PortKeys BM5 – A Field Monitor That Can Control Your Camera. I think the Black Mini has a tiny little fan on the inside that you can only hear if you put your ear at the back of the monitor. In short, you won’t hear it, and the monitor is 100% silent.
Three “normal-sized” lenses and a big zoom lens (Canon EF 70-200mm F/2.8 L IS). A 2.4-inch display with a 1440 x 900 resolution. The display has a maximum brightness of 300 nits.
And now comes the fun part! Like its big brother the BM5 II, the PortKeys LH5H is capable of controlling your camera. Above is a list of all compatible cameras, and the features you can control via the LH5H. If you have a lot of spare time, you can watch the six hours (!) long RED Komodo Owners Q&A Discussion video which was live-streamed over at Scott Balkum’s Youtube channel. Apart from Scott, there was also Phil Holland, Tim Daust, Curtis Boggs, and Phillip Grossman present at the video. Even Jarred Land, president of RED Digital Cinema, joined in for a while and shared some background information regarding Komodo.
For a while now I have been following the development of micro four thirds cameras. To be specific, I bought my first one exactly 10 years ago, the Panasonic LUMIX GH1. Z CAM E2 Cinema Camera in the Wild – Hands-on Review.
Finally, there’s a 7.4/24V power input/output port with a barrel connector that you can use to power the PT5. Unfortunately, a D-Tap or any other powering cable isn’t included in the kit, but you can easily find one at an affordable price. Last but not least, this port can feed a 7.4V camera accessory if you power the monitor with a Sony NP-F/Canon LP-E6 battery, but I did not try it. Let’s be clear, this new Portkeys BM5 III WR is not a massive upgrade over its predecessor, and most of the main features are the same, including.
B&H Buy link: Canon EOS 6D Mark II Camera Body with Accessories Kit Was: $1,599.00 Now: $1,199.00 (Savings: $400.00). Manfrotto PRO Light Flexloader L pockets and compartments.
Ideally you come from the filmmaking industry, have a technical mind and are interested in nerding out about new camera gear, fuzzing over things that matter to filmmakers and content creators alike, and have a talent and lust for writing. It is already compatible with the Z Cam E2, Sony/Canon/Panasonic cameras. But, PortKeys just introduced a new Bluetooth Module that pushes the capabilities of the BM5 a little further.
The first bundle includes the full-frame mirrorless camera from Panasonic – the LUMIX S1 (our Review, our Lab Test). With its 24.2MP sensor, the camera can record up to 4K 60P cropped or 4K 30P uncropped video. It offers nice ergonomics, good IBIS, and relatively clean images with high ISO. It even became our camera of the year in 2019. The bundle further includes the Sigma MC-21 adapter and Sony 120GB XQD G-Series memory card. The Portkeys BM5 III WR is available now for €517. When you order it, you’ll have to choose the correct control cable for your camera, if you want to control it wired.
A few days ago, we covered the release of the PortKeys HS7T Metal Edition monitor, with its most exciting feature being a plate on the backside of the device to host a wireless video transmission system. Sony a7S II Camera Body with Free Storage Kit – $440/€195 Discount.
Portkeys PT5 Review – Impressive On-Camera Monitor Under $200. Edit: the Z Cam E2C offers a gigabyte ethernet connection for control and live streaming, but no multicam synchronization as written earlier in this post and mentioned in the video above – sorry for this mistake – I have deleted the respective passages in the text below.
B&H: Nikon Z 6 with FTZ Mount Adapter and Bag Kit – $547 Discount. The bag is made out of nylon and synthetic fabric. The ripstop nylon fabric features a cross pattern all over it. This kind of fabric is used to make military clothes, so I have very little doubt about its quality or longevity. All in all, it’s a matter of taste, but it’s a nice-looking bag that looks professional without screaming “there’s plenty of camera equipment inside,” which I always like.
Brightness, contrast, saturation, tint, sharpness, color temperature. The monitor mount is not the greatest I’ve ever seen, some parts are made of plastic, but it gets the job done as the monitor is pretty lightweight.
Lenswise, I opted for two lenses only: the Olympus 12-100mm f4 for the documentary part (it has great image stabilization), and a Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5 – 5.6 version 1 using a Metabones speed booster for the wildlife part. The screen itself is very bright (2000 NITS), even in direct sunlight I had no issues seeing the image. Unfortunately, the surface of the screen is very reflective which can hamper the viewing experience, see figure 3 below.
Function settings page where you’ll find all your monitoring tools. The PortKeys LH5P is the big brother of the LH5H, and both monitors have a lot in common, including.
CVP Buy link: FUJIFILM X-T3 Camera Body Was: €1,314.19 Now: €1,041.41 (Savings: €272.78 including Cashback). There are four user-assigneable buttons on top of the LEYE II.
Full-frame 12MP sensor, UHD in up to 120P, Full HD in up to 240p, all modes available in 10-bit 4:2:2 internally, no overheating, (almost) no crop, flip-out screen, full-size HDMI… This camera seems to tick a lot of boxes. This interesting bundle includes the newest APS-C mirrorless camera FUJIFILM X-T4 (our review). With its 26.1MP sensor, the camera can record up to 4K 60P uncropped video in 10-bit in F-Log. It offers nice ergonomics, good IBIS, and flip-out screen. The bundle further includes the 5″ 1000nit monitor/recorder Atomos Ninja V and SanDisk 128GB 300MB/s SDXC memory card.
For example, when a monitor’s colors are wildly inaccurate, it can happen that you see orange when you’re supposed to see yellow or red. It can affect how you set your camera’s white balance or exposure, for example. FilmConvert Black Friday 2019 Offer.
To mount it, slide the sun hood brackets on the left and right sides of the monitor. Featured Image credit for this article: Phil Holland.
At the top of the Flexloader L’s shoulder straps, the second adjustment is the “support,” or how far you want the straps to be from the actual bag. Sony a7S III Bundle – €187,54 Savings.
Nikon Z 6 is the first full-frame mirrorless camera from Nikon – it is the “all-arounder” within the new Z system. It features 24.5MP CMOS sensor and can record UHD 4K video at up to 30fps and full HD at up to 120fps – all in H.264. The camera can also output RAW signal via HDMI, so this could be the perfect camera to use with the Ninja V to capture in ProRes RAW. Volta’s capacity to weight ratio compared to other battery solutions. Image credit: Volta Cinema.
CVP: Z CAM E2 4K Camera Body – Free PortKeys BM5 Monitor. Buy link: Panasonic LUMIX S1H Bundle Was: €4,830.89 Now: €4,502.40 (Savings: €328,49).
Also, another thing that surprised me is that the NATO locking mechanism doesn’t have a spring inside. It means that when you unscrew it, the part that moves doesn’t follow the locking screw, and you might have to move it by hand. This is something minor and not a dealbreaker, but a small improvement that could be made in the next versions. PortKeys LEYE EVF Announced – 4K HDMI Affordable Viewfinder.
There are several ways to attach tripods or light stands to the Flexloader. Finally, on the top are three user-customizable buttons, a menu dial, and an exit button to control the EVF.
Fair enough, that’s not the end of the world as micro-USB to USB cables are very common in everybody’s house, but it’s worth mentioning. After all, even Apple decided to not ship their iPhone 12 with a charger anymore, which is curious considering its high price point. Monitor manufacturer FEELWORLD has just released a new affordable 7-inch monitor, featuring a Sony NP-F style battery plate on the back to host and power a wireless video transmission system. Built on the legacy of the original F7 monitor, the FEELWORLD F7 PRO is now available for $239.
Monitor manufacturer FEELWORLD has just released a new affordable 7-inch monitor, featuring a Sony NP-F style battery plate on the back to host and power a wireless video transmission system. Built on the legacy of the original F7 monitor, the FEELWORLD F7 PRO is now available for $239. Both the LH5H and LH5P has the same ergonomics and input-output ports.
CVP Buy link: DJI Osmo Pocket Was: €319.18 Now: €270.67 (Savings: €48.51). If you are tempted by the price to use it as a cinema camera be aware that the rolling shutter means that you cannot shoot handheld footage without a stabilized lens. It’s an absolute must in that scenario.
The PortKeys LH5P features a 5.5″ WLED display with a FullHD 1080p / 1920 x 1080 resolution. The display is a touchscreen that you can use to navigate through the menus (more on that later). B&H Buy link: Canon EOS R Camera Body with Accessories Kit Was: $2,299.00 Now: $1,799.00 (Savings: $500.00).
CVP: Panasonic LUMIX S1 Camera Body – €386 Cashback plus Free 3-Year Warranty. B&H: Nikon Z 6 with FTZ Mount Adapter and Bag Kit – $547 Discount.
To know more, check our Lab Test as well as Nino’s C300 Mark III review. This bundle will additionally get you a Canon 24-70MM F2.8L II USM EF-Mount lens and SanDisk CFexpress Extreme Pro 512GB memory card. False Color, Zebra, Underscan, Luma Histogram, Luma Waveform, RGB Waveform, 3D LUT.
The F7 PRO is an HDMI-only monitor. The HDMI input and output support 4K signals up to 60fps. You can navigate inside the menu via the touchscreen or the buttons at the top of the Black Mini. At first glance, the user interface looks a bit outdated, but in the end, it is straightforward to navigate inside and find what you’re looking for.
Most of the navigation inside the UI happens via the touchscreen. But, you can also use the physical Menu and navigation buttons at the top of the monitors. These buttons allow you to navigate inside a page. However, you can’t switch pages from these buttons. PortKeys is a Chinese company specialized in creating monitors and viewfinders. We first reported about their PortKeys BM5 monitor, a 5-inch field monitor with SDI/HDMI input and output ports capable of controlling your camera. Then, the company released the OEYE-3G and LEYE EVFs, a Universal Handle that can control nearly every camera, and more recently, the PortKeys LH5P that we’re reviewing here.
Also, at the front, you’ll find the two zippers to fully open the main compartment. I can not confirm that these new dividers do better at absorbing shocks.
RED Komodo can record in ProRes as well. Image Credit: Phil Holland. I would have preferred longer threadings with a full turn or even a bit more. That way, it would avoid possible loosening problems, even if it didn’t happen to me during the making of this review.
Up to 50 custom 3D LUTs can be loaded into the FEELWORLD F7 PRO. Source: FEELWORLD. Sony a6000 Camera with Two Lenses and Accessories – $400 Discount.
Atomos Announces 12-Bit Apple ProRes RAW Support For Z CAM E2 Camera. This is a design choice, and after using it, I get why they did it that way. I would like to have the option to close it if I’m shooting in tough weather conditions. It would protect the handle and prevent dust/rain from getting in.
A quite surprising result on the rolling shutter measurements, which adds up to the very positive overall impression: in 4K DCI 25p mode (using ProRes HQ and ZLOG2) I got a very good result of 11.1[ms]. For comparison, the BMPCC4k has a rolling shutter of 16[ms] in UHD 25p mode. This new Portkeys PT5 on-camera monitor came out in July 2021 and is the company’s most affordable monitor to date. With a $169/€150 price point, I was skeptical at first regarding what this monitor has to offer. However, I soon realized I had nothing to worry about.
The right side of the Portkeys PT5. The LEYE SDI will retail for $549/€500. It is already listed on our partners’ websites B&H and CVP, so it should be available very soon!.
Last but not least, you can power the PT5 via the 5V1A USB input/output port. You can use this port to power the monitor with a power bank, for example, but also to charge your camera/power your accessories if you power the PT5 of a Sony NP-F/Canon LP-E6 battery. EOS R’s smaller brother – the EOS RP – is now also on sale during Black friday. As a bonus within this accessory kit on B&H you will get a SanDisk 32GB SDHC memory card, and a shoulder bag.
There is not a ton of competition in this price range, and the only product I can think of is the Zacuto ACT EVF Pro that retails for $499 and has far less features. The PortKeys HS7T has both HDMI and SDI inputs and outputs. Source: PortKeys.
Buy link: Panasonic LUMIX S1 Camera Body Was: €2,120.75 Now: €1,734.99 (Savings: €385.76 Cashback + Free 3-Yeatr Warranty). A good monitor is nothing without great monitoring tools. These tools allow you to judge your exposure, focus, white balance, and so on. This is useful so you can make creative decisions and adjust your camera settings.
Exposure tools: RGB and Luma Waveform, Zebra, False Color, Histogram. First, there are two small expendable pouches, one on each side. I have issues with this kind of tripod pockets most of the time, as they are small. To give you an idea, they barely fit a Peak Design Travel Tripod, one of the most compact camera tripods you can get.
The HS7T can be powered by two hot-swappable Sony L-Series batteries or via the 4-pin LEMO input (DC 7.4~24V). Moreover, the monitor can supply power for any wireless video transmission system attached to the back: a helpful feature when trying to keep the monitor setup clean and compact. Also, Manfrotto put two thick rubber reinforcements/locking holes on the front and one on each side to create a tuck-away strap system.
When communicating with the company they told me the following. These dummy batteries are off-the-shelf and not made by Volta Cinema directly. Several models are available, including D-Tap to Sony FZ100, Sony FW50, Panasonic DMW-BL19e, Sony NP-F (the plate is from Atomos), Micro USB for the Tilta Nucleus, as well as custom ones.
Finally, there’s a 5-pin “aviation” power input/output port, as PortKeys calls it. You can use the included D-Tap to 5-pin power cable to power your monitor from a V-Mount/Gold Mount battery. Also, you could use the included 5-pin to barrel connector cable to power accessories, but I did not try it. According to the company, this port can feed a 7.4V camera accessory if you power the monitor with a Sony NP-F battery. Portkeys is a Chinese company that released a full lineup of affordable on-camera monitors and viewfinders with an impressive price/feature ratio in a couple of years only. If you’ve never heard of them before, you can take a look at my in-depth review of the Portkeys LH5P here.
I got away with around 3 hours of battery life at the maximum backlight setting. To me, this is a decent battery life for an on-camera monitor powered by a small battery. However, if you do the maths, a big Sony NP-F970 battery could theoretically run the PT5 for more than 12 hours!. DJI Osmo Action – $100/€77 Discount.
We are using a new test method based on a high frequency, quartz & microcontroller based strobe light at 300Hz. As the sensor readout happens from the top to the bottom, we are getting a sequence of black and white bars from the strobe. Also, there is a 7/24V power input port on the left side of the monitor that you can use to power the Black Mini externally.
The Portkeys PT5 is available now for $169/€150. Very few other monitors will offer you this many features at this price point, and I can only think of the FeelWorld F5 and Desview S5 to maybe compete with it. Buy link: Canon EOS C300 Mark III Bundle Was: €13.967,33 Now: €13.446,06 (Savings: €521,27).
Dual native ISO: 500 and 2500 ISO. Buy link: Canon EOS R6 Bundle Was: €4.061,14 Now: €3.916,32 (Savings: €144,82).
Built-in monitoring tools include: 3D LUT monitoring, Waveform, Luma, Histogram, false color, Zebra, Peaking, Zooming, Audio Meters and so on. The PortKeys LH5H features a 5.2″ touch screen display with a maximum brightness of 1700nit. Usually, an on-camera monitor with more than 1500nit is daylight-viewable.
To use a Canon LP-E6 battery, slide it to the left. To use a Sony NP-F battery, slide it to the right. That’s very smart, and I love it. A good monitor is nothing without great monitoring tools. These tools allow you to judge your exposure, focus, white balance, and so on. This is useful to make creative decisions and adjust your camera settings.
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