Which Monitor

[Necktie Boy]

Hi Everyone,

Just wondering what monitor are being used in the field. The Panasonic monitors were the popular ones, but with many different companies making monitors, which ones are being used? On camera? Producer monitor?

Thanks

 

[Run&Gun]

I have amassed a collection of over half a dozen HD monitors in the seven or so years I've been shooting HD.

Panasonic:
BT-LH900A. My first HD monitor and the defacto portable HD field monitor at the time and for many years. I still have it, but I haven't used it personally in a few years, now. One of my friends still takes it out on shoots when he rents my gear.

BT-LH1710. My first large HD field monitor. Again, at the time it was "The" large HD field monitor.

BT-LH910. I ordered it as soon as I found out about it. In fact I was probably one of the first to take delivery of this model. Great monitor and very good picture, especially considering it's LCD. Although I don't use it as much as I used to, I still would not hesitate to highly recommend it to anyone that asked. Like all Panasonic field monitors, it's very well designed. Sony still has not caught up to Panny with regards to field monitor design(not talking image/picture quality).

Sony:
PVM-1741. My first large OLED monitor and THE monitor I use on multi camera sit-downs or when there is time even on longer single camera ones. LCD should be replaced with OLED. PERIOD. This monitor is why my Panny 17" just sits in it's case unless I'm on a crazy shoot and we need a lot of monitors, but the picture is judged and cameras matched with the Sony. As I mentioned above about field monitor design, Sony is still behind Panny and this monitor, even with it's great picture, is no exception. It still feels like it'd be more at home in a studio or edit bay than the field.

smallHD:
DP6 (x2). I bought them as on-camera and very small/light field monitors. Great for framing and focus, but the color is pretty much just ballpark.

DP7-PRO-OLED-SX. Bad @$$ and great picture. This monitor is why I don't use the Panny 910 that much anymore. Insane amount of features(that are constantly being updated via firmware updates), touchscreen interface(along with physical wheels for control on the corners), VERY lightweight and compact, oh and did I mention a great OLED picture? I can't recommend this monitor highly enough. I love it. And if you really want it dialed in, AbelCine offers calibration on it and a lot of other monitors like the Sony OLED's, now. I tried to calibrate my Sony when I first got it and because OLED screens are truly black, my meter could not read it. I guess with OLED being out on the market for a while now, software and meters have been updated to handle it.

 

[Flaca Productions]

I have a BTLH910 as well - used to have two of them, actually. if it had more than one SDI input, that would be great, but i put a gefen 4x1 sdi switcher in front of it and all is well. i'd still recommend these monitors, too. very simple interface and very durable.

My main monitor is a JVC DT-V17G1Z and i'm pretty happy with it. great stand, good colors, some nice features.

i'm strongly considering the convergent design Odyssey 7Q as a replacement for the Panny 910. I've had one in my hands and it's a great looking monitor with the advantage of being a recorder when/if needed. great price as well considering all the features.

 

[Skipcam]

Flanders Scientific

I have a couple of the Pannys, including the 17 inch one that everybody seems to have. It's built like a tank and holds up well in the field. I have gone to a 21 inch field monitor made by a company here in suburban Atlanta with great customer service. Take a look at Flanders Scientific. I have their LM-2140 model. Light weight, low power and great picture. I love it.

http://www.flandersscientific.com/index/

 

[Flaca Productions]

I always think the Panny 17's look green but have to agree with Skip - the Flanders are beautiful.

 

[Ken]

Yeah, I sold my green Panny 17" a few years back and got a 17" Flanders. Excellent monitor that I'm very happy with. Just recently used a Sony OLED. Blacks are very black. I didn't feel comfortable with it because I'm just not used to that look. I'll stick with the Flanders for now!

 

[Run&Gun]

Ken, OLED IS a change from what we're all used to with LCD panels. My two most used monitors now are both OLED, the smallHD DP7PRO and the Sony 1741. Now that they are able to calibrate OLED at AbelCine, I'm thinking about sending them in to be done, especially since I use the 17" for matching cameras on multi-cam shoots. The Sony is designed so that you can do it yourself, but I don't have a meter that is compatible with it.

 

[Necktie Boy]

Thanks for the feedback. The Flanders are very nice. I think I will go with the SmallHD OLED version.

Thanks!