SmallHD has announced the FOCUS 7 Bolt. The FOCUS 7 Bolt is a 7-inch wireless monitor that has 1000 nits of brightness, a built-in Teradek receiver and weighs just 17 oz (481 g).
The SmallHD FOCUS 7 Bolt 500 RX is based around the same concept as the FOCUS Bolt 500 RX, but with all the benefits of the FOCUS 7. It has a wireless reception range of up to 500′ line of sight (or 500′
Key features
- 7″ 1920 x 1200 Touchscreen Display
- Built-In Teradek Wireless Video Receiver
- Transmits up to 1080p60 Video
- Up to 500′ Wireless Working Distance
- Waveform / RGB Parade / Vectorscope
- 1000 cd/m² 10-Bit IPS LCD Panel
- Daylight-Viewable Display
- Dual, Hot-Swap L-Series Battery Plate
- 160° Viewing Angle
- 1 x Full-Size HDMI
- Output: ⅛” Headphone Jack, 7.2v Power
The whole philosophy behind the FOCUS 7 Bolt 500 RX is simplicity. By integrating everything you need into one compact solution you take away some of the pains of traditional wireless monitoring. You only need to power one device, don’t need to mount one product to another and you don’t need to run any cables. By keeping things simple, it allows filmmakers to spend more time actually creating, instead of worrying about equipment.
Lightweight Solution
As I mentioned earlier, the FOCUS 7 Bolt 500 RX weighs in at just 17oz (481g). If you add two Sony L series batteries and the monitor handles you still end up with a package that weighs under 2lb (907g).
1000nit 1920×1200 Screen
The FOCUS 7 Bolt 500 RX features a 7″ (17.8cm) 1000nit daylight viewable 1920×1200 IPS LCD screen.
For reference, the 1000nit of brightness is the same that can be found on the Atomos Shinobi and Ninja V.
At 1000 nits, the FOCUS 7 Bolt 500 RX is slightly brighter than the FOCUS Bolt 500 RX (800 nits), but nowhere near as bright as the 703 Bolt (3000 nits).
PageBuilder OS
Like all SmallHD monitors, the FOCUS 7 Bolt 500 RX uses the same PageBuilder OS graphical user interface (GUI). SmallHD built the PageBuilder OS to make menus less confusing. PageBuilder is a very customizable system as it allows you to selectively apply monitoring tools such as waveform, vectorscope, multiview, LUTs, and focusing aids on different “pages”. These pages can be easily flipped through using the joystick (it’s almost similar to how some Mac products work). The buttons on the front panel can also toggle monitoring tools on and off for each page.
SmallHD recently announced OS 3.4.0 which adds :
- Overlay for Teradek RT
- Overlay for ShotOver
- Two new Anamorphic settings (2.5x, .75x)
Competition
Nobody else makes an integrated 7″ wireless monitor/receiver. The closest product that could offer competition is the Vaxis Storm 058 Focus which I have previously reviewed.
The Vaxis Storm 058 Focus has a built-in Storm 1000FT+ Wireless Receiver with a full HD (1920×1080) IPS 5.8″ screen and claimed 1000 nits of brightness. I measured the screen and it only had 737 nits.
The Vaxis Storm 058 Focus retails for $2,599 USD without a TX unit. This is expensive considering the unit has no inputs and a serious lack of monitoring assist tools.
Price & Availability
The SmallHD FOCUS 7 Bolt 500 RX will retail for $1,699 USD and it will start shipping in April.
It ships with the following items:
- SmallHD FOCUS 7 Bolt 500 RX
- Monitor Handles & Neck Strap
- Sony NPF L-Series Battery & Charger
- Matte Screen Protector for FOCUS 7 Monitor
- Clear Screen Protector for FOCUS 7 Monitor
- SmallHD cleaning cloth
- SmallHD Micro-HDMI Male to HDMI Type-A Female Adapter Cable (8″)
