In this review, we'll look at Blackmagic Design's 7" 12G Video Assist. Like the 5" and 3G models in the Video Assist line, this compact monitor-recorder is designed to go out into the field and attach to the camera, rig, or tripod. It allows you to see your shot better than a small viewfinder or pop-out LCD that's rarely larger than three four inches on most pro camcorders. The Video Assist also enables you to record your footage in high-quality ProRes or HD|NX at resolutions up to 4Kp60.

Video Assist Controls and I/O

The Video Assist has a touchscreen that allows you to control the unit with Record. Play, Step Back, and Step Forward buttons.

It allows you to see the audio channels, visible on the VU meter. You can display up to four channels and record audio via HDMI or SDI, or by using the two Mini XLR jacks on the side. If you want to record directly into it, you just set it in the menu.

The video inputs are adjacent to the audio inputs. The unit has HDMI and SDI I/O. On the other side of the video assist, you have two SD card slots. You can set them up to record simultaneously or one after the other. And you have a jack for audio and a LANC controller for setting it to record remotely with a LANC jack if you have such a controller. And there's a USB-C that allows you to attach a portable SSD. And as I mentioned in a previous review of the Blackmagic HyperDeck Studio HD Plus, I've used the LaCie with this machine and it works great. It's very lightweight, and it'll take you a long time to fill up a 2TB SSD even at the the higher bitrates. If you want record go SD cards, you can use the OWC V90 cards I've tested it with or other similar SDHC/XC brands.

Battery Time

On the back of the Video Assist you have two Sony L Series battery slots. That will run the device for about an hour each, depending on how you're using it. If you're using it just as a monitor, then it will probably run a little longer. If you're using it to record as well as a monitor, you can expect about an hour per battery. If you're doing a long day, carry two or three batteries and a charger so that you can cycle them out and recharge them as necessary.

Also, I recommend being careful of the mounted batteries, as they do not lock in place and come off very easily.

12G vs. 3G Video Assist

For years I have been using the original 5" 3G Video Assist that only does up to 1080p recording. It has two mini-SDI jacks and two HDMI jacks, and only one card slot. There's no USB-C for external recording, and it uses the Canon LR-6 batteries, which don't last very long.

So I welcomed the chance to use the 7" 12G Blackmagic Video Assist out in the field and found it very useful. It did a great job. This 12G model allows you to up-res up to the 4K ProRes, which the little 5" 3G model can't do. There is a new 12G 5" version, but if you can go a little bigger, it's worth it for the 7" model.

The direct ancestor of the Video Assist was actually invented by legendary actor and comedian Jerry Lewis. He was the first one to bring an early videotape recorder on location and get a video tap from a viewfinder and record and play it back. He was probably recording to 2" Ampex VCR tape, a unit that weighed about a ton. Just 60 years later we're able to record 4K into this compact device on a chip roughly the size of my thumbnail. So we've come a long way.

If you're going to go out in the field and do some recording, I recommend the Video Assist. The various 3G and 12G models range in price from about $500-$1,000. Depending on your needs and your budget, they make one for pretty much everybody.