Daylight Screen

[Sydney Seeber]

The site seems to be updating in odd ways today... Is there no delete button? cause that would be rad if there was, then I could delete this post instead of changing its text...

[phillip todd]

Please read the 'monitors' section, thee is plenty of information about monitors, especially in the

'monitor shootout' topic.

 

You will not find a cheap solution, cheapest suitable monitors are close to 4000 dollars, others - even more.

 

Hi,

 

I have a new old stock Marrell green screen on ebay.com for 2000 USD. I am in Europe, too.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Marell-LBM-5FF-Green-Screen-Steadicam-Glidecam-Monitor-/280575569018?pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item41539b6c7a

 

Feel free to ask me any questions if interested.. Cheers,

 

Phillip

[Diggy Breiling]

Last week I received my SmallHD DP6 and while I am very happy with it at first I was not happy about the level of reflection and glare.

 

I added a HEA2000k-matte anti-reflection film to it and now it is much better. I took the display outside and could see it well on a sunny day. I would be able to modify this or other displays or provide the film if you want to do it yourself (I would do a better job as I would do it in a clean room and have experience.) I'm in Orange County if your interested.

 

I recently sold my company Flat Panel Display Solutions which did glare reduction and ruggedization for marine, military, and aerospace so making monitors look good is what I know. Feel free to google HEA2000 and my former company will come up as FPDSolutions.com, If you enter it directly it will go to the company that purchased me and not the HEA2000 link. I'd be happy to barter mods on display for some pro guidance in my Steadicam progression.

 

 

Kind Regards,

Diggy

[Diggy Breiling]

True, not a picnic when the sun is at just the right (wrong) angle. Naturally, one shouldn't expect high end features or performance. This ain't that. When I get a chance I'll meter the Lilliput against my 500 nit Flyer monitor.

 

I'm curious about their transflective version, given the strong showing of transflectives in the monitor shootout. May just pick one up to play with.

 

The 668GL is 450 nits for $200. For another $200 Lilliput will add a transflective film.

 

 

450 Nits sucks in direct sun.... Just saying

 

Just skimming this thread a little more. To clarify this issue.

 

1. Nits don't matter (much), Contrast Ratio is what matters - Contrast is what we humans see. Specifically we are concerned with High Ambient Contrast Ratio, what we see on our monitors in bright (sunlight) environments. Whatever the light output from your screen is, it is competing with the light reflected off of the front surface. In slightly simplified terms, in a very bright environment reducing the reflection by 50% will have the same effect on contract ratio as doubling the brightness. The front polarizer on the LCD screens will have a 4% reflection unless they already have a AR coating. It is possible drop this 4% reflection down to about .4%, a dramatic improvement (and no more power draw or heat buildup)

 

 

Sunlight Level (SL) = 10,000

Display White (DW)= 450

Display Black(DB) = 1

Reflection ( R)= 4%

 

DW / DB = CR

450 / 1 = 449

 

(DW + ( R * SL )) / (DB + ( R * SL )) = HACR

( 450 + ( .04 * 10,000 )) / ( 1 + ( .04 * 10,000 )) = 2.12 HACR ( "Sucks")

 

Now change the front surface reflection to 0.4%

 

(DW + ( R * SL )) / (DB + ( R * SL )) = HACR

( 450 + ( .004 * 10,000 )) / ( 1 + ( .004 * 10,000 )) = 12 HACR ( Acceptable )

 

Both the 2.12 Contrast Ratio and the 12 Contrast Ratio are at 450 nits. To get the same effect on HACR with Nits you would have to be over 4000 nits.

 

 

2. There are true transflective display, these are a reasonable choice for sunlight applications. Adding a "Transflective Film" is not the same as a transflective display, the term transflective film is actually misleading, I suspect they are adding a DBEF film and/or a ESR film. (Google Vikuiti DBEF and ESR for more information).

 

 

3. Sun Angle - We have two primary types of reflection, 1. Specular - this is mirror like, you see a image. 2. Diffuse - This is like a white wall, very reflective but no image. We can trade specular and diffuse reflection, by increasing one we reduce the other. By having a matte front surface the diffuse will increase and the specular will decrease, by having a glossy front surface the specular will increase and the diffuse will decrease. There are trade off here and no best solutions, which flavor you like depends on you and your environment and what looks best under the sun may not be what looks best on a brightly lit set with multiple lights. For the sun I would suggest glossy (with Anti-Reflection) and for the studio set I would suggest glossy (with Anti-Reflection).

 

 

There are many more nuances to reflection, brightness, and contrast that effect how a display looks when in use, but these are some of the basics. The most important concept is to lower your reflection for the greatest gain.

 

Kind Regards,

Diggy

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

DW / DB = CR

450 / 1 = 449

 

 

Ummmmm 450/1 is 450 Just saying

[Diggy Breiling]

DW / DB = CR

450 / 1 = 449

 

 

Ummmmm 450/1 is 450 Just saying

 

 

Ahh $%^* my formula was wrong. Actually the formula for Contrast Ratio is:

 

(DW - DB) / DB = CR

 

(450 - 1 ) / 1 = 449 CR

 

I was simplifying the math (not a big difference) but still did the full equation in my head.

[Sam Morgan Moore]

OK

 

So I have my Transvision

 

All looks good, nice neat size, endless power from my Vlock etc

 

Now it has a mount point that is not centered

 

I am seeking dynamic balance

 

My thoughts go like this

 

1) off-centre monitor does not present a problem because you can DB a camera with all sorts of sh1t (remote focus etc) hanging off it

 

2) no thats wrong, because the camera and rubbish all moves on the stage you can DB a 'messy camera' but stuff not on the stage must be balanced (LR) when static to get DB

 

I must therefore get my sled (and monitor) hanging vertical (L-R) to get DB

 

Is this correct!!!!!!!!

 

I could do this be creating a dogleg for the monitor or adding a small mass offset to the light side

 

While both constructions are farily elementary for me I dont want to waste time due to screwy thinking

 

Further once this is constructed and my sled hangs LR horizontal if I move the bottom beam of the pilot sled foreaft until it hangs fore aft horizontal my rig will be in DB when the camera is added ?

 

ps Im not after a 100 spin perfection just a good rig to impove my newb moves on

 

S

[Sam Morgan Moore]

An update

 

Got my rig sort of built last night, Hocus focus, Transvideo monitor, Vlock power 5dmk2nikkor glass

 

Its got a kind of big rig spec with long power, focus, decent monitor, in a micro package

 

As for the transvideo monitor, its got good vision, some other issues that a may expand on in time

 

build 1.0 - needs a big clean up

 

[Charles Papert]

Nice to finally see remote focus happening in a smaller DSLR setup.

 

Sam, you may have already experienced the issue of image shift when the motor is pushing against the lens--that darn EOS mount is not made for any kind of mechanical pressure against the lens in a motion environment. One thing that helps a little is the Really Right Stuff bracket that gives an extra point of contact to keep the camera from rotating on the quick release plate, since there is no keyway or locator pin on those camera bodies. It's still an issue and one I'm about to address on my system.

 

Other than cleaning up the cables (time to strip off the extra RCA leads from your video cable!), you might also want to collapse the post all the way which will allow you to move the gimbal up a little bit. The rig would fly that much better with the gimbal higher. If you are still has a way to go, some more weights at the top stage will be a boon. In addition, you could lose the ones under the monitor and drive the monitor forward to compensate--better viewing angle and you would be able to raise the gimbal that much more.

[Sam Morgan Moore]

Nice to finally see remote focus happening in a smaller DSLR setup.

 

Sam, you may have already experienced the issue of image shift when the motor is pushing against the lens--that darn EOS mount is not made for any kind of mechanical pressure against the lens in a motion environment. One thing that helps a little is the Really Right Stuff bracket that gives an extra point of contact to keep the camera from rotating on the quick release plate, since there is no keyway or locator pin on those camera bodies. It's still an issue and one I'm about to address on my system.

 

Other than cleaning up the cables (time to strip off the extra RCA leads from your video cable!), you might also want to collapse the post all the way which will allow you to move the gimbal up a little bit. The rig would fly that much better with the gimbal higher. If you are still has a way to go, some more weights at the top stage will be a boon. In addition, you could lose the ones under the monitor and drive the monitor forward to compensate--better viewing angle and you would be able to raise the gimbal that much more.

 

Indeed this is build 1.0 really just to test the electronics and basic theory !

 

The arm is nearly maxed out

 

I will shorten the post

 

For another £230 I can swap the 100w/hr vlock for a 70w/hr, that will save me some mass when I have the money (this is fast becoming and expensive pilot!)

 

and lose the bottom mass

 

Some of my home made components can be refined with a drill - trimming off more mass

 

the mission to be to lower the camera and/or add some more mass up top give more configuration options

 

On the rotational torque of the motor..

 

the nikkor is low torque and wonderful with end stops even clickless iris

 

most of my other nikkors are similar - mid age af primes, - hard stops and smooth travel

 

if you observe carefully there is a block behind the camera creating the RRS effect for $2 of materials - with a post for my swingaway viewfinder that I use operating HH

 

you may also observe the tape sticking out of the lens adapter reducing rotational movement of the lens

 

 

The lens is a PC - perscpective correction meaning I can trim headroom irrelevant of arm height (not in shot)

 

You may read my review of this lens here.. 28P v 24-105

 

 

S

Edited December 19, 2010 by Sam Morgan Moore

[Sanjay Sami]

Do you have a compass mounted on your sled in front of the electronics box ?

[Sam Morgan Moore]

Do you have a compass mounted on your sled in front of the electronics box ?

 

Yes - I thought might help me walk in a straight line or at least keep the lens pointing the right way :)

 

I am yet to be convinced of the value

 

its just an experiment

 

it does read when you are not tilting or panning and might help for example when doing a 90 turn down a corridor into a room and you want the room composed square - which is what I like

 

Sam 'going south' MM

Edited December 19, 2010 by Sam Morgan Moore

[Daniel Stilling DFF]

Do you have a compass mounted on your sled in front of the electronics box ?

 

Yes - I thought might help me walk in a straight line or at least keep the lens pointing the right way :)

 

I am yet to be convinced of the value

 

its just an experiment

 

it does read when you are not tilting or panning and might help for example when doing a 90 turn down a corridor into a room and you want the room composed square - which is what I like

 

Sam 'going south' MM

 

Honestly, if you spend all the precious time you have during a shot looking at a compass, you might miss details like a stand in the movie, or even the general framing itself. i for one am always scanning the edge of the frame, then the subject itself, and just then a glance at the level, just to confirm all is good...

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

 

 

A compass? Really?? that is one of the least useful things I've seen on a steadicam

[Jens Piotrowski SOC]

 

 

A compass? Really?? that is one of the least useful things I've seen on a steadicam

 

 

how about a coffee maker?