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Field monitor calibration for shooting
  • Hi, I have a Marshall V-LCD50-HDMI which I use with GH2 and GH3. I noticed the image being completely different from the one I get on the camera screen and in the recorded file. Anyone has tips/thoughts on this? Here on PV I only found tips on computer monitor calibration, not on field monitor.

    This is my experience: looking for calibration tips, I found this

    which seems pretty good. Anyway the first problem is getting a color bars reference image on the monitor: I tried taking some native jpegs stills, modifying them placing the bars over the image image and then saving, but nor GH2 or GH3 accepted to read the image. I finally managed through a minidv camcorder connected to FC to record and display the image on the monitor, and followed the procedure from the tutorial. Anyway during my last shoot I realized the image was once more different than what I was recording, so I'm somehow back at the beginning. The V-LCD50 is not really a lower-end monitor and it should perform decently in terms of color, so I'm quite upset for not being able to use it as a reference.

    Thanks

  • 2 Replies sorted by
  • @flablo On my GH2 I've found the LCD flip out screen to be pretty accurate in terms of color and exposure. So if your monitor isn't great for color and exposure accuracy, you can use the monitor for framing and focus and use LCD for color and exposure. I know many would disagree about the LCD color and exposure accuracy, but to me it is pretty damn close in most situations.

    But I would guess there are ways to get monitor optimally calibrated properly, so hopefully someone on forum here will have solution.

    You could also contact the manufacturer for advice on setting up and calibrating the monitor.

  • @matt_gh2 thanks for the feedback. The image I see on the GH2 LCD is a lot flatter than the one I record. It looks event better sometimes, I mean I see details in the shadows that in the recorded file seem to be gone! I know image seen on a small display always look better than they are. GH3 LCD is not bad but it suffers from color shift depending on angle of view. Anyway I'd prefer to have the Marshall as reference.

    I'm wondering if the monitor should be calibrated differently for each camera of if it could be (once calibrated) some sort of "absolute" image reference independent from which camera is connected (which would be great).