How To Ditch Your Video Camera’s Tiny LCD Screen
Ever get tired or frustrated trying to shoot video using your camera’s tiny LCD screen? Or ever get annoyed by people huddling around your camera’s tiny LCD screen, trying to see what you’re shooting or watch what you’ve shot?
Plugging a bigger screen into your camera, which solves these issues, is very simple. Problem is, most people go the wrong route with grossly overpriced equipment.
Specifically, they’ll use field monitors, which are portable monitors that plug into your video camera and give you a bigger screen to look at. Many field monitors can sit on top of your camera and some even run off of batteries.
The gotcha is the cost. The cheapest field monitors, like this one, cost $200-$300. And the best ones, like this one, cost well over $1,000. But no matter the price, when you actually look at what you’re getting for your money, field monitors tend to be a rip-off (unless you’re a professional production studio that relies on them daily).
A far better alternative for the average web video producer is a simple LED monitor. This would be the same type of monitor you use with your computer. Say for example, like this one.
LED monitors are pretty inexpensive. They are super thin and light weight. They have big screens. They use little power. And they provide excellent image quality. Which makes them a great choice to use as a monitor for your video camera.
Plus, when you’re not using an LED monitor with your camera, you can use it as the monitor (or second monitor) for your computer.
The only gotcha is you’ll need an LED monitor with an HDMI port. And your camera will need an HDMI port too. Without these HDMI ports, you won’t be able to connect your camera to an LED monitor.
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Dave, Can you set up an iPad as a monitor?
@Marlene – No you cannot. iPad 2′s can output certain video to external monitors using Apple’s Digital AV adaptor, but as of yet you can’t use an iPad as a video input device.
Dave you have missed an even less expensive and more versatile solution.I purchased a portable DVD player with a 10 inch screen for $100. It’s easy to carry, runs on its own battery and will take a composite video input from my older camcorder. Works great and looks as professional as monitors many times more expensive.
I used a Haier .. either 7″ or Haier HLT10 10.2-Inch. The units have a rechargeable battery in them and sell for either 65 dollars or 139 dollars (for the bigger unit). They plug right into my older composite cables and even have a little stand. Work perfectly .. and when you’re not using them, they’re great by the pool as they have a built in tuner and pick up all the hi-def stations over the air.
I bought the 65 dollar unit as a fluke … said .. well I won’t lose so much if it’s junk.
It became one of my favorite and most useful purchases.
By the way Dave, what’s your camera of choice nowadays when you shoot these
Thanks Dave.
videos? I’m sure you now have an arsenal of the latest gear including some of
the hot models of last year now are now becoming obsolete. I know because
I do. And sometimes, ignoring my $3,500 Sony, My Canon DSLR and I use my
trusty pocket Kodak ZI8 I bought off ebay for 92 bucks, with a little 29 dollar
audio-tech lavalier, picture quality (at least on youtube), blows away the
expensive units and it’s just so darn easy to use. Thanks again. Your
blog as the gentleman before me said, is one of the best things on the internet.
I see you’ve moved your new posting days from Friday … Now … what am
I going to do on Fridays!
@Gadabout – Thanks for the compliments…I currently use a Canon XF100 and Canon 60D to shoot videos.
Great tips and info..where can I buy inexpensive and really simple video edit software?
Troy in Texas
Avid Studio from Best Buy- 129 or 99 on sale. Dave did a review earlier:
http://webvideouniversity.com/podcast/video/2011/04/15/video-review-of-avid-studio-wvu-124/
I like it better than sony vegas.
Sony Vegas Movie .. or use the built in program in either windows or mac.
The Best, is to simply review Dave’s Earlier Videos … He’ll tell you everything
you need to know .. without the fat.
Hey, Dan. Great tips above. You may have missed one. I saw a guy using his iPad to take photos at Mariposa Grove, Californa (where the giant Sequoias are). I was immediately impressed that you could see large photos of what you had just taken, as the photo took up the whole screen. The size of the photo seemed even larger than what the eye saw (an illusion?) You could marvel at the unseen details in the scenery before you via the medium of the iPad. Have you thought of using an iPad to take video? The guy I saw had a bracket down the side of his ipad so he could grip it easily. The guy spoke a foreign language and I assume he was an overseas tourists, just like I was.
@Usuff – As of yet, iPad’s cannot be used as external monitors for other devices. But they are great for viewing photos, particularly if you use the Apple Camera Connection kit and import photos from a good DSLR. iPad’s can shoot videos and photos but the camera quality is not so good…lower than even cheap pocket cameras. But here’s a video showing how to make videos on an iPad:
http://webvideouniversity.com/podcast/video/2011/04/29/how-to-make-videos-on-an-ipad/
I note that the Kodak Zi8 has a mini-HDMI port! Going to test it on my 23″ Acer LED Monitor that has a standard HDMI port. Thanks for the idea!
For video editing software, you should investigate Cyberlink’s PowerDirector 10 Ultra. I just received a copy and will be trying it shortly. The PC Magazine review last month said it was the fastest video editing software as far as rendering. Feature set is similar to Sony Vegas Movie and Avid Studio, which I have both. But the ability of PowerDirector to benefit from the video card graphics processing unit (GPU) appears to put it ahead of the others as far as rendering, which is what can really suck up time waiting.
Dave, would you consider looking at PowerDirector 10 and letting us know your perspective?
Thanks!
Hey Dave,
Really love what you’re doing… been on your list for a while and you’ve got to be one of the most consistent polished video guys on the web. Always trying new stuff and making helpful videos.
Super solid, appreciate it.
Dave Jenyns
Ps. I don’t really mind the smaller screen from our Cannon 60D… but that’s just me.
Dave, Can you recommend a good over-the-counter pc brand or set up to run sony vegas and avid studio? I’ve really had it trying to convert to Apple. It has taken away 2 years of productivity.
This unit allows me to connect my camera to an HDMI screen as
I have an older camera – http://www.smallhd.com/site/home.html
hey dave,
i’m looking for a monitor for my camera and am considering one of the small monitors for when i shoot outdoors. i would love to have a bigger led monitor but for outside shooting i have no where to plug it in. is there an led monitor i can use outside? i’m considering the small one because the run on batteries is there a comparable monitor i can get?