SmallHD DP6, Marshall 5.6

[gbadgley]

I'm considering purchasing a production monitor, and have been looking at these two models. They both have 5.6 inch screens, and I'm wondering if they are big enough. I understand they are satisfactory for obtaining focus and exposure, but what about determining scene file settings. I'm having a heck of a time now experimenting with the various settings in that I'll shoot on location and then have to hook up to my monitor at home to try to determine the effect, and then back out into the field, and then back home etc. I was thinking that the production monitor would solve all this hassle because I would be able to see the effect on location. But will I? They seem such small screens.

Cheers.

[dregenthal]

Both of your choices will work for on camera monitors and be useful for framing and focus but (IMHO) don't qualify as production monitors and won't suit your stated purpose. Don't get me wrong . . . some people don't use a production monitor at all either because they are highly skilled, or shooting run & gun, or don't have the money.

I think you're going to wish for a little more screen real estate as well as something capable of fairly accurate color representation. I was always pretty happy with my Panasonic BT-LH1710W.

[Spartacus]

For checking "low-noise", "high DR" or other tweaks you´re probably better off recreating scenes at home/work near your editing bay, than doing it on location.

[Phenixone]

I use my SmallHD DP6 all the time. For DSLR work as well as on the RED Epic! The size is perfect and the battery life is amazing.
Plus the DP6 has the best focus assist I've ever seen on a monitor.

[nedcam]

EXTERIOR HAND HELD: I bought a DP6 a few weeks ago and I learned I can't use the DP6 outdoors in bright daylight on the shoulder rig. When you put the sunshade on and bring your forehead up to it to block out the daylight your eyes are 8" from the screen, so you'll go cross eyed very quickly and that is why I am going to get an EVF. I will buy a DP4 or Zacuto EVF Pro to get my eye up against a cup as soon as some clients' checks come in.

SET UP: There is a local video engineer I will be bringing my DP6 to him so he can set it up using scopes to reflect EXACTLY what the camera is recording, which I have found difficult to do because I am not a senior NASA scientist. It would require hours of experimentation for me to get it exact, so if you want to use one of these little monitors to really reflect what you'll see in post, unless you are a high tech engineer you'll have to get some help setting it up. I use a 9" Panasonic in the field and rent a 17" for studio work, I don't think you can trust something this small for your only production monitor, most everything looks sharp on a small screen.

NO ZEBRAS: I was disappointed that there are no zebras, I do a lot of hand held doc work and when I do need to free up my left hand from the handle it is to grab focus and exposure, I don't want to also reach up to the top of the DP6 to toggle through to find exposure, I'm moving too fast. So if the Marshall has zebras I'd go with them. The more my left hand is stabilizing the rig the smoother and more usable the shot, so I don't want to have to toggle on top of the DP6 to verify exposure, if I had zebras I'd feel more confident. If I knew it didn't have zebras I wouldn't have bought it. I don't want to lose screen space for the waveform either.

My .02¢

[sunny_j]

nedcam, what strong arm are you using?

[MattRobertson]

I have a small hd dp4, and have rented the small hd dp6 and while it is a huge upgrade from the 4, I find the marshall 5.6" much better. Lots of easy controls on the screen, 4 preset buttons, 1:1 with scanning (not sure if the dp6 has that). But to me the image on the marshall is just so much better to work with. Not sure what it is totally, but just didn't feel comfrotable with the dp6. The focus assist is pretty good, although hard to see the image with it on, but it does work very well. The focus assist on the dp4 is hard to use imo. The nice part about the marshall is you can get big capacity batteries that can last for hours and hours on it, whereas the dp6 uses lesser capacity batteries I believe.

[nedcam]

Hey sunny J,

Not exactly sure what you mean by strong arm. The front handle pieces, the wood handle is from Olof at westsideavstore and I had him custom make, which he now sells to the public, the left hand handle so the whole unit doesn't topple over when laid down.

Here is a thread from a couple of weeks ago that explains it all:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread...-Complete-1600

[Osslund]

I had both a DP6 and Marshall 5.6. To me I would go for the Marshall because it's a better monitor. More accurate image and better functions.

[sunny_j]

Hey sunny J,

Not exactly sure what you mean by strong arm. The front handle pieces, the wood handle is from Olof at westsideavstore and I had him custom make, which he now sells to the public, the left hand handle so the whole unit doesn't topple over when laid down.

Here is a thread from a couple of weeks ago that explains it all:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread...-Complete-1600

sorry i should have been a little for clearer. i was talking about the articulating arm your monitor is mounted to