Well, SmallHD are at it again! Announced at the 2nd day of the biggest pro video tech expo in the UK – BVE 2017, the new SmallHD 503 and 703 Ultra Bright monitors solidify the popular US-based gear maker’s commitment to HDR monitoring and top-notch craftsmanship.
The announcement of the newest “Ultra Bright” monitors as the latest addition to the fast growing SmallHD monitor stable, comes in just a mere 2 weeks later after SmallHD announced their 17-inch 1703–P3 and 702 OLED monitors (check out our original post on these models here)
The newest SmallHD 503 Ultra Bright features a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 IPS LCD 10-bit display with the unbelievable 2200 nit maximum brightness! I had a chance to briefly check out the 503 Ultra Bright at BVE yesterday and was floored with how bright it was. I really don’t think you’d ever need a sun hood with this monitor.
Of course, brightness isn’t everything, but when put side by side with the SmallHD 1703-P3, the 503 Ultra Bright produced an astonishingly clean and crisp picture. The 2 x physical assignable buttons on the side, as well as the joystick ported over from the bigger studio monitors is a really nice touch. The whole monitor felt like a very solid piece of kit – as all SmallHD monitor’s I’ve used – like the 502 and 701 Lite.
The optically Bonded Gorilla Glass screen gives a very “tablet-like” glossy finish to the monitor, without looking tacky. The difference here, in terms of design, compared to the 502 and 702 Bright style monitors, is that you’d have to purchase a separate battery plate – however, unlike with the 502 and 702 Bright, users will have a choice of Anton Bauer, V-mount or Sony NP-F (which were available on the SmallHD 502 as well).
I was told that this change was implemented because of the higher power requirements needed to drive the extreme brightness.
SmallHD 503 Ultra Bright Features/Specs
- 5-inch IPS LCD with 1920×1080 resolution
- 443 ppi / 2200 nits brightness / 10bit display
- Optically Bonded Gorilla Glass
- HDMI in/out, 3G-SDI in/3G-SDI out
- 2 x Assignable buttons
- 12v LEMO power in
- HDR Preview
- Waveform and 3D LUT support
- PageBuilder OS
- Contrast: 1000:1
- Color Gamut: 70% NTSC
- Viewing Angle: 170 degrees Typical
- Backlight Type: White LED
- Adjustable Backlight – Yes
- SD Card input can be used for
- 3D LUTs,
- Captured Images,
- Image Overlays,
- Firmware Upgrades,
- Profile Saving
- Pre-Order Bundle: $ 2,199 (saves you $300)
You can pre-order now directly from SmallHD and get a special Early Adopter Bundle for the 503 Ultra Bright priced at $2,199, which saves you around $300 and includes a LEMO to D-TAP power cable, hardshell case, neoprene sleeve and 12″ SDI cable. The offer is good until March 31st.
After 31st March, the price of the 503 Ultra Bright (monitor only) will be $2,499.
The other new monitor is the SmallHD 703 Ultra Bright, which as you guessed – is a 7-inch monitor, that looks to be perfectly positioned as a directors/clients monitor, thanks to its 3D LUT support and 2500 nit brightness.
SmallHD 703 Ultra Bright Features/Specs
- 7-inch LTPS LCD with 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 2500 nits brightness / 8-bit / 323 ppi
- Optically Bonded Gorilla Glass
- HDMI in/out, 3G-SDI in/3G-SDI out
- 5 x Assignable buttons
- 12v LEMO power in/out
- HDR Preview
- Waveform and 3D LUT support
- PageBuilder OS
- Contrast: 1200:1
- Color Gamut: 70% NTSC
- Viewing Angle: 178 degrees
- Backlight Type: White LED
- Adjustable Backlight – Yes
- Pre-order bundle: $2,599 (includes: LEMO to D-TAP power cable, hardshell case, neoprene sleeve and 12″ SDI cable)
After 31st March, the 7-inch 703 Ultra Bright will go up to $2,999 for the monitor only. For more info visit SmallHD and follow them on Instagram and/or Twitter here.
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