ARRI Hi-5 Lens Data Overlay License for SmallHD Monitors Announced

Firmware Update

by Francesco AndreolaApril 10^th, 2026

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ARRI has just rolled out a paid license for its Hi-5 and Hi-5 SX wireless camera and lens control systems, enabling focus and iris scales to be overlaid on your image when pulling focus on select SmallHD monitors. The license is now available to purchase for €680.

If you’ve ever pulled focus, you know how tricky it can be to constantly shift your attention between the distance markers on your hand unit/focus wheel and the image on your monitor. Thus, having lens data displayed directly on the screen can greatly help you in the process of pulling sharps.

SmallHD monitors already support focus and iris scale overlays when paired with a Teradek RT system, and now this function is also supported when using an ARRI Hi-5 or Hi-5 SX hand unit, though you need to pay for a premium-priced license. Let’s take a closer look!

ARRI Hi-5 overlays for SmallHD Monitors – overview

To pass lens data overlays from your ARRI lens control system to your focus pulling monitor, you’ll need 4 ingredients: a Hi-5 or Hi-5 SX hand unit (SUP 3.4.2 or later), a compatible SmallHD monitor, a USB cable connecting the two devices, and the paid software upgrade. According to ARRI, any SmallHD monitor running PageOS 6 virtually supports this feature, but here’s a list of officially tested monitors:

• 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

Once a wired connection has been established, you can enable the ARRI Lens Data feature as you would with any other tool inside SmallHD PageOS. The overlays are perfectly integrated into the UI and are not affected by any other focus assist tool you might have enabled on your SmallHD monitor.

By default, the monitor displays the focus position and scale on the right side of the screen, while the iris value and scale are on the left. However, the position, size, and transparency of the UI elements are customizable via the touchscreen, so, for example, you can bring your focus scale right next to the subject you’re trying to keep in focus.

Moreover, you can save your overlay configuration and create up to 3 presets that get stored in the Hi-5 or Hi-5 SX hand unit. These can then be moved across different SmallHD monitors, making it easier to move from one focus station to another.

Other useful information, such as focal length, depth of field, and focus markers, can now also be referenced inside the SmallHD monitor interface. And for more advanced camera builds, Focusbug Cine RT distance readings and markers are also supported in the overlays.

Price and availability

The SmallHD Monitor Overlay License for ARRI Hi-5 and Hi-5 SX is now available to purchase from ARRI’s website for €680. For more information, please visit their website here.

What do you think of this ARRI Hi-5 x SmallHD collaboration? Do you think the premium price is worth the investment? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!