If you're looking for an external monitor for your Sony a7iii, you've probably found that it's not as simple as just plugging in the HDMI cable and going. There are a couple different ways to do it, and each has its pros and cons. I've tried them all, so here is my review of what works best (and what doesn't). In this guide we'll cover how to set up an external monitor with an A mount camera like the Sony A7iii:
Now that you have the cables, connect your HDMI out of camera to the SJ7 Star monitor. The monitor will then connect to a USB-C in on the back of your camera.
HDMI cable to Atomos Ninja V (full size)
Mini to Full HDMI adapter
HDMI-to-HDMI cable
If you have the Atomos Ninja V, you can use the Mini to Full HDMI Adapter and one of your camera's two outputs for recording. You'll need an extra long cable if it's not close by.
If you are using a Ninja V and you want to power the Camera Monitor off the camera, make sure the power button is green (the only way I can get this to work is to plug the USB cable into the monitor first and then turn the monitor on before powering it from the a7iii).
I am also not sure if this is related, but when I tried turning my external monitor on with my camera, there was no sound. When I turned my external monitor off with my camera and turned it back on by itself, everything worked fine.
Remember that you will have to power the monitor from your camera, so if it’s not already on, make sure to turn it on now.
If you are not using a Ninja V, leave it powered on and just make sure it's plugged into its charger. I think it's also important that this charger be plugged into an outlet.
The first thing you'll need to do is make sure that the external monitor is powered on. If it's not, plug it into an outlet and turn it on.
Next, make sure that the camera is powered on and connected to your external monitor via HDMI or USB-C cable. This will allow you to view live images of what your camera sees through the lens in real-time as you shoot photos or videos using either full-frame 4K video capture or 4K photo mode (if available for your specific camera model).
Setting up an external monitor with an a7iii is a little tricky but not that bad.
Make sure the monitor is powered on before you power on the camera.
If you’re using a Ninja V and want to use it as an external monitor, make sure its power button is green and it’s plugged into its charger. The Ninja V doesn't have all that much battery life so it needs to be charging when used as an external monitor.
So there you have it. I hope this helps you get set up with an external monitor so you can enjoy using your a7iii even more and not miss any shots.