Hi Ryan,

Sorry for the delay in responding I was shooting a job with no internet coverage.

I have not upgraded monitors yet. I purchased a Hoodman cover for the 70 and it helps but still would like to have a brighter monitor with better resolution. But that will not happen for a least a month since I am flat out shooting and editing, and spending my research time on buying new glass for the 350. The Swit and 651 are still in my sights and I will test both.

Hey Paul - definitely no problem and no apology necessary - I just thought I'd check in. Shooting and editing non-stop is a good thing. :)

I've been thinking about the decision myself as I just finished shooting a short project that I wish I had a monitor for (used the EX1's LCD) and on top of that something akin to the 651's super-bright display. I had to have an assistant or the AD provide cover for my eyes while shooting outside because I didn't have a hood or anything else with me. I might have some funds freeing up towards the end of the month that I could put towards this purchase so it's a possibility.

I'd really like the 651 but the $1600 price tag really hits me compared to the ~$1000 price tag of the 70P + $70 hood. Yes, resolution would be nice but I don't think it's the key piece with the peaking being available - if resolution was the only thing I cared about I'd already be looking at the SmallHD since I'm looking for the HDMI option for the 7D. So the question I have to answer for 651 vs. 70P is whether the resolution and brightness is worth the additional $500. Hopefully you can help me answer that question. :)

As for the Swit, I noticed it's quite nice and priced very close to the 651 but not seeing a US reseller in a quick Google search. Additionally, the peaking is only available via SDI per Piotr's note, and for me that's a deal-killer since I really need the peaking for the 7D anyway. If that doesn't work, I'm back again purely to resolution and could get by with the SmallHD option or something similar...

Decisions, decisions... :)

Now back on the grid.

Agree peaking is very important to me since it is so hard to see the small LCD in my EX1 or EX350 at times. And SDI is not a problem for me since the 7d is not producing the image quality that is acceptable for my type of shooting. I mostly use the 7d for stills if needed or simple locked down shots if the other cameras are not with me.

So the 651 or Swit will work for me if they are worth the upgrade.

US Swit purchase is: Portable LCD Monitors

Hey Guys, great discussion.

I too bought a Marshall 70p sdi monitor to go with my EX1 and have been very pleased. Unfortunately / fortunately I have added a 5Dm2 to my kit and now need a HDMI monitor. Resolution & Peaking, both to assist in nailing the focus, are my prime buying concerns although false color was cool as well.

Anyway, is selling my Marshall 70p and buying a Marshall 651 the best way to go or are there other better options?

as always,
thanks in advance

For me what's interesting, or challenging I guess, is that the big selling point of the 651 over the 70P is resolution and it's TFT (super bright) display. If it was just resolution, I'd be picking up the 70P instead as the resolution doesn't mean as much to me - and the peaking takes care of that. However, it would appear that the TFT is a pretty big deal.

That said, one option is to run an HDMI->SDI converter from the 5D into the 70P:

AJA | HA5 HDMI to SD/HD-SDI Video and Audio Converter | HA5

The problem is that it requires a power source, and I don't know enough about the options there to say if you can run it from a AB battery or something or if it requires a plug into a 120V source to work property (you have to buy the power adapter as well for some reason, which leads me to believe that you have some other options for power than just the wall source).

Honestly, I'd much prefer to have an SDI output from my EX1 into the 70P or 651 than the component cables, but there's no camera-mount Marshall that I could see (or any monitor, actually) that has both HDMI and SDI in a single unit that gives me that option. So either I get an SDI monitor for primary use with my EX1 and use something like the AJA to convert my 7D into SDI, or I get an HDMI-based Marshall and use component out of the EX1 to the monitor, not requiring another adapter in between. My guess is the latter is the way to go and is probably where I end up, but other thoughts are welcome... :)

Hey Ryan, good talking with you off line the other day. I checked with B&H today and they said the AJA unit should make my Marshall 70p work for both my EX1 and my Canon 5dM2. Whipping out the credit card now - we'll see how this goes :)

cheers

Nice! I was sure it was going to work from the 5D to the 70P, but my question was about how to power the AJA since it doesn't come with a power supply included. How is it powered if you don't buy their power supply?

Ryan, the Ikan VX9 and VX7 both support HDSDI and HDMI among other sources.

I'm waiting for more user reviews on the new Ikans as the old Ikans were pretty poor substitutes for high end monitoring.

That's what I'd heard as well - and I got an e-mail from Ikan about their new offerings being unveiled at NAB. That said, SmallHD sent a similar e-mail about their new 5.6" (if I recall) LCD under one pound, and it has HDMI (as it's built primarily for DSLR video work) and an option for SDI. I had a problem with a battery from SmallHD and those guys not only took care of that problem quickly and with very little hassle on my end, but they're doing right by their existing customers and throwing us a bone for the trouble. THAT goes a really long way in my view (excuse the terrible pun) so I will be looking at their new LCD offering... can't wait to see pricing next week.

If SmallHD offers a 7-9 inch with HDSDI and HDMI I would place my order today, I'd be willing to pay $1300 for something like that due to SmallHD's great reputation and warranty. I really want to avoid the Ikan due to their history and lack of user reviews.

SmallHD, if you are reading this it would be cool if you intergrated the HDSDI in to Component out conversion too, since the Ikan does it. This way I can use the SmallHD as a DP monitor and cross convert the HDSDI to component and use my DELL 2408 as a 24" client monitor.