Use MacBook Pro as a monitor for the HVX200?

[Jeremy Garchow]

You can do this via firewire and FCP, but there are some caveats. It’s not accurate monitoring, but it can work as a confidence monitor.

Your camera can’t be in 720pN mode.

Jeremy

[Larry Cohen]

Jeremy, thank you. I was kinda thinking EXACTLY what you just said!

If I wanted to tinker with it (to see how good? it would do! 🙂

what would the basic workflow be?? Oh, thanks for the pN warning – that IS what we shoot – but I’n thinking, just to maybe check color temperatures of mixing light sources – maybe we can get away with this – I would change the camera settings to 720 P just to see what things look like — then change it back.

I mean, we firewire out of the camera to an 800 firewire in to the MackBook Pro – we have that adapter – do I want to be in the capture mode of FCPro??? Or . . . I’m not exactly sure how I’d do it??

I really appreciate your input. Lastly, maybe I won’t like this approach anyway and will buy an external ‘portable’ monitor. Any you’d recommend ?

Thank you very much for your time,

Larry

[Noah Kadner]

I’d still advocate a real HD monitor. Even the cheapie ones out there would be superior to your laptop for any monitoring purpose. And would be much more ergonomic- i.e. good luck mounting a MacBook on the accessory shoe of your HVX200.

Noah

Check out my book: RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera!
Unlock the secrets of 24p, HD and Final Cut Studio with Call Box Training. Featuring the Sony EX1 Guidebook, Panasonic HVX200, Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Canon 7D.
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[Larry Cohen]

Thank you, Noah.
I think you’ve just put this to bed for me. I just thought it was a great ‘fantasy’ to use the stunning screen on my MacBook Pro as a monitor’ to what the camera is “seeing”!

But I’m dreaming . . . and you’ve just confirmed that! I’ll probably just get an external one.
Thank you for the confirmation!
Larry

[Noah Kadner]

I’d keep a MacBook around would be for data managing and file transfer, etc- but direct monitoring is not up there… 🙂

Noah

Check out my book: RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera!
Unlock the secrets of 24p, HD and Final Cut Studio with Call Box Training. Featuring the Sony EX1 Guidebook, Panasonic HVX200, Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Canon 7D.
Learn DSLR Cinematography.

[Jeremy Garchow]

Yeah, like I said before only a confidence monitor, as in confident your camera is getting a picture. Accuracy is out the window. Try the 7″ FSI monitor.

[Patrick Donegan]

There are a few applications that can do just that.
One I think is called “HD Monitor” and can do a bunch of things to your video
that you are watching, including recording direct to your hard drive.

Another is the viewing application that comes along with Adobe Premiere Pro
Master Suite and Production Suite.

I think you can even use the vector scopes in these applications.

But then, if your are doing a one man shoot – don’t even think of doing this 😉

I am all the way in the middle of the Pacific Ocean

[Larry Cohen]

Patrick, that is EXACTLY what I was looking for. The program is called HD Monitor Pro. I works perfectly. Simple, easy and lets me se on my MacBook Pro exactly what the camera is shooting. You are correct – you can record it as a .mov directly.

It’s funny how little there is written about this program. If you search the FCPro chat boards at Apple, it’s not to be found at all? Interestingly, it won’t work in the “pn” mode – only “P”! Where you’re using twice the data rate. (On the HVX200). We don’t use “P” – never quite understood why anyone would – it’s not a better image, but used twice the data rate?

Anyway, thanks very much for the answer. You are exactly correct.