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Is a Laptop/On Location sufficient?
Hi, I’m heading down to North Carolina next week and was considering just taking my laptop and Adobe On Location, am I going to regret not taking a field monitor? It’s mostly talking heads and some employees saying “liberty cares” and maybe a few healthcare scenarios. Besides talking heads, it’s going to be run and gun style, as we’re only down there 1.5 days. I shoot with a sony 450, which has a color LCD as well, but it’s pretty useless. Thanks.
Jeffrey S. Gould
Action Media Productions -
5 Replies
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If you have no confidence in your viewfinder, I’d suggest you take a field monitor that you trust. At least use it for the talking heads. Run and gun shooting never works with a monitor, but if you have playback out of your camera, you can at least spot check a few shots before you leave a specific location. At least you’ll have confidence in what you shot and you won’t have to travel back to North Carolina for a re-shoot.
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Thanks for the reply, not sure if you knew that I was referring to Adobe’s OnLocation software field monitor that I have on my 17″ Dell M90 and you can definitely view your footage, it’s just not large…last time I did this, I missed a hair sticking up out of the talents head.
Jeffrey S. Gould
Action Media Productions -
I’m aware of it. That’s why I suggested you bring a monitor.
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Jeffery,
I think what Greg’s saying here is that if a laptop was a viable replacement for an actual video monitor, we’d ALL be using them, because clearly they are a LOT easier to use in field work.
But most of us DON’T use laptops for critical field monitoring.
Why? Because they aren’t field monitors. What you see on a computer display will NOT necessarily be what goes to tape. No matter what software you use.
Laptop LCD screens – heck ALL LCD screens – have display issues that can fool you into thinking you’re recording a properly exposed or white balanced picture – when in fact you ARE NOT.
So what you’re suggesting is a “try it at your own risk” scenario.
Good luck.
FCP since NAB 1999
creator: muti-track movies
http://www.starteditingnow.com -
Thank you Bill, Sorry…I should’ve replied sooner. I took Greg’s advice right away and shipped my sony field monitor to the location of my shoot. Thank you for taking the time to follow-up…I appreciate it.
Jeffrey S. Gould
Action Media Productions
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