There are some things we photographers don’t realize we need until we own one. Although a field monitor is essential equipment for a serious videographer, it can be a boon for photographers too. Here’s what I discovered when I put the Neewer F700 7” monitor through its paces.
I already had a Neewer F500 5.5” field monitor that I reviewed several months ago. Although my camera is better than others I have tried when it comes to focusing in the dark, I have found it a useful piece of equipment, especially for video but also for shooting in low light and checking focus. Then Neewer asked me if I wanted to try the 7” model. I jumped at the chance and ran it through multiple tests to see how it performed.
A Brief Description of the F700
Let’s start with the big news. This monitor is bright; it’s 2,000 NIT, so the screen is visible even in bright daylight. It also has a sensor that automatically adjusts the brightness between bright and dark environments. I can already hear inexperienced photographers asking how one judges the exposure if the screen brightness changes, but that is true of a camera’s live view screen as well; learn to use the histogram.
The touch screen has a wide viewing angle of 160° and an impressive contrast ratio of 1,000:1. The HDR display’s resolution is 1080p (1,920 x 1,080). It’s an IPS screen; IPS stands for in-plane switching, a liquid-crystal display (LCD) screen technology that produces images with better color accuracy, wider viewing angles, and higher image quality than other display types. The display complies with REC.709 high color definition standards.
There are HDMI in and out sockets, and the unit is supplied with one HDMI to HDMI cable, one HDMI to Micro HDMI cable, and one HDMI to Mini HDMI cable.
The version I tested came with two F750 batteries that can be charged either by USB-C or by plugging the monitor into a standard 12V, 3A power supply (not included). Between them, they will give 4.8 hours of continuous use. The unit is advertised as coming with one USB to Type-C charging cable in the box, although mine came with two, plus one USB-C to USB-C cable.
Besides the battery plate, on the rear of the monitor is a cooling vent, and there is an almost silent cooling fan inside. The monitor also sports a 3.5 mm headphone jack for audio monitoring and an SD card slot for firmware updates.
There are tripod-compatible ¼” threads on the base and side of the unit, which are designed to take the supplied tiltable cold shoe mount. That mount is metal and very robust.
Functions and Menus
The monitor has numerous functions to help you focus and achieve correct exposure. For videographers who use manual focus, a monitor like this is essential, and there are distinct advantages to having a bigger monitor as it makes precise focusing easier.
A huge number of different functional settings you can apply to the display. Menu functions include Full Waveform, Oscillogram, Vectorscope, Sound Bar, Single Color (monochrome displays), False Color, Nine-Rectangle Grid, Safety Marking, and Center Mark.
There are also Cropping Masks, Cropping Transparency, Marking Color, Scan Modes, Aspect, Video Width, Video Height, Deformation Mode, Auto Mirror, Magnification, Image Still, Point-to-Point, HDR, LUT Switch, LUT Settings, plus Import LUT and 3D LUT Color.
On top of that are controls for Color Temperature, Red, Green, and Blue intensities, Backlight Brightness, Brightness, Contrast Balance, Saturation, Hue, Sharpness, Thumbwheel function, Languages, OSD (Menu) Transparency, OSD Duration, and Volume. You will find Factory Reset and Firmware Updates in the menus too.
The Neewer F700 in Use
When I reviewed the smaller version of this monitor, my initial worries were about its size and weight sitting on the hot shoe of my camera. Those fears were soon laid to rest. Likewise, I didn’t find this bigger monitor an issue once I had fitted it. It’s actually slightly lighter than my flash. However, as I’ll be using it a lot for video work, I will be buying a cage for my camera as I also want to mount my microphone and other gear.
The large screen was easy to view, even in daylight. It didn’t come with a sun hood like the smaller F500, but it isn’t necessary. I could see it clearly in bright daylight.
I found it was well-made with sturdy construction, and the layout of the controls was simple to use.
Although it has the multitude of screen features shown above, I preferred turning those off and relying on the displays produced by my camera. However, they will benefit more experienced videographers relying on those features, especially if they don’t have those options in-camera. Similarly, I didn’t have use for the HDMI loop output socket, but that will be useful for studio-based videographers.
The touch screen was responsive, enabling me to zoom in on parts of the image, and the cooling fan was quiet; I couldn’t hear it.
Specifications of the Neewer F700
- Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080 pixels
- Dot Pitch: 0.0804 (H) x 0.0804 (W) mm
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Brightness: 2,000 nit ±10% (actual measured brightness)
- Contrast Ratio: 1,000:1
- Viewing Angle: >160° H/160° V; 80°/80° (L/R), 80°/80° (U/D)
- Input: HDMI
- Output: HDMI, 3.5 mm headphone jack
- Power Input/Output:
- 5.5 mm DC Input Interface: DC 12–26 V (cannot be used as a dummy battery when in low voltage output)
- 2.5 mm DC Output Interface: DC 8.4 V (can connect a dummy battery power cord to the camera via the DC power output interface, significantly extending the camera's battery life)
- Type-C Input Interface: Supports 5 V/3 A and higher fast chargers or portable chargers (3 A output)
- HDMI Input Format Support:
- 480i, 576i, 480p, 576p, 720p (60/59.94/50/30/29.97/25/24/23.98), 1080i (60/59.94/50),
- 1080p (60/59.94/50/30/29.97/25/24/24 SF/23.98/23.98 SF),
- 3,840 x 2,160 (30/25/24 Hz), 4,096 x 2,160 (25/24 Hz)
- Total Power Consumption: ≤22 W (without DC 8.4 V output)
- Operating Temperature: -20°C–55°C (-4°F–131°F)
- Storage Temperature: -30°C–65°C (-22°F–149°F)
- Dimensions: 6.9" x 4.2" x 1" (175 x 107 x 25 mm)
Package Contents
- 1 x Monitor
- 1 x Monitor Mount
- 1 x USB to Type-C Charging Cable
- 1 x HDMI to HDMI Cable
- 1 x HDMI to Micro HDMI Cable
- 1 x HDMI to Mini HDMI Cable
- Options for 0, 1, or 2 x NP-F750 Batteries
- Instruction Manual
What I Liked and What Could Be Improved Next Time
What I Liked
- Well made.
- Easy to use.
- Wide range of functions.
- Easy to see even in bright daylight.
- Batteries are compatible with some other Neewer gear I own.
What Could Be Improved Next Time
- Firmware upgrades through USB-C would be useful.
- Playback of video and images through the SD card would also be a welcome function.
In Conclusion
This isn’t going to be something that many photographers need. However, for low-light landscapes or astrophotography, it is definitely a useful tool. Videographers will, of course, recognize the usefulness of this device too, and they will be impressed by the high quality and relative affordability that we have come to expect from Neewer over the last few years. It’s currently available on Amazon, and no doubt other retailers will be stocking it soon.
