Creative field monitor? Affordable? at DVinfo.net

James Palanza · February 27th, 2012, 06:52 PM

So, has anyone managed to discover any affordable methods for monitoring this thing in the field when pulling focus? A monitor small enough to fit on like a DSLR square rig. I don't see how I could ever pull focus on my gh2 at arms length out of just the view finder lol

I heard this

LILLIPUT 667GL Small 7'' HD Monitor, LILLIPUT 667GL On-camera HD Field Monitor : COOLLCD.com

but i don't know if thats going to be any good, or any other alternatives exist.

Don Litten · February 27th, 2012, 07:33 PM

I have one and like it...like, not love. It is nice enough to pull focus but if I didn't mind paying more, it wouldn't be my first choice. I haven't tried it on the GH2 yet but it works fine on the Canons and even the GoPro's.

The better but more expensive choice would be the new Lilliput 7" 5D-II-O-P.

Chris Duczynski · February 27th, 2012, 08:33 PM

I've got a Lilliput as well, the 7" and agree, it's OK as long as youre not using it for colour reference and exact levels. Marshall is a way better choice, but you're paying for it.
I also use the Varavon Loupe with support swing arm which I really like. It's great for daylight viewing and you don't have a monitor stuck on the top of your camera making it heavier and less flexible.

Don Litten · February 28th, 2012, 02:05 AM

I couldn't agree more Chris.
I use the loupe far more often than the monitor.

With the 7D, I really didn't have a lot of choice since the LCD back was the only option in video (Without a monitor).

That's a nice feature with the GH2, the eyepiece works in either video or stills.but I 'm using the Loup on it also and with primes, it's a big help.

The problem with the field monitors is that by the time I get a shotgun mic, H4n, monitor and depending on lighting, an LED Panel, all on the rig necessary to old it all, I've lost the advantage of a light, fast handling camera. Looks good but I miss a lot of shots too.

Andrew Rowe · February 28th, 2012, 05:51 AM

Bear in mind that a lot of these monitors only have a resolution of 840*480, which is about the same resolution as the GH2's LCD and consequently won't be of an advantage for focus (unless they have peaking).

The GH2's EVF has around three times that resolution, but obviously isn't practical if you are using a shoulder rig or similar. I had a look at various options recently and unless you want to pay out more than you spent on the camera itself, the only monitor I've found is the Lilliput 5D-ii OP already mentioned above.

This subject gets discussed a lot on other DV info forums, but mainly in a Canon DSLR context. Since the GH2 has a decent EVF and half-decent LCD, our needs are slightly different, but it seems to me that you really need a full-on 1920*1080 monitor to focus accurately on such a large sensor unless your subject AND camera are both static (e.g. an interview), in which case you can use the focus assist. Otherwise it's educated guesswork.

As ever, there's a balance between pimping up your GH2, and just buying a conventional camcorder...

February 27th, 2012, 06:52 PM	#1
James Palanza Major Player Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 310	Creative field monitor? Affordable? So, has anyone managed to discover any affordable methods for monitoring this thing in the field when pulling focus? A monitor small enough to fit on like a DSLR square rig. I don't see how I could ever pull focus on my gh2 at arms length out of just the view finder lol I heard this LILLIPUT 667GL Small 7'' HD Monitor, LILLIPUT 667GL On-camera HD Field Monitor : COOLLCD.com but i don't know if thats going to be any good, or any other alternatives exist.

February 27th, 2012, 07:33 PM	#2
Don Litten Major Player Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Richmond Va Posts: 400	Re: Creative field monitor? Affordable? I have one and like it...like, not love. It is nice enough to pull focus but if I didn't mind paying more, it wouldn't be my first choice. I haven't tried it on the GH2 yet but it works fine on the Canons and even the GoPro's. The better but more expensive choice would be the new Lilliput 7" 5D-II-O-P.

February 27th, 2012, 08:33 PM	#3
Chris Duczynski Major Player Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: sydney Posts: 304	Re: Creative field monitor? Affordable? I've got a Lilliput as well, the 7" and agree, it's OK as long as youre not using it for colour reference and exact levels. Marshall is a way better choice, but you're paying for it. I also use the Varavon Loupe with support swing arm which I really like. It's great for daylight viewing and you don't have a monitor stuck on the top of your camera making it heavier and less flexible.

February 28th, 2012, 02:05 AM	#4
Don Litten Major Player Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Richmond Va Posts: 400	Re: Creative field monitor? Affordable? I couldn't agree more Chris. I use the loupe far more often than the monitor. With the 7D, I really didn't have a lot of choice since the LCD back was the only option in video (Without a monitor). That's a nice feature with the GH2, the eyepiece works in either video or stills.but I 'm using the Loup on it also and with primes, it's a big help. The problem with the field monitors is that by the time I get a shotgun mic, H4n, monitor and depending on lighting, an LED Panel, all on the rig necessary to old it all, I've lost the advantage of a light, fast handling camera. Looks good but I miss a lot of shots too.

February 28th, 2012, 05:51 AM	#5
Andrew Rowe Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: London, UK Posts: 39	Re: Creative field monitor? Affordable? Bear in mind that a lot of these monitors only have a resolution of 840480, which is about the same resolution as the GH2's LCD and consequently won't be of an advantage for focus (unless they have peaking). The GH2's EVF has around three times that resolution, but obviously isn't practical if you are using a shoulder rig or similar. I had a look at various options recently and unless you want to pay out more than you spent on the camera itself, the only monitor I've found is the Lilliput 5D-ii OP already mentioned above. This subject gets discussed a lot on other DV info forums, but mainly in a Canon DSLR context. Since the GH2 has a decent EVF and half-decent LCD, our needs are slightly different, but it seems to me that you really need a full-on 19201080 monitor to focus accurately on such a large sensor unless your subject AND camera are both static (e.g. an interview), in which case you can use the focus assist. Otherwise it's educated guesswork. As ever, there's a balance between pimping up your GH2, and just buying a conventional camcorder...