timballic wrote:
A friend just sent me this he found mentioned in "On Landscape.co.uk" site,
"If you’re a Canon DSLR user and would like your tablet to be of some use out in the field, forget Apple ipad and pick up an Android tablet. There’s an app called DSLR Controller which you can connect to your camera using a USB On The Go cable. What this app does is give you full manual touch-screen control over your camera. So it’s like a giant live-view, remote release and tethered monitor all in one – a must if you struggle focussing at awkward angles when it’s nearly dark!"
These products use the USB output of the camera and access camera control much as the EOS tethering utility. Lots of camera functionality can be controlled with the tablet as a remote. While a full resolution image review can be made after the shot is downloaded, Live View review is ultimately limited by the USB camera output, regardless of the tablet display.
The monitors like the Small HD DP6 use the HDMI camera output and may emphasize high quality screens and the appropriate software to replicate the HDMI signal wih the highest fidelity. The pad products have a different funtionality & emphasis, and are not designed for optimum manual focusing. However there is not reason they could be designed with the HDMI as a live view feed and appropriate software and be developed to include the MF market.
Mike K
The USB output is typically 640x480 res M-JPEG with black top- and bottom borders. The same signal that gets streamed to the LCD display on the camera.
For better LV output, you have to use the HDMI connection. On Canon, that output has the same resolution as the full-HD video signal (some 1200x900). And when you zoom in to 1:1 you get glorious 1920x1080 true resolution...
theSuede wrote:
The USB output is typically 640x480 res M-JPEG with black top- and bottom borders. The same signal that gets streamed to the LCD display on the camera.
For better LV output, you have to use the HDMI connection. On Canon, that output has the same resolution as the full-HD video signal (some 1200x900). And when you zoom in to 1:1 you get glorious 1920x1080 true resolution...
Thank you, the information I have been asking about. However the recent Canon dSLR LCDs have about 1.04mdot, but in a screen closer to 4x3 aspect ratio. When you turn on Live View and press the Info button 3 times to get rid of the exposure data you get a higher resolution image, perhaps a center crop of the1080 image?
From time to time Small HD has sales of "B stock" which are units with several dead pixels. I got one with a $300 discount. I only see the dead pixels when using "focus assist +", which is a form of highly amplified focus peaking. Get on their mailing list if you want to be notified of B stock sales.
Mike K
They aren't letting on about sales, I asked. I wonder if they have a New Year one or if they're simply "from time to time" whenever they have enough "B Stock" items?
Without a sale, the DP6 to UK becomes over £700 ($1,173) and that's outrageous, (the DP4 is £380)
If a sale brought it down to £500 I might just consider the DP6, otherwise it's the DP4 I'll go for.
timballic wrote:
They aren't letting on about sales, I asked. I wonder if they have a New Year one or if they're simply "from time to time" whenever they have enough "B Stock" items?
Yes, I think this is how they do it, wait until they have enough B stock items to call it a sale. The B stock is gone very, very quickly.
Mike K
The DP4 is great, especially with their eyepiece, which makes it more EVF than monitor.
Personally, I prefer a little more size. Just sold my DP6 to get an AC7 (or maybe DP7, they're a lot pricier but look far more rugged).
If you're flexible on size, it's worth keeping in mind that the DP4 and DP6 are both 6-bit panels while the AC7/DP7s are all 8-bit (some OLED, some IPS).
The AC7 is only the price of a battery holder more than the DP4, much cheaper than the DP6, I haven't worked out why, what is the difference between AC and DP models? I won't be getting a 7 though as I'm trying to keep weight and size to a minimum for walking with. (Not serious walking, the photography is the priority )
timballic wrote:
The AC7 is only the price of a battery holder more than the DP4, much cheaper than the DP6, I haven't worked out why, what is the difference between AC and DP models?
The AC7 line of products has just been introduced and the current pricing of $600 is introductory promotion. Note that the accessories that come with it are really minimal. I would at least add the case, perhaps the shade, and depending upon how you are going to mount it a cold shoe ballhead. I have found the mini HDMI end of the cable to be rather fragile and have replaced a few of them already, but one can get these 3rd party too.
Mike K
The DP's have audio meters, SD card slots for recording (firmware not yet finished), vectorscopes, waveform, some have an expansion port for more accessories like the Paralinx Arrow. They also appear to be in a more rugged chassis.
At last, I received my SmallHD DP4 monitor yesterday. I had almost given up on getting one.
First impressions, well built, small, lovely and lightweight, hate the menu, (not helped by an erratic scroll wheel select button).
I'd researched more and almost decided on the 5" Sony CLM V55 at about 2/3 price, but when the DP4 appeared on ebay at a very good Buy it Now price, I bought! (The AC7 mentioned above was too big to be easily pocketable as I wanted)
The DP4 has a 16:10 screen, but the option of going to fill 4.3" screen with sides cut off (C-DSLR), or fill screen 3.9" with whole image visible and black bars each side, (N-DSLR) (Not meant for that, but it works)
Although the menu is a pain (I hate sub menus) I've already realised that once set up I will hardly ever need to enter it again, so not a big deal.
After Googling the issue, I find the erratic scroll wheel is a common complaint with this unit. Now you'd think something like that that would would have sorted immediately by a company at this standard!
If I'd been a Sony DSLR user, the Sony CLM V55 would have been my first choice with its 5" screen and similar overall size and weight, but with Canon cameras the image shrinks to 4.125" (Canon's fault, not the Monitor's), so very little in it.
I'd love to do a comparison between the Sony unit and the DP4, I've read good of both and very little bad, but no direct comparison and the reviews are all video based of course..
Next problem is to get an angled HDMI cable that fits on the 5DII under my RRS L Bracket for vertical shots, there is VERY little room available. I may have to do some "tinkering."
carstenw wrote:
How do you find it for the task at hand: focusing via live view? What about colour accuracy, and dynamic range?
Need more time to assess properly out in the field and I'm not too well at the moment.
From first impressions, focus looks VERY good, but although colour and DR are good enough for my requirements, the camera LCD is probably a little better for those.
My main needs were for composition and focus in a small light package and I think it's going to fill those very well.
I've set it to 50% brightness, which is fine for indoors, but I've yet to see how it fares outside. That was one point in favour of the Sony display which from what I could gather goes brighter, but slightly less sharp and slightly less colour accurate..
The next size up that I would have gone for after research, is actually cheaper than both the above smaller versions, it's the 5.6" 1280 x 800 H056 Ver.2 in alloy body and with Canon settings, (sold under various names), but the size and weight were against it for me. (5.9 x 4.75 x 1inch, 1lb 1oz) Discussed here: http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/2823/5.6-1280x800-on-camera-monitor-with-peaking-aka-h056/p9
The choice of units in the larger size is greater, but the one I mention sound to be wonderful value for money, that does the job well. It would be what I go for if I find the DP4 is too small.
Actually I was wrong about the menu of the DP4, (now I understand that the function1 button is also the back button), it isn't that bad at all, it's just that I don't yet understand all the new nomenclature, and the erratic scroll wheel operation makes it rather a pain to navigate.
I've asked SmallHD about the possibility of supplying me with a replacement part. (Problem of being in UK and cost of returning unit to US, for repair)
SmallHD has excellent service! I bought a mini-magic-arm with my DP6 which broke after about two months of occasional use. I sent them a photo of the broken bits and I had a new replacement (of better design) in my hands within three days.
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