When you start getting serious about your DSLR video, two things become apparent rather quickly.  You need to see better to insure focus and you need to hear better audio. I recently tested a pair that will help take care of both.

Marshall M-CT5 monitor

Getting your video properly focused can sometimes be the most difficult.  With small camera LCD screens and ambient lighting working against you, you usually will need an additional monitor. In the studio that’s no problem, but out in the field, that’s a different story.

With a field monitor like the Marshall M-CT5, you’ll be able to get a good image on a larger screen and you won’t be limited to the camera’s position.  If you want to shoot a ground level shot, you won’t need to lay on your stomach in the cold snow to see what’s in your camera’s LCD screen. The same goes for concerts or school plays. If your tripod will support it, you can raise your camera well above the seated audience and tilt your external monitor down to still see exactly what you are filming.

I recently used the M-CT5 outside and the accessory sun hood came in very handy, blocking all the white reflections around me. An adhesive velco strip sticks to three sides of the monitor and then the sun hood attaches to that. When you’re done, it unhooks and folds flat for storage with the monitor.

Inputs are available for both HDMI and BNC.  There is also an HDMI out so you can pass your signal through the M-CT5.

Battery power can come from AA batteries, camcorder batteries or DSLR batteries, depending on the model you purchase.  There is also a plug for power from an AC adapter or a car cigarette lighter.

See the whole line up of models at the Marshall website.

Also read my review of the MXL FR-500WK wireless microphone kit shown in the photos above.

You might also like this Q&A on the topic of better audio and off-camera monitoring.

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