• Picked up the Desview R6 UHB 5.5 Inch 2800nits Touchscreen Monitor for $220.
• Used it for a full outdoor wedding with my A7IV.
• No blackouts or connection drops at all.

Unfortunately, the A7IVs micro-HDMI port is a total weak link, and Ive had issues with monitors dropping signals during critical shots just because of poor cable shielding or port wiggle. It is honestly so frustrating when you expect a clean 10-bit feed but the screen just goes purple or cuts out right as things get busy. I really wanted to love some of the entry-level options, but many simply dont have the heat dissipation needed for a long wedding day in the sun. If you want something reliable under that $300 mark, you should probably look at the Viltrox DC-550 Pro 5.5 Inch 1200 Nits Monitor. It has a built-in cooling fan which is huge because Sony bodies can run hot, and that extra heat through the HDMI chain can definitely trigger those blackouts people talk about. The 1200 nits brightness is actually usable outdoors too, unlike some others that claim high brightness but just wash out everything. One thing tho... dont skimp on the cable. Half the time the 'blackout' problem is just a cheap generic cable failing. I suggest pairing it with the Zilr 4K HDMI High Speed Cable with Ethernet because it is thin and flexible but handles the bandwidth. Just be super careful with that port on the camera body. Lmk if you need help navigating the A7IV internal menus to get the clean output right, it is kinda a maze in there.

Unfortunately, those Ninja V blackouts were a huge letdown for me... try this instead:

• Portkeys PT6 5.2 Inch 4K HDMI Monitor Its way more stable and fits your budget.

I have been using my current setup for a year now and honestly, stability is the only thing that matters when you are shooting a wedding since you cant exactly ask the couple to redo the kiss because your screen flickered. I ended up picking up the Feelworld F5 Pro V4 5.5 Inch Touchscreen Monitor and I am super satisfied with it. It is well under your budget and has been rock solid with my Sony body. The blackout issues people complain about are usually a technical bottleneck rather than the monitor being bad. Sony cameras are notorious for having picky HDMI handshakes. I have found that setting the HDMI output resolution to 1080p in the camera settings, even when I am recording 4K internally, makes everything run way smoother and keeps the camera from overheating. Basically, it just works well without drama and the framing is still sharp. Another huge factor is the cable. Most people buy a cheap five dollar cord and then wonder why the signal drops. I use the Zilr 4K HDMI High Speed Cable with Ethernet and it fits tight. Since the A7IV uses a full size HDMI, you have a better chance at a stable connection than the older micro-HDMI models, but it still helps to have a high-quality shielded cable. No complaints on my end using this combo for ten-hour wedding days.

Been using this for years, no complaints