Update: The special pricing at B&H has expired.
SmallHD produces some of the best on-camera monitors in the business, but pricing may be a barrier, as most products in the lineup tend to trend closer to the $1000 mark (and above) than not. The good news is that SmallHD’s most affordable monitor, the 701 Lite, is on sale for only $399 shipped at B&H — that’s a whopping $300 off the regular price for today only.
But why should you consider a monitor from SmallHD? Watch my brief hands-on video with the SmallHD 501, a smaller unit with higher resolution, for a quick look into what makes these monitors so special.
The special price is a part of B&H’s Daily Deal Zone deals, which sometimes allow customers to pick up high-end gear for a ridiculously good price. For example, a few months ago I scored Sennheiser’s MKH-416 shotgun microphone, a unit that almost always retails for $1000, for only $599.
Needless to say, it’s not everyday that you’ll find a product of that caliber at such an inexpensive price, but today is one of those days. The only catch is that the deal is only available for 24 hours, and there are only a few hours left to score one at this price.
Five awesome SmallHD features
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Specs
- 7″ 1200×800 HDMI Monitor
- 450 cd/m² Brightness
- Accepts LP-E6 (Canon) and Sony L Batteries
- User Definable Presets
- Discrete Display/Output 3D LUT Support
- Joystick Menu Navigation
The biggest difference between the 701 Lite and the 501 (outside of the obvious screen size differences) has to do with resolution. With the 501, you’re getting a Full HD 1920-by-1080 display, whereas with the 701 Lite, you’re relegated to a 1200-by-800 display. That’s not a bad resolution for an on-camera monitor, but it’s definitely a step down from full HD if that sort of thing matters to you.
On the positive side, the 701 Lite is more flexible when it comes to charging. It not only supports the LP-E6 Canon-style batteries, but it supports Sony L batteries as well. Depending on how many and what type of batteries you have, that could make a significant difference. The 701 Lite is also 50 nits brighter than the 501 at 450 cd/m².
But the real reason that I love these monitors is something that they all benefit from — their joystick controls, build quality and ease of use. SmallHD makes quality monitors that are used in many professional setups, along with many enthusiast and YouTube setup scenarios.
A number of of my fellow YouTube friends use these monitors, and if it’s good enough for them it’s good enough for me. Be sure to watch my hands-on video of the SmallHD 501 embedded above for a look at a few features that make these monitors so enjoyable to use on a day-to-day basis.
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