As I already mentioned, there is a built-in Sony NP-F style battery plate at the monitor’s back. I did a quick battery life test with a Sony NP-F970 battery at maximum brightness (1700nit). I got away with around one to one hour and a half battery life.
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the small front pocket could feature the same metal zippers pull straps as the main compartments ones, so you can close it with the TSA lock.
At the back of the Black Mini, there is a built-in Sony NP-F and Canon LP-E6 battery bracket, similar to the one found on the Portkeys PT5 that I already reviewed. To use a Canon LP-E6 battery, simply slide it to the left.
Have you worked with the Z CAM E2? What are your experiences with this camera? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
A Sony NP-F-style battery powers it. Also, there is a power input/output port so you can power it off a V-Mount/Gold Mount battery or use the monitor to power your camera.
For more information and purchase it, please visit Volta Cinema’s website here.
The Portkeys PT5 comes in a little case with a sun hood, one HDMI to HDMI cable, one HDMI to micro HDMI cable, a sunshade, and a cold shoe monitor mount with locating pins. Portkeys is very generous on this one.
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.
I am left a bit puzzled about possible use cases for this cam – by its very name it implies the use as a cinema camera which I definitely cannot recommend because of the mentioned extreme rolling shutter and the limited dynamic range.
I hope that in the next production batches, Volta will solve that with a permanent labeling or engraving technique. We’ll talk about the battery charger’s build quality and monitor mount a bit later in their dedicated sections.
To grab the bag, there are three handles: one on the top and one on each side. Although all the handles feel robust, they can take a lot of weight. If I am being picky, I would’ve liked to see a fourth grip at the bottom.
CVP Buy link: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Camera Body €2,659.54 (Free BG-E20 Battery grip).
Also, I had build quality issues with the battery charger, which is entirely made out of plastic. I’m cautious with gear, but after two days, I grabbed the charger by its casing, and it literally opened in two.
B&H Buy link: Sony a7R II Camera Body with Free Accessories Kit Was: $1,798.00 Now: $1,398.00 (Savings: $400.00).
As you can see, the PortKeys LH5P represents a good value for money compared to other monitors in the same price range, but it will be up to you to decide if it ticks all the boxes for your needs.
However, on the Porkeys PT5, I found that even at maximum brightness, the image doesn’t shift a lot, and blacks are still pretty dense. I guess it’s mainly because the PT5 has a full brightness of 500nit only.
Right side: an 8V power output port with a barrel connector and a 1/4-20″ mounting point.
Not all monitors are created equally, and the quality of the display behind them may vary significantly. A great on-camera monitor must be as color accurate as possible and as close to “what you see is what you get” as possible.
Finally, the Volta Cinema Top Handle has three 1/4″-20 mounting points at the handle’s back. The threading is really thin, and the metal is not thick here. While this is nice to have mounting points to store screws, I wouldn’t mount a camera accessory to it, even if I don’t see it breaking at all.
Unfortunately, we were told that this information which the manufacturer gave at the show initially, is unfortunately incorrect. The EVF cannot cross convert between HDMI and SDI, it can only output the signal via SDI if it receives an SDI signal, and the same is true for HDMI.
The other part of the “proper” 3rd-party EVF market consists nearly entirely of Zacuto products. I will not mention the Wooden Camera modification kit for the Blackmagic URSA EVF. We recently reported about the new Zacuto Kameleon EVF, but they also make other EVFs like the Gratical Eye that we reviewed and the Gratical HD. These EVFs are amazing, full of features and build like tanks, but they are not cheap at all.
There’s also a nice little pouch inside the bag, which is around 23 x 15 x 5cm/9 x 5,9 x 2in.
Chinese manufacturer Portkeys is well-known for creating innovative on-camera monitors and viewfinders with very aggressive price/feature ratios. For example, they recently released the Portkeys BM5 III WR that can control the RED Komodo and is now RED Approved. Also, I reviewed their Portkeys LH5P monitor earlier this year, a monitor under $400 can control your camera.
As you would expect, the casing of the is mostly made out of plastic. I think that there is no metal except the 1/4-20″ inserts. The plastic quality is decent.
But Tudor didn’t stop here. He worked hard on its product and idea to refine the design, improve features, and launch it on its own a couple of months later, in August 2020.
The monitor has a built-in fan that you can set to auto or adjust to low/mid/high in the menu. However, it should be much more silent than other monitors in Portkeys’ lineup. It has fewer functionalities/features and is also less bright compared to their BM5 III, for example.
Portkeys put some work towards its user interface, and it is now much easier to use, especially on the PT5.
B&H Buy link: Panasonic LUMIX G85 Camera with 12-60mm Lens and accessories set Was: $997.99 Now: $697.99 (Savings: $300.00).
However, and this is something to keep in mind while you’re reading this entire review, the is only $89, and it’s an entry-level on-camera monitor. At this price point in the filmmaking world, you usually can’t buy many products, especially monitors or products with any electronics inside.
SDI, HDMI and USB inputs are all available on the OEYE-3G as well as both SDI and HDMI outputs. You can send 4K DCI signals at 24 frames per second through the HDMI or 4K UHD at 24/25/30 fps, but the SDI input port is only able to accept 1080P signals at up to 60 fps. The HDMI and SDI ports allow for cross conversion as well.
Panasonic LUMIX GH5 Camera Body – $700/€215 Discount Plus Cashback, Free LUMIX 25mm f/1.7 Lens, Free 3-Year Warranty.
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 lot has been written about the FUJIFILM X-T3, and a lot of it here, on cinema5D. We’ve reviewed the camera (twice), and crowned it our best mirrorless camera of the year 2018. Currently, there is a nice discount on this camera in both B&H (including free accessories – memory card and bag) and CVP.
The OEYE-3G is targeted at professional users, while the PortKeys LEYE fills a big hole in the market for enthusiastic/filmmakers that don’t use an external viewfinder on a daily basis and are looking for an EVF that doesn’t break the bank.
Indeed, 1/4-20″ with locating pins mounting points are not “industry standard,” but 3/8-16″ with locating pins are. But, again, to me, Atomos did it right with their Ninja V/V+, and a lot of camera monitor manufacturers should follow the trend.
The PortKeys LH5H is available now for $299.00. At this price-point, and with so many features, this is one of the most affordable daylight-viewable monitor that I can think of.
The PortKeys LEYE features a 2.4″ LCD screen with an effective resolution of 1440 x 900. The display is 8-bit – which is enough for framing your shots -and has a maximum brightness of 300nit with a 1100:1 contrast ratio.
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.
The PortKeys HS7T has a plate for attaching a wireless video transmission system. Source: PortKeys.
The OEYE-3G EVF is upgradable through a USB port and includes many free software features right out of the gate such as:.
First is to put a Canon LP-E6 or Sony NP-F battery at the back of the monitor. Indeed, the built-in battery bracket supports both type of batteries natively, which is very smart and reminds me of the SmallHD 700 series of monitors.
The PortKeys HS7T can be powered by two hot-swappable Sony L-Series batteries. Source: PortKeys.
Let’s be clear: the PT5 is not a rental product; it is designed for owner-operators or filmmakers starting out, and at this price point, you can’t complain that it’s not built like a tank that you can throw at walls.
However, I was a bit worried about a possible short inside my camera bag between the batteries and whatever metal object they could hit. Volta Cinema told me that:.
The Volta Cinema Top Handle design is pretty “simple,” minimalistic, and I like its elegance. It consist of two main parts: the handle that doubles as the battery compartment, and a mount with the NATO rail and D-Tap port.
PortKeys recently released a Metal Edition of their HS7T monitor. This upgraded version features a 7-inch 1920×1080 display with a peak brightness of 1200 nits, an all-aluminum construction, a new peaking algorithm, and a plate on the back to host a wireless video transmission system. The monitor is now available for $399.
So, who is this monitor for? I guess the Black Mini is perfect for YouTubers or content creators who are mostly shooting inside. Also, if you’re doing many live streaming events and need a fast/affordable program monitor, it could get the job done.
It is entirely usable in bright daylight conditions, but the battery life will take a severe hit. You can see what you’re shooting, sunlight’s reflections are not bad, but I wouldn’t judge my exposure by just looking at the picture without any monitoring tools (and I guess you shouldn’t do that with any monitors anyway).
Last but not least, at the front of the bag, inside the rain cover pocket, you’ll find two nylon loops. Using the two front straps and these two nylon loops, you can attach a heavy camera tripod to the bag. I tried with my Sachtler Speed Lock CF HD set of tripod legs: it works.
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