Very little can beat a big, bright display. When you are on set and want to check your footage for color, contrast, and focus, the bigger the screen the better. Working outside can cause issues if the screen isn’t bright enough, as the sun can quickly wash everything out and make it hard to see. That is why the OSEE 21.5” High Bright HDR PLUS Field Monitor does the trick.
Seasoned filmmaker Tom Antos has been using this monitor for a while and put together a review on it since it seems to have garnered a lot of interest. And if you have yet to get a big professional video monitor for on set or in the studio, you should be checking this out.
This is potentially hard to find brand as it is a Chinese company. You might actually find similar displays under the name SWIT. Getting to the specs now.
It’s a large 21.5” display and it has both HDMI and SDI inputs. It won’t cross-convert the signal though, so if you are using HDMI you can’t do it out with SDI for example. It will loop from the same input. There is also a USB port for updating the firmware of the monitor.
Power is straightforward as it comes with both an Anton Bauer and V-mount battery place. There is also a DC input and an AC input. You can power it from whatever you want. As for battery, at full brightness – a whopping 1500 nit – you’ll get around an hour and twenty minutes. Dropping the brightness obviously will improve that dramatically.
Other niceties include a handle for easily taking it out of the bag or moving around. There are also dedicated attachment points for a sun hood. The hood can even velcro around so you only have it on three sides if you want.
A complaint on the monitor has to do with the mount. It slips on to a standard light stand and that worked fine at first. However, it seems to have loosened up over time. It seems possible to tighten it up yourself without much effort, but it is something to prepare for.
It’s a relatively lightweight monitor, has a good build, and the screen quality is good. It’s a Full HD screen and you have access to various scopes and tools. It will take a 4K signal as well so you don’t need to change all your settings before use.
Controls are simple buttons on the bottom. Simple is good IMO when it comes to screen controls. I’m not a fan of joystick buttons as they can be finicky. However, you might disagree if your focus is on speed. There are some preset buttons that should help speed things up.
It’s a good, solid monitor. It definitely wins on brightness and OSEE is a bit more affordable than many other brands.
If you need a nice field monitor that you can see in bright daylight, the OSEE 215-HDR+ might just be the one. And if you get one for field use you will likely want a case. Save the foam to use in the case!
What are your thoughts?
[source: Tom Antos]
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