cheap lcd monitor for back focusing, possibly more functions
 

I'm wondering if it would be a terrible idea to use a component to VGA cable adapter to plug the component output of a 200u into a 17 inch wide screen lcd monitor. Would the quality be ok?

Anything is better than the on board LCD or EVF. It'd also be good for framing and composition.

Thank you. Does anyone have any experience with the Varizom TFT7 wide screen? It isn't HD, but it does claim to be able to "zoom", I wonder if that might help a bit?

Avoid any LCD monitor that doesn't have HD resolution. The zoom on the Varizoom might help but I haven't seen it in action. Maybe there'll be one on display at the upcoming HD show. The LCD zoom in Panasonic HVX200 cameras helps but is poorly implemented.

I've used 480 resolution LCD monitors on a few shoots and quite frankly you are better off sticking with the LCD and "Focal Assist". These low res monitors are good for composition and letting the producer see the shot but focus is really tough.

Check this thread on HD LCD monitors:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/sdtv-hdtv...-monitors.html

Hmm. Can I connect it to a laptop via fiewire and use something like Vegas Pro do help with this?