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Take one look around and witness an explosion of consumer and prosumer DV cameras, and even broadcast cameras like Sony´s XDCAM, with IEEE 1394/iLink ports. These cameras are popping up everywhere and yet, for some reason unbeknownst to logical men and women, the industry has been excruciatingly slow to embrace a very obvious fact: If you´re a serious shooter today, you want and need a high-end, onboard monitor with an IEEE 1394 interface.
Perhaps it is a lingering professional bias against consumer DV, or aloof product developers lacking imagination or insight. For whatever reason, we simply haven´t seen many DV-enabled onboard monitors. This will change with the successful introduction of the Datavideo TLM-70, an elegantly manufactured, high-resolution LCD display. It compares to and even exceeds the performance of well-known monitors costing several times the unit´s modest $1,299 MSRP.
The Datavideo TLM-70 is compact at 7.5"×5.5"×2.5", with a latest-generation 7in. TFT active-matrix display. This is encased in an extremely rugged housing. Given the rigors of many shooters´ grinds these days, an onboard monitor — as exposed as it is — must be tough in order to withstand the inevitable slams and wallops incurred during normal wear and tear.
The monitor must also be frugal on power. I, for one, am dog-tired of carting around 75lbs. of battery bricks. With the move now toward disc-based cameras like the XDCAM and solid-state options like Panasonic´s P2, the ravenous consumption of a conventional CRT monitor is passé. Consuming a reasonable 20W, the TLM-70 represents a good compromise between a display´s power consumption and its brightness and functionality.
That´s how the TLM-70 display really shines. Mounting atop almost any DV or broadcast camera via an Israeli arm (Noga HoldIt), the TLM-70 is like a trusted friend. It goes anywhere we go, eats anything we eat. On most pro cameras, 12V accessory power is readily available fore and aft. The same 12V DC plug that powers a work lamp or on-camera LED fill light (like LitePanels) will also work to power the TLM-70. Conveniently, Datavideo provides with the monitor a full range of patch cables, including 6-to-6 and 4-to-6 FireWire, RCA stereo audio, and BNC patches, plus an AC converter to power the monitor from a standard 110V outlet.
High resolution and daylight visibility
Both are critical to me, as many times I (or my assistant) will rely on the onboard monitor for critical follow-focus situations. At 1440×234 pixels, the TLM-70 offers sufficient horizontal detail to allow confident focusing even in very low-light conditions, like those experienced in night exteriors or inside dark churches. The unit´s wide 60-degree viewing angle (only 40-degree looking from above) means less craning of one´s neck to view clear focus. The 300:1 contrast ratio also contributes to the display´s perceived high resolution and fineness of detail above and beyond the 1440 horizontal pixels actually specified.
It´s worth noting that a shooter normally operates inches from the onboard monitor, so that increased resolution is not mere marketing hype. Truth is, shooters can use all the resolution and contrast that an onboard monitor can muster. The same notion applies to image brightness, as visibility and clarity must be maintained even in bright daylight — a serious challenge to the basic functionality of any LCD monitor.
As a field monitor
For years, we dutifully carted our trusty but awkward CRT production monitor into the field as a part of our travel package. This continues to be de rigeur for most shooters, along with the requisite 25lb. Anvil shipping case and horde of nickel-cadmium batteries.
The TLM-70 goes a long way toward easing this burden by providing an efficient onboard display that can also serve as a solid general-purpose field monitor. The IEEE 1394 interface means that the TLM-70 integrates beautifully with our current DV-centric workflow. Whether you´re shooting with a Varicam, XDCAM, XL2, or just about any other mid- to full-sized camcorder, this monitor serves multiple needs: for follow-focus as surrogate viewfinder while shooting, for playback of recorded takes after-hours on location, and even as a production monitor with your favorite desktop editor. In many ways, the TLM-70 is the key to a simplified, more cost-efficient workflow in the field.
One drawback
Ironically, one drawback of the TLM-70 is a consequence of its robust construction. At 3.5lbs. inclusive of the twin outrigger speakers, the display might be a bit heavy for mounting atop some smaller camcorder models like the Sony DSR-PD170 and Panasonic DVX100A. Lacking an integrated LCD display, the Canon XL2 would appear to be the perfect candidate for the TLM-70. But while the Canon´s rugged alloy body and handle easily support the monitor´s additional weight, the light-duty accessory shoe atop the XL2 was never designed for this purpose — so some other, more substantial means of support should be contemplated for this camera.
With full-size camcorders like the Sony XDCAM PDW-530, the monitor integrates extremely well; its size and heft conform nicely to the camera´s compact form. The DV interface eliminates the need for a hodgepodge of cables.
Conclusion
For shooters, it´s a fact of life: the viewfinders of today´s cameras are often inadequate to address our needs. Whether it´s for the ability to follow-focus, check color and contrast, or simply see what we´re doing, the need for a high-performance field monitor that can also serve as an onboard display has never been greater. Here, at long last, is a robust, reasonably priced monitor that recognizes the needs of today´s shooter. The DV revolution has been with us for years. Now we have a monitor upon which to view that revolution up close.
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