What’s So Special About SmallHD’s New 5 Inch Monitor?

Although NAB is still a few weeks away, manufacturers are already flooding our inboxes with new product announcements. One that caught our eye is the new monitor (or what will be a series of new monitors) from SmallHD.

Monitoring solutions are something we follow pretty closely here, and there really haven’t been to many innovations in monitoring business in the past few years. Beyond swappable battery plates and multiple inputs, the market has proven pretty stale with monitor/recorders from ATOMOS and Convergent Design stealing the show. This new offering from SmallHD could potentially change that.

First, the form factor. The 5-inch, Full HD, on-camera monitor they call the “502” looks, by all appearances, like an iPhone. According to Wes Philips, cofounder of SmallHD it’s better. Here’s more from Philips:

“The image on the 502 is simply stunning. With a display that is sharper than the newest iPhone, shooters will be able to truly experience the full detail their cameras are capturing without breaking the bank.”

Display

According to their website, the 502’s LCD display is able to produce 85% NTSC Color Gamut (greater than the REC. 709 color standard), rivaling the color capabilities of OLED technology. The panel boasts 441 pixel-per-inch, the cinematographer can depend on the 502 for critical focusing. It also features a 179-degree field of view for group viewing, and a wide color gamut that rivals OLED display technology.

Inputs

The 502 supports 3G-SDI and HDMI input, output, and cross conversion. The monitor is format and frame rate agnostic, automatically adapting to a wide range of video signals. Just like you might expect from a SmallHD monitor, you get industry-standard and custom framing guides, focus assist, false color and zebra exposure indicators, and 3D LUT (lookup table) import.

The monitor’s full-size SD card slot that facilitates 3D LUT import, also allows export of screen captures for continuity and other purposes.  

User Interface

You’ll navigate through the “simplified” menu via joystick preventing smudge marks on the screen, camera jiggle during operation and reduces the overall cost of the device.

Build

Like an iphone, the 502 is housed in an aluminum frame but with a rubberized chassis, and weighs in at only 9-oz and measures just 2.95” x 5.78” x 0.80” (75mm x 146.8mm x 20mm).

Power

The monitor can be powered by an AC/DC adapter as well as from the D-tap on a camcorder or camera battery pack using the LP-E6 (canon) battery interface. The press release claims it will run all day with normal use on the two Canon type batteries.

Pricing has yet to be announced on the 502, and if you want more information, go to their website at www.smallhd.com

Please find the press release below:

SmallHD Intros New 5-inch Monitors at NAB C9548

Cary, NC: March 25, 2015—SmallHD, known for pioneering compact, high definition field monitors, announces the first product in its innovative new 500 Series of 5-inch Full HD on-camera monitors, the 502. Based on a brand new platform from SmallHD, this elegantly simple new device supports 2 digital inputs and delivers unprecedented 1920×1080 resolution images, achieving superior sharpness and detail in a compact, cost-effective package.

The slimline 5-inch diagonal screen takes HD monitoring to a whole new level. According to SmallHD co-founder Wes Phillips, “The image on the 502 is simply stunning. With a display that is sharper than the newest iPhone, shooters will be able to truly experience the full detail their cameras are capturing without breaking the bank.”

With a densely packed 441 pixel-per-inch screen, the cinematographer can depend on the 502 for critical focusing. It also features a 179-degree field of view for group viewing, and a wide color gamut that rivals OLED display technology.

The 502 supports 3G-SDI and HDMI input, output, and cross conversion. The monitor is format and frame rate agnostic, automatically adapting to a wide range of video signals. It provides the remarkable toolsets SmallHD users have come to expect, including the 

An all-new operating system developed for the 502 and future SmallHD monitors greatly simplifies menu navigation. With a flick of the thumb the monitor will instantly zoom in or out of the source image, switch between tool presets, and zoom out to view 3 presets at once. The menus are designed to be conveniently customized to allow instant switching between frequently used features.

The 502 is rugged, housed in an aluminum frame with rubberized chassis, and is extremely portable, weighing in at only 9-oz (.25 kg) and measuring just 2.95” x 5.78” x 0.80” (75mm x 146.8mm x 20mm). The 502 monitor can be carried in the pocket, even with a pair of rechargeable LP-E6 batteries installed. The monitor can also be powered by an AC/DC adapter as well as from the D-tap on a camcorder or camera battery pack using the LP-E6 battery interface. Power draw from the monitor is paltry, allowing all-day operation off of two LP-E6 batteries under normal use.

For more information about SmallHD products visit https://www.smallhd.com/lp/502/

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About SmallHD

Founded in 2009, SmallHD has made a name as the leading innovator of on-camera monitoring solutions for professional cinematographers, videographers, and photographers worldwide. Creators of the world’s first high definition on-camera monitor, SmallHD continues to push the envelope of what’s possible in an on-camera display by combining advanced cutting-edge technology with accessible pricing.