ARRI and SmallHD jointly announced a partnership regarding monitor overlays for lens data, available through a newly offered extended license for ARRI’s Hi-5 and Hi-5 SX handheld units. The “SmallHD Monitor Overlay License” displays focus, aperture scales, and other lens data in a customizable layout, helping focus pullers accurately locate marks without taking their eyes off the live video feed.
Through this partnership, ARRI has developed a Hi-5 lens data overlay that works with SmallHD’s Add-On API framework, blending the familiar Hi-5 user experience with the award-winning PageOS 6 monitoring platform. Like other licenses that extend the functionality and compatibility of Hi-5 and Hi-5 SX with third-party devices, the SmallHD monitor overlay license is available for purchase from ARRI’s online licensing shop.
This license allows Hi-5 users to connect to a compatible SmallHD monitor via USB-C or the Hi-5’s 4-pin serial connector to display focus scale, aperture value, focal length, FocusBug CineRT data, and lens information. The overlay offers up to three individually customizable pages with adjustable opacity, position, size, show/hide controls, settings retention after power off, bright/dark overlay themes, and savable layouts. On touchscreen monitors, overlay elements can be dragged and dropped to any position on the display.
The following monitors have been tested by ARRI and confirmed to work with overlay licenses. Other SmallHD monitors running PageOS 6 may also be compatible with the ARRI Hi-5, but user testing is required.
- SmallHD CINE 5
- SmallHD CINE 7
- SmallHD CINE 13
- SmallHD Ultra 5
- SmallHD Ultra 7
- SmallHD Ultra 10
- SmallHD 703 Ultrabright
- SmallHD 1303 HDR
- ARRI CCM-1
Christine Ajayi-Scheuring, product manager ARRI Camera Accessories, said: “The new Hi-5 monitor overlays were developed in consultation with focus pullers on set and reflect ARRI’s ongoing commitment to solutions that enhance real‑world workflows.
“We’re pleased to have collaborated with SmallHD on implementing these overlays, which were requested by the Hi-5 community and make our hand units even more versatile.”
Matt Eidenbock, product manager for SmallHD, added: “We’re excited to position PageOS as a truly scalable platform that supports customisable workflows, and ARRI’s Hi-5 lens data overlay is the first Add-On in SmallHD’s API framework.
“This integration lets focus pullers view native ARRI Hi-5 lens data directly on their monitor, without additional hardware or external overlay solutions. After licensing, they just connect their Hi-5 and the SmallHD monitor becomes a fully integrated focus-pulling display.”
