(480i, 576i, 720P, 1035i, 1080i, 1080P, 1080PsF)

· Input - 1 DVI, 3 BNC (Analog), 1BNC (SDI)
· Output - 1 BNC (SDI Channel - Active Thru Out)
· LCD Resolution - 800 X 480 (15:9)
· Dot Pitch - 0.190 mm
· Color - 16.7M (true), 24bit
· Contrast - 300:1
· Viewing Angle - 130 degrees
· Power - 12V DC
· Power Consumption (Approx.) - 18Watts (DC)
· Weight - 1Kg

http://www.tvlogic.co.kr/eng/product...d/ml_index.php

[Paul Mailath]

Originally Posted by Brian Luce

Hi, did you use firewire for the feed?

yep

Gee that's too short an answer, I have to add something.... give me a minute

[Mickey Mackwan]

Thanks guys i wanted the monitor for exposure and focus am not worried about the color i use stevens vivid rgb and am happy with the results.... thanks again... will get the ikan 8000hd by jan end.

[Terry Lee]

So I suppose the conclusion of this thread is that a good LCD monitor will provide you the visibility to obtain accurate focus?

I was reading elswhere in the forum that a Zeiss/Leica range-finder or just a simple tape measure will do the trick and save you the hassle of lugging around a monitor and batter pack. I understand that a monitor is appropriate for certain situations in the film industry but for simply focus, could not a tape measure or range-finder give you even better focus?

[Charles Papert]

The answer, Terry, is that in high end HD production, all of the things you mentioned are used by most AC's.

When shooting with film, the onboard monitor relies on the videotap image and thus is not considered focus-critical in most circumstances. AC's may use tape measures, rangefinder devices, ultrasonic units like the Cinetape, their own eyes and a series of tape marks to help them calculate focus on the fly. Essentially they collect as much information from their various sources and interpolate them into their best estimate of where focus should lie. The operator will be able to give them feedback on focus due to the good resolution of the ground glass.

In HD, most AC's I know have begun to rely on the onboard monitor for checking their focus at certain points during a shot, however they will still use their other tools. One method that some of the top guys are using is to have their own 15" Astro or equivalent on a stand that they can place away from the camera, pulling focus using a remote system and eyeballing the actors and the camera as well as the monitor (which they may have zoomed in with the peaking control turned way up). I have also begun to see guys parking themselves at the full-size monitor on the set and simply pulling by eye. The problem with this is that it is hard to anticipate body movement and see potential issues before they happen. For instance, in a tight closeup an actor may lean forward a little which will be hard to detect on the monitor except that the focus will go out; if you are keeping an eye on the actor, you can see exactly how much and when he is leaning. The result of pulling from a monitor is that it becomes reactive focus; when something goes soft, you turn the knob until it is sharp again. This is not as good as anticipating and pulling focus simultaneously so that there is no visible buzzing.

Regarding battery packs on the back of onboard monitors--they are getting bigger and heavier all the time without being saddled with batteries, and it confounds me why more folks are not equipping their setups with 12v batteries that power both camera and monitor (and other accessories). Certainly with the proliferation of baseplates and rods there are plenty of opportunities to rear-mount battery packs, and getting a 12v to 7.2v stepdown is easy. Obviously there is a certain expense involved in getting into the larger battery systems, but the annoyance of having batteries go down one at a time would seem to point towards unifying power into a single battery source.

[Terry Lee]

Charles, always a pleasure.

Your reply reminds me of the importance of the follow focus that many have highlighted for me in the past. I find that alot of people see this necessary when shooting. But is it quite possible to focus just fine without it? My problem with the device is simply budget. I would love to buy one, but I find that a good one is around $1000. I am worried that without it, I will not be able to pull off the quality that I am wanting to acheive.

[Eugene Presley]

Hi,

I'm looking to buy a complete on the field viewing solution. I need a monitor and a wireless video transmitter and receiver system.

I think Marshall is a valuable option. I prefer to buy a complete kit, including sunshields etc...

Any suggestions?

[David Morgan]

OK, I'm getting old. The 2" LCD is usually too far from my eyes to be of much use. I use the camera for theatre shows and I'm recording for an hour straight, in the dark. The viewfinder is also problematic due to eye strain after long recording. I need suggestions on whether or not the larger hot/cold shoe style LCD displays are worth the money. I hear that most of them (up to the 800 dollar range) are just OK for framing or composition but not critical focus. In addition, I wonder how accurate they are for color rendition.
I can't see myself spending 1700 dollars or more for a Marshall or Panasonic unit.
Any suggestions?
thx

[Bill Pryor]

These small LCDs are not good for accurately judging anything other than composition, really. If you're shooting theatrical shows, their white lights are generally tungsten and if you use your 3200 preset, or white balance in advance to one of the house spots, you should be OK in terms of color. I've never used any monitor for critical focus, preferring the viewfinder. If you need something bigger for checking focus, you might want to look for a more professional black & white high resolution monitor. I believe there are some 8" LCDs that are fairly decent for that purpose.

[David Morgan]

yeah, I think even a small 5" LCD would be fine. Something I can stare at from a foot away, mounted on the shoe, that I can make sure I'm in focus as the depth of shot changes. Know of any brands etc?

[Marko Grady]

I have ordered a Sony DVP-FX810 but there are also DVP-fx820 and 850 which are dvd players with composite video inputs. Iv ordered mine off ebay for 50£ so its worth it even for a test atleast youll also have a dvd player. They have a supposed 6 hr battery and are 8inch sony xblack screens. Id rather pay this money and be wrong than spend 800 and wished I had bought cheaper. I think it will work for critical focus which is the reason I have bought it. There are obvious limits to it, as its not HD but I dont think that matters for what you want.

[Luc De Wandel]

Yesterday I had the opportunity to hold a Sony Z1 for the first time and boy, what an LCD monitor! It's a treat focusing with that screen. Why on earth did Canon put this miniature thing on my XH-A1? If I compare it to my Apple cineview monitor it's way off colour too. I have the same problem with my Canon 5D camera's, so it seems to be a general problem. I hope Canon fixes this in the next generation video- AND photocams.

[Greg Clark]

I use a Hoodman with a magnifier which helps increase the picture size.