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Canon EOS 6D can't use SmallHD501 as external monitor

Nam-Reh
Contributor

Hello everybody ,

 

(forgive me my "poor" english , I speak Dutch/Vlaams/Flemish)

 

So : I work with Canon EOS , for analog and digital use.

The problem is with my Canon EOS 6D.

(I am a diver : "before" I used my older EOS 50D in combination with a Nimar underwater housing to photograph during my dives)

I decided that I wanted to step up the ladder and looked for a new underwater housing for my EOS 6D.

But (because of my aging eyes , I wanted to connect an external monitor (in an extra underwater housing for the monitor).
The SmallHD 501 5" monitor seemed to fit my needs the best (online). Including the UW-housing the bill was about 3000€... (only the monitor + housing)

I ordered the 501 (999€) and received it today. The UW-housing (1906€) will be delivered in about 2 weeks.
I was pretty happy , the finishing quality is top , I find.

I first tested it with my JVC Everio GZ-HM545 : it worked fine.
Then (...) I tested it with my EOS 6D... Error message on-screen : "No HDMI Signal"

The 6D works just fine when I connect it to my HDMI-PC-monitor.

 

I suppose it is a communication-problem between the 6D and the 501...?

 

Anyone experience with this bug...? (I hope someone has already an answer and solution ready... But I stay realistic...)

 

Best regards from Belgium , Herman (Nam-Reh). 

19 REPLIES 19

kvbarkley
VIP
VIP

have you tried plugging the 6D into another HDMI monitor or TV?

As I wrote > the 6D works fine connected to my HDMI PC-monitor

TCampbell
Elite
Elite

Same HDMI cable?

 

Did you compare the resolution & refresh rates of the monitor that works and the monitor that does not work?

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

* same HDMI-cable  (from my EOS 6D-set)

* resolution & refresh rate... Now I'm falling from the sky (without parachute) Smiley Surprised

(here I'm on unknown territory > it's my first day with an external monitor for a camera , I used my ipad before with my 6D... in studio)

 

Edit : I find (on the SmallHD site) following specs : Resolution = 1920 x 1080

 

? Could you please explain a little more about refresh rate and resolution (I will do a little Google-research myself also) ?

 

Edit 2 : (!) But I see following info on the product page :

Input Signal Types/Formats : HDMI : Supports YCC 4:2:2, 8/10/12 bit color in RGB & YCC 4:4:4 1080p60, 1080p59.94, 1080p50, 1080p30, 1080p29.97 1080p25, 1080p24, 1080p23.98,1080i120, 1080i119.88, 1080i100, 1080i60, 1080i59.94, 1080i50, 720p120, 720p119.88, 720p/100, 720p60, 720p59.94 , 720p50, 720p30, 720p29.97, 720p25, 720p24, 720p23.98, 480p59.94, 480p60, 480p100, 480p119.88, 480p120, 480p239.76, 480p240, 576p50, 576p100, 576p200, 480i59.94, 480i60, 480i119.88, 480i120, 480i239.76, 480i240, 576i50, 576i100, 576i200

 

And (...) I tested ALL (Movie Recordings-) settings on my EOS 6D : no change. 

 

? Could this be the problem...?

 

Update : I can already see the camera-menu on the 501 (no movie/photo preview and review) , but ONLY when the 6D is in movie-mode. And the signal appears to be not very stabil , it drops sometimes off. I am affraid that there could be a problem on the HDMI-connector on the camera... Not sure , but... 

Update : My mail to SmallHD , sent this evening :

 

Hi Joseph ,

this evening I tested the 501 together with a collegue-diver , with his cameras : Canon EOS 5D MK3 and canon EOS 5DsR (this is the top and latest of Canon EOS fullframe cameras)

Results :
* the 501 worked 100% fine with the 5D MK3 (!)
* the 501 worked NOT AT ALL with the 5DsR
* finally we re-tested the 501 with my 6D and most times we succeeded displaying the settings-menu on the 501 , but NO recording preview or recordings , photo's , movies. The 501 display flashes when we switch from settings to preview , but doesn't succeed in displaying what should be displayed.

(!) ALL EOS's work fine when connected on a HDMI-computer-display AND on a large TV/flatscreen.

We have been brainstorming about the possibility of differences in refresh (rate) or other "internal (non customizable by user) settings" between the different Canon EOS's...

I hope Canon will be willing to give me (technical) details/information of the differences between these EOS's...
I'll ask them tomorrow.

Isn't there a possibility to create a software-patch , to solve this problem...?
Since I am sure I am not the only (diver-)photo/video-grapher that has this problem , while combining Canon EOS camera's and the SmallHD 501...

I hope you (and/or your R&D) can help me out...

Best regards from Belgium , Herman.

These are Canon "community" forums.  We are all owners of Canon products -- just like you.  These forums allow users to interact, ask questions, (hopefully) get answers, etc.  

 

 

But this isn't official Canon support.  In other words... a question asked on these forums will not necessarily get any attention from a Canon support engineer.  For that, you'd want to contact Canon support for your local country.

 

I have a 5D III & IV, but not a 6D.  I asked about the resolution & refresh rates because sometimes a device is compatible wtih only certain rates and I wondered if your small 501 montior doesn't support a compatible mode that your larger monitor does support (which would explain why one device works and the other does not.)

 

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da

Hi Tim ,

 

I understand (community forum).

I only hoped there might be someone "out there" , who has had the same problem , but has found the solution.

I'm simultaneously contacting the firms Canon , SmallHD and some forums.

 

Herman.

EOS 1V , 5D , 6D

Update... 😕

I'm gone have to put all my hopes on the camp of the Canon-users and the SmallHD Techies , since Canon now officially have answered (in short) that they can not garantee the use of their products on external (other brand) products.

But they were so very helpfull : they gave me a link to the user manual of the EOS 6D...

This confirms my earlier (not so good) experiences with the Canon support... Pitty.

My "day job" is that I work for a large software/hardware company.  We have similar requests to support 3rd party products.  We can really only promise "best effort" because,  to be fair... we have no special access to those third party products support engineers, source code, etc.  

 

Canon would be in a similar situation...  All they can do is support the interface specification (in this case, the HDMI interface).  Canon doesn't really have any special epertise on that product and they don't really have any special access to the other company's engineers.

 

Since your camera consistently works with one of your monitors... which means the camera and that other monitor seem to be fine.

 

The question is really about why it wont work with your 501 monitor... do you happen to have anything else that you can connect to the 501 monitor (is your 501 monitor have a bad or damaged interface)?  

 

I would try testing the 501 using something else (other than the 6D ... but using the same HDMI cable that you use with the 6D... to see if the problem isn't really on the 501 side.

 

 

Tim Campbell
5D III, 5D IV, 60Da
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