Last updated on May 13th, 2023
Looking to own the best monitor? The Feelworld F5 monitor is a 5-inch full HD HDMI On-Camera Monitor with 4K Support. The F5 offers a bright 1000:1 Contrast. It offers a 450 cd/m², 450nit display that packs big production value to small camera set-ups. Coming in at under $200 this is the best budget external monitor. Let’s take a closer look and review all it’s bells and whistles.
Feelworld F5 monitor review
Included in the box:
- Micro HDMI cable
- A sunshade
- Tilt Arm
- Manual
Feelworld F5 monitor features
This monitor is perfect for anybody shooting tutorials or vlogging. You can even work without a cameraperson. With a stunning 160 degrees viewing angle, it displays 1920×1080 FHD resolution. And it features 4K HDMI In and out. This allows it to display live signals. It also sends them out to other monitors at the same time. It’s the ability to display live picture on many displays at once. At the same time, it still maintains the original video quality. That is what makes this monitor stand out from the rest.
The monitor is super lightweight coming in at 142.5g. The entire monitor is sturdy. It’s compact, allowing to mount to your camera or stabilizer with ease. The tilt arm allows you to mount the monitor from the side and into the hot shoe of your camera. Yet, the mounting point can change to the bottom of the monitor. There is a cold shoe mount on the side. You can mount a small LED light or mic, which can help balance the rig and keep it from becoming too top heavy. The monitor is only 25.2mm thick without a battery.
The F5 features intuitive controls on the top of the monitor. This allows for easy use. It features a power button and two different function buttons. These are programmable to the various features. Then you get up/down/left/right controls to navigate the menus. And finally a menu button. Inside the menu, it features a Histogram. Some more features:
- Peaking filter
- False colors
- Zebra exposure
- A nine grid
- Embedded Audio
- Pixel-to-Pixel
- Check Field
- Image Flip
- Anamorphic Mode
- Image freeze
- Zoom-in
The monitor also comes with a headphone jack. Thus, if you’re using the Sony a6300 or a6500, you can listen to the audio you’re recording from. The audio comes from an attached microphone. This works better than using an external audio recorder.
Pros of the Feelworld F5 monitor
Something that stood out to me is that the F5 also allows you to power your camera through a DC output. Yet, you must purchase the cable separately. This is a major advantage. If you’re working with Sony cameras, this capability will come in handy. Sony’s are notorious for sub-par battery life. If your camera is prone to overheating, you can use a dummy battery while the monitor powers the camera. This can help keep your camera cool.
The monitor doesn’t come with a battery or charger. Yet, it features a dual-purpose battery plate. This allowed the monitor to take Sony or Canon Batteries. I found that so many other things used the Sony F series battery that is the battery I went with. I picked up this battery and charger for it from my local camera shop. The Sony F750 battery lasts super long on this monitor. It is a wise choice.
Pros
- 1920 x 1080p resolution
- Cold show mount
- DC power input
- Sony NPF/ Canon LP-e6 battery
- Full size HDMI in/out
- Comes with sun shade
- Head phone jack
Cons
- No touch screen
- Cannot load luts
Final Thoughts
At first, I wasn’t completely sold as this monitor is so much cheaper than its competitors. But while writing this review, I have used this a bunch with my a7S II. It wasn’t before long, I discovered why the Feelworld F5 is a valuable asset. This was a game changer. Did I mention I could now see myself when recording video and not have to guess on what I was filming. Also, given the short battery life of my camera, this gave the battery a longer lifespan is a major bonus.
Aside from the obvious features that make this product stand out, the most notable is the size and weight. It’s perfect for somebody like me ,on the go, traveling and avoiding weight and bulk. You can keep your set-up to a minimal and fun to shoot with. So, with that, you can’t beat it for the price.
