What is the Best Outdoor Camera Monitor in 2023?
There is nothing more annoying than going outside to capture some beautiful shots, only to realise the shots are unusable when you get to the post-production phase. Most of the time this can be attributed to direct sunlight making your viewfinder unreadable, which means you can’t conveniently check how your footage looks, especially in real-time and in high-motion shooting situations. Of course, you could invest in a sunshade to attempt to make your monitor’s screen more legible, but naturally, this comes at the expense of reduced viewing angles as this solution relies upon an object physically obstructing sunlight to improve visibility. The ideal situation would be for the screen itself to be bright enough that it would be clearly visible in direct sunlight, even without a sunshade.
Ultra-Bright Monitors on a Budget
Fortunately, such a monitor does exist. One such monitor is the Atomos Shinobi 7, which is a very compelling option due to its 2200-nit brightness. However, for less than half the price, Feelworld makes a whole range of great camera monitors which have a similar suite of great features and are also designed for these applications. The first Feelworld camera monitor designed for outdoor use is the Feelworld LUT7. This 7-inch field monitor comes with an incredible ultra-bright 2200-nit display. We love the LUT7 because it combines a 1920x1200 resolution, 323 PPI high-density display with excellent 160-degree viewing angles to make a truly great outdoor shooting experience, even without a sunshade. Furthermore, the LUT7 is calibrated in the factory to reproduce the Rec.709 standard and even supports the upload of custom 3D LUTs which let the user see how the final footage will look even before entering the post-production phase. The LUT7 is also a great option for working indoors, too. One feature we found particularly useful was the built-in ambient light sensor, which dims the display when moving indoors and quickly brightens the monitor when transitioning to outdoor conditions. This means professionals can dynamically shoot their video in any lighting conditions without having to worry about manually adjusting the monitor’s brightness, which lets them focus on getting the shot they need on the first attempt.
Excellent Connectivity
The LUT7 is connected to cameras via its HDMI port, which can accept up to 4K UHD footage at 30fps, or 1080p 60fps. The monitor also comes equipped with a passthrough that allows footage to be displayed on multiple monitors simultaneously, meaning the director is also in on the action making sure the captured shots are what’s needed in the production. For other professional applications, the LUT7S, which also features 3G-SDI support in addition to HDMI, is also available.
Professional Features Built-in
Both monitors come equipped with the vast suite of professional features users expect when choosing a Feelworld camera monitor. These include focus assist, histograms, waveform monitoring to analyse image quality more accurately than by eye and even built-in audio level meters. The onscreen image can also be flipped to the desired orientation, which opens up the possibilities when it comes to mounting the Feelworld LUT7 or LUT7S to your rig via its ¼ inch mounting screw, making these Feelworld camera monitors an extremely versatile option.
3000nit Outdoor Camera Monitors
The monitors mentioned above are both extremely good options, but you may find yourself in a situation where 2200nits is not enough. In this case, the ultimate outdoor filming option would be the Feelworld LUT5, which boasts an enormous brightness of 3000nits. This Feelworld field camera monitor has a 1920x1080 display which supports footage of up to 4K 30fps like the LUT7 range, but with an even greater pixel density, and at an even lighter weight of just 270 grams. This makes this monitor almost unnoticeable when added to a rig, while still providing the great range of features users of Feelworld camera monitors have come to expect. Thermal performance is excellent with the LUT5, with an inbuilt active cooling system which makes use of an efficient fan with low noise and power consumption to keep the unit cool and stable when used in hot, bright outdoor conditions where the full 3000nit brightness is used.
Excellent Compatibility
On the back of both the LUT7 Pro and the LUT5 users can find a bracket where you can mount external accessories such as LED lights and wireless transmitters, which makes your whole setup more compact and reduces the need for long obstructive wires. All these monitors can use their built-in DC 8V output to provide battery power to an attached camera, which makes these monitors ideal tools to improve the experience of endurance shooting. The high brightness levels of these monitors make them ideal for displaying HDR content on the go and in real-time, as they all support 3D LUT imports and excellent colour accuracy.
Do any of these ultra-bright field monitors take your fancy? At Feelworld UK Limited, we pride ourselves on being able to provide great tools for creators at a great price, all with fast UK shipping. Discover the rest of our range of ultra-bright monitors here, and other great Feelworld camera monitors and SEETEC broadcast monitors here.