SWIT is well-known for their lineup of compact on-camera monitors, such as the CM-S75F we reviewed here. The company also makes production monitors, and they recently released the stellar BM-U325 and BM-U326MD 4K/8K monitors. However, with respective price tags of $19,000 and $26,000, these high-end monitors are not aimed at everybody.

SWIT has released an updated version of their FM-21HDR, which was released in 2021: the FM-215HDR. The FM-21HDR looks quite similar to the OSEE LCM215-HDR+ (my review here), which isn’t surprising as SWIT is the parent company of OSEE.

SWIT FM-215HDR – features

The SWIT FM-215HDR is a 21.5-inch production monitor with a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080. The monitor has a contrast ratio of 1000:1 and a large viewing angle of 178°, so you should be able to use it outside without any problems.

The monitor has an 8-bit panel but uses the 8+2 FRC technology to emulate 10-bit. This is a widespread “trick” amongst all manufacturers, as genuine 10-bit panels are expensive. According to SWIT, the FM-215HDR covers 97% of the DCI-P3 color space. SWIT also mentions that the monitor supports PQ/HLG/S-Log3 HDR monitoring.

Also, the FM-215HDR can be color-calibrated using the “Atheros X-rite I1 Pro OEM and JETI Specobos1211 color probes directly connected to the monitor via USB.”

As you can tell, the monitor comes with an aluminum flight case, which is handy for transporting and protecting it, something essential for a production monitor. However, please keep in mind that the unit measures 57 x 26 × 40.5cm/22.4 x 10.2 x 15.9in and weighs 7.28kg/16 lbs, so it’s not the kind of monitor that you always bring with you as a one-man-band filmmaker, for example.

Input and output ports

At the back of the SWIT FM-215HDR, you’ll find:

• Three 3G-SDI and one 12G-SDI video input ports.
• One 3G-SDI and one 12G-SDI video output port.
• One HDMI 2.0 input port.
• There are three RS-485 ports: one is a GPI (tally) input, and two are for TSL3.1/4.0 UMD dynamic source name input/output.
• There is a built-in speaker and a 3.5mm audio output.
• A 4-pin XLR 12V power input and a regular mains power input.
• A USB port at the front for firmware update and load custom LUTs.

Even if the FM-215HDR has a 1080p display, it supports 4K input/output signals at up to DCI 4K60p.

The FM-215HDR can also be powered via V-Mount batteries and has a built-in battery plate. If you want to mount this production monitor to a light stand, there are VESA 100×100 mounting points at the back. However, the FM-215HDR doesn’t come with a light stand bracket, so you’ll have to buy it separately.

Monitoring tools

The SWIT FM-215HDR has multiple function buttons at the front, so you can quickly adjust your brightness/contrast/source/saturation settings. It also has five user-assignable function buttons and four user profiles.

The monitor has multiple video inputs, so it supports quadview monitoring, two picture-in-picture, and two picture-by-picture monitoring. You can also view two inputs vertically (9:16) in a direct crop mode for social media shootings.

The FM-215HDR also has built-in monitoring tools, including waveform tools, peaking, R/G/B mono, histogram, zebra, false color, marker, and audio signal.

Pricing and availability

The SWIT FM-215HDR is available now for $1,799/€1,999. The monitor comes with two accessory plates, a screen protector, and an aluminum flight case.

For more information, please visit SWIT’s website here.

What do you think about the FM-215HDR? Do you often use production monitors? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!

The Chinese Shenzhen-based company Shimbol focuses on video monitors as well as wireless video transmitters. Last November, the company released the Shimbol M5 – a 5.5-inch on-camera HDMI-only touchscreen monitor. Now, the company announced two larger, on-camera monitors with 7-inch touchscreens. The Shimbol M7 and Shimbol Memory 7 Pro monitors share the same chassis, with the Memory 7 Pro additionally featuring internal video recording. Let’s take a quick look at these new products.

Shimbol M7 and Memory 7 Pro – bright displays

First, the display in both models is a 7-inch TP IPS touchscreen panel with FullHD (1920×1080) resolution and an impressive set of specs – 2200nit (cd/m²) peak brightness (Memory 7 Pro) or 2000nit (M7), 1800:1 contrast ratio, and a DCI-P3 color gamut with Delta E<1, 170° viewing angle.

3G-SDI and HDMI in/out & recording

The monitors offer both 3G-SDI and HDMI input/output. The good thing is that both models support up to 4K30 signal input (via HDMI, as 3G-SDI maxes out at 1080p60). The video recording function of the Shimbol Memory 7 Pro is supported for both HDMI and SDI inputs, and it also supports time code recording.

There is not much technical information available yet for the Memory 7 Pro recording function regarding codecs, resolutions, bitrates, etc. However, the company claims, that the recorder supports MP4 video format, and recorded clips are saved to an SD card (both models feature an SD card slot, but the M7 only uses it for LUTs or firmware updates).

Monitoring features

When it comes to features, the monitors support custom 3D LUTs (both for recording and playback). LUTs are pre-installed for certain cameras and there are 99 additional slots for custom LUTs (cube format, 17*17*17 and 33*33*33).

Additional useful features include a custom RGB adjustment, false color, anamorphic de-squeeze, masks, vectorscope, histogram, and more. According to Shimbol, the monitor provides HDR monitoring and it has a built-in HLG mode. The new UI design utilizes icons for easier touch control and quick access to all the functions.

Chassis, connections, power

The chassis of both models is made of aluminum with an integrated CNC cutting process – the Shimbol M7 features a blue-gray color while the Memory 7 Pro monitor/recorder is black. The weight and dimensions are the same for both models – 455g, 178.8×110.8×20.3/28.3mm.

On top of the video in/outputs, the monitor connectivity interface includes a 3.5mm headphone jack for audio monitoring and an SD card slot. For power input, each monitor features a dual NP-F battery slot as well as a DC power input connector. The power consumption should be below 10W, according to Shimbol.

Price and availability

The retail price for the M7 is $379, while the Memory 7 PRO is priced at $479.

Do you use a larger 7-inch on-camera monitor for your work? What do you think about the new Shimbol M7 and Memory 7 Pro monitors? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Portkeys is a Chinese manufacturer specializing in affordable on-camera monitors with a complete suite of monitoring tools and innovative features. Over the years, the company also released various budget-friendly electronic viewfinders, such as the LEYE III. Furthermore, Portkeys introduced the MT22DS last year, a 21.5-inch production monitor with multiple 3G-SDI and HDMI input/output ports and a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits.

I’m a long-time Portkeys user, and I’ve already reviewed their PT5 and LH5P on-camera monitors. However, one of the significant drawbacks of Portkeys’ products has always been their user interface, which can get in the way and be frustrating. As I said in my LH5P review, a product must be intuitive. To me, you should be able to give a monitor – and any product in general – to any camera assistant on set, and everybody must be able to make it work and find the functions he’s looking for without reading the user manual.

Portkeys listened to their user feedback and went back to the drawing board to revamp the operating system of their LH7P, LH7H, PT6, and LH5P II monitors entirely, introducing MOVNORM OS.

Portkeys MOVNORM OS firmware update – what’s new

As mentioned, MOVNORM OS is only compatible with the Portkeys LH7P, LH7H, PT6, and LH5P II monitors. (Please note that LH5P II MUST have firmware V3 installed first to enjoy the newest firmware version). One thing that all of these on-camera monitors have in common is that they are HDMI-only models.

One of the most significant changes in MOVNORM OS compared to the previous versions is the new user interface. Indeed, the UI now requires fewer gestures and things to memorize; you no longer have to swipe in four different directions to reach a precise feature.

Now to enter the menu all you have to do is touch the screen and the bottom toolbar will pop up. This toolbar gives you direct access to six monitoring tools that are user-customizable. Also, there is now a dedicated brightness adjustment slider. Lastly, if your monitor has custom function buttons, you can configure the designated function directly from the main menu in the bottom right corner.

Once you touch the screen, you’ll also see a status bar at the top with a battery icon. If you click on the battery icon, a dropdown menu will appear: you’ll see the monitor’s battery level and the HDMI input connection configuration, and it also indicates to you if a 3DLUT is active and/or currently displayed to the HDMI output.

In this status bar, for the LH7P and LH5P II (V3) models that have camera control capabilities, you’ll also find information about the connected camera and its battery level.

Regarding monitoring tools, Portkeys MOVNORM OS adds a stretching leg feature to all models. This is a tool that allows you to elongate the legs of a model when shooting vertical content.

Camera control improvements

As I previously mentioned, the Portkeys LH7P and LH5P II (V3) have camera control capabilities, and MOVNORM OS has been designed to improve its efficiency considerably. To access the camera control menu, the only swipe gesture you’ll have to remember is to swipe up or down to enter or exit that menu. The camera control menu can also be accessed via the status bar in the top right corner.

In terms of camera compatibility, here is a complete list of all the additions:

• For the Portkeys LH7P: MOVNORM OS adds WiFi and Bluetooth support for new cameras, including the Canon EOS R5/R6/R6 Mark II/R8, the Panasonic BGH1/BS1H, the Sony A7M IV, and the Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 4.6K. Furthermore, the BMPCC 4K/6K/6K Pro, Sony Sony A7S III, A7 IV, A7M III, A7R V, A7R IV, A1, A9II, A7C, FX3, FX30, RX0, RX10, ZV-1, ZV-E10 are still supported.

• For the Portkeys LH5P II (V3): MOVNORM OS adds WiFi and Bluetooth control for the Panasonic BGH1/BS1H, the Canon EOS R5/R6/R6 Mark II/R8, the Sony A7M IV, and the Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 4.6K. The LH5P II (V3) can also control many different Sony, Canon, Panasonic, BMD, and ZCAM E2 cameras via an optional LANC, USB-C, or Mini/Micro USB cable.

(Please note that LH5P II MUST have firmware V3 installed first to enjoy the newest firmware version)

Regarding new features, MOVNORM OS adds a memory card status display for Sony users to view how much recording time they have left in their camera.

Also, there is a focus mode selection frame and a zoom adjustment menu, and you can assign a camera parameter shortcut (ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture…etc) to one of the four monitor’s physical function buttons. All of the already available features, such as Touch Focus, ISO/Shutter/Aperture/White balance adjustments, etc, are obviously still here in MOVNORM OS.

Last but not least, the Rec trigger button can now be placed at the bottom left/middle/right of the screen, with the addition of a recording time indicator.

Pricing and availability

The Portkeys MOVNORM OS firmware update is a free update for all customers. You can download the firmware update for your monitor on Portkeys’ website here.

In the upcoming months, Portkeys plans to release a firmware update for their monitors with both HDMI and SDI video input/output ports. That firmware update will be called CINENORM OS, but we don’t have any availability or feature information yet.

What do you think about this free firmware update? Have you already used Portkeys monitors? For you, what feature is missing in these on-camera monitors? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments down below!

What problem does it fix?

One of the most difficult parts of gearing up for production is setting up a “video village”, allowing everyone who needs it access to on-set monitoring. At a minimum, your Director, Cinematographer, and 1st A.C. (focus puller) will need a monitor to perform their jobs.

Then you have other crew members such as makeup, sound, visual effects, and others also trying to watch the footage to make sure makeup hasn’t smeared, boom pole isn’t in the shot, etc. Peeling back another layer, you have the lookie-loos that are on set that just want to watch what is being captured. Further back from that, you have Producers and other Executives who usually don’t watch all day, but pop in for a take or two just to see what is going on. This involves a significant number of individuals who require access to monitors, and your production might not have the capacity to accommodate everyone.

This brings us to Teradek TV – a brand-new platform for live-feeding and recording production video through any phase of film and television production. Teradek promises “high quality, low-latency video feeds to anyone, anywhere in the world”. With a simple drag-and-drop interface, you can choose which video feeds to share and with whom to share them.

Just a quick personal story related to this: I was on a short film virtual production in 2022 where the Cinematographer got Covid, and was unable to shoot cameras. So the Director shot the camera while he had the Cinematographer on a Facetime call. Needless to say, this was not ideal. Although there are already live-streaming systems in place that could have facilitated a sick crew member, none of them would work in the studio where we were shooting this particular short film. So, Teradek TV would have worked perfectly for this situation!

Features of Teradek TV

Teradek is already a trusted company for their low-latency, high-quality video transmission, so bringing that capability to cloud-based streaming seems like a logical next step. All of this comes with certain expectations you’d hope to have: encrypted feeds, scalability, an easy-to-identify user interface, and so much more. Here are some of the features not already mentioned:

• Color-accurate 4K HDR live feeds
• Collaboration tools for faster creative decision-making
• Visibility across multiple productions, if applicable
• Voice and text chats
• Departmental privacy channels
• Instant recordings playback
• Downloadable proxies for editing and/or visual effects
• Multi-camera live feeds
• Native viewing apps for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Mac, and Windows

Is Teradek TV right for my production?

There is a ton of literature available on Teradek’s website, so I urge you to check it out if you’re at all interested. I can tell you the prices for this service start at $49 per user per month, with a free 7-day trial period. That is for the Basic version, and there is a Pro version that is $99 per user per month. There is also an Enterprise version for studios.

I can see that the possibilities for this application are virtually limitless. People can collaborate from all over the world. Distance is no longer a barrier to collaborating with others. The best part of filmmaking is the collaboration, and Teradek has closed that gap with Teradek TV.

What do you think about Teradek TV? Would it be helpful for your production? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

Shimbol Technology is a Chinese manufacturer specializing in wireless video solutions and on-camera monitors/recorders. We first reported about their Shimbol ZO600M wireless monitor, an HDMI-only system with a maximum brightness of 2,000nits, a transmission range of 150m/500ft, and an aggressive price tag of only $399.

The company is now back with its first “monitor-only” product that packs a lot of features at an affordable price: the Shimbol M5.

Shimbol M5 – features

The Shimbol M5 is a 5.5″ on-camera monitor with a maximum brightness of 1,200nits, which is daylight-viewable. The monitor is made entirely out of aluminum, and it measures 146.6 x 87.6 x 26.5mm/5.77 x 3.40 x 1.04in and weighs 278.5g/9.82oz.

The screen has a resolution of 1920 x 1080, a 1000:1 contrast ratio, and, according to Shimbol, the M5 covers 100% of the Rec.709 color space. Furthermore, the company claims the M5 is color-calibrated in their factory with a maximum Delta E of only 0.6. As a reminder, a Delta E below three is considered imperceptible by the human eye, so the M5 should be perfectly color-accurate out of the box!

On the left side of the Shimbol M5, you’ll find one HDMI input, one HDMI output, and a 6.5-16.8V DC input port. The monitor can take resolutions up to 4K DCI at 25p or 4K UHD at up to 30p. You’ll also find a built-in Sony NP-F battery plate at the back.

At the bottom of the M5, you’ll find a 1/4″-20 mounting point with locating pins. Also, there is a USB Type-C port for firmware updates.

On the right side, you’ll find another 1/4″-20 mounting point, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an SD card slot to load custom LUTs (cube files, 17*17*17 or 33*33*33).

Monitoring functions

The Shimbol M5 has all the monitoring tools you can expect from an on-camera monitor in this day and age, including:

• False color.
• Waveform, vectorscope, histogram.
• Peaking.
• Anamorphic image de-squeeze.
• Masks and framing tools, audio levels.
• As mentioned previously, 3D LUT support.

To navigate inside the menu, you’ll have to use the touchscreen. However, on top of the monitor, there is a power button and three user-assignable function buttons that you can assign to your favorite monitoring tools.

Price and availability

The Shimbol M5 is available now for $169. The monitor comes with a carrying case, a screen protector, a user manual and cleaning cloth, a monitor mount, and two HDMI cables. At this price point, it’ll be a hard-to-beat on-camera monitor!

For more information, please visit Shimbol’s website here.

What do you think about this new Shimbol monitor? Have you already used Shimbol products? What is your go-to on-camera monitor? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!

Last year, Chinese manufacturer FEELWORLD introduced the LUT11S, a compact and lightweight director’s monitor with both HDMI and 3G-SDI input/output ports. However, if you don’t need the 3G-SDI capabilities of the LUT11S, FEELWORLD recently released the LUT11H, which has the same display and features but with only HDMI input/output ports.

FEELWORLD LUT11H – features

The FEELWORLD LUT11H is a 10.1″ director’s monitor – or on-camera monitor if you prefer, thanks to its three 1/4″-20 mounting points on the left/right/bottom – that features an 8-bit IPS panel with a 1920 x 1200 resolution. The display is a touchscreen, which can be used to activate monitoring tools or navigate inside the menu.

According to the company, the display has a maximum brightness of 2000nits, which makes it daylight-viewable. On top of the monitor, you’ll find a light sensor that can automatically adjust the brightness of the LUT11H depending on the light around you.

FEELWORLD claims that the LUT11H supports multiple color spaces, including Rec. 709, DCI-P3, and BT.2020. The monitor has a contrast ratio of 800:1 and a large 170° viewing angle.

At the bottom of the LUT11H, you’ll find two HDMI input ports, one HDMI output port, a 12V DC input barrel connector, and a tally input. The HDMI ports support resolutions up to DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) at 60 frames per second.

A 3.5mm headphone jack and an 8V DC output port are on the left side. The right side houses the SD card slot to load custom 3D LUTs. Lastly, on top of the LUT11H, you’ll find a power button, three Function buttons, and a menu navigation wheel if you don’t want to use the touchscreen.

When it comes to powering options, you’ll find two Sony NP-F style battery plates at the back of the LUT11H. You can hot-swap the batteries without turning the monitor off, which is handy. FEELWORLD mentions that one F970 battery can power the monitor for around two hours, so two batteries give you around four hours of battery life. Finally, a built-in Sony NP-F dummy battery plate at the back of the monitor should make your life easier if you want to attach a wireless video receiver to the LUT11H.

Monitoring tools

The LUT11H comes with all the monitoring tools you can expect from a professional director’s monitor, including:

• 3D LUT support: you can load up to 50 LUTs.
• Waveform, vectorscope, histogram.
• Anamorphic de-squeeze: 1.25x, 1.33x, 1.5x, 1.6x, 1.8x, 2.0x.
• Zebra.
• Peaking and focus assist.
• False color.
• Image Flip, image freeze, center and safety markers, ratio markers, nine grid, zoom, and pixel to pixel.
• Audio meters.

Price and availability

The FEELWORLD LUT11H is available now for $299. As a comparison, the LUT11S, which is the HDMI and 3G-SDI version, retails for $349.99.

For more information, please visit FEELWORLD’s website here.

What do you think about this compact and lightweight director’s monitor? Do you often bring a large monitor with you on set for your clients? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!

The ARRI 1/4″-20 Pin-Lock standard was introduced in May 2023. The ARRI 3/8″-16 with locating pins has been a standard for decades. However, there was no locating pin standard for the smaller 1/4″-20 thread. Indeed, some companies, such as SmallHD, Portkeys, Atomos, and FEELWORLD, to list a few, already have their own locating pin/anti-twist standard. Still, none of them is unified (pin size and spacing) and interchangeable. To solve all these issues, ARRI is doing the landlord work and has created the 1/4″-20 Pin-Lock standard, so everything should be more unified in the upcoming years.

If you don’t want to spend $530 on the ARRI MAC-1 monitor mount, Vocas has just released one of the first 1/4″-20 Pin-Lock, on-camera, monitor mounts with a NATO clamp.

Vocas NATO clamp with 1/4″-20 Pin-Lock – features

The Vocas NATO Clamp with 1/4″-20 Pin-Lock is designed to attach 5″ and 7″ monitors in a comfortable position for shoulder rig operation. Some monitors already feature the ARRI 1/4″-20 Pin-Lock standard, such as the SmallHD Indie/Cine/Ultra 5, the Indie/Cine 7, the 702 Touch, but also the RED DSMC3 Touch 7.0″, and the high-end ARRI CCM-1.

The Vocas clamp is made from airplane-grade aluminum and weighs only 83g/2.9oz. You’ll find a NATO-standard compatible clamp on one side that attaches to the camera side. On the other side, you’ll find a 1/4″-20 mounting screw with Pin-Lock locating pins.

Then, an articulation allows you to rotate your monitor 360° for easy repositioning. You can adjust the tension level via the third screw at the back of the clamp. Also, you can lock your on-camera monitor in place by simply tightening that screw down.

Vocas NATO clamp kit with 1/4″ Pin-Lock

Vocas also has a kit that includes a 170mm/6.7″ single-sided NATO rail to 15mm rod adapter. This kit allows you to mount your monitor easily to a top handle or the top of your camera, for example.

Pricing and availability

The Vocas NATO clamp with 1/4″-20 Pin-Lock is available now for €177/$227. The kit is also available now for €269.

For more information, please visit Vocas’ website here.

What do you think about this 1/4″-20 Pin-Lock rigging option for on-camera monitors? What is your go-to solution to mount a monitor to your camera in shoulder rig configuration? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!

You may be familiar with the Emmy Awards as recognizing the “Best Drama” or “Best Comedy” series. However, there is an additional awards show where the more technical aspects of television production are recognized. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences also recognizes achievements in engineering, science, and technology. At the 75th Annual Awards Show on October 18th hosted by Adam Savage, SmallHD was honored with such an award.

Reliable on-set monitoring

SmallHD is well-known for their various types of production monitors. They offer big 4K models for on-set monitoring as well as 5″ and 7″ models for on-camera mounting. But at the 75th annual Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards, SmallHD was recognized for their innovation in essential on-set monitoring equipment. Lead developer Jeffrey Fowler Gray accepted the award. You can view the whole ceremony via the TV Academy’s website, here.

As mentioned above, SmallHD has been synonymous with reliable on-set monitoring. While their monitors aren’t cheap, they offer products for most budgets. I used to have a SmallHD Action 5, which has since been discontinued. It was an amazing on-camera monitor. The SmallHD Indie 5 is a reasonable $1,299 (USD) for anyone starting out. It brings with it the advantage of being able to tap into the SmallHD ecosystem – now an Emmy Award-winning user interface system.

Reason for the Emmy: powerful user experience

The reason Gray, a software developer, accepted the award is because the Academy was really recognizing achievement in SmallHD software. While other similar companies offer different types of on-set monitoring, only SmallHD monitors run on PageOS 5. While the list of features is far too long to list here, you may read all about it on SmallHD’s website. I’ll let Adam Savage sum up why it is special:

“With PageOS 5 software, each user is able to work within a seamless production environment that allows all of the creative team members to see the artistic vision in real-time as they work faster, cheaper and more deliberately getting the shot and bringing order to chaos.”

-Adam Savage, Host of the 75th Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Awards

There is a reason why you see SmallHD monitors in behind-the-scenes footage of major motion pictures. They are reliable. Reliability in gear is the most important trait sought after by filmmakers. A million things can go wrong on a film set. You don’t want to be downed for any avoidable technical issues. And for being a solid and reputable company, I’d like to thank and congratulate SmallHD on behalf of the CineD crew.

Do you have a SmallHD product? Or just happy for them winning an Emmy Award? Feel free to congratulate them in the comments section!

The SWIT BM-U325MD and BM-U326MD were first introduced during NAB 2023 in April. During IBC 2023, we stopped by the SWIT booth and had a conversation with Nikolaus Yang about their new flagship studio monitor.

SWIT BM-U325MD and BM-U326MD features

The SWIT BM-U325MD and BM-U326MD are 31.5-inch studio monitors with a 4K UHD resolution of 3840 x 2160. The main difference between the two models is that the BM-U326MD comes with two built-in SFP Fiber input ports, whereas this is an option on the BM-U325MD.

The display has a maximum brightness of 1,500 nits and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, making it HDR-compatible. Also, the display can cover 100% of the DCI-P3 color space, and, as opposed to many monitors on the market, it has an actual 10-bit display, which is a lot more expensive than 8+2 FRC panels. According to SWIT, the monitor has 0 audio or video latency.

I saw the SWIT BM-U326MD in person during IBC 2023, and I was very impressed by the picture quality, richness of the colors, and profound blacks that the mini-LED with its 2304 local dimming zones can produce.

At the back of the monitors, you’ll find four 12G-SDI input and four 12G-SDI output ports, along with an HDMI 2.0 input port. The BM-U325MD / BM-U326MD supports a single 4K input, a quad view via the four SDI inputs, and a quad link to produce an 8K image. The maximum video input resolution is DCI 4K at up to 60P. Lastly, you’ll find RJ45 ports at the back of the monitor for IP webserver remote control.

As you can expect from a high-end studio monitor, the BM-U325MD and BM-U326MD come with many monitoring tools built-in, including a waveform, vectorscope, histogram, Eye pattern, focus assist, false color, zebra, 16 channels audio meters, 3D LUT support via the USB port, and multiple built-in camera Delog Luts to convert your signal to Rec.709, HLG, or PQ color spaces.

Pricing and availability

The SWIT BM-U325MD retails for $19,000, and the BM-U326MD is $26,000. Both models are available now.

For more information, please visit SWIT’s website here.

What do you think about these new SWIT studio monitors? Did you have a chance to look at them in person? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!

LDT – the previous generation

With their previous innovation, the LDT (standing for ‘Lens Data Translator’), DCS aimed to “Make Every Lens Smart” by recording and encoding metadata from the lens, giving you a frame-accurate overlay to the SDI feed, which you can then view on a monitor. It’s a great idea to automatically have that information for reference down the production pipeline, just in case you need it. The LDT used pass-through technology enabling digital filmmakers to instantly access the camera’s lens data, a convenience they’ve likely grown accustomed to.

LDT-F1 – the next generation

But with the launch of the LDT-F1, they have taken a great idea and further perfected it. Some of the new benefits include:

• Custom anamorphic de-squeeze ratios.
• Custom frameline overlays (or guides).
• Real-time data display (such as timecode, shutter angle, clip details, file naming, etc.).
• Metadata encoding at a frame-by-frame level for easy access in post-production.
• Compatibility with most major film cameras, integrating with common lens control systems.

This is a very elegant solution for film purists to get all of your digital metadata not only encoded to the footage but also overlaid and exported via SDI to your monitoring solutions on set. It takes the guesswork out of a traditional celluloid film workflow and empowers filmmakers to make the best decisions they can while under the clock during production.

Encouraging a bright future

“The LDT-F1 is a game-changer for filmmakers,” says Gary Keller, Operations Manager at DCS. “With the LDT-F1, anyone who can see a monitor now has the power to access the information they need, when they need it.” And that is what the spirit of filmmaking is really about: empowering the collaboration of artistic individuals, rather than being hindered by technological hangups incurred by the production process. DCS is certainly doing their part to make sure the film workflow can thrive in an age where digital just seems much easier and cheaper. But for film purists, I have no doubt they are appreciative.

For additional information on the availability and pricing of the LDT-F1, please visit the DCS website.

Do you all think this is a “game-changer” for celluloid filmmakers, as DCS puts it? What changes would you like to see incorporated in a future iteration of the Lens Data Translator? Put it in the comments – let’s talk about it.