Best On-Camera LCD Monitor for HVX200 ?

Andy,
Again I havent used the Marshall. But many people are using on the field and getting decent focus. Yes the marshal that sell for $1300 is not full HD resolution, but its double what most other monitors have. What I read on a thread before was that one person was able to get similar results focusing with the marshall and the focus assist on the camera. (I've gotten pretty good results with the focus assist as well) But what the marshall buys you is the ability to do this while framing the image and moving the camera.
It is just morronic to try to focus and frame while in Focus assist and move the camera all at the same time.
The difference between the 1300 marshall and a 300 lcd in my opinion is the marshall has component input. the cheap lcd you have to get an adaptor. (2 things to power) the marshall probably will have a little better color rendition though I wasn't impressed with the one I saw, and it will also have a good wide viewing angle. The cheap lcd doesn't display the colors as well, and if you don't look dead on it will fade.
For an on camera monitor while shoulder mounting the camerea, the viewing angle is not an issue for the camera operator. you just mount it perfectly with a noga arm and presto. But if you have a focus puller trying to use the monitor at the same time as the camera person, then the viewing angle is an issue.
As far as focusing, both can have the same resolution (if you get the right cheap lcd) so I would venture to say that you can focus equally (or close to it) with both.
S-Video is out of the question. You can't focus or judge color on it.
if you find a monitor with FireWire please let me know.
So unless you have 4000 for the panasonic 8", or can wait a few months, I believe panasonic will introduce a monitor with 800x480 res that you can zoom pixel for pixel for under 3000. or you can buy the marshall with 2.4megapixels 1024x768. Then the only viable option is the $1300 Marshall. or maybe the SWIT by varizoom for $1100. (I haven't heard anything about this one)
I for one have my cheap LCD mounted with my Component to VGA adapter on my noga arm on my home made shoulder mount and so far so good. alot cheaper than the marshall. but I'm still working on battery power for them.
And as I said before, I'm talking to a manufacturer about providing a 8.4" screen with 1024x768 and anti reflective coating for outdoor shooting and component inputs. I'm doing this to build my own, but if it all works out, I'll see if anyone wants to buy some.
 
Not surprised that the cheapo monitor delivers comparable resolution; the Marshall and that cheapo monitor are both 800 x 480. (of course, the cheapo one lies by saying it's 2400 x 480, but do the math and 800x3=2400).

The Marshall does a pretty good job, especially for only being 800x480. It seemed a tad optimistic in its brightness and color saturation, and it'll alias on diagonals due to resizing the picture, but it's not bad at all for the price (1/4 the cost of the Panasonic BT-LH900A). I found focusing with the Marshall about comparable to using the LCD's "Focus Assist" feature. So the Marshall is sort of like having full-screen "focus assist" all the time...

The new Panasonic sounds interesting; 800x480 is a tad low but with a pixel-for-pixel zoom-in display, it's really all you'd need. And I am presuming it has the built-in waveform monitor and the other goodies from the 17". If so, that's the one I'd get. Evin has the BT-LH900A and loves it to death, but at $4200 that's just too pricey. I don't know that it's worth 3x or 4x what the Marshall is.
 
Barry, siniarch and Chris, thanks for all the valuable info.

This is what I've decided (I think) for now:
(Please let me know if I'm going off in the wrong direction).

I'm looking for the cheapest 16:9 monitor with 480 vertical lines and Component input. The VariZoom looks promising but I'm not certain about the Component - what's Composite Input when it's at home?
http://www.varizoom.com/products/monitors/s1080BP_BC_BJ_BSM.html

If something like the VZ sounds OK to you, I'll use it for a few weeks / months until something better comes along. The work I'm doing at the moment is so filthy and muddy, the thing's going to get hammered anyway, so it's pointless paying out thousands just to get it smashed.

But I'm all ears if you have any better suggestions and I look forward to an affordable 720 lines or similar. Not sure about the Panny though - as I said earlier, there's too much going on for me to start worrying about zooming the monitor - unless you can zoom it and it will stay zoomed??

Thanks again for the crash-course on monitors.

Andy
 
Andy,
Compositeis the yellow adapter on the back of the tv. usually you have white for left sound, red for right sound, and yellow for video. This is even lower resolution than S-Video, and no good for focusing. You want COMPONENT which is Red, Blue, & Green. (the connections might be the same as composite, but there are 3 wires bringing the picture to you. each one brings infromation from a different color. hence 3 times the information as COMPOSITE)
The Swit does look like a good option. If I had to buy a solution that was half way from what I wanted and was going to keep it, I would either get the SWIT or the Marshall. I still haven't heard any comparison between the two.
But if I was going to just buy an intermediary solution and later plop some money down on something super pro, and if you are handy, I would just get a cheapo lcd, a converter, tape it all together including a battery and save my money. Thats just me. I'm a DIY kind of guy though.
Check this thread:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=82061&highlight=lilliput
 
siniarch said:
Andy,
Composite is the yellow adapter on the back of the tv. usually you have white for left sound, red for right sound, and yellow for video
Click to expand...
I'll steer well clear of Composite then!

The Swit does look like a good option
Click to expand...
But I'm worried it isn't Component Input - it says it is on the first page but then the specs say:
S-Video / YUV / Composite, with RCA Audio
Does that mean Component's in there somewhere??

To be honest, I just want something I can plug and play - maybe I'm getting old but I don't want to filddle about with adaptors and cables - but if you have success with the option you're hoping to develop, I'd be very interested.

I have to stress the mud problem - this morning I spent 15 minutes hosing and scrubbing down my tripod after a shoot yesterday!

Got some great footage though!
I'll put some up here one of the days.

Andy
MAYBE I'm getting old!
That's a laugh - March 1949 - it's getting horribly close to another birthday!
 
I think YUV is also consider component. so you should be fine. Also note, from the pictures it seems that the monitor has a BNC connector, not RCA connectors. RCA connectors are like the usual stuff you see on tvs. (with composite) BNC connectors are the professional kind that you push and twist and they lock. both carry the same signal so no worries there, but you will probably have to buy 3 BNC to RCA adapters. Not a big deal, but something to ask when you purchase the monitor. The cable that comes from the HVX to component out has RCA connectors for RedGreenBlue. I'm also talking to another company about making these with BNC ends.
Check this thread out:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=86443
 
siniarch said:
The cable that comes from the HVX to component out has RCA connectors for RedGreenBlue
Click to expand...
When I bought my HVX200(E) there were three RCA to BNC Adapters included - I don't know whether that's standard practice now or what. I bought an ex-demo model with no box.

I'm also talking to another company about making these with BNC ends.
Check this thread out:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=86443
Click to expand...
I'd love to help - but I have a really good contact who shortens cables and posts them back by return - a dying breed of Sennheiser dealer! For that reason, I wouldn't dream of buying any sound equipment off anyone else - you have to give something back. don't you!

Thanks again for your patient advice.

Andy
 
One thing not posted on the new Panny 7" is the weight. The bh9 (8" one) is too heavy for on board operation.
 
SPZ said:
One thing not posted on the new Panny 7" is the weight. The bh9 (8" one) is too heavy for on board operation.
Click to expand...

Personally I think ANY monitor mounted on the camera is too heavy for true "run & gun" work. Now if you're mounting the camera on a tripod , that's a different story.
 
yeah I hear what you are saying ozduc, but I did some test shots last week with the hvx, redrockmicro m2, and my jimmy rigged shoulder mount and lcd mounted monitor and it was fine. Sure not the lightest rig in the world, but if I add some weight to the back it can help with the front heaviness of the whole thing. (its not the weight as much as the fact that its all in the front)
And yes SPZ the 4lbs plus battery of the panny 8" would not be welcomed, but could be handled.
 
Hey Andy,
Check out this thread:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?p=869963#post869963

There are some pictures of my DIY monitor mounted on my DIY shoulder mount. on the last image, you can see the RGB cables going into the "RGB to VGA" adapter. I've also placed (3) 6volt batteries to the back of the adapter and mounted the whole thing to the LCD screen. I'm going to test the battery life next.
this is just a trial run at how to put these thing together for when the LCD manufacture gets back to me I know how all this will work.
Thanks,
Luis
 
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