By technical editor Matt Allard:
The full HD Sony CLM-FHD5 5″ HDMI monitor was announced around the same time as the a7R II, RX10 II and the RX100 IV. At first sight this is just a straightforward replacement for the older V55, but delve a bit deeper and it has a lot more to offer at a very attractive price.
The 5″ screen has 1920×1080 display, focus peaking, false colour and two levels of focus magnification – x3 and x6. This is first time I’ve seen false colour exposure aids on a lower priced monitor from a major Japanese manufacturer. Unlike some other monitors the false colour mode offers you a reference level so you actually know what the individual colours correlate to. There is also a Video Level Marker that uses colours to warn about image input areas that are overexposed/underexposed relative to the target video signal level that you choose (among five video signal levels). All very clever.
Another first for an affordable Sony monitor is the built-in S-log2 display adjust – which is really just a look up table (LUT) by another name. This simple push-button feature takes the flat S-log2 image from cameras like the a7S, a7RII or even the RX100 IV and displays it adjusted to give a better idea of what the footage will look like corrected. It seems Sony have called this a display adjust simply to make this function easier to understand for first time users who may not be familiar with the LUT terminology. Unfortunately there seem to be no ways to add other LUTs to the monitor, this makes the CLM-FHD5 a very Sony-centric device.
You can power the monitor using Sony M and V series batteries, as well as the same Sony W series batteries that the a7 range use, via an included adapter plate. There is also a DC input to run the monitor off external power.
The CLM-FHD5 also comes with a hotshoe adaptor, sun shade hood, carrying pouch, fullsize-to-mini HDMI cable and fullsize-to-micro HDMI cable. The hotshoe mount allows the monitor to be placed directly on top of the camera and gives 90 degrees of tilt front and back, as well as 180 degrees left-to-right. The monitor can also be attached to other mounting arms for further flexibility.
The CLM-FHD5 is equipped with a headphone jack, built-in speaker and two customisable function buttons. The menu system is operated by buttons and has no touchscreen functionality.
The CLM-FHD5 is clearly aimed at Sony’s ever-expanding range of small mirrorless cameras. The problem with many monitors on a small camera such as a a7S is that they can be too big and heavy, really unbalancing the camera when using it handheld. Sony seem to have understood this and designed the CLM-FHD5 to be more usable. Its light weight design and battery powering options should make it a good solution for Sony users.
If you’re looking for a lightweight HDMI monitor the only other option on the market currently is the SmallHD 501. The 501 offers a lot more functionality and features HDMI input and output, as well as customisable LUTs and the option of adding the sidefinder to turn it into an EVF. If you’re looking for HD-only external recording and a Full HD monitor then the upcoming Blackmagic Design Video Assist is another better option – although it doesn’t appear to have a LUT feature at the moment.
The CLM-FHD5 is squarely aimed at Sony users and its versatility when used with other brands of camera is more limited. It does come with a lot of nice features and included accessories, which will make it a tempting prospect for a7 series users. Of course we haven’t seen the monitor in person and it is very hard to know how the display quality stacks up against other offerings on the market. The build quality of the cheapest Sony monitors has been a concern to me in the past – it will be interesting to see if the lightweight design of this model will stand rigorous use.
The CLM-FHD5 seems to retail for different amounts depending on where in the World you live. A Sony store in Europe lists it at €699 ($775 US), B+H in the US have it for $698 US, and in Japan you can get it for 64,040 JPY ($520 US). The monitor should begin shipping at the start of August this year.
