I couldn't resist to say "Newly Invented Technology" .. sorry

NIT is a measurement of screen brightness. NIT refers to the Latin word nitere, which means sparkle. It's a measurement of illumination. The formula for the NIT cd/m, or candelas per-meter-squared. The reason this is important is that some manufacturers list brightness specs in NITs, while others, reference cd/m. They're the same.

Jeff

Interesting. . . (copied from a tech site)

Don't be fooled - The standard by which manufacturers rate the brightness of their displays is called a "nit" (candelas per square meter). Don't be fooled by relying solely on nit rating claims! First of all, most manufacturers simply cite the nit rating of the backlighting unit. They typically fail to mention that coatings, screens, films, and protective faceplates all significantly reduce the amount of light that passes through and that their actual nit rating is often far less than claimed.

Those manufacturers that bother to report nit readings at the display's surface may reference only the very brightest part of the screen, even if it's a relatively tiny area of just a few pixels and not representative of the entire screen. Moreover, beware of manufacturers that simply want to draw comparisons using nit ratings alone - these same manufacturers rarely understand or want to discuss the vital role contrast ratio plays in sunlight viewability. Nit ratings are by no means the full story when choosing a display.....

Yes, the combination of NIT and contrast ratings give a more complete evaluation of the screens usability in bright conditions,

Jeff

Dont be fooled by contrast either. Most monitor company's take their contrast reading at what's known as an "optimized viewing angle". In the end you should look for the best specs possible and then see how they look for yourself. Nothing says it better than seeing it in "action".
As far as picture goes the NEB50XL should fit all of your needs. Yes the modified Panasonic has all the "toys", including more pixels, higher brightness and a "buttload" of image tweaking... ie, hue, saturation, contrast, etc. Is it worth the extra money?
If you need the absolute best image possible without stepping up to HD and are shooting in 16:9... yes. If you need a good solid image with 4:3 only... no.

Hey Rob!
Good to see you here. It was good talking with you yesterday. Am sending my Panny out your way!

Thanks Ken!
I don't like to post too often, unless there is something I can help with or there is information to be shared. For obvious reasons my opinions may be looked at as biased, and I like to remain as impartial as possible.

Rob. . .
I appreciate your answer. I understand that many may find you biased, however you seem to have answered quite objectively.
You speak of your model against the Panasonic, however you don't speak of lower models from other companies. For instance the Marshall and Varizoom 5.6" monitors - how do they compare to the Nebtek. At $370 for the "ultimate kit" (which Chris recommends), the varizoom is a lot cheaper (and Marshall roughly equivalent). What exactly are the practical differences in these monitors. (I no longer trust the specs!)
Again, I thank you for your help, as you are obviously quite qualified in this field.
Jim

Hi Jim...
Don't forget that Chris also recommends our NEB50XL in his "Top Five Must Have Accessories List".
I'll freely compare our NEB50XL to Panasonic because we are a Panasonic value added reseller (our NEB70XL uses the TC7-WMS1 as it's base model). It's like comparing "apples to apples".
However, it is interesting that you should choose these two companies. We in fact compare the reflectivity of both of those monitors to our monitor in our product brochure, page 2- top(http://www.nebtek.com./tests.html).
The most glaring difference is our Li-battery adapter which allows you to power our monitor using your existing CANON batteries (a major consideration considering the XL1/1S does not offer a 12V output). We also use an anti-glare/anti-reflective Primeview module, one of the best high contrast TFT/LCD screens available.
I won't tell you that we have the better picture (that's only my opinion and has no value), it's a judgement you have to make.
We have a 30 day return policy if you would like to demo one of our units to see how it will work for you.
In the end it's all about finding the best value for the money...