Today, I want to talk about how a high end wireless video monitor compares to a much cheaper solution.
I recently reviewed the Hollyland Cosmo M7, a 7 inch 1500 nit professional monitor with their professional grade zero latency Cosmo series receiver built right in.
Besides being very rugged, full featured and coming with a solid carry case to get it all from point A to point B, the M7 did come with a professional level price tag.
Just yesterday though, the M7 dropped several hundred dollars in price to $2299! Coincidentally, I was reviewing a $140 monitor which makes mounting a wireless receiver super clean and easy as well, so I wanted to see just how they stack up in terms of features and total final price.
First up, check out the review for the Cosmo M7 if you haven’t seen it yet:
So, price is the first thing most people will notice, and I thought I’d add up what it would take to build something like this centered around the Feelworld F5 Pro, which makes for one of the simplest setups besides a monitor like the M7.
Monitor: $140
Cage: $100
Wireless Receiver (& transceiver): $450 (assuming a cheap setup with the Hollyland Mars 300)
Handles: $60 x 2 (again, assuming cheaper Smallrig handles)
This brings us to a total of $810. That’s roughly 1/3 the price of the M7, but what do you get for that price by comparison?
Well, the F5 Pro is just 500 nit in brightness compared to the M7’s 1500 nits. While the M7 should be visible in most outdoor settings, the F5 Pro will most likely not be, even with a sun hood.
The M7 has waveforms, vector scopes, LUTs and a whole lot more. The F5 Pro doesn’t have any of that. Nope, not even LUTs unfortunately.
The Cosmo series receiver in the M7 will allow for 0 latency wireless video up to 600 feet (LOS) depending which transceiver you’re using. The Mars 300 and even Mars 400/400S will introduce up to 100ms of latency depending on the connection. Not a big deal for some, but definitely a big deal for others.
With the M7, it’s a truly all-in-one design with a VERY protective case custom made to fit the monitor, shoulder strap and more for transport. If you want a case even close to that level of protectiveness for the F5 Pro setup, you’ll easily be spending another $100 or so.
There’s definitely more when you get into the small details- focus peaking with a black and white image on the M7, for example, great for pulling focus. The list could go on.
So, while it sounds like I’m showering all the praise on the M7, what value does the F5 Pro hold?
Well, it still is 1/3 the price even with all those extras!
It allows you to pair it with any wireless kit you have, like the Hollyland Mars 400S for example. You could also use that pass through NP-F power/mount for something like an SDI converter box, an LED and more.
Sometimes you don’t need all that brightness or zero latency or even LUTs. If you don’t need it, no need to pay for it.
The piece-by-piece approach could also be more flexible for upgrades in the future, and I strongly prefer the design of the F5 pro over mounting all the parts together in a director’s monitor cage with lots of wires and a semi permanent setup. The F5 Pro lets you break it all down in a matter of seconds, and it’s extremely convenient.
So, which one is best for you? I LOVE the simplicity and reliability of the M7 myself, but I’m also very excited for the future of the new Feelworld F5 Pro design since it integrates so well with my other kits like the Mars 400S.
Check out the F5 Pro review here, and let me know what you think down below.
Scott dumas reviews 