SmartSystem SMARTCam SM7-PRO-3G monitor: weather and water-resistant

There are a great number of field and studio monitors on the market that are excellent for keeping an eye on your shot. But very few could be classified as ‘rugged,’ meaning they’re great for any conditions outside or inside.

Okay, SmallHD recently launched its Ultra 7, but ahead of that on the market was the SmartSystem SMARTCam SM7-PRO-3G 7-inch monitor. This features 3200 nits of brightness (great for filming in the sunlight) along with a 1920 x 1080 LCD, a contrast ratio of 1200:1, AR coating across the IPS screen, and Adaptive Backlight Management.

It’s also fanless and quiet, but the real noteworthy feature is the Water Managed System. If you’re filming outdoors, you can’t control the weather. Perhaps you’re filming sports or a documentary where you can’t pack up and call it a day if it’s raining or snowing. The SmartSystem SMARTCam SM7-PRO-3G monitor comes with an aluminum casing and is water resistant with the Water Managed System, which re-routes moisture through specified paths. The casing can expand or shrink, depending on the temperature and weather, and those paths ‘open up’ if it’s raining. 

While the SMARTCam SM7-PRO-3G is water-resistant, it isn’t waterproof (don’t go dunking it in the water), so it’s always ideal to keep the monitor under cover.

Other features include 3G-SDI support (one port), one USB port for customized LUTs, one XTBus port to communicate with other devices, and a tally port.

The SmartSystem SMARTCam SM7-PRO-3G monitor retails for $2,739.95. It’s not cheap, but if you’re filming outside a lot in different weather situations, this is a monitor to consider.