Lilliput has close to fifty monitors on our price list. That is a lot of model numbers for a customer who asked for a 7 inch monitor. Three questions narrow it down quickly.
Where will it be used?
Brightness is measured in nits. Indoors, almost any monitor is bright enough. Outdoors in South African sun, it is the first thing that matters. A standard field monitor washes out in daylight. The HT series is built for it: the HT5S and HT7S run at 2000nit and the 10.1 inch HT10S at 1500nit.
If the customer shoots weddings, sport, news or wildlife, start with a high-brightness model. A sun hood on a dim screen does not fix it.
What is the camera sending?
Mirrorless and DSLR cameras output HDMI. Broadcast and cinema cameras output SDI, which uses a locking BNC connector and runs much longer cable lengths. Selling an HDMI-only monitor to someone with an SDI camera means a converter, a second sale they did not plan for, and one more thing to power.
For HDMI shooters, the A5, T5 and H7 do the job. For SDI, look at the FS5, FS7 and the S models in the H and HT series. For 4K at high frame rates over a single cable, you need 12G-SDI, which is where the Q series and the BM 12G monitors come in.
Who is looking at it?
A camera operator needs 5 to 7 inches on the rig. A focus puller wants 7 to 10 inches. A director or client wants a bigger picture at a distance, which is the job of the BM series director monitors from 12.5 to 31.5 inch. A gallery or OB truck needs screens in the rack: a 17.3 inch pull-out, or dual 7 inch and triple 5 inch units to watch several sources at once.
Putting it together
Outdoor mirrorless shooter: HDMI, high brightness, 5 to 7 inch. Studio with broadcast cameras: SDI, 7 inch on camera, 21.5 inch or larger at the desk. OB or flypack: 12G-SDI and rack units. If you are quoting a multi-camera system, send us the signal plan and we will check that every monitor has the inputs and loop-outs it needs.