Kraken 7-inch High-Definition Monitor Evaluation: detailed examination of its ultrabright display capabilities
In the realm of underwater videography, visibility, control, and precision are paramount. Enter the Kraken 7" Ultra Bright HDMI Monitor, a device designed specifically to address these challenges.
This innovative monitor, priced at an affordable $1899 from Bluewater Photo, boasts a 7" IPS panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:10. It's sealed and depth-rated to 80m/266 ft, eliminating the need for an external housing, making it a convenient choice for shooters who don't need an additional housing.
The Kraken 7" Ultra Bright Monitor is powered by the same 3x21700 lithium-ion battery as the Kraken Hydra 4000/6000, and the batteries charge via a USB-C cable. This monitor offers a run time of up to 3 hours on a single charge, making it suitable for extended underwater sessions.
One of the standout features of the Kraken 7" Ultra Bright Monitor is its ultra-bright 2200 nit screen, making it suitable for use in any underwater environment, including sunny, shallow, tropical dives with clear water. It comes with all the necessary HDMI cabling and is compatible with any housing that has an M16 or M24 bulkhead.
The monitor is equipped with a host of underwater visualization tools, including histograms, false colors, zebra stripes, focus assist, grid lines, hydrophone audio level visualization, colour temperature adjustment, and built-in LUTs for S-Log2, S-Log3, C-Log, and V-Log. These features allow for improved visibility, precise control over image settings, and enhanced colour accuracy, all critical factors in underwater video shooting.
Using an external monitor for underwater video shooting offers several notable benefits. It provides improved visibility and framing, with a larger, brighter display that makes it easier to see your shot in real-time, helping to better compose and frame footage. It also offers better focus and exposure control, allowing for precise manual adjustments on focus, exposure, and white balance.
Furthermore, an external monitor often supports better colour calibration and higher dynamic range than built-in screens, aiding in judging colour fidelity underwater, where colours shift with depth and water clarity. It also facilitates teamwork and directing, allowing other crew members to watch the footage live without crowding around the diver’s camera.
In professional or commercial underwater shoots, external monitors integrate well with complex rigs, providing access to advanced features like waveform monitors, histograms, and audio metering that are difficult to use on small onboard screens.
In conclusion, the Kraken 7" Ultra Bright Monitor is a valuable tool for underwater videographers, offering improved visibility, precise control over image settings, enhanced colour accuracy, ergonomic handling of professional camera systems, and teamwork facilitation, all contributing to higher-quality underwater footage.
- The Kraken 7" Ultra Bright Monitor, a device for underwater videography, is priced at $1899 from Bluewater Photo, featuring a 7" IPS panel and a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels.
- This external monitor eliminates the need for an additional housing, sealed and depth-rated to 80m/266 ft, making it a convenient choice for shooters.
- The monitor offers a run time of up to 3 hours on a single charge, suitable for extended underwater sessions, and is powered by the same 3x21700 lithium-ion battery as the Kraken Hydra 4000/6000.
- One of its standout features is the ultra-bright 2200 nit screen, suitable for use in any underwater environment, including shallow, sunny, tropical dives with clear water.
- The monitor is equipped with underwater visualization tools like histograms, false colors, zebra stripes, focus assist, grid lines, hydrophone audio level visualization, color temperature adjustment, and built-in LUTs for S-Log2, S-Log3, C-Log, and V-Log.
- Using an external monitor for underwater video shooting provides improved visibility and framing, better focus and exposure control, and aids in judging color fidelity underwater, facilitating teamwork and directing.
