Usually I use a camera app with remote features like the Protake app, but it is possible to use a phone (e.g. with Mcpro app) in combination with a usb-C to HDMI, HDMI capture card, and USB dongle connected to another phone as a monitor with an app like "USB Cam".
This looks great! Have you tried Sony's free Monitor & Control app? How does it compare? Can you not set it up with a USB-C to C cable? Or does it only work on newer cameras? Love your thoughts and the audio quality.
I have tried Sony's free Monitor & Control app. This Monitor+ app offers pretty much similar functionality for the things I use, but the user interface of the Sony app is quite clunky. You have to switch between a "control" mode and "focus" mode using inelegant menus. The real estate on the screen is really not used efficiently. Overall, the Sony free app feels like a college student's proof of concept of what's possible, rather than a polished commercial app. This Monitor+ app is laid out much better and actually usable. I found the Sony app to be annoyingly cumbersome.
Yes, I too wish that. I don't know why we can only go down to 50 for zebra level. It is apparent that the app can measure lower exposures because the false colors and other tools go all the way down to zero. 50% seems like an arbitrary limit in the zebra settings.
I have a Sony ZV E10 and the wifi connection sucks but using the HDMI capture card makes it even better you get better fps on your phone. You can also combine wifi with the capture card in duplex mode
The video is helpful for me, can you show me how to turn off charging from phone to phone when they are connected. I have done this on the camera but not on the phone.
if you use android, when you make a contact with phone, there's option like : pc control or i forget what it called, mass storage and charging in android i usually put to control side and phone doesn't charging downside, when you had OTG that support 2 way connection (1 for data to camera, 1 for charging) sometimes phone doesn't charge i said again *sometimes* because i had situation when long run shoot, my phone suddenly turn off because doesn't charging
Yo RJ, Great vid. I like your whole set up. One problem I am facing is that whenever I connect my Sony a7IV the app crashes all the time everytime it connects. Do you know a troubleshoot for this?
Thanks RJ for sharing. I've been using the Pro/Paid version of this app for a couple of weeks on an iPad mini 6 with a wired connection to a Sony FX30. The false color inaccuracy you mentioned is likely the same issue I tested by comparing the app's Zebra with the FX30 native screen's zebra. The app's measurement of exposure varies anywhere from 6% (at exposure levels close to 50) to about 2% (at exposure levels close to 95%). Hope the developer fixes it and/or provide a way for us to calibrate it ourselves by comparing against the camera's own measurements. Unfortunately, I haven't received even an auto-acknowledgement from the developer for the 4-5 support requests I have made in the past couple of weeks. It is really hard to work with an app that has issues to be fixed and the developer is not responsive. Overall, its user interface is much much better than the free Monitor and Control app from Sony. The roughly $20 payment would be worth it if the issues are fixed and the support improves. Right now, I'm not too happy, but the app has a lot of potential.
That's good to know that you also found the same issue with the inaccurate false color (wasnt just my device). A shame about the developer response. I'll give a try reaching out to them too. Coz yeah, this app definitely has a lot of potential. Working with the iPad screen (and hitting record on it!) is such a joy.
Thanks @@RJBaculo for volunteering to contact their support. Hopefully, you will have better luck and we can all benefit. Please let us know if you hear back. You are right about the joy of using the app on a tablet. The iPad mini is actually smaller in overall dimensions and lighter than many of the 6"-7" dedicated monitors and the versatility of controlling the camera from a single display rather than jump between an external monitor and the built-in camera screen is golden! Being able to touch auto-focus and track from the iPad, in addition to changing iris, control manual focus, etc. are so useful. The only downside is my iPad is only about 600 nits brightness, I think. The external monitor gets me 1500+ nits. For a bright outdoor shoot, an effective hood would be necessary for the iPad.
A few days after I gave up on their support, I got an email this morning regarding the app's exposure measurement error that affects false colors, zebras, etc. Here's the message I got: *** Hi, Thank you for the information, we will fix this issue with next update. Monitor+ Support ***
Can you give me any recommendation for other moniter apps? Im using my 2 android phones and i want to use 1 of them for moniter & comnect the other one. Update: I just tried Filmic remote , it's telling me to update
I love using the Protake app which can monitor up to 4 devices wirelessly. It's a subscription app though, but the license includes up to 3 devices. I still use this workflow. For more info, here's a video I made about it: czcams.com/video/h_kXSWTbeKQ/video.htmlsi=ZsyEppKACnw4fFKw
![Monitor+ App for Sony Filmmakers - Real World Results [A7s III]](/img/n.gif)
Thanks for adding actual captions for the Deaf and making a good video great
Wow, so inspiring
Very valuable... And last bit inspiring too... Great vid!
Thanks Tashi
Is there a way to use a phone as a monitor for another phone? Particularly MCPRO24FPS?
Usually I use a camera app with remote features like the Protake app, but it is possible to use a phone (e.g. with Mcpro app) in combination with a usb-C to HDMI, HDMI capture card, and USB dongle connected to another phone as a monitor with an app like "USB Cam".
Great video thank you. Do you happen to know if you can connect two phones? One for filming and the other for a monitor for a rig setup?
With the right cables, i think this is possible.
This looks great! Have you tried Sony's free Monitor & Control app? How does it compare?
Can you not set it up with a USB-C to C cable? Or does it only work on newer cameras?
Love your thoughts and the audio quality.
I have tried Sony's free Monitor & Control app. This Monitor+ app offers pretty much similar functionality for the things I use, but the user interface of the Sony app is quite clunky. You have to switch between a "control" mode and "focus" mode using inelegant menus. The real estate on the screen is really not used efficiently. Overall, the Sony free app feels like a college student's proof of concept of what's possible, rather than a polished commercial app. This Monitor+ app is laid out much better and actually usable. I found the Sony app to be annoyingly cumbersome.
@@pizzanapoletana1301 Thanks man!
Thanks RJ. I also use this app and the false colors functionality is a big help. I just wish the zebras could go a little bit lowe😊
Its a powerful app and Im finding more recently that I'm using it more than my traditional external field monitor
Yes, I too wish that. I don't know why we can only go down to 50 for zebra level. It is apparent that the app can measure lower exposures because the false colors and other tools go all the way down to zero. 50% seems like an arbitrary limit in the zebra settings.
The latest iPadOS version I tried today allows zebra setting all the way down to 1.
I have a Sony ZV E10 and the wifi connection sucks but using the HDMI capture card makes it even better you get better fps on your phone. You can also combine wifi with the capture card in duplex mode
Thats awesome!
Curious! Can I connect it to my phone through HDMI capture card using this app?
The video is helpful for me, can you show me how to turn off charging from phone to phone when they are connected. I have done this on the camera but not on the phone.
if you use android, when you make a contact with phone, there's option like : pc control or i forget what it called, mass storage and charging in android
i usually put to control side and phone doesn't charging
downside, when you had OTG that support 2 way connection (1 for data to camera, 1 for charging) sometimes phone doesn't charge
i said again *sometimes* because i had situation when long run shoot, my phone suddenly turn off because doesn't charging
Yo RJ, Great vid. I like your whole set up.
One problem I am facing is that whenever I connect my Sony a7IV the app crashes all the time everytime it connects. Do you know a troubleshoot for this?
Interesting. Might be a problem with ur phone or phone chipset. What model is ur phone?
Thanks RJ for sharing. I've been using the Pro/Paid version of this app for a couple of weeks on an iPad mini 6 with a wired connection to a Sony FX30. The false color inaccuracy you mentioned is likely the same issue I tested by comparing the app's Zebra with the FX30 native screen's zebra. The app's measurement of exposure varies anywhere from 6% (at exposure levels close to 50) to about 2% (at exposure levels close to 95%). Hope the developer fixes it and/or provide a way for us to calibrate it ourselves by comparing against the camera's own measurements.
Unfortunately, I haven't received even an auto-acknowledgement from the developer for the 4-5 support requests I have made in the past couple of weeks. It is really hard to work with an app that has issues to be fixed and the developer is not responsive.
Overall, its user interface is much much better than the free Monitor and Control app from Sony. The roughly $20 payment would be worth it if the issues are fixed and the support improves. Right now, I'm not too happy, but the app has a lot of potential.
That's good to know that you also found the same issue with the inaccurate false color (wasnt just my device). A shame about the developer response. I'll give a try reaching out to them too. Coz yeah, this app definitely has a lot of potential. Working with the iPad screen (and hitting record on it!) is such a joy.
Thanks @@RJBaculo for volunteering to contact their support. Hopefully, you will have better luck and we can all benefit. Please let us know if you hear back.
You are right about the joy of using the app on a tablet. The iPad mini is actually smaller in overall dimensions and lighter than many of the 6"-7" dedicated monitors and the versatility of controlling the camera from a single display rather than jump between an external monitor and the built-in camera screen is golden! Being able to touch auto-focus and track from the iPad, in addition to changing iris, control manual focus, etc. are so useful.
The only downside is my iPad is only about 600 nits brightness, I think. The external monitor gets me 1500+ nits. For a bright outdoor shoot, an effective hood would be necessary for the iPad.
A few days after I gave up on their support, I got an email this morning regarding the app's exposure measurement error that affects false colors, zebras, etc. Here's the message I got:
***
Hi,
Thank you for the information, we will fix this issue with next update.
Monitor+ Support
***
@pizzanapoletana1301 wow okay lets hope they stay true to their word. Nice!
there is touch autofocus on pro version ?
Can you give me any recommendation for other moniter apps?
Im using my 2 android phones and i want to use 1 of them for moniter & comnect the other one.
Update: I just tried Filmic remote , it's telling me to update
I love using the Protake app which can monitor up to 4 devices wirelessly. It's a subscription app though, but the license includes up to 3 devices. I still use this workflow. For more info, here's a video I made about it: czcams.com/video/h_kXSWTbeKQ/video.htmlsi=ZsyEppKACnw4fFKw
@@RJBaculo I don't wanna use this method or protake in general, any other alternatives ?
@@mekeido How about Sony's free M&C app? Heard it's not that refined though. Would like to know if you guys have tried it.
interesting! Too bad it is only for Sony camera. I have Leica SL
I know, i've always wondered if other apps like this exist for other camera brands
Nice review. Do you know if applying a LUT on the app affects the exposure? Would I need to adjust the Zebra Levels?
Yeah i did notice when you use the preview LUT the exposure readings reflect that in the histogram etc.