External monitor for macro

[Stef63]

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I know that via the HDMI output on the SL2 you are able to connect an external monitor for video work.  

This setup seems interesting to me for macro still photography.  Especially since the SL, SL2 or SL2s does not have a tilt screen.  So my question to the forum users who are using a Leica SL series camera for macro is what extra monitor - if any - they use to overcome the lack of a tilt screen.

Is an external monitor an option?  Does it work via the HDMI interface and what monitor to choose?

I am not a big fan of the Leica Foto app but does anyone use it for macro?  And how?  With an iPad or iPhone mounted via the flash hot shoe?

For macro photography I mainly use the Leica APO Elmarit R f2.8 100 on the SL2.  Sometimes for semi macro or close focus captures also a Thambar 90 or APO Telyt R f4 280.  And here an external monitor could come in handy too.

Thx !

[Photoworks]

I have a monitor HDMI  It is a Recorder I have for video. I have the camera pointing down and reproducing/ scanning old film negative. The monitor flips the image correctly and helps with framing, focusing. But since it is not critical work you can use any monitor you may already have.

[Slender]

I did use an external monitor for product photography on the SL2... it is very nice indeed. If you are grounded at home you could even use a TV.

 

Otherwise, I was fortunate enough to use batery powered on camera monitors like SmallHD 702 or Atomos Shinobi/NinjaV monitors which have a TON of monitoring features for focus - exposure - color balance.

• False Color
• 10 bits HDR preview (atomos)
• Zebra
• Historgam
• RGB Parade Waveform
• Punch in Zoom (with adapted measuring for exposure on SmallHD.... awesome)
• Vectorscope....etc ans so much more to perfect your FOCUS+EXPOSURE+WHITE-BALANCE (and composition).

The only con with the SL2 for macro is that there is no deph of field preview as of today, but you can playback your images on those monitors once you press the shutter and analyse what you did there + actual depth of field.

I really recomand trying this out... it save SO MUCH time in post production to nail all this in camera.

Edited March 11, 2021 by Slender

[wjdrijfhout]

I use the SmallHD Focus monitor on the SL2, which is a great monitor. You may want to have a look at Red Dot Forum, they just did a whole macro-episode using the HDMI out feed and looked pretty good. https://youtu.be/dko_cFVxqFg

Capture One Pro has just added live-view in their latest release. I did not yet have a chance to check it out, but it sounds promising for macro-purposes.

[caissa]

On 3/11/2021 at 8:44 PM, Slender said:

I did use an external monitor for product photography on the SL2... it is very nice indeed. If you are grounded at home you could even use a TV.

 

Otherwise, I was fortunate enough to use batery powered on camera monitors like SmallHD 702 or Atomos Shinobi/NinjaV monitors which have a TON of monitoring features for focus - exposure - color balance.

• False Color
• 10 bits HDR preview (atomos)
• Zebra
• Historgam
• RGB Parade Waveform
• Punch in Zoom (with adapted measuring for exposure on SmallHD.... awesome)
• Vectorscope....etc ans so much more to perfect your FOCUS+EXPOSURE+WHITE-BALANCE (and composition).

The only con with the SL2 for macro is that there is no deph of field preview as of today, but you can playback your images on those monitors once you press the shutter and analyse what you did there + actual depth of field.

I really recomand trying this out... it save SO MUCH time in post production to nail all this in camera.

If you use R lenses or Zeiss lenses then there is no con with the SL2, you see automatically exactly what the lens displays. For me that means I will probably never upgrade to a native L mount macro lens.

About a monitor: I have seen someone using a red monitor (the RED DMSC2 Touch 4.7 “ LCD) . It looked very professional (small, light, high quality) but the price seems to be extraordinary. (I don’t know how well it would work with the SL2. He said it is not the latest, so there are probably newer (better) models).

Edited March 16, 2021 by caissa

[Slender]

@caissaWas it on a SL camera? Usually RED monitors have proprietary cables.

The latest-hypest Komodo uses SmallHD with embeded RED Control software. Expensive not because of technology but they target a niche market and they know it well.

For HMDI cable cameras, I can only HIGHLY recomend the Recorder-Less version of the Ninja5 : The Atomos Shinobi. You get 10bits colors, a pixel density of more than 420px/inch (that's retina screen level), a huge brightness of 1000nits maximum, and all of the following monitoring tools:

• Waveform (Luma/RGB)
• RGB Parade
• Vectorscope
• Punch in: 1:1 (pixel for pixel, AKA 100% on photoshop) , 2x
• False Color Exposure Chart.
• Zebra (adjustable 50 to 105 % Ire if I remember correctly)
• Peaking (adjustable in many many ways, with or w/o color substraction)
• Blue channel monitoring (so you can look at noise in real time)
• Aspect Ratios, Grid, you can import your LUTs.... the list goes on.

The only thing missing compared to SmallHD offerings are perhaps more polyvalent inputs/outputs options, the location of the HDMI plug can be annoying for some people... and also monitoring values for exposure doesnt adapt to the displayed part of the image (if you zoom/punch in on the monitor, the global exposure value still represent the whole frame). Just use the magnifier on the camera for a reading on a single spot. Not an issue at all in fact, come to think about it.

And yeah if you have (macro) R lenses by all mean keep them! I was silly enough to sell both 60 and 100(from my dad this one 🥺) a long time ago when going full Leica M. Now I do regret those tools.

Did I mention the Atomos Shinobi only cost 300?
 

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Slender

[Stef63]

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On 3/16/2021 at 9:26 AM, Slender said:

For HMDI cable cameras, I can only HIGHLY recomend the Recorder-Less version of the Ninja5 : The Atomos Shinobi.

.....

Did I mention the Atomos Shinobi only cost 300?
 

 

My Shinobi arrived yesterday.  Initial experience tells me it is indeed highly recommended.  

Thanks all for your responses.  With spring on the corner I'm certain I will give it a good use outdoors with my SL2 and 100 R Macro. 

[Slender]

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