“You have chosen wisely…” reads the line inside the cover when you open the box containing SmallHD’s new FOCUS 7 4K touchscreen HDMI on-camera monitor, a line many of you will fondly remember from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, when Indy has to choose the correct cup. But is the FOCUS 7 really the Holy Grail of on-camera monitors? I spent a few days with this bright new 7" dual-battery monitor to find out how wisely I chose.
Cold Open: What’s Included?
The FOCUS 7 doesn’t come with any cables, mounting, or power options, so I had to rely on what I had on hand to get started. SmallHD offers several accessory kits, which are recommended since they are needed for operation. Currently, three accessory packages are offered for Blackmagic cameras, Cine cameras, and gimbal setups that provide camera-specific power and mounting options. You can also purchase the FOCUS 7 built as part of a wireless receiver set, for even more flexibility. My camera of choice was the Canon EOS 5D Mark III, which desperately needs a larger monitor due to its tiny LCD, but it isn’t the ideal pairing with this monitor—more on that later. The HDMI cable I already had on hand worked perfectly, and I really appreciated the full-size HDMI port that makes it compatible with a wide variety of professional cameras. The inset port protects the cable from getting knocked or falling out, unlike low-end monitor models. I was a bit disappointed that it doesn’t have an HDMI pass-through port for a second display, since it’s clearly designed for higher-end production value. The one item that is included is a screen protector, which is a welcome addition to protect the touchscreen in the field.
On the Outside, Looking In
As soon as I powered it on with its one and only physical button, I was brought through a standard time- and date-setting menu and then to an activation screen, which requires consulting the SmallHD website using a response code setup. If you want to register for updates, support, and warranty, it’s best to be near a computer when switching it on. The FOCUS 7 instantly synced with the camera with a crisp and beautiful image on the bright, 1000 cd/m2, 323 ppi display. The FOCUS 7 makes a vast improvement in image quality over the FOCUS 5, with Full HD 1920 x 1200 resolution and up to UHD 4K30 input support. The full-size SD card and micro-USB slots allow you to load 3D LUTs when shooting Log footage, and a handy screen-shot feature also employs them to save image files.
The monitor’s footprint is relatively compact and light for its 7" diagonal size. Even with two L-series batteries installed, it remains light enough to balance safely on a gimbal or small mirrorless camera. Speaking of dual batteries, the upgrade from the FOCUS 5’s single battery mount to dual is not only very welcome, but necessary due to the higher brightness of the display, which uses more power. The 5" version's single battery was reported to have about 3-4 hours of life, but after about 8 hours of constant switching between record, standby, and sleep using two NP-F750 batteries, the FOCUS 7 still had enough juice left for a few more shots. However, since I was using third-party L-series batteries that did not send battery data, the battery life display did not work with the monitor’s battery status firmware. The dual batteries are also hot-swappable; removing and replacing a battery is seamless, without any disturbance to operation. The HDMI side of the monitor does get a little bit hot when using two batteries, but not enough to burn your fingers.
Other helpful external features are the four 1/4"-20 mounting threads on the bottom, sides, and back. The threads allow you to place the monitor in any configuration needed. When configured, the image will auto-rotate between horizontal and vertical mode. On the bottom, there’s a handy DC barrel output port that allows you to power your camera with a dummy battery. This is especially useful, since the battery life of some DSLR and mirrorless cameras leaves a lot to be desired. Since this is an output-only power port, there is no way to power the monitor with an AC adapter, just by one or two batteries. There is also a headphone jack to monitor the embedded HDMI audio, if your camera supports it. However, since I was using the 5D Mark III, which supports video-only output, I couldn't use the monitor's audio meter or even view indicator functions such as record status. While the included screen protector is a great addition to the package and the screen is brighter than its predecessor, the display is still susceptible to glare and reflection, so adding a sun hood is recommended when working in direct sunlight. Other than those few features, there are no other buttons or ports on the outside. If you're used to changing settings with tactile senses, you’ll have to give in to the touchscreen world.
OS3 Redux
Just like the FOCUS 5, SmallHD’s OS3 monitor firmware and its PageBuilder function are the source of the monitor’s real power. Its pure, touchscreen operation is a smooth experience using pinch, swipe, and tap movements with little to no delay. However, since the higher resolution makes the text smaller, it can be a bit of trial and error for those of us with chubby fingers. If I were to use the FOCUS 7 full time, I’d probably invest in the compatible BT-1 remote control to make navigation easier. When you pinch the screen, you are presented with a “+” to add pages with tools like histogram, vectorscope, exposure assist, markers, and numerous others. OS3’s PageBuilder offers a powerful advantage over other brands that force you to crowd all your tools and functions onto one screen. With OS3 and PageBuilder, you can just swipe right. When you swipe left, the settings menu has all the tools you need to configure the basics of the monitor like brightness, LUT selection, firmware updates, controls, and more, easily. You can even change the display backdrop to a stock or custom image if the plain gray standby screen is too dull.
Denouement
So, is the FOCUS 7 the Holy Grail of monitors? It definitely improves on the FOCUS 5 in several areas, but my conclusions were more in line with The Good (higher resolution, 4K input, dual battery, great touchscreen operation), the Bad (no HDMI pass-through), and the Ugly (nothing included, a high price for only a few feature upgrades from the 5"). But if you have sufficient budget and are looking for a rugged on-camera HDMI monitor with a bright, crisp display for your compact HD or 4K mirrorless, DSLR, or gimbal camera, the FOCUS 7 is one of the few in its class with equivalent resolution, features, and size.
If you have been using the FOCUS 7 monitor and have any questions or observations to share, we’d love to hear from you in the Comments section, below.
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