Red dsmc 3 montior vs Smallhd with rcp

[Jonathan Keane]

I plan on picking up a raptor this summer and want to know what monitor did you go with? I put the two that I know can control the raptor, I know smallhd has other monitors but same concept.

 

[Remington Chase]

Neither one makes economic sense considering decent daylight viewable SDI 7 inch monitors are $300 now and Red Control is better at controlling the camera and wireless. Then put your money with a bigger more useful monitor, which is exactly what we did on a couple of new Raptors last week. Buying a Feelworld 2200 nit 7 inch off of Amazon instead of Red Touch saves you enough money to get a Tilta cage and Osee 21" 1500 nit monitor with a Mars wireless kit for the same money.

But if I had to get one I would not do the Red with that connector base thing that we had to do with the old Epics.

 

[Drew Baird]

I’ve got the Red Touch 7”. The software is clunky but it’s got a very strong build. It’s great being able to connect it via a single cable, though I would love to have more flexibility with where the connection port is. Hopefully future firmware updates can smooth out the user experience, but it works well enough. Also, I can manually calibrate it, which is a big plus for me.

I would be a little cautious of cheap 3rd party monitors. The Feelworld monitors have a ton of features, but no camera control. I had an AC with a Feelworld for a focus monitor a few weeks back, and after a couple of hours of usage it kept overheating and shutting down. It wouldn’t stay on longer than 5 min at a time. Luckily I had a backup monitor with me so we didn’t lose too much time. He swears by the Feelworld though. I’m just not convinced.

 

[Blair S. Paulsen]

Got the 2,200 nit 7" FeelWorld on Amazon "Prime Day" last summer for $270 (typically $340). I have not had overheating issues and, despite its relative fragility vs real gear, set life hasn't killed it yet. Price/performance is hard to beat. That said, next time it's on sale I'll get a second one for director/client with the added benefit of having a backup on set...

Cheers - #19

 

[Phil Holland]

My general POV on:
- RED DSMC3 7" Touch
- SmallHD w/ RCP
- Basic SDI Field Monitor

RED DSMC3 Monitors are still new to many and the new menu may cause grumbles for long time RED shooters, but if you value efficiency and a more immediate tactile response, it is the best solution. Key benefit beyond direct menu control via the RMI adapter is no cables (or 1 cable) depending on how you look at that + no additional power requirements. The other thing to note, is industry-wide this is considered part of the standard kit.

SmallHD w/ RCP. If you don't mind running additional cables for SDI, RCP control, and potential a battery or cable for power BUT do want cross camera compatibility, this works great. Not as direct and efficent as the DSMC3 monitor, but in terms of IQ, same image quality. DSMC3 monitors (so far) are RED + SmallHD. This route is pure SmallHD.

Basic SDI Field Monitor. No camera control. Running SDI and potentially a battery or cabled power solution. Works with everything. No camera control. For Raptor class bodies you're using the side menu or RED Control for camera control. Least efficient, least expensive.


In terms of mounting and flexiblity. Some people are anti-RMI mount. I am not however and like the rigidness of it there. Some like displays on cine arms, but that's often too much vibration for my taste when operating at the end of a 12" double arm joint. You can breakout the RED DSMC3 monitor and put it anywhere, so you don't need to live on that 15mm clamp. Many have gone that route.

 

[Adam Reed]

I am always baffled by people who spend $30k plus on what is arguably the leading cinema camera in the clubhouse (I have a Raptor and a Komodo) and then look for the cheapest screen to view that beautiful image on.

To my taste, and no offense intended here, but putting a Feelworld monitor on a Raptor/Alexa LF Mini, etc. is incomprehensible to me. I have learned my lesson several times and “Buy once, Cry once” has proven the way to go time and time again.

 

[MorganMaassen]

I've been a die-hard Red user since fall 2012 and i've never been let down by a piece of Red hardware like i have by the DSMC3 touch 7"... its a stinking pile of @%#&, even with 2 years of software updates, its still glitchy, clumsy, and woefully unreliable.

i did one 5-day shoot with a smallhd and RCP2 in summer 2022 and it was consistently better than the Red monitor, namely in responsiveness and accuracy to touch. i can't speak to which is better now, but i will say that even in the the last year since then, with multiple software updates, the DSMC3 monitor has trained me away from using a touch screen in every shooting/playback circumstance ever... undoing the decade of using the DSMC1 & 2 monitors.

i use and abuse my cameras hard in the field of action sports, travel and adventure, so my feedback may be unique and/or irrelevant... but i'd go with the 2x SmallHD Indie 7" screens + an articulating arm and/or a GDU monitor mount.

so when you compare it to other options, all of a sudden there is no obvious choice, and you are left weighing out pro's and con's across the lineup of what's available.

 

[Drew Baird]

so when you compare it to other options, all of a sudden there is no obvious choice, and you are left weighing out pro's and con's across the lineup of what's available.

100% agree with this. And the playback is absolute trash. My UI glitches for 10+ seconds when switching over to playback, which often confuses my clients. I cringe every time I’m asked for playback on set.

I do think the DSMC3 7” is the best option on the market, but I’ve felt like I’m a beta tester for SmallHD/RED for over a year on Raptor. Unfortunately I haven’t seen any indication that it’ll get any better. I’m still hopeful though.

 

[Les Hillis]

If the camera has at least one SDI out, then people can use whatever SDI capable monitor they want.

On top of that, RED can also go back to making their proprietary totally cable-free monitors that interface directly with the camera and its menu system.

Trying to combine both isn't the best solution imo. At most, I'd say RED should just make it as easy as possible for third-parties to integrate RED camera control if the third parties want to offer that (like some of them have in the past).

I get why RED went with the current DSMC3 monitor solution they did and think it made sense at the time, but things move on pretty quickly, and with Komodo-X about to hit I think RED should fast track a new solution very similar to their DSMC2 cableless monitors, with the main advantage being the option to bypass all the SDI connection issues and re-introduce more integrated and functional touch-screen camera controls in a more robust camera-powered form.

 

[Blair S. Paulsen]

I am always baffled by people who spend $30k plus on what is arguably the leading cinema camera in the clubhouse (I have a Raptor and a Komodo) and then look for the cheapest screen to view that beautiful image on.

To my taste, and no offense intended here, but putting a Feelworld monitor on a Raptor/Alexa LF Mini, etc. is incomprehensible to me. I have learned my lesson several times and “Buy once, Cry once” has proven the way to go time and time again.

That's a fair POV. FWIW, my preference is for an EVF rather than an LCD - but I'm a dinosaur.

IAC, the other operative piece is the ambient viewing environment - dark studio, typical indoor lighting, outdoors in the direct sun, outdoors in the shade, etc. In my work, when shooting in a studio or indoor location, I almost always have an off camera monitor (maybe even calibrated) to judge the beautiful image - the on camera LCD used mostly for operations, framing and focus. When outdoors, (if there's no EVF I can put my eye to) I find the 2,200 nit 7" FeelWorld more useful than any of the sub 600nit LCDs I've tried.

Full disclosure, I bought one of the 9" RED LCDs back in the day and it didn't last long. Poor hinge design. Almost $4K (with adapters/cables) and didn't make it through year 2. I'm a buy once, cry once guy myself, but when I can get 10 of the 7" FeelWorlds for the same cost as one RED DSMC3 7" LCD... Just sayin'

Cheers - #19

 

[Adam Reed]

That's a fair POV. FWIW, my preference is for an EVF rather than an LCD - but I'm a dinosaur.

IAC, the other operative piece is the ambient viewing environment - dark studio, typical indoor lighting, outdoors in the direct sun, outdoors in the shade, etc. In my work, when shooting in a studio or indoor location, I almost always have an off camera monitor (maybe even calibrated) to judge the beautiful image - the on camera LCD used mostly for operations, framing and focus. When outdoors, (if there's no EVF I can put my eye to) I find the 2,200 nit 7" FeelWorld more useful than any of the sub 600nit LCDs I've tried.

Full disclosure, I bought one of the 9" RED LCDs back in the day and it didn't last long. Poor hinge design. Almost $4K (with adapters/cables) and didn't make it through year 2. I'm a buy once, cry once guy myself, but when I can get 10 of the 7" FeelWorlds for the same cost as one RED DSMC3 7" LCD... Just sayin'

Cheers - #19

Can’t argue with that. I am not much of an EVF guy, and have been Cine 7 prior to the DSMC3 for the Raptor.

I freely admit I have some biases toward the newer, less expensive companies. It takes me a long time to feel I can trust them. DZO is a good example. Purchased the Pictors early on and returned them and haven’t been willing to explore their offerings again though many I respect use their primes and like them.

At the end of the day it’s whatever gets a job done in a way that you are proud of. I am certainly in no position to dictate what is best for anyone else.

 

[Patrick Tresch]

I still use my RED Touch screen 5'' from 2010 ;-) (I have a spare one wich is new as I never used it) Impressed by the toughness... It went through hard time with me (salty water, sand, wet heat of amazon, freezing cold...) still rocking ;-)

 

[Mitchell O]

Currently on DSMC3 monitor number two in less than a year after the terrible hinge failed. UI is glitchy AF, and the playback system is garbage.

Put up with it as I would rather the single cable solution over the three cable SDI/Power/RCP alternative.

 

[jake southard]

neither of them are perfect they each have pros and cons. I've used both and currently use the RED monitor. I don't love it, but I also didn't love the Cine7. So.

 

[Stivan Widick]

The hinge failed on my DSMC3 Touch and RED told me I had to send it to SmallHD for RMA. SmallHD is telling me that it will take 22 to 32 business days to repair, so I'm potentially without my Raptor monitor for 7 or 8 weeks, including shipping time.

 

[George Nathanson]

Bonus of the SmallHD with RC is that you can use on any red cameras (with the correct cables). I do miss the old dsmc2 monitors the way they bolted directly to the body and were slim and sleek and tough as nails.