2008Steadi-Newbies forum
Adding crosshairs to a Steadicam monitor when the camera does not output them to an external display
18 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
DisputedParticipants disagreed and reached no conclusion. Read the findings as positions, not as an answer.
What the thread found
- A frameliner is a tool designed to provide on-screen reference marks for Steadicam work.
- Clear polyester sheets can be printed with crosshairs and framelines, then taped over an external monitor to provide removable reference guides.
- A grease pencil or china marker can be applied lightly directly to an LCD screen to create framelines and removed easily afterward.
- Laser transparency sheets can be printed with custom overlays including crosshairs and aspect ratio guides, then placed over a monitor.
- Crosshairs are useful as a learning aid for beginners to maintain level framing while developing camera control.
- Crosshairs provide a helpful reference for precise framing tasks such as matching eyelines in dialogue, positioning elements in visual effects shots, and composing point-of-view sequences.
- Different operators have different preferences regarding on-screen displays, with some finding them essential and others preferring minimal visual clutter.
Depends on
- The Sony Z1U HDV camera discussed outputs crosshairs only to its built-in LCD screen, not to an external Steadicam monitor.
- Clear polyester overlays perform poorly outdoors due to glare issues.
- Some operators report finding crosshairs useful only for specific shots rather than as a permanent on-screen element.
- The thread discusses mainly older video camera technology from the mid-2000s.