XL2 Field Monitor / Camera mount LCD

[Bruce S. Yarock]

Boyd,
I've also looked at lcd's and the images are nice.What I'm looking for specifically is to replace my main home tv (27") with something that is at least the same size, has 16:9 and 4:3, and hd. On the one hand I want to be able to watch my 16:9 xl footage after shooting,watch cable movies in wide, and also be able to get hd programming (for what it;'s worth).
I've looked at the Sony tube model (30") for under a grand, and a Zenith lcd for a little more. Have you seen anything that would would fill those requirements?
Thanks for the info.
Bruce S. Yarock

[Boyd Ostroff]

After spending way too much time comparison shopping, I got a Panasonic 37" Vierra Plasma screen. I really like it - good size for my small room. I also opted for ED (854x480) instead of HD. That's all the resolution you need for DVD's, and in fact it works better than an HD set which has to scale fractional pixels. You might consider this as well for your XL-2 since it doesn't output HD resolution. HD broadcasts definitely look sharper than DVD's and SD broadcasts on this screen as well. The HD plasma screens are much more expensive and I didn't feel they were worth it.

Of course plasma may not be what you want if you're after a bargain, but this panasonic really stood out from the LCD's in terms of brightness and especially contrast.. Have you spent any time comparing screens at places like Circuit City, Best Buy, CompUSA, etc? I realize this isn't the perfect environment for this, but it you spend some time messing around with settings on the different models you'll start to form an opinion. There are plenty of bargain priced LCD and plasma panels there, but some of them don't look so great. As I said, I really like that 22" Samsung, but that's a little smaller than you want. I think they also make a ~27" version. Of course that starts getting more expensive though.

[Jon Bickford]

Bruce,
you must have been looking at the 32" 4:3 tv that has the black face and came out at the same time. The Samsung I picked up is 26" 16X9 and a full 1080i/720p/480p and it's switchable to 4:3 with neutral grey letterboxing on the sides.
I use the dvd recorder because I can output from the camera through a firewire to a component out which is a far better input than S-video or RCA and the tv can only receive progressive scan mode through the digital inputs not the analog ones, you can play through S-video but it's displayed at 60i.

also it has a built in hd tuner to decode airborn signals if you have an hd antenna which very few companies can say.

[Bruce S. Yarock]

Jon,
I'm looking at this sony tube model, which seems to have most of what I need.
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...me=specs&var2=

You say-
<I use the dvd recorder because I can output from the camera through a firewire to a component out which is a far better input than S-video or RCA and the tv can only receive progressive scan mode through the digital inputs not the analog ones, you can play through S-video but it's displayed at 60i.>

Are you saying that you can't view 16:9 footage by connecting the xl2 directly into the tv (without the dvd recorder)?

Does it look like this Sony model would allow me to do the same thing you're talking about via a dvd recorder? ( I couldn't tell from the specs). Also, I had a Phillips dvd recorder which died, and need to buy something else.What model would you reccomend to be able to do what you're doing with the canera through dvd recorder to the tv?
Thanks a lot for the help.
Bruce S. Yarock

[Bruce S. Yarock]

Boyd,
Thanks for the info. I was looking for something cheaper (around $1000). I like this Sony tube model, but am still trying to clarify afew questions.
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...me=specs&var2=,
Bruce S. Yarock

[Boyd Ostroff]

When I moved across town 3 years ago with my Sony WEGA 27" 4:3 CRT TV I swore I would only buy LCD's and plasma screens from now on. Those tube sets are ridiculously big and heavy! ;-) I'm sure they do represent the best value for the dollar however.

I understand what Jon is saying, and I do the same thing with my PDX-10 with a DVD recorder when viewing on my widescreen monitor. Your XL2 will work fine via an s-video connection to the monitor. Does the XL2 have component video output also? I can't remember. John's point is that component video will give you a much cleaner picture than s-video, and the monitor will not display in progressive mode unless you use its component inputs (for your 480p XL2 footage).

Any DVD recorder with firewire input should be able to transcode to component output but I suppose there might be some differences in quality between brands and price ranges. I have a Sony RDR-GX7 which I bought a few years ago when they were very expensive. Don't know if this model is still available, but it does a very nice job.

[Michael Von Ditter]

Originally Posted by Joe Barker

I will be filming solo and need to be able to set the camera on a tripod, then stand in front to record myself giving a comentary.I need an extra screen to mount on the camera so I can see the framing. Is there a reasonably priced monitor available that will mount on the XL2, something about 4 or 5 inches.Also is it possible to turn the standard 2'' moniter/veiwfinder to face forward? I will be shooting PAL 16.9 wide screen.

Is there anything out there that can be powered right off of the XL2? I don't want to be carrying even more stuff around.

[Patrick King]

Michael,

Take a look at the Nebtek monitor (Panasonic really), it has a battery connected to the monitor and can be mounted on the hotshoe. You can pick a Canon battery mount so it'll take exactly the same batteries that power the cam.

Though I have to say, the Xenarc that Travis posted above looks the most interesting. If it had a battery pack or if I knew for certain the $140 Nebtek battery pack would work with this monitor, it offers twice the Panasonic 7" resolution in the same size, slightly less weight and the same power requirements.

That I'm aware, there is no truly integrated solution for an LCD monitor on the XL series cams. I think if someone built a 4 or 5" LCD that looked like the cam and mounted directly to the cam and tapped power from the viewfinder power, they would sell quite a few. But I guess if we wanted that, we'd have bought a Panny or Sony.

[Greg Boston]

Originally Posted by Boyd Ostroff

Well if you're willing to accept the compromises of a cheap LCD monitor or DVD player, then why not go a step further and just use your laptop computer (assuming you have one). This is probably the cheapest route. On the Mac there's BTV pro which I find really useful. In addition to providing both full screen and windowed modes it can also record to hard drive, display various scopes, shoot time lapse, etc. It also shows the full video frame which none of those consumer monitors will do. Of course there are some compromises in color and resolution, but for $40 it's a great tool:

http://www.bensoftware.com/btvpro.html

On the PC of course there's DV Rack, but that costs more. There are probably less expensive shareware options that run under Windows also, but I have never looked into those.

Good point, Boyd. I will add to your advise by saying that the Canon DV-PC recorder (windows only) does a fine job. I used it on a shoot and it was really handy. That's only if you own an XL-2, which the original poster said he has.

regards,

-gb-

[Bill Porter]

I would stay well away from anything of only 480x234 res. The 800x480's are barely any more money - often around $100 - and are far better.

I bought a 7.2" LCD monitor and have been using that. It has picture flip and rotate, so that's perfect for using with a 35mm adapter (see alternative imaging forum here), as the adapter creates an upside down image.

I mount the monitor to my shoe mount with a ball mount.

I have also tried running my camera upside down, with the LCD mounted to a ball mount which in turn mounts to the camera's 1/4"-20 tripod mount. That meant no problem with picture flip in post, but PITA to hold the camera and especially to making running changes.

I'm just a rookie at this stuff but I've been talking to people at LCD monitor companies and reading about LCD's on the web and here's what I've learned. There are very few companies that produce TFT LCD monitor technology, really only about 3 I believe. I'm just talking about the screen itself. Anyway, there is a somewhat larger number of companies producing the complete monitor but not as many as you'd think. Consequently, many of the automotive LCD monitors are very similar or even are identical with the exception of the silkscreening of the graphics and letters on the unit.

Anyway, there are a couple common 7"-7.2" screen resolutions:

800 x 480 display resolution (2400 x 480 dots)
480 x 234 display resolution (1440 x 234 dots)
345 x 234 display resolution (1034 x 234 dots)

The annoying part of shopping for monitors is that the second ones in the list, the 480x234's, are mostly advertised as 1440x234's. Yet the first ones in the list are mostly advertised as 800x480, which is misleading and makes it sound as if they have less resolution than the "1440x234" monitors. However the 800x480's have about the best resolution you can find in a ~7" monitor.

Also, all (?) of them are set for 4:3 but some can be set to letterbox a squeezed 16:9 image. This is great if you're using an anamorphic adapter or squeeze mode with a DVX. Not sure whether this helps XL2 owners.

Maybe someone better versed than I can answer this, but, isn't an 800x480 monitor more than you'd ever need, because native DVD format is 720x480 (NTSC)?

I forgot to mention batteries. I looked at the power my monitor requires - 12 volts and 8 watts - and used that to determine what battery suited my needs.

Batteries are rated in volts of course, and in amp-hours. Let's say we have a battery rated at 10 amp-hours. It can run a 10 amp device for about an hour, or a 1 amp device for 10 hours, and so on.

Amps = Watts/Volts

Again, my monitor requires 8 watts and 12 volts.

So, Amps = 8/12

So, Amps = .66

Well, I wanted to operate my monitor for a few hours, so I got a 5aH (amp hour) lantern battery. I keep it in a lens bag slung over one shoulder.
A 5 amp hour battery can produce:

5 amps for 1 hour
1 amp for 5 hours
.66 amps - like my monitor needs - for about 7.5 hours.

After many hours of operation, my monitor gets dim and starts to buzz. Just FYI.

I also bought a simple motorcycle battery trickle charger. You want as low a trickle charge as you can get; the battery likes it better. My charger was 1.5 amps and that is coincidentally the max charge the battery is rated to receive.

[Allen Thok]

Hey guys i just picked up a 7" TFT monitor for my xl2 , but i don't know how to mount it or where i can find it. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Michael Salzlechner]

generally you'd mount them either on the accessory show with a swivel mount or on some bracket

most LCD's come with the mount.

Does it have a screw on the bottom (kind of like a tripod screw hole) ?

if so you can use something like this

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation

or this

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation

[Phil Rogerson]

Hey Boyd, I hope this thread is still running, though it's 6 months old!

I checked the link you provided for the BTV software, but am still unsure if I can use it to simply monitor my XL2 picture whilst shooting. I do understand that it allows me to monitor as I capture, and in full screen.

Can you confirm that the software allows me to use my Mac 15" PB as a monitor?

[Colin Jones]

Anybody have any good recommendations for an XL2 mountable LCD monitor in the 5-7" range? Looking around I see monitors with resolutions that are 1440X234 pixels or other strange combinations. Are these specs good for the XL2? I would have thought that a monitor would need at least 480 pixels in the vertical count to be sharp. Am I missing something? I am loking for something that will work well in 16:9 and will be good enough for focusing. I have a portable DVD player that has video in and can accept the 16:9 video but the picture quality sucks. It is very soft and is useless for anything but framing. The DVD player itself looks great when playing back a DVD. I am using the RCA video out from the XL2. I am looking in the $300 - $400 price range if possible. What would be awesome, and worth waiting until I had the money for would be a combo LCD monitor/Hard drive ala Firestore. I haven't seen this combo available. Anyone know if there is such a beast?

Thanks,

Colin

[Matthew Nayman]

Lilliput makes a 7inch 16:9 LCD screen with 1024x480 res, a touch screen and VGA input. I took out the touch screen for enhanced image quality and it looks great!

Use it to focus my XL2/M2 combo