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SmallHD have just released the Indie 7 external on-camera monitor.
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of SmallHDs monitors because I think they make high-quality products, which are user-friendly at a fair price.
The Indie 7 is a 7″ light-weight touch-screen monitor, which fits as an entry-level model into the SmallHD’s Smart 7 monitor family.
You can upgrade it with the optional Camera Control so you can control RED DSMC2 cameras – and as one of the first monitors that let you do this – also the RED Komodo.
If you want to go wireless, you can do this to, by adding the Teradek Bolt 4K RX Monitor Module.
You can get the wireless modules with a Gold Mount and a V Mount battery option.
Ruggedly build with lots of connectivity
The Indie 7 only ways 18.9 oz (1.18 lbs/535 g), and measures 4.67″x7.09″x1.32″.
The IPS LCD touchscreen has a 1920×1200 pixel resolution and 1000 nits of brightness, which is enough for some daylight scenes outside except when it’s really sunny.
The pixel density is 323, the contrast is 1000:1, and the color space is rec709.
The body is made from aluminum, similar to the more expensive SmallHD 702 Touch. You’ll find four ¼-20 Mount Points (Left, Right, Bottom, and Back).
The monitor has two 3G-SDI (1 input and 1 selectable in/out) and two HDMI (1 in + 1 out) on the back. Audio playback can be checked through headphones, as it has a 3.5mm minijack, or through the speakers on the front bezel.
You also get an USB 2.0 port and a SD-card slot for monitoring with LUTs.
Indie 7 comes with two Sony L-series battery slots on the back as standard, but you can buy optional accessory plates that let you use V-mount or Gold Mount batteries instead if you prefer.
Unfortunately, the monitor does not support the charging of batteries, even though you can power the monitor via the 2mm barrel connector (DC 10-34v).
PageOS4 software with lots of tools
Indie 7 comes with the excellent PageOS4 software, which lets you customize the tools you want and lets you easily swipe between them.
You get all the tools, you need for checking focus, exposure, white balance, and more.
Some of the tools includes:
- Pixel Zoom
- Frame Guides
- Anamorphic Desqueeze (0.75x, 1.33x, 1.5x, 1.66x, 2.0x, 2.5x)
- Image Rotate and Flip
- Focus assist
- False Color (Rainbow, Arri Style, Custom with up to 10 nodes)
- Zebras (dual costumizable)
- Waveform (Luma, RGB, customizable)
- Vectorscope
- RGB Parade (customizable)
- Histogram (Luma + RGB Style)
- Loadable Custom LUTs
You can create different screens with the tools of choice and customize the tools to your liking.
I own both the SmallHD 5″ Focus Touch and the SmallHD 702 Touch (the SmallHD 702 Touch is very like the Indie 7 but has 500 more nits of brightness), and I love the ability to swipe between the different tool screens easily.
Check the current price for the Indie 7 here on Adorama.
About the author:
Jan Sørup is a videographer and photographer from Denmark. He owns filmdaft.com and the Danish company Apertura, which produces video content for big companies in Denmark and Scandinavia. Jan has a background in music, has drawn webcomics, and is a former lecturer at the University of Copenhagen.