>It was PAINFUL trying to acquire this item!
The unfortunate thing being; nobody in the UK seems to do items like the
LCD4VIDEO external monitor, so without any options i had to order it from the US.
I don’t have a problem with ordering outside the UK, in fact a lot of my purchases are made online to websites all over the world. Main reason being the items i need are not available in the UK.
First of all, Parcel Force are Rubbish. And Second of all, I hate Customs TAX.
For one, my items arrived at the Bournemouth Depot of Parcel force but couldnt be released due to Customs Charges (£63!!) but how was i to know this?!
No letter was sent to me what so ever. So if it wasnt my me growing concerned about my parcle and checking it online via the tracking number i would have never had known where my item was.
So…after 19 Days since ordering. I finally had my Item.
Shooting with 35mm DOF adapters offers a few challenges indeed. First of all, and most obviously the issue of horizontal and vertical inverted images.
Using a 35mm DOF adapter without the use of an Achromat lens (to invert the image) means what you will see onscreen will be your shot but upside down and back to front.
This (obviously) makes it extremely hard to track your subject matter and to properly frame your shot.
The other issue being, the freedom of creativity the DOF adapter offers can be quite unforgiving when it comes to getting your subject in focus (say goodbye to auto focus). I personally prefer the Focus all my shots manually, it gives faster and better control over your shot. But it can be very challenging when it comes to shots which require you to be quick when it comes to getting your subject in focus.
The Answer?
An External Monitor large enough to make it relatively easy to frame and focus your shot which also offers the capability to flip your image Horizontally and Vertically.
LCD4VIDEO’s product does exactly that.
The monitor comes with an array of accessories (i opted for the full kit) from a screen protector and carrying bag to a battery pack to use in the field and a hot shoe clamp to mount it atop your camera.
…Talking about the hot shoe clamp. This I’ve found to be the only let down so far, it don’t feel safe mounting my monitor on it at all. It is clumsy and poorly made, the monitor wobbles and flops about.
Apart from that it is a very good product indeed. The colours are fairly close to what your shooting, its resolution isn’t fantastic but it will do the job when it comes to focusing your shot and the build quality is surprisingly good in contrast to its price tag.
I was, in all honesty expecting a cheap, creaky plastic frame around a low res screen; on the contrary it feels solid and well put together.
It has a screw mount on the bottom and a slide in mount on the back giving the user a few options as how they want to mount their screen.
You can change everything you would expect from a monitor (contrast, Brightness Colour) It auto detects PAL or NTSC and you have the option between the two common aspect ration’s 16:9 and 4:3.
The sunvisor (or sun protector) seems well made and offers good shade for your screen.
There is plenty more to say, but I’ll hold first until its field tested.
Full review then!
Until I’ve done that, i would recommend it for enthusiasts like myself using DOF adapters.
