SmallHD has launched the SmallHD Focus 504, a 5-inch camera monitor. Optional camera control works with RED, Sony, ARRI and Canon cameras.
Design
The Focus 504 has a 5-inch 1920-by-1080 touchscreen. It reaches 1,000 nits of brightness and covers 100% of the Rec.709 color space. At 10.8 oz (306 g), it won’t add much weight when you mount it on your camera.
Four ¼-20 mounting points with ARRI locating pins sit on the case edges, one on each side. That gives you plenty of flexibility in how you build your rig.
Connectivity
The monitor has 3G-SDI and HDMI 2.0 inputs and outputs, so it works with nearly any camera. Locking USB-C ports handle power, data and video, and a headphone output lets you monitor audio. Integrated 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connects wirelessly to compatible cameras.
You can power it with a 2-pin Lemo cable, an L-series battery or USB-C. A thumb drive in the USB-C ports updates firmware, loads custom 3D LUTs and saves screenshots.
Powered by PageOS
The Focus 504 runs SmallHD’s PageOS interface. You can customize pages with the tools you use often. A portrait mode supports vertical video.
Tools include anamorphic de-squeeze, false color, focus assist and peaking, histogram, vectorscope, waveform and zebra. Add-on licenses bring camera control into PageOS for ARRI, Sony, RED and Canon. Beyond the touchscreen, a joystick on the back and two customizable function buttons help you navigate.
What we think
The SmallHD Focus 504 is a high-quality professional camera monitor. It’s only HD, but on a 5-inch screen, a higher-resolution panel adds little. A bright 1,000-nit display and 100% Rec.709 coverage let you trust what you see when you set up shots. The exposure and focus tools are all here, along with the configurable PageOS interface.
The one negative is paying extra for camera control, which many cheaper monitors include. Still, this is a versatile monitor you won’t outgrow quickly, and that makes it a solid investment.
Pricing and availability
The SmallHD Focus 504 costs $999 and is available to preorder now. SmallHD says camera control is coming soon, and you’ll need to buy separate licenses to use it. The company hasn’t listed license prices.
