Small HD 502 Vs TV Logic VFM-058W

[Rob Sholty]

Hey guys ,

Was wondering if anyone could chime in between the Small HD 502 and the TV Logic VFM-058W. I owned the older version TV Logic and it was a great monitor but very tough to use outdoors especially with the screen protector on. I've heard mostly bad things about the Sidewinder attachment with the 502 but hear its a great compact monitor.

Has anyone used both and prefer one over the other? How are they in bright daylight?

Was going to pick one up to use as a secondary monitor for the Scarlet W. Any insights much appreciated.

 

[jordan levy]

hey rob, i was and still am in the exact same boat as you, though i have tried them both, even a 702. it's a really hard decision to figure out what to go with, so i just sold everything off for now until i get the Raven in my hands and see the new 4.7 quality and sharpness.

the old tv logic 5.6 was the standard, gave the most real look plus had the added sharpness the original red 5.0 was completely missing.
recently i used the new tvlogic 58 on an epic and it was night and day, i had to tilt the red monitor down so not to look at it. the tv logic gives a beautiful and shaper image then even the last one. as we know the red 5.0 gives an image that is so much brighter and not representative of whats being captured.

i used a 502 for a while but though it was nice and sharp, i could never calibrate (just with the settings) to be representative of the look and exposure i was getting either, its like they are too good. i sold it, to get the new tv logic myself.

then the raven came along, and i said to myself well i only want the 4.7 size for compact ability, so ill try the 702 for an operating monitor since it didnt seem right to have two of the same size monitors, might as well get bigger.

the 702, well, its so bright that it really wasnt giving me a good representation, though for focus and color it looked great, but even super low light it really seemed like i could see in the dark, some people say to take the back light down, but i didnt even get that far because i sold it to one of my assistants. it also might be too big for what i want the raven for.

so im going to wait to see how good the 4.7 touch is and maybe invest in the lemo system to move it to the side of the camera when need be.
i might wind up going back to using the tv logic really, or get a real big job and just get the red evf, i really wish they made a lite version of the red evf for us raven users. paying as much as the camera seems like a hard nut to swallow. (never said that in my life)

 

[Rob Sholty]

After debate I think I am going to go with the Small HD 502. I like the ability of being able to use LUTs. I used the older TV Logic for a few years when I used to AC and the focus peaking on it was by far the best I have ever used. I think for the Scarlet W I will use the 4.7 for menus and exposure readings and use the 502 clean for image representation, LUTs, and composition.

I had the 702 and it was an amazing monitor. I used it mainly as a directors monitor on a wireless system. It was a little to big for me as an on camera monitor.

Any other monitors people are using out there? Anyone use the Black Magic Video Assist?

 

[Kazu Okuda]

ive used both extensively. tho there is less features. i like the new tv logic better. it is sharper, more accurate and built better.
The LUTs and features on the 502 is nice but there isnt a DC either so you have to power LPe6 or use a LPe6 to Dtap adapter. It makes it very bulky.
also i dont think the scopes on the smallhd is very good. You also cant pull up vectorscopes and waveforms simultaneously.
However it is better than no scopes at all.

On a gimbal set up and ext day, i like the 702. nice and bright. Better viewing angles than the DP7.
i have yet to find the perfect monitor for me as well.
im kind of leaning towards the PIX-e5

 

[Rob Sholty]

Yeah the Pix E5 looks pretty awesome I just don't need a recorder. I enjoy using the RED exposure tools plus a light meter so I don't really have a need for a waveform or scopes . Yeah i agree with you on the TV Logic. Its an amazing display but really hard to use in daylight. Hopefully at NAB some more monitors are announced.

 

[A. Clint Litton]

Same likes/dislikes for the 502 as mentioned above. Haven't used it in the sidefinder configuration, but as an onboard, I can assure you it's not going to fare well in daylight conditions. With the hood, it's better. The 702 is far better for exterior daylight viewing conditions, but yeah, a little on the big side of things, especially with such a small camera. A high-bright version of the 502 with better in-menu calibration features would be fantastic, best of both worlds.

I do like the newer TV Logic in terms of build and form factor, and though it probably edges out the 502 in terms of color accuracy (at least in my personal experience), I don't tend to trust most small 3rd party monitors when making decisions about exposure or color. I'd rather use an eyepiece, or a properly calibrated monitor viewed in a controlled environment (i.e. DIT). Otherwise, exposure tools are your friends, as is log/raw capture for a good ballpark.

 

[Chris Steel]

The 502 is an ok monitor. You mentioned peaking, don't bother on the 502, it's pretty useless. Calibration is also useless, so Luts aren't overly useful. Better than nothing but not to be overly confident in. It's pretty rugged screen side and the d-tap power through LPe6 is usually fine. The Ports on the back are delicate, so be careful with the HDMI especially. The one I had was all kinds of messed up in terms of firmware (the SDI's didn't work, updating firmware bricked it once and had to be sent back) but that was a lease.

TV Logics are just solid. Haven't had a problem with one. You all know them, I needent go on.

Transvideo have good offerings. The starliteHD probably fits your needs

 

[Rob Sholty]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Very much appreciated. I think after heavy debate and research I am going to go with the TV Logic. Just seems like a better build overall.