Color accurate on-camera LCDs? at DVinfo.net

Marco Leavitt · July 26th, 2007, 07:49 AM

Do any exist? Not so concerned about resolution. Is Nebtek or Marshall my best bet? Apologies if this has been covered, but an archive search seems to turn up mainly posts regarding resolution.

TingSern Wong · July 26th, 2007, 11:12 AM

How about the Panasonic BT-LH80W? The colours look very good to me - very accurate. Only problem is the "on camera" aspect. The monitor is quite large - and on the heavy side ... so, mounting it on camera means the larger ones (those using 2/3" CCD) ... for the smaller cameras using 1/3" CCD (for example, HVX202) - that monitor will prove to be a bit too big.

Marco Leavitt · July 26th, 2007, 11:14 AM

Yeah, that'd be the one I'd get, but I'm trying to keep this under $1,000.

TingSern Wong · July 26th, 2007, 11:19 AM

Hee hee ... your original post didn't have any $$$$ value at all. So, I just recommend the one I have - which I found it extremely good.

Marco Leavitt · July 26th, 2007, 11:47 AM

Lucky you. How useful is the waveform monitor? Is it large enough read practically? Also, would you feel confident doing color correction on this monitor.

TingSern Wong · July 26th, 2007, 12:10 PM

I just use the waveform monitor as a guide to correct exposure. Most of the time, it is just too small for any useful work. And when you are filming, can't pay too much attention to the waveform monitor (framing is far more important in that aspect).

I do find the 'focus in red' function extremely useful. The HVX202 LCD (both the viewfinder and the swing out) are simply not sharp enough to tell where the critical point of focus are. Using BT-LH80W just simply eliminate any guesswork where the lens is focusing upon. Of course, if your camera is a B&W TV monitor (as opposed to a LCD) - then this "focus in red" might be redundant for you.

Colour correction? I use a HVX202 (PAL version) - and the manual tweaks to the colour while filming is limited. However, I have a Panasonic BT-LH1700W (the larger brother of the 8" monitor) - which is basically a broadcast grade monitor. I output to both 80W and 1700W the same video (from Canopus NX - via component output) and found both of them are pretty much the same quality (in terms of colour accuracy).

So - if you have a better camera which allows you to do basic colour correction while filming, I think the 8" LCD will allow you a pretty accurate view of what the camera is capturing - and you can change the colour in real time (thus saving the considerable expense of doing that in post).

July 26th, 2007, 07:49 AM	#1
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	Color accurate on-camera LCDs? Do any exist? Not so concerned about resolution. Is Nebtek or Marshall my best bet? Apologies if this has been covered, but an archive search seems to turn up mainly posts regarding resolution.

July 26th, 2007, 11:12 AM	#2
TingSern Wong Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Singapore, Rep of SINGAPORE Posts: 749	How about the Panasonic BT-LH80W? The colours look very good to me - very accurate. Only problem is the "on camera" aspect. The monitor is quite large - and on the heavy side ... so, mounting it on camera means the larger ones (those using 2/3" CCD) ... for the smaller cameras using 1/3" CCD (for example, HVX202) - that monitor will prove to be a bit too big.

July 26th, 2007, 11:14 AM	#3
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	Yeah, that'd be the one I'd get, but I'm trying to keep this under $1,000.

July 26th, 2007, 11:19 AM	#4
TingSern Wong Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Singapore, Rep of SINGAPORE Posts: 749	Hee hee ... your original post didn't have any $$$$ value at all. So, I just recommend the one I have - which I found it extremely good.

July 26th, 2007, 11:47 AM	#5
Marco Leavitt Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Albany, NY 12210 Posts: 2,652	Lucky you. How useful is the waveform monitor? Is it large enough read practically? Also, would you feel confident doing color correction on this monitor.

July 26th, 2007, 12:10 PM	#6
TingSern Wong Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Singapore, Rep of SINGAPORE Posts: 749	I just use the waveform monitor as a guide to correct exposure. Most of the time, it is just too small for any useful work. And when you are filming, can't pay too much attention to the waveform monitor (framing is far more important in that aspect). I do find the 'focus in red' function extremely useful. The HVX202 LCD (both the viewfinder and the swing out) are simply not sharp enough to tell where the critical point of focus are. Using BT-LH80W just simply eliminate any guesswork where the lens is focusing upon. Of course, if your camera is a B&W TV monitor (as opposed to a LCD) - then this "focus in red" might be redundant for you. Colour correction? I use a HVX202 (PAL version) - and the manual tweaks to the colour while filming is limited. However, I have a Panasonic BT-LH1700W (the larger brother of the 8" monitor) - which is basically a broadcast grade monitor. I output to both 80W and 1700W the same video (from Canopus NX - via component output) and found both of them are pretty much the same quality (in terms of colour accuracy). So - if you have a better camera which allows you to do basic colour correction while filming, I think the 8" LCD will allow you a pretty accurate view of what the camera is capturing - and you can change the colour in real time (thus saving the considerable expense of doing that in post).