Bright, Affordable with Pro Features - Can this ikan Monitor deliver it all?

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7 years ago
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More info: https://tomantosfilms.com/17036/ikan-saga-high-brightness-monitor-review

You can get the ikan Saga 7″ High-Brightness On-Camera Monitor on:
B&H https://bhpho.to/2gtJJlw
Adorama https://goo.gl/d7xgHv
eBay https://goo.gl/xVTL6y
Amazon http://amzn.to/2ngrdmP

SmallHD 702 Bright 7″ Full HD On-Camera Monitor on:
B&H https://bhpho.to/2ASXcM7
Adorama https://goo.gl/ifQpuC
Henry's https://goo.gl/A61Pwu
eBay https://goo.gl/uKMNsP
Amazon http://amzn.to/2jw29TS
Amazon.ca http://amzn.to/2j10YMM
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/2zDETdi

DJI CrystalSky 7.85″ High-Brightness Monitor on:
B&H https://bhpho.to/2hJuKZ3
Adorama https://goo.gl/5K7zmq
eBay https://goo.gl/kzDsXL
Amazon http://amzn.to/2j0K8Og
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/2kbmTUM
Amazon.de http://amzn.to/2zAwjMA

A weak point of many field monitors is that they are not very bright, making it difficult to use them outdoors. A monitor hood is one way to remedy this; another one is to spend over a thousand dollars, and get an ultra-bright model (1000 cd/m² or Nits).

Spending that kind of money is not something most indie filmmakers can justify. So, some manufacturers have responded and released models that are more affordable, but still bright enough to be used outdoors (in most situations). One such a monitor is the ikan Saga 7″ High-Brightness monitor, which I had a chance to use on a few film shoots.

The monitor I have here is the Ikan Saga, model S7H. It’s a 7 inch monitor with 700 Nits of brightness. This makes it an ideal outdoor field or on-camera monitor. So, what’s the big deal about this monitor, since there are others out there that are brighter?

Well, it’s the least costly option if you want a monitor that’s bright enough to be used outdoors. At the time of writing, this monitor costs $700. Just to compare, the closest option is the DJI CrystalSky 7 Inch High Brightness Monitor, which has 1000 Nits of brightness, and also costs $700. However, the DJI doesn’t have some of the pro features of the ikan. For example, the DJI CrystalSky monitor offers only HDMI, whereas the ikan monitor has both 3G-SDI and HDMI input and output.

If you want a bright monitor with SDI connections, then the next best option is the SmallHD 702 monitor, which has 1000 Nits, but costs $1499.

So, how is the ikan Saga? Well, I used it on a few projects I shot last two months, and so far it’s performed very well. It’s sharp and color accurate, which is important. It actually has a 1920 x 1200 IPS Panel. It supports both Ultra HD (3840×2160) and DCI 4K (4096×2160) resolutions via the HDMI ports.

It also has 1:1 pixel mapping and peaking, meaning you can make sure that your shots are perfectly in focus. There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you can easily monitor your audio. Plus, the monitor has audio meters and other important tools such as Waveform, Histogram, False Color, Peaking, Pixel to Pixel, Zooming, Guides, and a few other things, all of which can be assigned to four buttons on top of the monitor.

On the back of the ikan, you will find dual Canon E6 battery plates, which can be changed out for any other popular battery type.

On the bottom, you will find the SDI and HDMI inputs and output, along with the headphone jack, mini XLR power connection, and also a USB connection, which can be used to both upgrade the firmware of the monitor, but also to power any USB accessories you might have. You also have ¼ 20 inch screw attachments on the bottom, top, and both sides of the monitor.

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My name is Tom Antos. I am a film director and cinematographer with over 20 years experience in VFX & animation.
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