Screen test: how to choose the best 4K monitor for you

A high-quality reference monitor is at the heart of the video production and post-production process. Whether you're shooting for film or broadcast, being able to analyse your captured footage and accurately view the final output is vital. With sizes ranging from 17 to 31 inches, and full support for PQ and HLG, Canon's Professional Displays more than meet the requirements of today's diverse 4K HDR workflows.

Canon's 4K reference monitors have been designed to deliver high luminance and faithful colours, with an innovative Matrix Array backlight control system ensuring uniform colour across the full display. "This Matrix Array consists of multiple backlights directly underneath the panel to reproduce the brightness of the entire scene," explains Matthew Koshy, Product Marketing Specialist at Canon Europe. "By using this system, Canon's professional display products are able to display images with a higher contrast ratio than a typical LCD monitor."

Contrast and brightness levels are, of course, critical when it comes to HDR grading, and in addition to the Matrix Array technology, all of Canon's 4K reference displays offer a consistent level of brightness from edge to edge. Rather than specifying the peak luminance in one specific area of the panel, Canon's displays are rated by their total brightness across the screen.

"In order to accurately understand the brightness information of HDR video, it's important to be able to display the maximum luminance across the entire screen," Matthew confirms. "If, for example, only the peak luminance reaches 1,000 or 2,000 nits, but the maximum luminance that can be displayed decreases as the area of high-luminance increases, the image intended by the creator and the image displayed on the monitor will be different."

Another benefit that's consistent across Canon's professional reference range is the ease with which each of the monitors can be integrated with other production equipment. Every 4K display – from the Canon DP-V3120 to the Canon DP-V1710 – supports all the major formats and HDF EOTFs, including PQ, HLG and Log formats from Canon, ARRI, RED and Panasonic. Additionally, each Canon Professional Reference Monitor has multiple interface terminals and offers a generous 89-degree viewing angle, ensuring excellent on-set visibility.

So, what's the best 4K monitor from Canon for your needs? To help you make an informed choice, here's a guide to four popular products from the Professional Displays range, with expert insight into their key features from Matthew.

With its incredible 2,000 nits of full-screen brightness, 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and comprehensive High Dynamic Range monitoring functions, Canon's flagship Professional Reference display is a compelling choice for 4K HDR productions.

"The Canon DP-V3120 represents everything you need from a professional monitor in this day and age," Matthew says. "It's 2,000 nits bright, meaning it more than satisfies the criteria for HDR. It's also equipped with 12G-SDI for connectivity and has a large screen to work off in the form of 31-inch diagonal."

With its combination of exceptional brightness, high contrast ratio and Native 4K 4096 x 2160 resolution, the Canon DP-V3120 monitor delivers an exemplary image, with accurate reproduction of shadow detail and brighter highlights. The innovative, Canon-designed backlight system enables it to maintain a high continuous luminance level even at 2,000 nits, with a newly developed cooling mechanism ensuring quiet operation when it's being used for long camera recording or grading sessions.

The largest monitor in the Canon 4K range also features an extensive suite of HDR monitoring functions, including a built-in HDR waveform monitor, HDR-SDR split-screen, HDR false colour and HDR histogram.

The Canon DP-V2411 is a 24-inch Native 4K reference display that offers 1,000 nits edge-to-edge brightness in boost mode. "Utilising Canon's excellent 10-bit IPS panel, the Canon DP-V2411 ensures outstanding colour and detail," Matthew says. "Portability is a huge benefit of this model too as it weighs in at just 12kg, has a removable carrying handle and can be run off a V-Lock Battery."

The Canon DP-V2411's Matrix Array LED backlight has been optimised for the LCD panel, and it delivers a uniform, wider colour gamut for accurate image quality. The monitor supports 4K, UHD, 2K, HD and SD with various frame rates, as well as a wide range of colour gamuts, including BT.2020, BT.709 and DCI-P3.

It was the first Canon monitor to support four 12G-SDI input for four-channel 4K inputs from a variety of sources and, like all of Canon's Professional Displays, it also includes an HDMI terminal. This enables users to not only receive 4K YCC/RGB video signals but also receive and display HDR formats.

Designed for filmmakers who require a highly mobile monitor, the 17-inch Canon DP-V1711 has a robust and compact construction and is compatible with EIA 19-inch rack mounts. The IPS LCD panel has 4K UHD resolution of 3840 x 2160, with a full-screen brightness rating of 600 nits in boost mode that can be upgraded to 1,000 nits if required.

"The Canon DP-V1711 has excellent all-round features for productions and workflow that need to be on the move," Matthew confirms. "It is the epitome of portable, with a weight of just 8kg and the capability to be run off a V-Lock Battery. The Canon DP-V1711 also comes equipped with 12G-SDI, meaning connectivity is seamless."

Despite its smaller proportions, the Canon DP-V1711 packs the same industry-leading image quality technology as larger Canon Professional Reference Monitors, including Canon's advanced LED backlight system. The wide 89-degree viewing angle afforded by its IPS panel, combined with the screen's anti-glare coating, ensures the Canon DP-V1711 gives a clear view whether it's being used on set or for monitoring in a studio or OB van.

The Canon DP-V1711 also comes with a rich collection of features to support 4K HDR production, including an HDR capable waveform monitor, HDR range adjustment and a split-screen function that enables an HDR image and false colour image from a single 4K input to be displayed simultaneously.