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By David Adler Cinema/Video Tech @ CSI Rentals Brooklyn david@csirentals.com

Small HD DP7-PRO-OLED-SX Monitor 

 Overview

Let’s have a look at what this monitor has to offer.  First off, the full screen resolution is 1280x800 (a 16x9 image will display letterboxed in 1280x720 resolution) qualifying it as an HD display.  But what sets this display apart from most others is the fact that it uses OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology.  The advantages of the OLED panel over existing LCD panels was immediately apparent to me when I used the monitor, the main difference being the levels of the blacks.  Unlike LCD panels which cannot completely block out the backlight used to illuminate the display, OLED panels use individual LEDs to display an image and when true black is required, the pixel will just shut off producing a true black unlike the gray/black produced by LCDs.  Color reproduction is also a strong point of OLED technology.  The DP7 has a very wide color gamut for displaying a huge range of colors producing accurate images in multiple color spaces (including Rec709 and DCI-P3).

Other hardware amenities include a ruggedized metal construction throughout, with the exception of some plastic parts and the ‘Gorilla Glass’ screen.  For in/out ports the monitor includes HD-SDI in and out, HDMI in and out, component/composite input, an SD card slot, a proprietary X-Port (for future expandability, presumably for wireless functionality) and 12v power input via Hirose.  As a standard feature, the DP7 will convert HDMI to SDI and vice versa, and with a future firmware update almost (if not) all inputs and outputs will be routable to each other.

Each of the upper corners of the monitor (right side up configuration) have control dials to navigate the menus.  These are a great improvement over just about every monitor interface on the market (and that’s discounting the touch screen) the wheels are large and the feedback on the rotary encoders is accurate, that means if you scroll 3 clicks, the monitor will actually scroll precisely 3 menu options even if you scroll with speed.  And how can I talk about the monitor interface without mentioning the touchscreen?  The touchscreen makes setting up your monitor a breeze and allows extremely quick access to the most important features without having to reach behind the monitor.  I’m glad however, that you aren’t required to use the touch screen to navigate the menus as it is useless when the hood is attached and attracts fingerprints.  One feature that I really like implemented on this monitor is the quick menu.  You can select almost any menu option and have it readily available on the touch screen for immediate access.  Even cooler is that the quick menu is brought up whenever it senses your hand is near the monitor (this can be turned off if you find this annoying).  A nice touch is the on-screen menu assistance.  It shows what each function does and how to engage it or set it to a quick menu slot.

Small HD also provides quite the array of options when it comes to powering the monitor.  By itself the monitor only comes with an AC power cable.  However, you can choose to add on battery plates when you order your monitor.  Battery plate options include Sony V-Mount, Anton Bauer Gold Mount, and dual (you must use 2 batteries simultaneously to power the monitor) Canon LP-E6 plates.  You must install the plates yourself, but thanks to instructional videos on Small HD’s website, it was not a difficult installation.  Small HD also provides instructional and informational videos on the DP7 in lieu of an instruction manual.  Their reasoning being that they want to make sure their information is always current as they are rolling out firmware updates which would quickly make earlier versions of a printed manual obsolete.

In Use

The DP7 monitor is wonderful to use.  Everything is laid out very clearly on the sharp and especially contrasty OLED screen.  The image that I got through the HD-SDI feed from a Canon C300 was excellent.  When I used Canon Log I switched the monitor into the DCI-P3 mode to get more accurate exposure.  Obtaining accurate focus was a breeze thanks to the ample resolution and screen estate provided.  The DP7 also offers focus peaking and magnification to assist in obtaining critical focus.

Something to keep in mind, this monitor draws a pretty hefty amount of power.  So much so that it requires two LP-E6 batteries (if that is your choice of battery plate) at a time in order to run; and even then only for a short while.  When using this monitor with the bigger batteries, you are going to want to make sure that you have some considerable support.  I don’t recommend this monitor for DSLR top configurations with those bigger batteries unless you have necessary support from a rig.  It’s wonderful as a directors monitor or as a primary monitor for a camera that can be rigged up a bit more with an articulating arm like the Red Scarlet or the Sony PMW F5.

The DP7 comes with a variety of scopes as well.  This gives you access to waveforms, histograms, and vectorscopes, all with the tap of your finger (or menu selection).  These scopes can be implemented in several ways in relation to the video feed (translucent, PIP, etc…)  If you have a breakout box with professional connections, you can even use this monitor as part of your editing suite for its real time, hi-res scopes and accurate color calibration.

The Future

Small HD promises a bright future for the DP7 with the expansion of the X-Port and the proxy recording with firmware updates.  The wireless capabilities will make the monitor great as a director’s viewfinder or for focus pullers pulling wirelessly while the camera is on a steadicam or other stabilizer.

In conclusion, the DP7 Pro OLED is an excellent monitor either for a director, focus puller, or operator.  The display is wonderfully crisp and detailed with excellent color reproduction.  The DP7 can easily fit into any workflow requiring a larger monitor, be it with a DSLR or other professional camera setup.  As such, I highly recommend checking it out at SmallHD.com or by us at CSi Rentals.