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SmallHD 501 HDMI Field Monitor
SmallHD announces a new sibling of its popular 502 5-inch HD monitor, with less connectivity options but friendlier pricing
Cine Gear Expo, the annual film equipment and technology show held every June at on the Paramount Studios lot here in Hollywood, doesn't get as much coverage as NAB Show and IBC, but manufacturers still use it as a platform for launching new products. This year, one such manufacturer, SmallHD, will be showcasing the just-announced SmallHD 501 field monitor.
Regular readers may remember the 501's older sibling, the SmallHD 502, from our coverage earlier of it this year. Made for on-camera mounting, the 502 plays full HD (1920 x 1080) images over the 5-inch display, yielding an impressive 441 pixels per inch. With 3G-SDI and HDMI in, the SmallHD 502 delivers great performance, but the $1199 price tag may keep it out of reach for some would-be users.
For those who are in the market for a monitor but don't particularly need SDI connectivity, SmallHD has you in mind with its latest product, the SmallHD 501, which has all the features of the 502, except for SDI, at a savings of $300. The new 501 monitor retails for $899 and is shipping now.
For anyone interested in the Sidefinder EVF Loupe, which works in tandem with the both the 502 and 501, the $300 product is still on pace for a summer arrival.
We'll be at Cine Gear this year, so we'll follow-up this story and report the most important news from the show!
For more information on the SmallHD 501, check out the full press release on Page Two!
Full press release
SmallHD Intros New 501 5-inch Monitor at Cine Gear Expo
Cary, NC: May 26, 2015—SmallHD, pioneer of compact high definition field monitors, announces the new 501, the second field monitor in its new-platform 500 Series of 5-inch full HD on-camera monitors. It joins the award-winning 502 monitor and Sidefinder viewfinder introduced at NAB 2015 and is available immediately.
Just like the 502, the compact 501 delivers 1920×1080 resolution images with extraordinary sharpness and detail in the most feature-packed camera-top monitor on the market. Only differing from the 502 in its input/output capability, the 501 simply features a full-size HDMI in/out interface, creating a $300 savings over the 502 due to this reduction in circuitry.
“By eliminating the high-speed SDI interface and signal cross-conversion, we’re able to cut the price below $900,” says SmallHD co-founder Wes Phillips. “The 501 delivers a crisp and color-accurate display that is sharper than the newest iPhone, and high end features like HD waveform and 3D LUTs, making it the perfect professional camera-top monitor for smaller HDMI based cameras—not to mention that it integrates perfectly with the Sidefinder HD viewfinder accessory coming this summer.”
The 501 boasts all the world-class software features found on the highest-end SmallHD products, and makes them quick and easy to access. The 501’s menu system is easily navigated with the flick of the thumb, and can display a huge range of critical features in an instant. From framing guides, focus assist, false color and zebra exposure indicators, to HD waveform, image capture and 3D LUT import capability, the 501 is the most confidence inspiring on-camera monitor under $1000, giving the user a highly accurate view of what they’ll see in post production.
Same as the 502, the 501 can also be used as the display for SmallHD’s award-winning Sidefinder electronic viewfinder, transforming it into a high definition monitor/EVF combo. The Sidefinder is a union between either of the 500 Series monitors and the SmallHD patent-pending, custom-designed EVF Loupe. The Sidefinder 501 (501 and Loupe) will be priced around $1200.
The 501 has the same sleek 2.95” x 5.78” x 0.80” (75mm x 146.8mm x 20mm) form-factor as the 502, and weighs in at only 7 ounces (0.2 kg). Both 500 Series monitors are rugged, housed in an aluminum frame with a rubberized coating, and extremely portable—small enough to be carried in the pocket. Power comes from up to two Canon LP-E6 style batteries, or LP-E6 style adapters that provide power from the AC wall plug or from a D-tap connector on a pro battery power system like Anton Bauer. Draw is minimal, allowing all-day operation off of two LP-E6 batteries under normal use.
The 501 Monitor is shipping now. The Sidefinder EVF Loupe will be available this summer for $300. For more information about the SmallHD 501 visit https://www.smallhd.com/501
Tags: Production
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