Do you ever wish that your camera had a much larger external screen, so that you could see your composition more clearly and judge focus more accurately? If so, an add-on field monitor such as the Feelworld F6 Plus might be for you. This relatively small, affordable example from Chinese specialist Feelworld can display a live view feed from practically any camera on its 11.7 x 7 cm Full HD screen. Compared to the 3in screens found on most cameras, that equates to almost two and a half times the viewing area.

Feelworld F6 Plus at a glance:

  • £199.99
  • 5.5in HDMI Monitor
  • 1920×1080 IPS screen
  • Battery or DC powered
  • Measures 14.8 x 9.3 x 2 cm
  • Weighs 235g
  • www.feelworlduk.com

While this device is primarily designed for videographers, there are situations where it could be valuable to stills shooters, too. For example, it could be handy for shooting at awkward angles if your camera has a fixed screen. More generally, if your close vision isn’t quite what it once was, having that large display for composition and image playback could be welcome.

Feelworld F6 Plus key features:

  • Power  Either Sony F-series or Canon LP-E6 batteries can be used to run the device in the field. Both 12V DC and 5V USB-C inputs are also available
  • Bracket  This fits onto your camera’s hot shoe, has a cold shoe for a microphone, and allows the monitor to be rotated to face forwards
  • Mounting  For attaching the monitor to a bracket or shoe mount, three standard 1/4 sockets are arranged on its top, bottom, and right-hand side
  • Hood  A lightweight plastic folding hood is supplied for use on sunny days, and attaches to the monitor via a snap-on frame
Feelworld F6 Plus field monitor kit

The kit includes a mounting bracket, micro-HDMI cable and removable sun hood. Image credit: Andy Westlake

Setting up the monitor is very simple. You attach it to your camera’s hot shoe using the supplied bracket and then wire the two together using an HDMI cable. Feelworld doesn’t  include a battery in the box, but the monitor can be powered using either Sony F-type batteries, which are widely used by video cameras and LED lights, or the Canon LP-E6 employed by EOS 5D-series DSLRs.

The option to use LP-E6’s is unusual, and should of course be welcome to those Canon users who own several spares. Just don’t expect much running time from them, as they’re much lower in capacity.

Feelworld F6 Plus field monitor battery holder

The exposed battery plate on the back accepts either Sony F-type batteries or the Canon LP-E6. Image credit: Andy Westlake

An array of aids is built in to help judge exposure and focus. In addition to the familiar live histogram, you can also bring up waveform and RGB parade displays. Once you get the hang of these, they’re more detailed and informative, showing how brightness values are distributed across the frame.

There’s also a vectorscope that visualises the scene’s colour palette, along with a peaking display for judging focus, and a zebra pattern overexposure warning. All are easily accessed using either the touchscreen or the jog dial on top.

Feelworld F6 Plus field monitor mounted on a Sony camera

The Feelworld F6 Plus field monitor on the Sony Alpha 7 II. Image credit: Andy Westlake

You can set the screen facing forwards simply by rotating it upside-down on the bracket. The device is smart enough to detect this and flip the display back upright, but disconcertingly, it doesn’t then mirror left-to-right in the way you’d expect.

Video-specific features

Useful video features include a stereo sound level meter and a headphone socket for monitoring audio. The device supports 3D LUTs, allowing it to show a corrected display when a flat log profile is employed for later colour grading. There’s even an anamorphic mode that supports a wide range of ratios up to 2x. Overall, you get a lot of features for your money.

Feelworld F6 Plus: Our Verdict

In use the Feelworld F6 Plus provides a sharp image with accurate colours, and at 500 nits, it’s just about bright enough for outdoor use on sunny days. For photographers, it probably isn’t a device you’ll use for hand-held shooting, just because of its size. But for slower, more considered tripod work, it becomes a genuinely interesting option.

Amateur Photographer Recommended 4 stars

Also consider:

If you’d prefer a big-brand option, take a look at the Atomos Shinobi 5, which is essentially a monitor-only version of the better-known Ninja V video recorder.

Atomos Shinobi 5 external monitor

The Atomos Shinobi 5 is a monitor, rather than a video recorder

While it includes broadly the same feature set as the Feelworld F7 Plus, the Shinobi 5 boasts a brighter 1000-nit display, which should make it easier to use in bright daylight. It costs £299.

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