BM Video Assist 12G Mounting Issues and Firmware

Hey everybody. I have been having some trouble mounting the BM video assist 12G 5" for a few reasons:

The monitor has no locating pins on top or bottom so any mount swivels over time

The monitor's USB-C port is covered by mounting gear when the monitor is placed on center (Flipping upside down fixes this)

And most importantly, when loaded up with the largest size NPF batteries (since I'm recording raw), it breaks the lock dial on the Smallrig ARRI style monitor mount.

Have you guys found solutions to these problems or should I go ahead and switch to another brand?

It's a great monitor, but these oversights have made it so that when I use it, it looks like I constantly have to fix things. They still need to fix the freezing that the monitor does when scrolling through playback in a firmware, as well as making the playback menu more user-friendly, not having to sift through ever-smaller clips as the drive fills up.

Most of the Smallrig monitor mounts are bogus, within an hour it’s wiggle city. The design flaw is that tilting or panning the monitor releases pressure on the friction system. The more you mess with it the looser it gets because you’re working out the threadlocking compound with each turn.

I use the Atomos mount with locking shoe for a Shinobi and it’s great but the monitor setup weighs 320g, better than the Smallrig, not going to hold up well with twice the weight.

For heavier monitors I utilize a couple versions of this Smallrig mount, tilting the monitor doesn’t affect the friction system, adjustments last much longer.

Good Luck

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I wonder if there's an adapter that utilizes all 3 mounting points on the bottom to give the monitor a locking pin. That would at least solve the spinning problem. A cage for the monitor would actually be very helpful. I would use an Atomos monitor but the problem is that I don't want to add the ProRes Raw step to my workflow and have huge file sizes just to get it into DaVinci Resolve.

If twisting is a concern you don’t need a full cage just a Nato rail on the bottom. Mine doesn’t twist but I’ve trained myself not to provoke the behavior.

Good Luck

If twisting is a concern you don’t need a full cage just a Nato rail on the bottom. Mine doesn’t twist but I’ve trained myself not to provoke the behavior.

Good Luck

Thanks. I'll need it. Would the NATO rail be better than the 1/4" with locating pin? I mount the monitor upside down so that the USB C port actually works so this may be a better solution that the one $70 cage I found.

I try and keep my rig as lean as possible and avoid extra plates and quick releases. A Nato rail on the top of the monitor and some flavor of this mount should be pretty solid.

Good Luck

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One thing I miss for 7” 12G is a cage for it like I have for my 7” original Assist, that one does have extra mounting points that I can use for the monitor mount located as needed. It would solve the USB problem also.
I were going to get one from Smallrig like I have for my old one but it has been discontinued for some reason

I try and keep my rig as lean as possible and avoid extra plates and quick releases. A Nato rail on the top of the monitor and some flavor of this mount should be pretty solid.

Good Luck

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Could I get a link or a name of this? Tried searching B&H with only one result.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... _nato.html

Good Luck

i just got mine for recording BRAW to a Lumix S5iiX
It is a pretty beefy and heavy monitor to say the least.
I am only using it for full rig situations and so am powering it from a V-Lock at the back of the rig via the 2.5mm locking DC power port. This monitor is already too heavy to start using NPF batteries on it, imo.
Now I need to buy that Smallrig Nato Rail monitor mount to stop it twisting on the mount.

I use this Video Assist in both the edit suite as a WFM and on the Ursa Broadcast G2 sometimes. I use the same Smallrig mount for both; it screws in here to the top of the reference monitor and attaches with a hotshoe mount on the camera; in that way it's very quick to set up for both applications

Not had a problem with the firmware on mine though.

BTW Feargal, that screen protector is quite badly applied and very reflective (possibly the original product protection though?) ; mine has also got a screen protector on but it is matte one designed for car ICEs.

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yes that is just the plastic screen cover that comes with it for shipping - it's in the bin now!