FS7: Looking for a non-reflective monitor

K

kevin gallagher

Active member
I am looking for some suggestions on a 5 - 7in monitor that is non-reflective and good for Ronin use outside. In other words not too heavy. We bought the SmallHD 502 and that thing is like gazing into a freakin mirror when outside, even with the giant sunshade it comes with. Utterly useless. I'm considering an ultra bright monitor but thought i would reach out to the collective intelligence here for some guidance.

thanks
Kevin
 
Marshall 651STX. Try and find a used one. Relatively light for the kind of monitor it is and a the transreflective coating is quite good. Many of them come with a V-Lock or A/B plate.

There aren't that many monitors available that are good for viewing outside. The ones that are good are expensive in the $2000 to $6000 range. If you are looking further try searching for used Steadicam Monitors.
 
Probably not quite as bad as SmallHD (I have the DP6 which is a mirror), but the 7Q is also terrible in bright sun. Not sure why Convergent does not make a matte screen overlay. Even with a lens hood, it's still super reflective. Great for checking yourself out and making Zoolanders.
 
gene_can_sing said:
Probably not quite as bad as SmallHD (I have the DP6 which is a mirror), but the 7Q is also terrible in bright sun. Not sure why Convergent does not make a matte screen overlay. Even with a lens hood, it's still super reflective. Great for checking yourself out and making Zoolanders.
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Have you tried anti glare screen protectors (such as the ones made for smartphones) ? They sound gimmicky but actually really make a big difference.
 
I tried to take a different route but never quite managed to work it out. Maybe others have better ideas.

I wanted to run a cable from a Letus Helix Jr with an A7s, to the O7Q which was off gimbal and then a cable on to a head mounted display for monitoring. The O7Q could be mounted on my back as a directors monitor.

I haven't yet been able to find a decent head mounted display. The eBay ones are typically quite low resolution. There was one manufacturer with 1080p for 'cinema' use but i don't think they ever made it and don't respond to emails. You're looking for a simple HDMI input and ideally a display which does not cover the eyes. Google glass is a good example but AFAIK it doesn't take an HDMI in.

Apart from that it's a case of a helmet with some way of attaching a small monitor far enough away to focus on.

I feel that this could be a great hands free solution. Not sure how the brain will handle it though, when you turn your head the image won't move as it's dictated by your hands. Could be a bit weird.

But the key is a suitable display, which i don't think exists... yet

cheers
Paul
 
Thanks for the heads-up on the O7Q. I was looking at that one seriously. Will definitely check out the Marshall. When mounted on the Ronin, I find the mounted monitor is really best for simple framing outside. i have a Teradek Bolt that sends the signal to a large monitor at video village where they can endlessly study wardrobe and focus.

Thanks
Kevin
 
I'm out of town or I'd have a massive rant :)

head mount - you will puke. You need a proper high bright monitor - transvideo et Al.
 
Viddovation said:
I have an O7Q+. It's impressively viewable in sunlight.
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Well, i have one too and you still need some kind of sun wrap. I have some trek pack dividers that i cut and velcro'd around, it's better.

morgan_moore said:
I'm out of town or I'd have a massive rant :)

head mount - you will puke. You need a proper high bright monitor - transvideo et Al.
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Well, we'll just have to look forward to your return :)

cheers
Paul
 
Ben Scott said:
A Pair of Zeiss cinemizers :)
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I did look but they totally wrap around your eyes and i don't want that. I suspect that would lead to being violently ill.

Ideally you'd want something just like google glass, an image that hovers in front of you. Or with one eye blacked out, like a head mounted viewfinder (if the image isn't bright enough against a bright background, i don't know what google glass is like in use)

A poor man approach is just to rig a 5" monitor out on an arm and i've seen that done and i even bought bits and pieces to rig, but it just doesn't look cool...

cheers
Paul
 
Skipping the rant about small hd making toys..

transvideo are kings of high bright - I still have thier Sd monitor - they have the starlight

check the steadicam forum where they have long threads in viewable monitors

id also be interested to check the new video devices stuff

marshall and the expensive small hdmi be worth a glance

you need a proper anti glare and about 1200nits
 
morgan_moore said:
I'm out of town or I'd have a massive rant :)

head mount - you will puke....
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Yeah, talk to Garrett (Brown) about that.

I agree with trying an anti-reflective/glare screen protector. We used to use them on our iPad/TelePrompTer set-ups. Not perfect, but helped most of the time. I've also heard good things about the smallHD high bright monitor.
 
Just for the record (and I'm no genius at this, just paraphrasing some reading I did on the subject long ago):

Gloss screens are an attempt to reflect less ambient light back at the viewer, and thus increase contrast range and reduce black levels viewed. This is also why some camera test charts are glossy. The non-existent blacks of the OLED Odyssey would be obscured with a matte coating. As in, shadow detail would be obscured by the matte.

Matte screens do not reflect any particular (i.e., from a narrow angle like a mirror) ambient light falling on them, they reflect ALL ambient light falling them. So no distracting reflections, but they take all that light and reflect it in all directions, obscuring low black levels a monitor might be reproducing. That's why they look gray. Can't make blacks when the screen is dark gray.

So: Gloss is superior for image fidelity, at the expense of objects directly in it's reflection path might be reflected. Matte is superior at hiding reflections, but at the expense of black levels.

Maybe someday we'll get a matte coating that truly sucks up all light hitting it from all angles!

And yes, people have been playing with LCDs in goggles at least since the 90s. It's kinda hard to do your job when all you can see is a low fi image of your camera image. I saw somebody try to do it once.
 
I don't think there is great mystery here - look at any proper film set and you are pretty guaranteed to see transvideo monitors in use
 
morgan_moore said:
I don't think there is great mystery here - look at any proper film set and you are pretty guaranteed to see transvideo monitors in use
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True, however, Transvideo in relation to other montior brands have gone in and out of favour over the past 5 years particularly with Steadicam but when the smoke cleared and people had experience with these other new etrantants that had much apparent promise, people migrated back to Transvideo even though they cost several thousand dollars more than the other "good ones".

The current good but inexpensive daylight viewable monitor is by Boland...

http://www.steadicamforum.com/index.php?showtopic=21786

but it is too heavy for most people's needs here.

The one Dennis mentioned is the least expensive of the daylight viewable ones but I have seen more than a few go up for sale wihtin a year of purchase. The 651STX which I mentioned has had staying power with it's owners over the past few years. Nebtek had a good one for sale in the 2K range for a couple of years but got out of the monitor business for what I can tell, it is under the "Solar" moniker I believe and faired very well against much more expensive daylight viewable monitors about 4 years ago. The Cinetronic ones were popular for a couple of years but Customer Service appeared to be a big issue with many onwers. Many have gone up for sale in the past 18 months.

In essence, there is absolutely no free lunch when it comes to daylight viewable monitors. They are expensive and you get what you pay for.
 
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