At IBC 2024 in Amsterdam, I caught up with Blackmagic Design to have a look at their new PYXIS Monitor. The PYXIS Monitor is a 5″ HDR touchscreen monitor with full camera control. This is a good move by Blackmagic Design considering the PYXIS doesn’t come with any LCD or flip-out LCD screen.
What is nice is that it provides the same controls and overlays as the built-in LCD on the Blackmagic PYXIS 6K camera. It features multiple mounting points making it easy to attach to any camera rig. Having a 5″ HDR touchscreen monitor with full camera control makes a lot of sense for this camera and it is sure to broaden its appeal.
Key features
- 5″ HDR touchscreen monitor with full camera control.
- Multiple mounting points on top and bottom.
- All video, power and camera control via a single USB-C connection
- Removable sunshade for improved visibility
- Built in tally light
- 3 user assignable buttons for quick access to functions.
- Built in accelerometer for image orientation
- Available as monitor only, monitor with PYXIS Monitor Mount, or monitor with EVF mount.
I asked Blackmagic Design if you could run their EVF and the PYXIS monitor at the same time, but you can’t as the second USB-C port on the camera is only for attaching external hard drives. You can only use the EVF and the PYXIS monitor in combination on the URSA 12K Cine and URSA 17K.
I also asked Blackmagic Design if you could turn the in-built monitor on the side of the camera off or dim it down and they said that currently you cannot, but they may look into adding an option so you can do that. The PYXIS monitor only draws around 4-5W of power.
More than just a monitor
The Blackmagic PYXIS Monitor is more than just an adjustable high brightness monitor, it’s a powerful extension of the camera with a touchscreen so customers can control all of the camera’s features.
When recording, the monitor has a bright tally light that’s easy to see from a distance. The monitor has a claimed brightness of 1500 nits and a removable sunshade.
The included USB cable can be used to power the monitor from the camera and this also passes the data that allows you to access all the PYXIS 6K camera settings and menus. That means you get power, live video, record controls, menus, metadata and camera settings, all through a single USB connection.
There are also 3 customizable buttons for access to zebra, focus assist, false color, etc.
The Blackmagic PYXIS monitor can also be purchased with the PYXIS Mount which is a clutch based mount that lets you adjust the monitor without unbolting the mount. Plus the mount is very short so the monitor is positioned closer to the camera.
There is also a PYXIS EVF Adapter available that lets the monitor mount onto the Blackmagic URSA Cine EVF mounting hardware so you can use it as a very large screen viewfinder. This is a good solution for documentary shooters.
It also works with the URSA Cine
The Blackmagic PYXIS Monitor also works with the URSA Cine. When mounted onto URSA Cine, the Blackmagic PYXIS Monitor can be used as an additional crew monitor or as a large screen viewfinder. Just as with Blackmagic PYXIS, URSA Cine supports the same USB-C connection that carries all video, power, and camera control via a single cable. There will be 3 separate configurations available for the Blackmagic PYXIS Monitor depending on how you plan on mounting it.
Price & Availability
As usual, Blackmagic hasn’t priced the PYXIS Monitor high. You can get the PYXIS Monitor with the sunshade for $295 USD.
Another option is the Blackmagic PYXIS Monitor Kit which includes the PYXIS Monitor with sunshade, a custom USB cable, the PYXIS Monitor Mount and the URSA Cine EVF adapter. The URSA Cine EVF adapter allows you to use the mount if you already own an electronic viewfinder. This kit will be priced at $445 USD.
If you want a complete mounting solution, you can select the full Blackmagic PYXIS Monitor EVF Kit. This includes the PYXIS Monitor, a sunshade, 2 different length USB cables, a PYXIS mount, a full URSA Cine top handle, the PYXIS EVF adapter and the full URSA EVF rotatable mount with carbon fiber rods. With this option you get everything you need to use the PYXIS Monitor as an electronic viewfinder and it will be priced at $645 USD.
All Blackmagic PYXIS Monitor configurations will be available later this year from Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide.
