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Jan 28, 2024

Best external camera screens

June 2, 2023 Your camera already has an LCD display, so why would you need

June 2, 2023

Your camera already has an LCD display, so why would you need another? That's because the best external camera screens do so much more, not just giving videographers a much better view of their footage but, in some instances, offering higher-quality video capture or longer recording times.

Just about any serious video ‘rig’ has two things; an external microphone for better audio and an external camera screen, or on camera monitor, to show what's being captured.

Anyone who's shot video with even the best mirrorless cameras, the best DSLRs or the best video cameras will know that the inbuilt screens are too small to see clearly at any kind of distance. You can't always angle them in the right direction and they’re often so dim that they’re easily swamped by glare outdoors. Even the high-end 8K Canon EOS R5 has only a 3.2-inch rear screen and that's rare enough in a market where many makers offer just 3-inch displays.

External camera screens solve all three problems, and sometimes a couple more you didn't know you had, or didn't know you could fix.

Typically they attach to your camera's accessory shoe via a ball and socket adaptor that lets you angle them in any direction, including forwards for when you need to film yourself. They can also attach to ‘rigs’ or camera ‘cages’ in more advanced setups.

Screen sizes start at around 5 inches, already much larger than the screens on the back of cameras, and with a 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution that lets you see the finest details.

Different models can also display vectorscopes, waveforms, zebra patterns and other shooting aids, and may be able to simulate LUTs and HDR capture for those using more advanced shooting and editing workflows.

The best camera monitors can transform your video shooting experience just by virtue of their bigger, better displays, but some models offer internal recording too. This means you can often bypass the file format and codec limitations of your camera's in-built capture, so that many consumer-grade mirrorless cameras, for example, can capture raw video on an external recorder where that's not possible internally.

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This is not a group test but a roundup of what's available, what it does and how it works. Products are not organized in order of merit but grouped into families and brands to make it easier to compare their features.

Credit: Atomos

The Atomos Ninja V is the best external camera screen and recorder to buy today. It's been around for a while, but its ability to capture 4K ProRes Raw video and its adoption by so many camera makers has made it practically the standard external monitor for a host of mirrorless cameras – and it's opened up the potential for raw capture with cameras that don't support it internally, though some models may require a firmware update.

Given its capabilities, the Ninja V is great value, and many videographers won't need to look any further. SSD storage is not included, however, and Atomos's own storage media is expensive – though there are cheaper third-party solutions.

Credit: Atomos

The standard Atomos Ninja V tops out at a resolution of 4K 60, which is probably going to be fine for the vast majority of filmmakers. However, you’d have to be living in a cave not to notice that many cameras now shoot 6K or even 8K, and the Ninja V+ has been made to handle these much higher resolutions, offering 8K capture at 30fps and 4K at an impressive 120fps.

The screen is slightly larger than the Ninja V's at 5.2 inches, though you may not notice the difference, and the resolution and maximum brightness are the same – as is the interface, storage and even the weight. The Ninja V+ is more expensive than the original, as you’d expect, but not a whole lot more when you take into account its 8K capture capabilities.

Credit: Atomos

Not everyone needs an external recorder. Many current cameras offer internal recording at 10-bit quality perfectly good enough for log recording and color grading later. An external monitor is still a great shooting accessory, and its improved display is probably worth at least as much as, if not more than, external recording features.

So if you just want the Ninja V's 5-inch display but not its internal recording, get the Shinobi 5-inch instead. It's both a lot cheaper than the Ninja V and barely two-thirds the weight – and weight is a big factor if you’re going to mount your external monitor on the camera. Be aware, though, that the resolution tops out at 4K 30p or FHD at 60p, and many of the best mirrorless cameras can go beyond this.

Credit: Atomos

The Atomos external monitor range has two main families: the Ninjas offer external recording too, while the Shinobis just offer monitoring. The Shinobi 7-inch, as the name suggests, boasts a larger screen than the Ninja Models or the smaller Shinobi 5-inch. It can also display 4K 60 video and has a higher maximum brightness than the Shinobo 5-inch.

However, it is twice the price and more than twice the weight, so you’d probably keep this for higher-end setups where you need the bigger screen and you’re using a setup where the weight is less important – 577g would be a lot to have fixed to the top of the camera if you’re shooting handheld or with a gimbal.

Credit: Feelworld

Atomos and Blackmagic might be the big names in external camera screens, but they are not the cheapest. If you’re looking for a more affordable monitor and don't need external recording, there are lots of less expensive brands, and Feelworld is one of the most widely available.

This 5.7-inch display costs a good deal less than an Atomos or Blackmagic equivalents, and its 200g weight means it can sit quite nicely on a DSLR or mirrorless camera hotshoe without overbalancing your setup. It can display 4K 30p footage or Full HD at 60p, which will be enough more many filmmakers, though its screen is not the brightest, which could affect its usability outdoors.

For another budget option, have a look at the Feelworld F6 Plus 5.5in field monitor.

Credit: Feelworld

The Feelworld LUT7 offers a 7-inch display for less than the price of 5-inch external monitors from Atomos or Blackmagic. It's another monitor-only device (no external recording) but that is often enough in itself. It shares the same maximum 4K 30 frame rate as the smaller 5.7-inch model, but it does come with the ability to preview custom 3D LUTs, which can be important when working with colorists or on more advanced film projects.

While the price is very good for a 7-inch external display, it's worth pointing out that the larger screen size practically doubles the weight, so this may be less practical for handheld or gimbal shooting. This is a factor with all 7-inch external screens. It's also worth spending some time checking out the full Feelworld external monitor range, which is pretty extensive.

Credit: Blackmagic

Blackmagic Design is another big name in external screens alongside Atomos, and while its four combined external monitors/recorders are designed specifically to dovetail with Blackmagic's full system of cinema cameras, switchers and other video production tools, they will work perfectly well with other-brand cameras too – though there are some factors to take into account.

The Blackmagic Video Assist 5-inch 3G is the baby of the range, though it's no cheaper than a Ninja V and is restricted to FHD 60 video capture. It really only makes sense if you’re using a 1080 video workflow rather than 4K, and it has another disadvantage in that it's one of least bright screens out there, so might need some shading in bright outdoor light.

On the upside, it can record video straight to UHS II SD cards rather than the more expensive SSD storage used by Atomos. On the downside, it does not support the Blackmagic raw format, though it can capture video in high-quality Apple ProRes.

Credit: Blackmagic

This is a much more powerful alternative to the basic VideoAssist 5-inch 3G model. The ’12G’ comes from its faster 12G-SDI interface – SDI is a common digital interface in the video industry with higher-end gear and like HDMI comes in different speeds. The Video Assist 5-inch 12G also has a faster HDMI 2.0 interface than the older HDMI 1.4 port on the 3G model. Between them, these faster connections allow 4K 60 capture.

That's by no means the only advantage of the 12G model. It has a screen six times brighter, which should make a big difference for outdoor shooting, plus the ability to record straight to a USB-C SSD as an alternative to an SD card.

The Video Assist 5-inch 12G can also record Blackmagic raw video, though it does require that the camera is compatible. Blackmagic's own cinema cameras are, of course, as are a number cine and filmmaking cameras from other brands, though at the DSLR/mirrorless end of the market, support for this format is not yet as wide as that for the Atomos Ninja V and its Apple ProRes.

Credit: Blackmagic

If you’re happy to stick with a Full HD video workflow and you just need a larger screen, then the Video Assist 7-inch 3G makes a logical upgrade from the 5-inch 3G version. However, as well as sharing the same resolution limit, it also has a much dimmer screen than Blackmagic's newer 12G models. Not only that, with a weight of 825g, it's not well suited to handheld or gimbal use, and will be more at home attached to a proper cinema rig.

If you just need a bigger monitor, there are many cheaper alternatives, though the Video Assist 7-inch 3G's external ProRes recording could be an advantage. With the whole industry shifting towards 4K as a baseline standard these days, though, Blackmagic's 12G external screens look a much better buy.

Credit: Blackmagic

The Video Assist 7-inch 12G HDR is top dog in Blackmagic's Video Assist range, and the next step up from here is full-scale professional monitoring equipment, which is a whole new ballpark. It's more expensive than the Atomos Ninja V at the top of our list, but it does have a bigger 7-inch screen. The nearest equivalent from the Atomos range is the Shogun Connect 7, which is like a 7-inch version of the 8K Ninja V+ but with wireless connectivity too for production teams and remote collaboration – so probably a step beyond the scope of most solo shooters and vloggers.

The Video Assist 7-inch 12G HDR would make a lot of sense in professional filming situations especially those involving other Blackmagic gear and DaVinci Resolve (one of the best video editors), though for single users the Atomos Ninja V might prove the most cost effective and widely compatible and practical solution all round.

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I've been taking pictures since the 1980s and I've been writing about cameras, lenses, accessories and photo editing since the dawn of digital imaging. I've done stints as a technique editor, reviews editor and online channel editor. I'm currently an independent photography journalist and content creator. I cover everything from smartphone photography through hybrid mirrorless cameras to medium format.