Monitor

On set, you need a monitor when the camera's LCD is lying to you. While the internal display roughly shows you if there's light, it's not sufficient for focus control, color calibration, and critical image composition. An external monitor — ideally 5 to 7 inches, 4K-capable — is connected via HDMI or SDI and then sits with the focus puller, the DoP, or on an arm next to the camera. This is where you can truly see what the lens is delivering.

Practical application: The focus puller uses the monitor for peaking (edge highlighting in red or white) to precisely identify which plane is in focus. This is essential for quick lens changes or zooms. The DoP simultaneously monitors exposure and color temperature — modern devices like the Atomos series or Blackmagic Video Assist display live histograms, zebras (overexposed areas), and sometimes even LUT previews. This saves you post-production work and reshoots. For feature films with color space requirements specific to the grader (DCI-P3, Rec.709), this is not a luxury but a craft.

Practical pitfalls: Monitors have latency — they don't show exactly in real-time what the camera is recording. This can be annoying during fast pans or action, but it's usually under 60ms, so it's manageable. Pay attention to brightness and viewing angles — in strong sunlight, you need at least 2000 nits, otherwise, you won't see anything. HDR monitors are the future, but still superfluous for standard productions. Power supply from a set battery (Anton Bauer, Gold Mount) is standard, as is a monitor mount and a protective film against scratches.

Tip for smaller budgets: A 5-inch monitor with HDMI is often sufficient, costs under 200 Euros, and already provides 80% of the benefit. For documentary teams working handheld, a monitor is often more of a hindrance — here, they rely on good lighting and experience. But as soon as you work with external batteries, multiple cameras, or require color grading, the monitor becomes standard equipment.