2006Monitors forum
Selecting HD-SDI compatible field monitors for Steadicam work
20 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- The Panasonic BT-LH900 has poor outdoor visibility due to insufficient brightness and high screen reflectivity, limiting its practical use to studio environments.
- Marshall and Teletest monitors were recommended as alternatives, with Teletest offering features like image flip, multiple aspect ratios, Anton Bauer mounting, and anti-reflective glass.
- The Archer monitor and Tiffen Ultrabrite were noted as exceptionally bright monitors suitable for direct sunlight work, though the Ultrabrite uses 4:3 aspect ratio rather than widescreen.
- No single HD-SDI monitor was found to have all input types necessary to work with all professional camera models.
- Downconverters like the AJA HD10MD3 offer a lower-cost alternative to dedicated HD monitors, converting HD-SDI to standard definition while introducing slight delay, and can be rented to productions.
- Downconverters work by converting 1080p24 to 59.94 Hz output and can be formatted for either 4:3 or 16:9 standard definition monitors.
- All HD monitors and downconverters introduce some amount of delay, which can affect timing perception in fieldwork.
- The Hummingbird monitor's exposure perception changes significantly with viewing angle shifts of plus or minus a couple of stops.
Depends on
- Discussion occurred in 2006, so current monitor availability and technology may differ.
- Some mentioned products had availability delays or were not yet released at the time of discussion.
- The focus is on Steadicam operator requirements, which may not apply equally to other HD monitoring situations.
- Pricing information provided is from 2006 and no longer current.
- One participant noted that Teletest did not manufacture HD monitors at that time, contradicting another recommendation.