Monitor Question

Seth Rice

Seth Rice

Active member
I recently made the transition from an older Canon GL2, to a hacked Panasonic GH2, and have loved the new camera - with an adapter, and some FD lenses, the image is awesome.

I'm having one problem though - focus. The on camera LCD is garbage - color shows up slightly off, and the resolution makes focusing difficult (especially with the faster FD primes). I've pretty much come to the conclusion that an external monitor would be in order to help with that, and had done some detailed research, and decided to save up for the SmallHD DP4, but just recently found a deal on a used Manhattan LCD, model HD071A, for nearly $200 cheaper then the cost of the DP4.

Any recommendations on which monitor would be the better for achieving accurate focus, and a decent idea of color rendition? Which would be the better investment, the older Manhattan model (I think it was recently discontinued too,) or the newer, smaller, more expensive DP4? I'll be using the GH2 handheld occasionally, on a rig, but it will spend most of the time on a tripod, so the increased size of the Manhattan LCD isn't too big of a concern for me - in fact, I was wondering if it might be more helpful for achieving more accurate focus... would that likely be the case?

Thanks a ton!
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Well, these monitors are in two different classes -

The 4.2" all-the-features-you-can-fit-in-a-box kind of monitor with 800x400 resolution and only HDMI and Component-to-3.5mm inputs.
The 7.1" basic 1024x600 monitor with standard inputs and just 1:1 pixel mapping.

I own the DP4 and love it; I've never used that Manhattan monitor.

When it comes to critical focus, decent color, and use with a DSLR, it's hard to beat the DP4. It is one powerful, versatile little monitor, which can also function as an EVF - how I use it 75% of the time. It's small and lightweight, newer and NOT discontinued, like you mentioned, so that and the fact that it's one of only two monitors SmallHD makes, you get fantastic customer service and forward compatibility. For example, the DP4 comes with a Focus Assist feature that is pretty good, but it's ugly. SmallHD just upgraded the bigger DP6's Focus Assist feature, and it is a lot better and cleaner - the DP4 will get the same firmware upgrade in the next month or two.

The DP4 also has features like 1:1, a Peaking filter that sharpens the area in focus, Blue Only for calibration, two types of False Color for exposure, and different scaling functions, which you can preset, to ensure your camera's output fills the screen properly. It also has 1.85:1 and 2.39:1 crop bars, as well as anamorphic desqueezing. It can also take several kinds of batteries from Canon to AA (check out SmallHD's website) or a DC input from something like a V-mount battery.

For a more in-depth review, check out DVXUser Timur's review on his website - http://timurcivan.blogspot.com/2011/12/examination-of-small-hd-dp4-evf.html

In terms of future-proofing yourself and still covering all your bases for your current camera, I think the DP4 is the way to go, but I haven't ever used the Manhattan monitor, so I'm somewhat biased.
 
Jordan Scott Price said:
Well, these monitors are in two different classes -

The 4.2" all-the-features-you-can-fit-in-a-box kind of monitor with 800x400 resolution and only HDMI and Component-to-3.5mm inputs.
The 7.1" basic 1024x600 monitor with standard inputs and just 1:1 pixel mapping.

I own the DP4 and love it; I've never used that Manhattan monitor.

When it comes to critical focus, decent color, and use with a DSLR, it's hard to beat the DP4. It is one powerful, versatile little monitor, which can also function as an EVF - how I use it 75% of the time. It's small and lightweight, newer and NOT discontinued, like you mentioned, so that and the fact that it's one of only two monitors SmallHD makes, you get fantastic customer service and forward compatibility. For example, the DP4 comes with a Focus Assist feature that is pretty good, but it's ugly. SmallHD just upgraded the bigger DP6's Focus Assist feature, and it is a lot better and cleaner - the DP4 will get the same firmware upgrade in the next month or two.

The DP4 also has features like 1:1, a Peaking filter that sharpens the area in focus, Blue Only for calibration, two types of False Color for exposure, and different scaling functions, which you can preset, to ensure your camera's output fills the screen properly. It also has 1.85:1 and 2.39:1 crop bars, as well as anamorphic desqueezing. It can also take several kinds of batteries from Canon to AA (check out SmallHD's website) or a DC input from something like a V-mount battery.

For a more in-depth review, check out DVXUser Timur's review on his website - http://timurcivan.blogspot.com/2011/12/examination-of-small-hd-dp4-evf.html

In terms of future-proofing yourself and still covering all your bases for your current camera, I think the DP4 is the way to go, but I haven't ever used the Manhattan monitor, so I'm somewhat biased.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply - that's exactly what I was looking for, someone who'd used either of the monitors. :)

I've heard nothing but good things about the DP4, and I think I'm probably just going to wait and get it, despite the deal on the Manhattan...
 
Seth Rice said:
Thanks for the reply - that's exactly what I was looking for, someone who'd used either of the monitors. :)

I've heard nothing but good things about the DP4, and I think I'm probably just going to wait and get it, despite the deal on the Manhattan...
Click to expand...

No problem. I don't think you'll regret it.
 
1:1 is really really priceless for setting up a shot - not often useable when there's motion; I seem to post this a lot, but TRY a pair of cheap reader glasses from the drugstore, the kind you slide down your nose. I've just been shocked how sweet those things are for focusing with a monitor - and you can still see "normally" when you look upwards. I stash them in all sorts of cases.

Have you tried a loupe on your LCD? I still find it the most accurate way to focus a DSLR.
 
Michael Carter said:
1:1 is really really priceless for setting up a shot - not often useable when there's motion; I seem to post this a lot, but TRY a pair of cheap reader glasses from the drugstore, the kind you slide down your nose. I've just been shocked how sweet those things are for focusing with a monitor - and you can still see "normally" when you look upwards. I stash them in all sorts of cases.

Have you tried a loupe on your LCD? I still find it the most accurate way to focus a DSLR.
Click to expand...

I should check out the eyeglass thing.... hmm... sounds interesting.

I haven't tried a loupe on the LCD, but, using the GH2's EVF, my focus is still sketchy... and the EVF is much nicer then the LCD (one of the cons of the GH2, is a lousy LCD panel.)
 
I've only shot video with Canon and Nikon DSLRs and haven't seen what the GH screen is like - but man, a loupe - for me - that's the first thing you stick on a DSLR.

Those reader glasses just rock though - OK, I'm 50 and my near vision gets worse every year, but it's basically like holding a huge magnifying glass over the screen.

Next time you're at a drug store, try a few different strengths. Just grab some product packaging and read the fine print at the same distance you'd use a monitor. I found it to be pretty luscious, see what you think - they're like 15 bucks.
 
(I just realized this thread was still here, and I'd never posted my final decision)

I went ahead and got the DP4 - haven't regretted it one bit! Awesome monitor, tack sharp focus, good color... I'm thoroughly enjoying it...
 
pc monitor

pc monitor

i finally bought me my first flat screen for my pc, a 32 inch tv. i am running axp and cannot for the life of me configure the workstation the way i want. i want my timeline across the bottom and the bin monitors and audio tool at the top. but the monitors dont squeeze small enough to where i can fit everything the way i want it. can someone help me plz.
 
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