External Monitor
 

So i want to use an external monitor and mount it on my hot shoe. Just so its easier to frame my subject. Not worried about resolution or color. I went into radioshack they have a portable tv for like 160 bux. 7 inch lcd battery powered. it had AV in and a mount on the bottom. Would this work pros and cons?

Almost a double post - sorry
 

I posted a shorter version of this elsewhere yesterday.

I just bought a Nikkai A06HU 7 inch digital TV from Maplin to use as a monitor for framing with a Canon XH-A1 and HV30. You can see it here Portable TVs - The Circuits Shop - Electronics in Meccano (The link to the main Maplin site doesn't work).

This unit works well as an analogue and digital tv (which is how I am justifying buying it!) and is OK for a framing monitor, being quite light at 0.81 Kg with internal rechargeable battery pack and a reasonable resolution for such a cheapo at 720 x 576. It takes PAL and NTSC on the AV input and comes with 12V car and 230V mains power/charger adaptors and internal rechargeable battery pack which runs for 2 -3 hours as far as I can tell.

I'm still working on how to mount it for various applications, but I'm not expecting to do any critical focus work. More like avoiding getting a stiff neck with the A1 mounted on a high tripod in a theatre or squinting to try to see the HV30 LCD screen at the end of a monopod in when doing a high angle shot for a parade.

Craig, what is the actual resolution of the screen of this tv? The screens vary a lot - there were other 7" tvs with half the resolution of mine in the shop I was in. Any chance of trying it out first to see what it looks like?

Also, you will probably need something like this to mount it on the camera
Creative Video Manfrotto MN-482LCD (MN482LCD) mini ball head with shoe mount for mounting LCD monitors on cameras / camcorders
I couldn't find anything much cheaper but a search on dvinfo will give you links for similar hotshoe mounts at B&H.

Thats exactly what i was thinking to mount it with it even has that Nut mounted in the bottom of it so all i will need to do is attach it then attach the cable.

Heath Robinson would be proud
 

I ended up making my own hotshoe bracket out of the bottom part of a broken Rode SM3 shockmount (which gave me the shoe end) and the stand that came with the tv (which gave me the bit that screws into the monitor).

To use as a mounting on a monopod for high angle shots I found this sturdy and remarkably cheap item at Maplin Large Photography Clamp > Maplin
Maplin also do a gooseneck version Flexible Photography Clamp > Maplin

I think these are pretty good value at £9.99

I'll post a picture of my high angle rig made up from a monopod, the Nikkai A06HU 7 inch digital TV and the ball head bracket mentioned above (all from Maplin) with a Canon HV-30 and headphones and possibly a Rode NTG-2 and shockmount.

Also check Hague Camera Supports (UK) http://www.b-hague.co.uk/Monitors%20&%20Btackets.htm more money but more importantly more secure.

Paul W. H

Sorry Colin - but most of tv`s i this priceclass accept only this typically PAL resolution (720x676) as input, but have a display with only a 234lines of resolution. Monitors with 480 lines are expensiver.

Actually, this unit DOES do NTSC as well. The digital tuner is also better than the one on my house tv. I'm watching a film right now on my house tv through the AV output of the Nikkai and the output is certainly full resolution. The resolution on the 7" screen seems about the same as a SD tv though the colours are not the same.

As a HD monitor, the Nikkai is mince. As a portable mini tv-cum-framing monitor for my purposes, it's very good.

Hi Paul,

Actually that link also shows a pretty cheap 7" LCD monitor too, LCM 700 7" WIDESCREEN LCD COLOUR MONITOR for under £100 inc. VAT. Wonder if I would be able to achieve critical focus with that monitor?

I have a PAL XH A1, so would prefer a PAL monitor also. I think I may have bought too soon. I actually purchased a Sony DVP-820 which came highly recommended in this forum elsewhere http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/sdtv-hdtv...ion-200-a.html

Achieving critical focus is important for me as I intend to shoot a lot of my film with a Letus Elite DoF adapter. Trouble is, I will probably end up doing a lot of shoulder mounted shots and was thinking of buying the Redrock Shoulder Mount found here Redrock microshouldermount for 35mm adapters

Now I've realised I need a mounted monitor with the shoulder mount, so should have held off buying the Sony DVP-820 until I resolved what rigs I planned to have!!! Such is life, the Sony is too heavy to mount on the rig no doubt. May have to send that back.

Anyone know of a good monitor I can actually mount on a shoulder mount rig, that will allow me to achieve critical focus?

Chris