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Matt Thomas June 29th, 2011 07:35 AM

Budget Monitor for 550D (UK)
 
Just wondered what would a decent budget monitor be for the 550D? I've not really got much of a budget for a monitor but I need something that will basically help with my framing and focusing.

From what I've seen if you use a HDMI monitor the screen resolution will change a lot due to the way the camera changes resolution when recording and that. So would a HD monitor really be necessary with a 550D?

Thanks for any replies, Matt

Nick Gordon June 29th, 2011 01:47 PM

Re: Budget Monitor for 550D (UK)
 
What about something like this


Amazon have some others in a similar rang

Matt Thomas June 29th, 2011 03:09 PM

Re: Budget Monitor for 550D (UK)
 
Yeah, that seems the only main budget option. Thanks

James Donnelly June 29th, 2011 06:20 PM

Re: Budget Monitor for 550D (UK)
 
That model is native 800x480 native, which is fine, but despite being HDMI enabled, won't give you much more resolution (if any) than a 800x480 panel connected via the composite output.

There seems to be a surge in 800x480 panels lately at cheap prices. If you want real budget, I bought a monitor from Chinavasion for about £45 shipped. I had to wire in my own 12v power supply curtesy of a maplin lead acid battery, but it does work quite well.

7 Inch HD LCD monitor - In-Car Headrest or Stand.

Nigel Barker June 29th, 2011 11:28 PM

Re: Budget Monitor for 550D (UK)
 
I have one of the cheap Lilliput HDMI monitors & it's great for what it is but I hardly ever use it. The reason is that it is adding a lot of bulk & unless you are committed to a big rig with rails & follow focus etc then I prefer to use the camera as naked as possible for flexibility & speed.

A loupe is a good alternative to using a monitor for framing & focusing & also helps with stabilising the camera by adding a 3rd point of contact. This loupe is great value at just £39.95 delivered New LCD viewfinder For Canon 7D 5D Mark II | eBay UK I just bought a couple of these & the optics are great & it has a dioptre adjustment. That listing says that it is just for the 5DII & 7D but there is another listing from a seller in Hong Kong who says that this loupe also fits the Canon DSLRS with the 3" 3:2 ratio screen (such as Canon 550D, 600D, 60D, etc.) but that you will lose around 1mm for left and right side. GGS LCD Viewfinder Loupes 3X For 7D 5DII 550D 600D ab41 | eBay UK I can confirm this as I just tried one of my loupes on my 600D.

Matt Thomas June 30th, 2011 06:50 AM

Re: Budget Monitor for 550D (UK)
 
I do have a loupe, it's just if I want to shoot anything low or high angled I can't use it and I can't hardly see the screen without it as well.

That's interesting James, Is the picture quality good enough for focusing and framing?

Nigel Barker June 30th, 2011 07:00 AM

Re: Budget Monitor for 550D (UK)
 
The solution for shooting low or high angled is to sell the 550D & add to the money you get for that to what you would spend on a monitor & buy yourself a 600D. The articulated screen is very handy.

Matt Thomas June 30th, 2011 10:32 AM

Re: Budget Monitor for 550D (UK)
 
I don't think Magic Lantern is out for the 600D yet is it? Because I use that all the time on my 550. I may just buy a second camera - Kiss X5 (600D) and forget about a monitor.

Nigel Barker June 30th, 2011 11:19 AM

Re: Budget Monitor for 550D (UK)
 
I've been shooting with the 5DII for a couple of years without Magic Lantern so don't miss not having it on the 600D. Aside from the articulated screen the 3X HD crop mode is very useful firstly because it gives you a free telephoto lens but also because the moire & aliasing is vastly reduced as the sensor isn't line skipping. So if it were a problem with a particularly tricky subject you can switch to the crop mode.

James Donnelly June 30th, 2011 03:23 PM

Re: Budget Monitor for 550D (UK)
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Thomas (Post 1663185)
I do have a loupe, it's just if I want to shoot anything low or high angled I can't use it and I can't hardly see the screen without it as well.

That's interesting James, Is the picture quality good enough for focusing and framing?

Not as sharp as the LCD with a loupe by any means. The liliput has HDMI in, so I'm guessing it loses less sharpness. It has decent saturation, contrast and viewing angle compared to the lower res cheap car monitors. Good enough for framing, and handy for low shots.

One thing you can't do with the 600d screen is mount the camera to the bottom of a steadycam and the screen to the top for moving ground level shots. It was worth the money just for that for me, because that's what I bought it for. Also, I do personally use a shoulder mount, and it's more comfortable to shoot without needing to be so close to the monitor. Suprisingly well made, and it has a 1/4 thread for a hot shoe mount.

Alas, ML has some issues in overlay placement with external monitors, although I have reason to believe this might be getting resolved quite soon :) If and when I can use the focus assistance in ML on the monitor, it will be possible to use it for focus

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker (Post 1663113)
GGS LCD Viewfinder Loupes 3X For 7D 5DII 550D 600D ab41 | eBay UK I can confirm this as I just tried one of my loupes on my 600D.

I have the GGS, and I absolutely love it, especially for the money!

Rusty Rogers July 6th, 2011 08:43 AM

Re: Budget Monitor for 550D (UK)
 
I bought a pair of Lilliputs from CoolLCD.com
COOLLCD - Small HD LCD Monitor, On-Camera LCD Field Monitor for HD Camera
Decent quality and a huge battery saver when on tripod.


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