External LCD monitor for long exposure landscape photography?

[joseramos]

Hello there.

My name is José Ramos and I'm a landscape photographer. I would love to be able to see my camera's live view feed in a much higher size, with an articulating external LCD monitor. I've been looking for solutions to this and it seems there are mostly 5 and 7inch screens, which are considerably larger than the camera built-in LCD. I often feel like I'm missing a lot of info on image quality while evaluating the images through the LCD, and only when I open them on my desktop computer screen I finally realize flaws I couldn't see on the field.

Unfortunately most of the info about these LCD is made by videographers, They usually mount their monitor on the camera's hot show, which I think will be a total disaster for long exposures in areas with strong wind.

Considering this I was thinking about a tripod arm to mount the LCD, like the one you can see on Luminous Landscape here

Still, I'm having doubts if this is still going to cause some unwanted shake. I was thinking of mounting it on my Manfrotto 190XPROB base, which surrounds the center columns, as it seems to be the most stable area of the tripod.

What do you think about this?

Thank you!

[Paulowen]

Hello
I've had a similar problem finding info about stills photographers using external monitors so I simply went ahead and bought one!
I find it a great help when applying tilts to a scene with a tilt/shift lens but it has proved really useful for general use too. I come from a large format background and really missed the large ground glass screen for composing. I purchased a Lilliput 5DII/O/P which I use with a Canon 5DII. This monitor is relatively light and I attach it using an articulated arm to the centre column of my tripod. I position it directly behind the camera body which allows me to view the screen and access camera controls quite easily.
I really enjoy using this monitor and the added inconvenience is worth the hassle of carrying it along with the rest of my kit.
My advice - go for it!

[aboudd]

Could you post some images of this rig?

[joseramos]

Hello
I've had a similar problem finding info about stills photographers using external monitors so I simply went ahead and bought one!
I find it a great help when applying tilts to a scene with a tilt/shift lens but it has proved really useful for general use too. I come from a large format background and really missed the large ground glass screen for composing. I purchased a Lilliput 5DII/O/P which I use with a Canon 5DII. This monitor is relatively light and I attach it using an articulated arm to the centre column of my tripod. I position it directly behind the camera body which allows me to view the screen and access camera controls quite easily.
I really enjoy using this monitor and the added inconvenience is worth the hassle of carrying it along with the rest of my kit.
My advice - go for it!

Thank you for the input!

My first "serious" photographic gear was a Konica Minolta A2. I loved it's ergonomics, and moving to a Pentax K10d meant a huge sacrifice in that aspect. All of a sudden I no longer had the what-you-see-is-what-you-get live view, and just had to guess what the final image would be... Yes, I know most "pros" defend the virtues of the optical viewfinder, but I'm certainly not one of them. That's why I moved to the Sony camp, which has, by far, the best live view implementation.

Right now I would like to make a step forward and have a larger screen on field, to be able to better appreciate composition. Right now, like I previously said, my main problem is related to camera shake. I do very long exposures most of the time, and I often shoot in very windy places. Are you aware if the tripod mounted monitor can sometimes induce extra shake which will harm sharpness?

Just one more question. How long does the monitor battery last?

Thanks!

[Herbc]

I have the Sony 5 inch diagonal screen, $500, mounts in the hot shoe on a digital camera, and has a focus peaking feature, which is all I need for getting stuff in focus.  The only drawback is that like any screen, reflections and glare can be a problem.

I use the screen on my D800E and also with the Sony A7R.

[joseramos]

I have the Sony 5 inch diagonal screen, $500, mounts in the hot shoe on a digital camera, and has a focus peaking feature, which is all I need for getting stuff in focus.  The only drawback is that like any screen, reflections and glare can be a problem.

I use the screen on my D800E and also with the Sony A7R.

Have you shot long exposures in windy settings, with the Sony mounted in the hot shoe? Does it induce camera shake?

[Paulowen]

The Lilliput uses the same batteries as the Canon - LP-E6 type. These can be bought quite cheaply (non-Canon brand) and last about 1.5 hrs. I use the set-up for long exposures and if the wind is blowing strong I can simply remove the monitor (attached using an Arca-Swiss type plate) from the articulated arm. I will try and post some pics of my set-up this weekend if it helps?

[nma]

Excuse me if I am not answering the right question. Why do you want an external monitor? Probably you know that recent bodies support WI-Fi, meaning  you can remote your live view to a tablet or phone. Many 5D/6d Canon dSLR's support the dSLRcontroller app. With that app you can use the usb port on your camera to run a private WI-FI SPOT that communicates with Android phones or tablets. Furthermore dSLRcontroller provides automation for focus stacking, touch screen controls, focus peaking, blah, blah, blah. There must be similar apps for Nikon. You can use a RAM arm. mounted to your tripod to hold the tablet or just walk away from the camera clutching it. Weighs less than a lb.

Time marches on.

[one iota]

This is what I have done:

http://1-iota.com/news/2013/8/6/dslr-view-camera

[nma]

One Iota,

You can use a wireless hub instead of a USB cable, giving more flexibility of positioning. Only $30

[one iota]

One Iota,

You can use a wireless hub instead of a USB cable, giving more flexibility of positioning. Only $30

nma,

I've recently become aware of wireless hubs but really haven't given it the serious investigation that it warrants. I can see benefits for sure. Negatively it's another link in the chain of control and one requiring battery power.