Which monitor would you choose?

Riceman

Riceman

Member
I have read numerous threads on this subject and am still a bit undecided. I need a focus assist monitor and am deciding between the:

Ikan V-8000HD

ToteVision LCD-703HD

These fit my budget for right now, The Ikan is appealing for many reasons, and I do like the fact that it can use sony batteries, I would of course prefer panny, but I like that fact that the power source is connected to the monitor instead of hanging off, or needing to be tucked in a soft cover like the Tote. This may seem a trivial reason to decide upon, so I welcome any opinions here. Thanks ahead of time.
 
I've rigged up my totevision to have a panasonic battery adapter on the back, it's a pretty nice monitor, but I'm having some issues with connecting a field monitor right now. Will be posting a review and some pictures sometime next week.
 
i have one of the first ikan v8000's off the line. and if youve done your homework here on the forum. you'll see that it does its job quite well. comparing the ikan to the marshall is like comparing a nissan maxima to a bmw 3 series. youre gonna get pretty much the same end result, but one will give you a bit more flash and a much higher pricetag.

its also a considerable matter of horses for courses. from my experience, IF you have to ask "ikan or marshall?" the ikan will be fine for you. there are things about the marshall that are better. but are those things worth [give or take] a 2x price increase? for some YES. for many (myself included) nope.
 
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But the Marshall is no BMW. The Marshall is a mediocre monitor at a reasonable price. There are much better monitors than the Marshall out there.
 
My 2 cents would be to get as big a monitor as you can afford if you'll be judging focus with it, especially if you intend to use a 35mm adapter.
 
BIG isnt exactly the best criteria to judge a monitor by - especially if youre using it on camera.
 
Riceman said:
Went with the IKan and it works fine for my purposes...focusing.
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I ordered the Ikan a little while ago for a film I'm working on which was from the latest batch. It's fine for composing and focusing but color isn't exactly accurate. Also, be careful with the BNC jacks as they're attached to the pc board inside the unit with no additional support.

The other thing is, it's not showing a true 16:9 aspect ratio.

For the price, I think it's great, but I bought the 7" Ikan SD monitor for my camera stabilizer and I'll probably use it onboard on my HVX since it has a flip function for when I use my M2.

.
 
btlh80w, by Panasonic. Focus in Red, waveform, etc. Turn up the peaking and there's the perfect focusing monitor for 35mm work. Also, I suggest purchasing a Hood for the monitor.
 
I second the panny btlh80w, if you can afford it - it isn't cheap.
I have fallen in love with it...especially the pixel in pixel and waveform. I find the focus in red difficult to use efficiently, but im still getting used to how it works...and you definately need the hood for sunny outdoor stuff.
 
Late to the thread, but I love the "focus in red".

The 8" pana "Focus in red" monitor is awesome. And pricey. But what a great picture, and you can preset the buttons to pop in and out of the "focus red" setting while shooting for reference. The red can be anoying if focus isn't critical...ie. anything wide angle on the HVX.

Focus is critical when using the lens adapters. And to the eye what looks close to focus sometimes isn't. The "focus in red" somehow shows the things that are in focus.

Very cool for an HVX onboard monitor. And the quality/colors are very close to the pana 17".

I use it onboard for handheld too most of the time. I love it.
 
Phil Maker said:
I went to buy it today but the guys at EVS said it was crap. I'm saving up for the Marshall.
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On behalf of my staff, I apologize for such a non-helpful answer. We sell a LOT of the V8000HD's and it's a fine monitor... especially for the price!

Yes, the Marshall is slightly better, and the Panasonic BTLH80W is godlike. However, many clients are very happy with the Ikan V series.

Tommy Mack
EVS
 
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