Weefine Monitor

Hello

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the Weefine monitor? I thought it might be an option mainly for cost reasons, but still have uncertainties. Is it possible that I can't shoot 4k and 60 fps with my A7SIII in combination with this monitor? According to the manufacturer's site, this could be the case and I've heard of problems in combination with the A1!?

I would be glad for experiences.

As many other monitors it has a 1080p panel. You have to downconvert your hdmi output via your camera settings. I do the same with my GH5 and Hugyfot monitor.

It's an interesting monitor  but is depth rated only 80 meters.  Odd number actually.

Yes, but I have heard of problems with the signal when using an A7SIII or A1. So I was hoping that maybe someone has it in use with one of these cameras? Well, the 80 meters are not the problem as a recreational diver. What other alternatives would be interesting if you don't want to buy a monitor and a case separately? I actually thought that the Weefine was the first of its kind...

Could you please more specific about these problems?

AFAIK most of external monitors are 1080p and accept hdmi or sdi 1080p input signal except external recorders which accepts 4K input. Some new models accept hdmi 4k input.(new Anglerfish IIRC).

A rapid search here will return a couple of interesting threads

View archived post in: COULD YOU HELP ME CHOOSE MY EXTERNAL MONITOR?

I heard about problems while connecting the camera with the monitor, so there was no signal at all. But not sure if the output was changed to 1080... That's why I hoped that someone is using it in combination with an A7SIII...

But thank you, I will check the threads

Actually you can do whatever test by yourself at home just using a plain hdmi cable and a pc monitor or your TV.

I will do that, thank's.

It seems there's been a lot of sub-$2000, self-contained (i.e. don't need a seperate housing) compact underwater monitors coming out in the last few years from the likes of Weefine, DiveNSea, Anglerfish and others.

So, with the following criteria in mind, what would you guys say are the best bets if buying a new monitor in 2022?

• <$2000
• Doesn't need a seperate housing
• Can be a simple monitor, doesn't need to be a recorder
• HDMI connection (SDI a plus)
• 5 - 7" range, with 7" being preferred if it remains compact
• battery built in and sealed (so the waterproof seal doesn't need to be broken to recharge the battery)

Not sure about the Weefine, but Aquatica, Anglerfish, and Hugyfot all use Feelworld monitors – they've just built the housings and branded it as their own. Weefine probably does the same - should be easy to narrow down which one by comparing features. I have the Aquatica (Feelworld F570) and it works great for macro and video work with the Canon R5 (i.e. I wasn't looking for a monitor that records and am not too interested in extra features like false color and focus peaking). 

13 hours ago, dreifish said:

battery built in and sealed (so the waterproof seal doesn't need to be broken to recharge the battery)

My Hugyfot monitor checks all the marks except the above. You have to open it to charge the battery. It also uses the ubiquitous 5" Feelworld monitor. It has a special cable that allows air to flow out and then use the housing vacuum system. 

The most important feature of an underwater videocamera is its balance and inertia in movement. These features are the norm for large videocamera housings but are complicated to achieve with photo camera housings. These have a small mass that develops vertically. If we also add a monitor on top of it we get a Cheops pyramid that is very difficult to balance.

The photo with which Hugy advertises the monitor is worth a thousand words.

After several tests I managed to have a perfect horizontal balance but I still have problems if I have to shoot at an angle: I have to exert a little force with my wrists on the handles because the whole tends to go back to horizontal. The force applied to the handles results in small vibrations. IBIS help me.

All this introductory rant to say that the perfect kit for video shooting should have a development as horizontal as possible and then the monitor should be placed behind the case.

So as filmmaker I can write down some features/improvements that I'd like to have in my next monitor:

• All the displays they use allow you to turn the image and then use the monitor upside down, but almost none of them allow you to have a ball mount on the opposite side. So I want to ball mount on opposite sides and have a reversible lens hood.
• Extra cable length. I mean adequate to mount it to the back of the housing as well.
• 90 degree connectors/bulkheads or with the ability to adjust the position (Hugyfot monitor only allows this on the end of the monitor.

I even wrote my thoughts to Hugy because nearly all of them could have been implemented at no cost but it's clear that they did not have a filmmaker friend during the design phase.

For underwater use you have to consider reliability factors. I have received a fair amount of feedback on the previous generation of Nauticam 1.4 cables and bulkheads. You have to treat the cables carefully, or you will have contact issues due to the small size of connectors and thin cables. I have had to replace two in my personal use.

Since the Weefine monitor seems to use the same bulkheads and internal cabling, the same findings are likely to apply to those as well. In particular, the external cable from the monitor to the camera housing looks very thin and thus might be fragile. 

The Anglerfish monitor seems to be in many respects quite promising. Initially I thought I might like the idea that they supply a set of internal conversion PCB based adaptors for most camera HDMI connections. However, it might have an Achilles heel with these PCB adaptors from the internal cable to the camera HDMI. If you look at their instruction video or read their user manual, they specifically point out to the need to be very careful with the connector. They also point out to some ways to strengthen this. However, making a 180 degree twist on the cable and using zip ties makes me concerned about the longevity of such a cable+adaptor.

Disclaimer: I do not have first hand experience on Weefine, Anglerfish, Aquatica nor Hugyfot eventhough some of these are available via my company. I personally would want to find out if I could recommend one of these. Sofar, I have been conservative and stuck to recommending recent Nauticam monitor/recorder housings due to their more robust end-to-end HDMI 2.0 cabling, for each combination separately. Howewer, these solutions do cost more than 2000 USD/EUR.

The Anglerfish monitor seems to tick all my point except for the 90 degree bulkhead. Really a nice product. 

I really I don't get the weefine 70 m depth limit.

I've been using the Hugyfot monitor for nearly 3 years now and I had zero cable problem. (Touching wood).

I hope all these sub 2K monitors will influence Nauticam monitor prices that are outrageous.

Totally agree with you Davide on the frankensteinian ergonomics of DSLR-style underwater housings + a monitor on top and how impossible they are to trim in all axis. Getting the monitor behind the housing probably would help. Nauticam has some very nice designs for cinema housings with built-in monitors at the back which would be wonderful from a streamlining and trim perspective and avoid the whole external cable issue. I'll admit they're not as versatile for macro or getting the housing beneath you as a top-mounted monitor would be, but.. maybe the trade-offs are worth it? 

After doing a bit more research, I would strike the Aquatica and Hugyfut options (even though well priced) because you need to open up the housing to change batteries and the housing ends up being bulkier than the alternatives.

Which I think leaves three options really:

Weefine monitor (it's 7" and very compact for a 7" at 198mmx132mmx39mm) - ~$1500

Anglerfish Montior (nice features for using it upside down as you note Davide, but only 5.7") - anyone know the dimensions of the housing?

Dive n See DNC-7 (fully sealed, battery integrated, can be charged without opening, 7" at 201mmx142mmx74mm) - but $2650! Not sure if the extra price is justified. 

19 hours ago, dreifish said:

I'll admit they're not as versatile for macro or getting the housing beneath you as a top-mounted monitor would be, but.. maybe the trade-offs are worth it? 

For cinema camera housings the external monitor position does not affect the whole system trim.

Take a look at Roberto Rinaldi custom Seacam housing 

https://www.facebook.com/SUEXdpv/videos/283041793740415/

Weefine monitor has the best feature/price ratio. I bet it has a 7" Feelworld panel because buttons/functions are identical to mine. It has only one 1" ball attachment and from the specs I don't understand if the shade i reversible and you can mount it upside down. But it seems a really nice product (except the odd 80 m depth rating). You could ask them a user manual:

https://www.weefine.com/product/188.html

IMHO I would never spend 2600 $ for the Dive n See. It's perfect and cover every aspect for me but you are in the Nauticam price range. Seeing other products from them I guess it's their pricing policy.

P.S.

I already wrote this: i wish my GH5 would have bigger font on external display. Huge monitor and fonts smaller than camera display

Have this same question.  Does anyone have experience with the anglerfish monitor? 

I am skeptical about the buttons of this weefine monitor. 

But I am even more skeptical about the IP68 rating combined with the 80 meters stated

I went on the website and there are no description on any sort about the functionality?

Anyone have any real world experience with the weefine monitor? Need to order something in the end..