HOW TO SELECT THE BEST CAMERA MONITOR FOR YOUR CAMERA SET UP
30 NOVEMBER 2022
External Camera monitors have become widely accepted and used in the photography and cinematography fields and as technology has improved and prices reduced they are now well within the reach of both the professional and the keen amateur. Go to any professional shoot and it is highly likely that an external camera screen will be in evidence and Feelworld has a wide selection of field monitors which aim to give you the best camera monitor for your application.
Feelworld has a range of external camera field monitors that go from entry level to the highly complex and this article aims to guide you through the types of questions you should consider in order to select the ideal product for your requirements.
Feelworld Camera monitors aim to solve a very real problem:
Even highly expensive cameras often only have a relatively small screen meaning that it is very difficult to see the precise detail of the shoot. There is little point having the best camera if the result is a picture that is out of focus or does not have the expected effect.
With a bigger screen and dependant on the model, also able to incorporate a number of effects, the Feelworld camera monitor or field monitor solves this issue, meaning that the photographer is able to confidently complete a shoot, knowing that they have collected the material they set out to shoot. The monitor can be both bigger and brighter, making outside shoots in bright light conditions much easier to accomplish.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST CAMERA MONITOR?
Before selecting a specific field monitor, you need to ensure that your camera is compatible with an external camera monitor. The main consideration is that your camera must be able to output video – without this the external camera monitor will not work.
Most cameras will have HDMI and / or SDI video output interfaces so please confirm that the output of your camera matches the signal format supported by the camera monitor.
SCREEN SIZE
The next consideration is to choose an appropriate screen size. External camera monitor screens start at 5 inches and go up to 7 inches in size. The thing to note is that the largest camera monitor screen is not necessarily the best for all situations as they are also slightly heavier. If you are using a tripod then 7 inches might be ideal, however if you are using a handheld stabilizer and gimbal it is recommended that you choose a screen with a maximum size of 6 inches.
CAMERA MONITOR SCREEN BRIGHTNESS
If you mainly shoot outdoors, especially in sunlight, you will find it useful to increase the screen brightness so that you can see the screen clearly. Feelworld ultra bright monitors have a number of screens with ultra-bright settings to solve this issue.
In some circumstances it will also be useful to use a sunshade with the Feelworld monitor and Feelworld can supply a shade to fit your chosen product.
If you use a stabilizer and gimbal, we suggest you might use the Feelworld FW568 5.5 inch monitor – this has 500 nit brightness. If you use larger camera equipment, you can choose the Feelworld T7 7 inch monitor which has 450 nit brightness.
If you mainly shoot outdoors the Feelworld LUT/LUTS/LUT Pro ranges are a great solution. For example, the Feelworld LUT6/LUT6S with a 6 inch screen feature 2600nit ultra brightness and have a touchscreen. The 7 inch Feelworld LUT7/ LUT7S/ LUT7 PRO, LUT7S PRO screens have 2200nit ultra brightness and touchscreen.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
In addition to benefiting from a larger and brighter screen, camera monitors also often feature additional monitoring tools that will allow you to preview images with basic levels of editing and correction in real time, thus considerably improving your efficiency.
Many of the Feelworld range include additional features such as a touchscreen, waveform, LUT and HDR to assist you.
A touch screen makes the operation of the camera more accessible whilst advanced tools such as waveform, vectorscope, false colour and RGB parade can help you to confirm the colour and brightness of the image. LUTs (look up tables) should be high on your list of additional features – they enable you to preview images with basic levels and corrections – enabling the film maker to view footage with colour grading already applied.
FEELWORLD F6 PLUS, LUT6, LUT6S, LUT7, LUT7S, LUT7 PRO, LUT7S PRO all have touchscreen, waveform, LUT and HDR functions. If your monitor is mostly going to be used for indoor shoots, you can choose the F6 PLUS 5.5 inch 500nit brightness. If you often shoot outdoors, you can choose the LUT6, LUT6S 6 inch 2600nit ultra brightness, or for a larger screen, LUT7, LUT7S , LUT7 PRO, LUT7S PRO 7 inch 2200nit ultra brightness.
F970 Install and Power Kit to External Equipment
When you need to use wireless transmission, you can choose the Feelworld F970 monitor with F970 install design. When you supply power to the monitor, it can install and power equipment which power by Sony F970 battery, greatly saving the space occupied by the equipment, simplify your photography equipment.
The Feelworld F5 PRO V4, LUT7 PRO, LUT7S PRO all have F970 Install and Power Kit to External Equipment. If the equipment is mostly for indoor shoots you can choose the F5 PRO V4 5.5 inch with 500nit brightness or the F7 PRO 7 inch with 500nit brightness. If you need the equipment for shooting outdoors, you can choose the LUT7 PRO , LUT7S PRO 7 inch with 2200nit ultra brightness.
Bult-in Wireless Video Transmission System
For an all in one director’s monitor solution, combining a wireless video transmission system and a high quality HD monitor, the Feelworld FT6 FR6 wireless monitor may be a good solution. The FT6 FR6 is an ultra light, cable-free monitoring kit that gives you complete mobility on set.
Hopefully this guide gives you some assistance in selecting a suitable monitor for your needs – but we are on hand via email and phone to provide more support to select the ideal product.