The external monitor market has exploded in the last few years, and companies like SmallHD and TVLogic have a ton of new competition. As filmmakers we now have plenty of exciting options like ikan's 5.6" D5 monitor, which features HD-SDI and HDMI pass-through and a 1280 x 800 IPS panel. Rick Macomber of DSLR News Shooter takes a look at ikan's new monitor in the video review below.
For Canon DSLR shooters, the D5 will compensate for the lower resolution (and thus reduced screen size) once you hit record on cameras like the Canon T2i, T3i, 60D, and 5D Mark II. This is an essential feature as an external monitor loses a lot of its usefulness if the picture is only filling a small part of the screen. If you've got a Canon 7D, you won't have a problem, as the 7D outputs a full 720p after hitting record.
The D5 comes in two models, a standard panel with HD-SDI/HDMI for $900 and a higher-priced model called the D5w that retails for $1080 and features waveform, RGB parade, and vectorscope. During my time at NAB I interviewed Ryan Aivalis of ikan and he walked through all of the company's new monitor options. Since the D5 and D5w share a similar panel to many of the other higher-end external monitors, quality was certainly comparable. I actually own a SmallHD DP6 and have been very happy with it, but if I were looking for my first monitor right now I would definitely be considering these panels, especially since they are a little cheaper for the features they include (like pass-through).
[via DSLR News Shooter]
Disclosure: ikan is a No Film School advertiser.
