The Viltrox DC-550 is a new 5.5″ on-camera monitor that features a 1920×1080 1200 nits screen with wide viewing angles, sunshade hood, HDMI in and outputs, SD slot for importing 3D LUTs, 3.5mm headphone jack and more. The Pro version features a touchscreen interface on top of the four custom buttons and an oversized knob on the side. The price starts at $201.60.
The Chinese-based company Viltrox specializes in camera accessories, but lately, they have been focusing on lenses – just last month, Viltrox released a set of full-frame 1.33x anamorphic primes which Johnnie reviewed and filmed a short documentary with the LUMIX S5 II and these anamorphic primes. Besides that, Viltrox also offers lights, camera cages, and monitors. Speaking of monitors, Viltrox recently released a new model with a promising peak brightness – let’s take a short look at the Viltrox DC-550.
Viltrox DC-550 monitor
The DC-550 is a fairly compact and lightweight on-camera monitor. It features a 5.5″, 1920×1080 LCD screen with a 178° viewing angle, 1200:1 contrast, and 1200 nits (cd/m2) brightness. There are two versions of the monitor:
- Viltrox DC-550 – The standard version can only be controlled by the buttons and dials on the sides of the monitor. There are four custom buttons and an oversized knob on the side.
- Viltrox DC-550 Pro – The Pro version features a touchscreen interface, which can be used to control all the settings (in addition to the buttons and knobs). The touchscreen even supports multitouch to pinch in and out of the image, move the zoomed area, etc.
HDMI features
The Viltrox DC-550 monitors support HDMI 1.4 signal input up to 4K 30Hz (both UHD and DCI 4K signals with 24, 25, or 30fps). There is also an HDMI 1.4 loop-out port that can send an HD signal to further devices. The monitor sports an SD card slot for importing custom 3D LUTs or upgrading firmware and has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Mastering Color
From the fundamental principles of manipulating color and contrast, to the latest HDR workflows, professional colorist Ollie Kenchington provides a complete guide and deconstructs the art and science of color grading.
Monitoring aid features
Other features include an RGB parade, waveform, vector graph, brightness histogram, focus peaking, audio column, image flip, false color, and more. Viltrox claims that the monitor has a built-in Rec.709 3D LUT for precise color monitoring without distortion or color cast.
Powering the Viltrox DC-550
When it comes to power management, there are three ways to supply power to the monitor:
- USB-C power delivery via a 5V 3A power bank or USB power brick
- NP-F battery pack mounted on the battery plate at the back of the monitor
- DC-IN 12-18V barell connector
The monitor has a useful clip-on pop-up sunshade hood which can help when filming in bright environments and also acts as screen protection when folded. The whole monitor weighs 280g and its dimensions are 165 x 91 x 28.5mm. There are vents on the monitor, so it has active cooling.
Price and availability
The Viltrox DC-550 monitor is available now via the Viltrox online store. The regular non-touchscreen version will set you back $201.60 and the Pro version with a touchscreen sells for $237.60. It appears that shipping is not included, and there might be import taxes depending on where you live.
Viltrox includes a rich set of accessories with the monitor. On top of the monitor with the sunshade hood, there is a cold-shoe swivel mount, HDMI and USB-C cables, a storage box, and even one NP-F550 battery included in the box.
Do you use any Viltrox products? How do you like the overall quality? Would you consider getting the new DC-550 monitor? Let us know in the comments section underneath the article.
