DP6-SDI unboxing at DVinfo.net

Andrew Dean · February 16th, 2011, 06:38 AM

I was a very early adopter of the dp6, and missed out on the "unboxing experience" since the packaging wasn't finalized yet at the time. I know "unboxing" and packaging isn't the true test of the monitor (which is why I didn't want to wait for it on the dp6), but daaamn, there is something just really sexy about packaging that has had serious thought put into it. Laser cut foam and a black box that is almost identical to the boxes our rich friends Baccarat crystal came in. (Which cost more per glass than the dp6-sdi. doh!)

I got the new smallhd "israeli arm" and am happy to say that unlike the redrock that i hated on in this forum, the smallhd is solid and locks down plenty tight for the monitor. Its one of the short style arms, and after playing with it, i think its gonna be quite handy to have a low profile arm on smaller rigs. I'm not a big fan of the industry-standard "giant knuckle" interface between shoes and 1/4-20, but I did what I did with my noga arm - the shoe mount went straight into a tiny ball head and the arm screwed into a nanoclamp. I don't run into many scenarios where i need to be on a shoe AND swinging all around, so i'm rather happy to have two different options. One for the shoe, and one (with arm) for everything else. It also means I can put my redrock arm fully into the "only if i'm desperate" pile.

Its just my opinion, but I think everybody who ever rigs a portable monitor should buy a manfrotto nanoclamp. They are just such convenient little things. I use it to mount monitors to rails, tripod arms... you name it. I've even used one on either side of a noga arm to make a mini-magicarm that held some black card over a lens as an improvised french flag. Its basically a little tiny superclamp with 1/4 and 5/8 female threads on the back.

There are a lot of "little things" that fancy restaurants and hotels provide because it really does change your perception of their experience. A few things jumped out at me in this box that made me smile in the same way a bowl of complimentary queso or a pillow mint does. A non-marring tool for removing the acrylic faceplate, a lint-free cloth for wiping down the screen... and when i was toying with the sdi inputs i thought to myself "hmm. i need to track down some right angle adapters for these". I looked in the box and the next thing down were a pair of bnc right angle adapter. Sweet.

I just got it today, so i haven't plugged in an sdi camera (plan to rig to a red this weekend), so there isn't much for me to say about the monitor itself. Aside from the SDI Its identical to my dp6. I love my dp6, so thats not a bad thing, but I've gushed plenty about it already.

I was on a RED shoot a few weeks ago and out of curiosity I rigged my dp6 up next to the red monitor. We were all commenting just how much easier it was to eye focus with the dp6 when the camera operator said "It doesn't matter. you would never pull focus from a MONITOR!". It was an interesting clash of cultures because in many circles you never would, and in others you'd focus to the monitor without considering there was any other way.

That doesn't really have anything to do with the unboxing. Sorry.

Ok, anyways, the dp6-sdi looks sweet. I'll be rigging it to an ex3 and a red in the coming week, so if you have questions and/or want me to test out anything specific, holler and i'll try to work it in.

Cheers!
-a

John Peterson · February 21st, 2011, 12:23 PM

I think everybody who ever rigs a portable monitor should buy a manfrotto nanoclamp
========================
I would b careful with it. A little bit of extra tightening and it falls apart. Threads are held with glue.
Bigger but definitely stronger:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/546356-REG/Manfrotto_035RL_035RL_Super_Clamp_with.html
John

Andrew Dean · February 24th, 2011, 06:29 AM

You sure about the thread thing?

I took mine to as many bits as I could and it sure does seem to be all solid parts. The female thread shaft's junction to the metal cross bar is the only place that it could possibly be glued and it sure did look like some kind of metal compression/spot weld at the junction. Is that where you say its glued?

I cranked down on mine until i crushed an old xlr jack barrel in the nanoclamp's jaws and nothing came loose.
Have you had one fail?

I suppose its possible its glued, but it sure does seem beefier in all other aspects. Kinda weird to skimp on that one junction.

My only complaint with all israeli arms is the lack of a "lock" on the 1/4-20 threads to keep the weight of a monitor from unscrewing if positioned on the wrong side of the center of gravity. I want some kind of guide pin or hex like in a superclamp. I wish they'd come up with a standard locking connector other than 1/4-20.

February 16th, 2011, 06:38 AM	#1
Andrew Dean Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Motukarara, New Zealand Posts: 475	DP6-SDI unboxing I was a very early adopter of the dp6, and missed out on the "unboxing experience" since the packaging wasn't finalized yet at the time. I know "unboxing" and packaging isn't the true test of the monitor (which is why I didn't want to wait for it on the dp6), but daaamn, there is something just really sexy about packaging that has had serious thought put into it. Laser cut foam and a black box that is almost identical to the boxes our rich friends Baccarat crystal came in. (Which cost more per glass than the dp6-sdi. doh!) I got the new smallhd "israeli arm" and am happy to say that unlike the redrock that i hated on in this forum, the smallhd is solid and locks down plenty tight for the monitor. Its one of the short style arms, and after playing with it, i think its gonna be quite handy to have a low profile arm on smaller rigs. I'm not a big fan of the industry-standard "giant knuckle" interface between shoes and 1/4-20, but I did what I did with my noga arm - the shoe mount went straight into a tiny ball head and the arm screwed into a nanoclamp. I don't run into many scenarios where i need to be on a shoe AND swinging all around, so i'm rather happy to have two different options. One for the shoe, and one (with arm) for everything else. It also means I can put my redrock arm fully into the "only if i'm desperate" pile. Its just my opinion, but I think everybody who ever rigs a portable monitor should buy a manfrotto nanoclamp. They are just such convenient little things. I use it to mount monitors to rails, tripod arms... you name it. I've even used one on either side of a noga arm to make a mini-magicarm that held some black card over a lens as an improvised french flag. Its basically a little tiny superclamp with 1/4 and 5/8 female threads on the back. There are a lot of "little things" that fancy restaurants and hotels provide because it really does change your perception of their experience. A few things jumped out at me in this box that made me smile in the same way a bowl of complimentary queso or a pillow mint does. A non-marring tool for removing the acrylic faceplate, a lint-free cloth for wiping down the screen... and when i was toying with the sdi inputs i thought to myself "hmm. i need to track down some right angle adapters for these". I looked in the box and the next thing down were a pair of bnc right angle adapter. Sweet. I just got it today, so i haven't plugged in an sdi camera (plan to rig to a red this weekend), so there isn't much for me to say about the monitor itself. Aside from the SDI Its identical to my dp6. I love my dp6, so thats not a bad thing, but I've gushed plenty about it already. I was on a RED shoot a few weeks ago and out of curiosity I rigged my dp6 up next to the red monitor. We were all commenting just how much easier it was to eye focus with the dp6 when the camera operator said "It doesn't matter. you would never pull focus from a MONITOR!". It was an interesting clash of cultures because in many circles you never would, and in others you'd focus to the monitor without considering there was any other way. That doesn't really have anything to do with the unboxing. Sorry. Ok, anyways, the dp6-sdi looks sweet. I'll be rigging it to an ex3 and a red in the coming week, so if you have questions and/or want me to test out anything specific, holler and i'll try to work it in. Cheers! -a

February 21st, 2011, 12:23 PM	#2
John Peterson Major Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Monroe, NY Posts: 703	Re: DP6-SDI unboxing I think everybody who ever rigs a portable monitor should buy a manfrotto nanoclamp ======================== I would b careful with it. A little bit of extra tightening and it falls apart. Threads are held with glue. Bigger but definitely stronger: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/546356-REG/Manfrotto_035RL_035RL_Super_Clamp_with.html John

February 24th, 2011, 06:29 AM	#3
Andrew Dean Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Motukarara, New Zealand Posts: 475	Re: DP6-SDI unboxing You sure about the thread thing? I took mine to as many bits as I could and it sure does seem to be all solid parts. The female thread shaft's junction to the metal cross bar is the only place that it could possibly be glued and it sure did look like some kind of metal compression/spot weld at the junction. Is that where you say its glued? I cranked down on mine until i crushed an old xlr jack barrel in the nanoclamp's jaws and nothing came loose. Have you had one fail? I suppose its possible its glued, but it sure does seem beefier in all other aspects. Kinda weird to skimp on that one junction. My only complaint with all israeli arms is the lack of a "lock" on the 1/4-20 threads to keep the weight of a monitor from unscrewing if positioned on the wrong side of the center of gravity. I want some kind of guide pin or hex like in a superclamp. I wish they'd come up with a standard locking connector other than 1/4-20.