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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

F&V SpectraHD 4 Field monitor and EVF

Ill report back weekend. I'm using it on a Comedy Central show right now. Operators love the size and clarity. Every issue so far looks like simple firmware fixes.
 
Mark, is there a link out there for firmware upgrade? Need it fast
 
I am thinking of getting one myself.

Want it for the size, sharpness, and exposure aids.

Do let us know if the beta firmware helps solve the issues you have encountered Ned.:thumbsup:
 
Got the new firmware file from Mark. Will give it a shot and report back.

Thanks Mark!
 
So I updated the firmware.

The good news.
- preset buttons 1 through 4 work as intended assignable to the most common functions
- works great in REC 709 or most standard LUTs
- All functions (peaking, 1:1, vector, histo, blue burst, false color, etc work great.
- Very solid HDMI / SDI connections
- HDMI to SDI conversions works great
- D Tap to 4 pin connection well built and works

The not so good news.
- When trying to calibrate to color bars, the ghosted display is still over most the picture making calibration difficult but not impossible. You still have to set a parameter, exit out of menu to look at it, then go back in to adjust, repeat.
- The menu has a selection for "Waveform". But it's really just a histogram. Though a waveform is in the works. Histo works fine.
- When calibrating to color bars, I had to boost the chroma to 100 % full settings to get proper balance on my color bars in blue burst. Worked but considering the factory setting is way too low at 69.
- Mosquito noise is huge when underexposing in log (only tested S Log which is amongst the flattest). Will test in C Log this week on Amira.

Recommendations
- When adjusting display, menu overlay should be out of the way.
- Not sure anything can be done about the the excessive noise in dark areas in Log.
- The ability to load in LUTs or minimally have a Rec 709 LUT option that we can put in the pre-set buttons
- Waveform can't arrive too soon
- attachable 1-2" (adjustable) deep hood extension for those sunny days when you don't want to go with the loop or you're op'ing a gimbal. This will make it a hit amongst MOVI/RONIN folks.

Will I keep it?

Hell yes. It's the only 4.3" 720p monitor out there with HDMI to SDI conversion (it works flawlessly) as well as SDI and HDMI loop through. The pic quality in REC 709 (and most other pic profiles) is outstanding. It has excellent feature set. Build quality is tank like but not heavy (better than small HD's). Unlike the Small HD 4.3" the loupe doesn't distort. It's perfect for gimbal operation. Small built in hood is great for most use. It has real buttons for main functions. Has Arri rosette on the side for EVF style mounting. Runs about 2-3 hours off on small Sony NP.

If noise isn't an issue in Red Raw than this is a no brainer for many on this forum.

Also, considering how quick Mark was to respond with the new firmware, this bodes well for customer service as well as updates.
 
Ned thanks for really diving in extensively. Drives me crazy when people say a $1500 piece of kit "looks good" and leaves the rest up to interpretation, expecting others to make a solid decision.

So, being a 058W TVLogic and Alphatron owner, how does this guy compare for Run and Gun work? I love the TVLogic as a focus puller and the Alphatron has served me well as an Op but I wouldn't mind a new addition if it fills some gaps.

Hope the firmware updates continue to shine.
 
Hi Ned,

thanks again for your detailed feedback, it's much appreciated.

I think you overlooked the Waveform function, it's already included in the firmware I send to you. You activate it under: Waveform Check - Parade - On. Under Parade Type you can choose: Y, U, V, R, G, B.

When adjusting display, menu overlay should be out of the way.
Click to expand...
Noted for coming firmware update.

attachable 1-2" (adjustable) deep hood extension for those sunny days when you don't want to go with the loop or you're op'ing a gimbal. This will make it a hit amongst MOVI/RONIN folks
Click to expand...
Also noted for future accessories.

We are looking into LUTs and I will update you as soon as we made progress there.

All the best,
Mark

Ned Wilson said:
So I updated the firmware.

The good news.
- preset buttons 1 through 4 work as intended assignable to the most common functions
- works great in REC 709 or most standard LUTs
- All functions (peaking, 1:1, vector, histo, blue burst, false color, etc work great.
- Very solid HDMI / SDI connections
- HDMI to SDI conversions works great
- D Tap to 4 pin connection well built and works

The not so good news.
- When trying to calibrate to color bars, the ghosted display is still over most the picture making calibration difficult but not impossible. You still have to set a parameter, exit out of menu to look at it, then go back in to adjust, repeat.
- The menu has a selection for "Waveform". But it's really just a histogram. Though a waveform is in the works. Histo works fine.
- When calibrating to color bars, I had to boost the chroma to 100 % full settings to get proper balance on my color bars in blue burst. Worked but considering the factory setting is way too low at 69.
- Mosquito noise is huge when underexposing in log (only tested S Log which is amongst the flattest). Will test in C Log this week on Amira.

Recommendations
- When adjusting display, menu overlay should be out of the way.
- Not sure anything can be done about the the excessive noise in dark areas in Log.
- The ability to load in LUTs or minimally have a Rec 709 LUT option that we can put in the pre-set buttons
- Waveform can't arrive too soon
- attachable 1-2" (adjustable) deep hood extension for those sunny days when you don't want to go with the loop or you're op'ing a gimbal. This will make it a hit amongst MOVI/RONIN folks.

Will I keep it?

Hell yes. It's the only 4.3" 720p monitor out there with HDMI to SDI conversion (it works flawlessly) as well as SDI and HDMI loop through. The pic quality in REC 709 (and most other pic profiles) is outstanding. It has excellent feature set. Build quality is tank like but not heavy (better than small HD's). Unlike the Small HD 4.3" the loupe doesn't distort. It's perfect for gimbal operation. Small built in hood is great for most use. It has real buttons for main functions. Has Arri rosette on the side for EVF style mounting. Runs about 2-3 hours off on small Sony NP.

If noise isn't an issue in Red Raw than this is a no brainer for many on this forum.

Also, considering how quick Mark was to respond with the new firmware, this bodes well for customer service as well as updates.
Click to expand...
 
Update:

Found the waveform function. It's under waveform check then under "parade". When someone says "parade" I expect marching bands and fanfare, not an exposure graphic. I suggest just calling it a waveform. Often times a monitor gets handed off to an AC or goes out on a rental. The word "waveform" for waveform, will save a lot annoying phone calls that start like: "hey Tim, where the &%$* is the waveform?".

Also, this should be accessible via the assignables. It's the most used feature on set but I have to go into the menu to get it. Histogram is assignable. I'm sure this will be fixed in the next update.

Perhaps the biggest improvement that can be made is making the assignables more direct. I'd like to be able to go directly to 1:1 pixel instead of "Scan Mode" first then scrolling to 1:1. Or when I hit the assignable to peaking, it should be able to go directly to the peaking I prefer instead of having to scroll between color, mono or off.

Mark, there's usually two or three functions that each cameraman uses most the time. In my case (and perhaps 2 of 3 cameraman it's: peaking (color), waveform and 1:1. Whatever your flavor it should be directly accessible via assignables - not a button to more choices. As you've developed a monitor that's especially suited for run n gun and doc, time to access a function is crucial. As it is, I'll rarely use the waveform if I have to go into the menu to access it.
 
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Jason Osterday said:
Ned thanks for really diving in extensively. Drives me crazy when people say a $1500 piece of kit "looks good" and leaves the rest up to interpretation, expecting others to make a solid decision.

So, being a 058W TVLogic and Alphatron owner, how does this guy compare for Run and Gun work? I love the TVLogic as a focus puller and the Alphatron has served me well as an Op but I wouldn't mind a new addition if it fills some gaps.

Hope the firmware updates continue to shine.
Click to expand...

For run n gun I love it. TV logic is an excellent and small monitor. But I needed something smaller for doc and gimbal work. An EVF like Alphatron doesn't cut it for me. I don't find them sharp enough for critical focus. You'll find this plenty sharp and big enough to flip up the EVF for monitor style operating. I too have a 5.6" Small HD. I've relegated that to my AC for gimbal work. One man run and gun, I take the F&V. As an EVF, it works well but albeit bulkier than Zacuto or Alphatron, but way sharper and more versatile. Buildwise, it's in a different league.

Also, I've been in personal communication with the developer and they've been most responsive. Reminds me of Nebtek in the early days.
 
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Do you think its sharper than the zacuto gratical?


Ned Wilson said:
For run n gun I love it. TV logic is an excellent and small monitor. But I needed something smaller for doc and gimbal work. An EVF like Alphatron doesn't cut it for me. I don't find them sharp enough for critical focus. You'll find this plenty sharp and big enough to flip up the EVF for monitor style operating. I too have a 5.6" Small HD. I've relegated that to my AC for gimbal work. One man run and gun, I take the F&V. As an EVF, it works well but albeit bulkier than Zacuto or Alphatron, but way sharper and more versatile. Buildwise, it's in a different league.

Also, I've been in personal communication with the developer and they've been most responsive. Reminds me of Nebtek in the early days.
Click to expand...
 
So did my first Red job with the F&V - an Amex spot. It was the first full on production day using it inside and out (very cold here in NYC). So what did I like: I like being able to flip up the loupe and view it as a monitor and then back again. It's a great option often overlooked when you've gone all in on a dedicated EVF. I find myself often in awkward positions where flipping from EVF to open monitor mode is ideal or when I quickly want to show the client or director a better view then the touch screen. So here's the breakdown on performance:

Image: It's much sharper than Red's 5.6" touchscreen. Also, once calibrated, I find the colors more accurate as well. The brightness I believe is 400 - 450 NIT so it's plenty bright for interior work. The image looked fine on all the Red Gamma's unlike Sony Gammas (S Log 2/3 get noisy in low light blacks).

Use: I used it in handheld extensively with the loupe. While the loupe looks like a pig compared to an EVF, once configured to your rig and positioned properly it's no issue. I fixed mine to a RAM arm mounted to WC hand grip cross bar on 19mm rods. I like this configuration because even with the monitor far forward for handheld it doesn't get in the way of the MBox.

Feature Set:
While it does have histogram programmable to pre-sets, it truly needs waveform one button press away. New firmware added waveform but I still have to dig in the menu to bring it up. Should be rectified soon. Also, as I mentioned before, they need to get the factory preset calibration better as I still have to set the chroma just a point or two shy of 100 (0-100 scale) to calibrate properly. Not much head room if any at all. Needs to be addressed asap. Phase worked fine. Focus assist is excellent. For those of you using it primarily for framing and focus you'll be happy. My best recommendation for the next firmware update is to make any and all features in the menu programmable to one click away on your pre-set buttons. Once you have to dig, you risk losing time or worse, the shot.

Issues.
Make it a habit to flip the loupe up when not in use outside or risk burn in. It does come with a loupe cap. Mine fell off (doesn't secure well) and got lost.

Strange Line:
For some reason midway through the day I was getting a fine pixelated line going through the bottom right of my frame. Rebooted and sometimes it'd be gone, other times it'd re-appear but in a slightly different position. Then it went away. I checked to see if was my feed but it wasn't. I'll be contacting customer service and will let you know how quick they respond. I'm sure it's a fluke and can be fixed or replaced. Let's hope. I'll be testing it on some upcoming commercial shoots in the next couple of weeks with Red and Sony. Will let you know if it comes back.

Power:
If going off D Tap you're fine. Comes with a D tape to Lemo power. If going battery plan on having at least (6) small NP batts as you'll get about 1.5 hours per NP 550 or buy larger NP batts. On nine hour day I went through (4) batts, I estimate they were on six of those eight hours or so.

Input/Output
No issues at all with cross conversion or SDI input. It comes with a high quality SDI right angle cable. Could be a little longer as I couldn't get it to go from the back of an Epic and reach to my monitor mounted on my handgrip bracket.

Comparisons:
It's image is way better/sharper than Small HD's 4.3". It's considerably sharper then the Red 5.6" (which to me is just a glorified control panel.) Image quality is comparable to a TV logic 5.6" but smaller form. Not as great an image as an AC7 in terms of latitude etc. For focus I much prefer to the Bomb. Is it better than a Gratical? Who knows. As an EVF, I'd probably choose a Gratical if money weren't an issue. For run n gun or doc, I'd take the F&V because I like having just one monitor that can double as an EVF. I personally am not a fan of 7" or even 5.6" monitors hanging off my camera (but I oblige my AC's.)

Recommendations:
Aside from better assignability of deeper menu pre-sets, what could really set this monitor apart would be a Rec 709 LUT, again one push button away. Let's hope and pray.
 
Last edited:
Suresh Kara said:
Do you think its sharper than the zacuto gratical?
Click to expand...
They're the same rez spec but Gratical is a dedicated EVF, not a dual purpose deal like the F&V. I would hope at the Gratical's price it's as good or better as an EVF. Until I look through it, I can't compare. But then again Zacuto's first EVF is dead to me for any use. I actually replaced that on a job with a Small HD 4.3/Loupe even through the Small HD's rez spec was lower. It was just a better/clearer image for focus.
 
New firmware is out. Will report soon. Developer sent it directly to me as well as a protocol for fixing line issue. That's service.
 
My day job, a comedy central show, is all arri with amira evf/tv logic on boards, so I don't use the F&V there. But for everything else, I bring it. Used it on a Shop Keep spot last week and it kicked ass. The owners of the Epics we used bought one the following week. Will be using it next weekend with new firmware. Will report.

The part I like the best I often have to get the camera in odd places or real low, so I just flip up the EVF attachment and it's a monitor. Ordered this EVF holder to go with it: http://www.ebay.com/itm/350963598458

I like that the Spectra has a rosette on the side, I just can't find a way to mount it via rosette to an EVF holder. Ideas?
 
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