interesting find.... wireless 7" monitor for $200 at DVinfo.net

Dylan Couper · October 6th, 2010, 01:22 PM

Hey guys
Found something interesting on the web, a wireless monitor for $200.
Here's the site, lots of videos to watch:
Wireless DSLR external monitor | RobertBenson.com
Watch the top video for a demo.

I ordered one a few weeks ago and have spent a bit of field time with it.

Pros:
-(cough) $200!
-Wireless is fantastic. No more leaning over the camera op's shoulder, trying to get a peek. Sit back in your chair, call "action" and kick your feet up.
-Battery life in both transmitter (a 9v easy to change) and monitor (built in) is pretty good. I ran the monitor for about 1.5 hours off the battery and still had life in it.
-Monitor is small and light, the whole kit will slide into a decent sized bag, unnoticed.
-You can give the monitor to your client/producer on set and stick them in the back of the room so they aren't breathing over your shoulder.
-Transmitter will plug into your TV out, if you feel like watching Dancing With The Stars in your bubble bath while sipping a chiraz.

Cons:
-It's not a $6000 unit. You get interference. If you accept that you are getting it for $200, you won't even notice it. If you expect crystal clear performance, you will gripe.
-The monitor is really for framing/performance monitoring only. Not HD, but again, you aren't paying HD prices.
-The monitor battery is internal, so you can't change it or charge it without plugging the monitor into a wall. May not be a big deal to you.
-Somewhat limited range. 30' decent. 40' so-so, 50' YMMV but maxed out.
-The guy who makes (CA photographer Robert Benson) is putting them together himself, and while the monitor looks fresh from the factory, my transmitter lacks the finish that it would have if was a $2000 piece of Zacuto machining. I can live with that for $200.

Pro/Con combo:
-here's the interesting one.... all the transmitters/monitors are built on the same frequency. This means that you can buy one transmitter and four monitors, give the monitors to the key people on set, and everyone will get to see the camera feed without having to loop transmitters.
-the downside to this is that you can only run one transmitter, meaning you can't have 3 monitors with 3 different feeds from 3 different cameras.

That's the gist of it. I love it, and if it could be used on different frequencies, would have at least 3. Possibly one of the best gear bangs for the buck you'll ever find.

Dylan Couper · November 10th, 2010, 11:52 AM

Update to this. My wireless monitor is still performing nicely.

They now have a "pro" version, with way better batteries and a 1 mile range.

I'll probably check one out soon and give an update, but imho it's probably worth the extra money for anyone working outside of a studio.

October 6th, 2010, 01:22 PM	#1
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	interesting find.... wireless 7" monitor for $200 Hey guys Found something interesting on the web, a wireless monitor for $200. Here's the site, lots of videos to watch: Wireless DSLR external monitor \| RobertBenson.com Watch the top video for a demo. I ordered one a few weeks ago and have spent a bit of field time with it. Pros: -(cough) $200! -Wireless is fantastic. No more leaning over the camera op's shoulder, trying to get a peek. Sit back in your chair, call "action" and kick your feet up. -Battery life in both transmitter (a 9v easy to change) and monitor (built in) is pretty good. I ran the monitor for about 1.5 hours off the battery and still had life in it. -Monitor is small and light, the whole kit will slide into a decent sized bag, unnoticed. -You can give the monitor to your client/producer on set and stick them in the back of the room so they aren't breathing over your shoulder. -Transmitter will plug into your TV out, if you feel like watching Dancing With The Stars in your bubble bath while sipping a chiraz. Cons: -It's not a $6000 unit. You get interference. If you accept that you are getting it for $200, you won't even notice it. If you expect crystal clear performance, you will gripe. -The monitor is really for framing/performance monitoring only. Not HD, but again, you aren't paying HD prices. -The monitor battery is internal, so you can't change it or charge it without plugging the monitor into a wall. May not be a big deal to you. -Somewhat limited range. 30' decent. 40' so-so, 50' YMMV but maxed out. -The guy who makes (CA photographer Robert Benson) is putting them together himself, and while the monitor looks fresh from the factory, my transmitter lacks the finish that it would have if was a $2000 piece of Zacuto machining. I can live with that for $200. Pro/Con combo: -here's the interesting one.... all the transmitters/monitors are built on the same frequency. This means that you can buy one transmitter and four monitors, give the monitors to the key people on set, and everyone will get to see the camera feed without having to loop transmitters. -the downside to this is that you can only run one transmitter, meaning you can't have 3 monitors with 3 different feeds from 3 different cameras. That's the gist of it. I love it, and if it could be used on different frequencies, would have at least 3. Possibly one of the best gear bangs for the buck you'll ever find. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

November 10th, 2010, 11:52 AM	#2
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	Update to this. My wireless monitor is still performing nicely. They now have a "pro" version, with way better batteries and a 1 mile range. Wireless DSLR video monitor on Vimeo I'll probably check one out soon and give an update, but imho it's probably worth the extra money for anyone working outside of a studio. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com