On Camera Monitors

[Sharra]

Since everything always looks like it’s in focus and exposed nicely on a camera LCD screen, I’m wondering if an on camera monitor would be worth getting. I was looking at 7″ ones with 800 x 480 or 1024 x 600. Does anyone here use one? Are they worth it? Are there any features, etc. I should be looking for before buying? Brands? Or should I just shoot and look at everything in post? I’m thinking it might be useful to be able to check for the usual things while out on location rather than thinking everything is great because the preview looks nice on the camera LCD only to come home from a trip and find that everything is crap.Any thoughts are genuinely appreciated.

[cameraclicker]

Those I have seen are used for video.  I suppose they would work for still photos as well.  I don’t use one and seldom shoot tethered.  I travel with a regular notebook and an external hard drive, as well as some DVD’s.  Every night the cards are downloaded and backed up, so I am ready for the next day.  At the same time I can convert files from raw and check them if I wish.

When in the field, I just check for open eyes and sometimes zoom in to check focus/shake using the camera’s monitor.  To check exposure I look at the histogram.

[nairbynairb]

To me that would just be impractical.
Most cameras have the option to zoom in so you can see if its in focus, etc..

Carrying around another piece of equipment just seems like too much of a burden.
If you shoot in studio, you’d just be better to tether to a computer anyways.

If you’re shooting video though, that’s different. You almost NEED an external monitor.

[Sharra]

Thanks so much for your input. I usually zoom to check focus and use the histograms. I thought it might be easier to see a larger image immediately, but I suppose the few seconds to check that stuff isn’t worth the hundreds of dollars spent on a monitor. I’ve rarely shot video on a DSLR because I’ve always been of the mentality that if I want video, I’ll shoot with a dedicated video camera and I wasn’t rally impressed with the results. Maybe I should try video again now that the technology has apparently improved and see if it’s what it’s hyped up to be, but for the time being, I’m content practising with stills.

[Bill]

Instead of spending $$ on a monitor that is going to add more wear and tear on you, I would try shooting tethered or using an eye-fi card if your camera supports it.
You have to look at it this way, the more gadgets you add to your camera, the heavier it becomes, thus making even short photo shoots unbearable due to the added weight strain of your camera, lens, flash and anything attached to your camera.

Shooting tethered has some pro’s and con’s but might be a good alternative. Depending on your camera type and model, it may be as easy as setting up your camera to shoot with an app to a tablet or laptop/notebook. At least with that option, you can see the images as they are shot on a larger screen. Also a good selling point for clients to see the shots as they are taken.

The con – a tether that may cause a tripping hazard or get caught up on light stands and such.

Another option would be to use an eye-fi card to shoot wirelessly to the same tablet/laptop/notebook. You will have to see if your camera model and card type are supported.

[nairbynairb]

You can even shoot wirelessly to your phone with the eye-fi cards, not just tablets!

[Bill]

That is cool, I don’t use eye-fi, but I know a few that do and they love it.
I think for her example, shooting to a phone would result in going back to square one, being that most phone screens are not much bigger than the camera LCD, probably slightly better resolution maybe.

I “assume” the reason to shoot to a phone is for possibly remote triggering and using the phone’s LCD as a Live View function. Please correct me if I am wrong, since I don’t have one, I am just going off what I “think” I heard.

[stef]

You might get a hoodman loupe to help with viewing. An 8×6 monitor will not be useful. Most LCDs are already bigger than that.

[ebi]

uh, i think maybe you just need to invest in a pair of glasses and an eye exam. Focus is certainly one of the more annoying hurdles in photography but its something that everyone has to deal with. in the film days i would shoot with a Pentax 6 x 7 and the viewfinder was huge and vibrant. focusing was always super simple. I think when autofocus came on the DSLR’s, the importance of a quality viewfinder/ground glass dwindled. I autofocus most times. When I shoot studio stuff, i typically manual focus as i’m often trying to bridge focus a bit.

[Sharra]

Well, I have to say I’m disappointed in you, ebi. For you to say I need glasses and an eye exam is rather presumptuous, especially when you don’t know me at all, wouldn’t you say? For the record, eyesight has never been an issue as I’ve had it recently measured at 20/25.

Obviously, you’ve missed the point of the thread. Focus isn’t really the issue. You should know as well as I do that images that look sharp on a 3 inch camera LCD could look like crap when viewed on large monitors while in post. Even with the advances in DSLR auto-focus, there are times when the camera doesn’t get it right. Maybe you should constrict your Photoshop/Lightroom/whatever program use screen to 300 x 200 pixels and try editing at that size for a while.

I have shot tethered and I think it’s great when it works. I’m still not sure why my fully updated Windows 8 laptop with Lightroom 5.2 says my D800 can’t be detected in a bedroom/studio, but my desktop finds it with no problem and I shoot a test shot of my home office. The IT person in me will need to research that a little more, but in the meantime if anyone has any suggestions or solutions, let me know. And don’t say convert to a Mac either.

A tethered solution certainly isn’t ideal in an outside situation when you may be moving around a lot. My intent for a larger screen was to check all the aspects of a photo before committing to settings in a particular shooting location, and doing so without having to resort to zooming and scrolling. I got the idea from someone from who I bought a used walk-around lens that I could use while out and about in city parks or on hikes with my family. I don’t know if he had eyesight issues and it didn’t occur to me to ask and even if I did think to ask, I think it would have insensitive of me to do so. I was simply intrigued by the prospect of seeing larger images in a location where tethering wasn’t a viable option. I had also looked into the Hoodman loupe and may give that a try. I was simply weighing some options and wanted to get some input on the idea.

When you first showed up on YANAP, I and many others thought you were quite obnoxious. I gained new respect for you when you toned things down and began offering advice, although still critical, in a much friendlier manner. I had thought that if and when I felt I was ready to get a critique, I would value input from some more than others. I thought one of those people might be you and another might be CameraClicker. That’s not to say I wouldn’t consider and possibly use the thoughts from everyone who contributes on here because everyone has their own opinions, especially on the artistic side of photography. It would be safe to assume that many readers here would be close in agreement on the technical aspects. But I have to wonder when I see comments from you on eye sight and exams if perhaps you think less of me as you seem to do of others. Was your thought process when I asked to see some of your work that I would burst into tears if you didn’t? As I mentioned before, I’m not here to stroke your ego. You are not God’s gift to photography. That honour belongs to me. 🙂

Yes, I’m kidding about that last statement! I know I have lots to learn, but family and work commitments make getting out to shoot more difficult than I would like it to be. Believe me, if I won the lottery, I would consider hiring a couple full-time teachers to help with my kids’ schooling while going on a worldwide photo trek for a couple years, like those featured in Nikon’s Mentor Series. You and others may think that would be selfish of me to think of my own photographic aspirations before considering my family but I can assure you the whole idea would be nixed if my family wasn’t keen on the idea.

That’s all I have to say. If you feel the need to reply, feel free to do so, as condescending or compassionate as you chose to be. (I’m bracing myself for the former.) To any others reading this, I, like BEG, just need to vent our frustrations once in a while about others wielding a camera who think they know it all. If you think any less of me for doing so, then so be it.

[cassie]

I don’t think that ebi really meant it to be completely rude but it could have been said better. But there are many people going around out there without glasses that really actually do need them, they just haven’t realized it yet. I was one of those people- I probably should have had glasses at least in high school but I was 19 by the time that I got my first exam and glasses. I thought I had decent vision before then, and it certainly wasn’t horrible (it’s only like -1.25 and -1.5 which is basically nothing), but it was enough that glasses did actually make a big difference for me.

For me personally, it wouldn’t be worth the extra money spent on the equipment when I could just zoom in and double check really quickly. I’m already a pretty clutzy person to begin with which would lead to me somehow breaking it + my camera since it would significantly increase the awkwardness factor for me, plus the extra weight would put some strain on me carpal tunnel problems wise.

I actually think a tethered tablet even in an outdoor situation wouldn’t be any more awkward than having another gadget connected onto your camera body. You probably already have a bag with a lens or two in it, possibly a reflector, etc moving around with you already and even if you didn’t they are pretty lightweight and small enough you could just slip it into a small shoulder bag or satchel type deal with your phone and some other stuff. I think the only way the on camera monitor would not be awkward for me is if it is only mounted to a tripod during use.

[emf]

Sharra, I do agree with Cassie, I don’t think the eyesight comment was a slight. Visual arts like this put your eyes under a real strain and can be quite punishing on them. It’s a good idea to get regular checks. I know it’s a massive B when you’ve got a great shot and the eyes aren’t in focus or whatever, but all this constant checking everything has only really come about with digital photography. With film you had to just make sure you knew your onions and all would be revealed once you had your negs and contact print.

I don’t think it’s selfish to want to pursue your dreams, of course not, you’re more than just a wife and mum. But I just wanted to share something a teacher said to me years ago; which has always stayed with me. He said that the difference between an artist and other people, is that others have to go to far flung places to find or appreciate beauty, but a true artist will find beauty anywhere. For example, look at Wofgang Tilmans ‘Chaos Cup’, or Edward Weston’s pepper photos. Don’t get me wrong; yes, it would be amazing to travel, but my point is that it’s not an necessity to conduce inspiration.

[ebi]

not a slight at all. Sorry Sharra! I was making a little joke. The monitor idea just over complicates the issue. I can tell you that over-complication is not a faux phenomenon either (i’m not calling you a faux). It’s a very common issue amongst pro’s as well. I worked with this photographer who was spending money hand over fist to try to fix his focus issues. When I suggested he check his vision he laughed. A week later he had a new set of prescription glasses dangling around his neck. Sometimes the issue isn’t the camera, it’s you! That was 10 years ago. These days i’m noticing that my eyesight is not what it used to be. I rely on autofocus quite a bit. It rarely fails me. But I also shoot tethered, mostly, and can check focus. If i’m on a tripod, I can use live view and zoom in to get pinpoint accuracy when not tethered.

Yesterday, on set, I was having focus issues that I thought were due to a shitty Foba camera stand. Turns out that my rear element on the lens was smudged causing everything to look soft. Cleaning the lens resolved the issue. Back in my teching days, I solved problems by addressing issues one by one. Camera won’t fire? Check Batteries, test. Check lens connection, test. change tether cable, test. Eventually you find the solution. But I don’t think that buying a LCD monitor is going to help you. Sorry to ruffle your feathers. I didn’t mean it like you thought I did. I was only trying to save you money!

[Sharra]

Thanks for clarifying, ebi. I clearly didn’t see it as the joke it was meant to be. I suppose my reaction stems from seeing and hearing the abuse members of my immediate and extended family have taken from so-called friends because of their own physical limitations. Just a few weeks ago, I had to go see a teacher about something she said to my son in front of the entire class and apparently it had happened to other students as well. So I said enough was enough and she was in tears by the time I had my say in a meeting with her and the principal. I was ready to go to the provincial board of education demanding she be terminated had it not been for the principal ensuring strategies would be put in place so that it wouldn’t happen again. Everything has been good so far.

I don’t want to be treated with kid gloves or come off as a BWACeither, but I can see how it may be interpreted from the F**K YOU attitude the last statement in my previous post conveyed. I’d like to think I’m not that way at all except for reasons I mentioned above. So I apologize, too, for not seeing your comments for their intended meaning while cassie and emf did.

I see now that an on-camera monitor isn’t really a good solution for me. I can almost see it snapping off if I was to trip over a gopher hole or branch. I do like the idea of a tethered tablet that is easily stored in the bag or inside front pocket. I don’t have a tablet of any type yet, but I was thinking of getting one for purposes other than tethering. If it can tether as well, so much the better. It’ll give me something to think about and research. I’m not even aware of any tablet tethering options, but it seems that in this day and age “there’s an app for that” for everything! 🙂 In the meantime, zoom and scroll it is, at least while I’m out enjoying nature. Not today though, -33C (-27F) before wind chill!

[Author]

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