The Z CAM E2 is a very compact and lightweight cinema camera that we discovered during NAB 2018. Here is a quick summary of the features and what this small camera is capable of:.
On the front of the OEYE-3G, it features an SDI, HDMI and USB input, plus an SDI and HDMI output. The HDMI input can accept signals up to 4K DCI at 24 frames per second, or 4K UHD at 24/25/30 fps. The SDI input is limited to 1080P input up to 60 fps.
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.
Some tweaks to the footage are needed to make it look more pleasing – that was not the case with the sister model Z CAM E2 which offers very nice, out of the box colors using the same LUT’s.
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The dividers feature Manfrotto’s M-GUARD technology to protect your equipment. M-GUARD dividers are made of high-density EVA foam and are “50% slimmer with 50% greater shock absorption” compared to previous Manfrotto dividers.
The functions you can control are pretty basic at the moment: start/stop the recording, change your ISO settings, adjust the focus settings…etc. I think this is just the beginning.
If you wish to attach your monitor to a 1/4-20″ mounting accessory, all you have to do is put a 3/8-16″ to 1/4-20″ threaded insert. Simple and easy, I guess implementing this type of mounting option at the bottom of every monitor is easy to make, making every filmmaker happy.
To know more about the video capabilities of this camera, you can take a look at our Canon EOS R review. If you would like to use the EOS R as a B-camera to the Canon C200, check our article on the topic.
Yes, that’s right. Even the brand new Sony a7S III is included in this CVP special. The camera is supposed to start shipping in September 2020, but it already caused a lot of excitement.
The PortKeys LH5P is available now for $399.00, and the package includes a straight to elbow DC power cable, one camera control cable, a safety box, and a USB stick with the instructions. The LH5H currently retails for $100.00 less at $299.00 and can be a nice option if you don’t need the extra aluminum toughness. For more information, please visit PortKeys’ website here.
Also, one thing that I found annoying is that the display catches fingerprints quickly. It means that you need to clean your monitor very often, which can be annoying.
Two little pins inside the handle make the connection between the battery and the D-Tap port. These pins slide back and forth inside the groove when you adjust the handle back and forth.
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.
Finally, there’s an HDMI input port on the right side, above the power inputs, that can take video signals of up to 4K30p. There is no video output port.
Finally, of course, it’ll also be perfect for content creators on Twitch or other platforms that are doing video games live streams and don’t want/need all the bells and whistles from much higher-end on-camera monitors.
The LH5P has a claimed maximum brightness of 1700 nit, which is, like any monitor with a brightness over 1500nit, perfectly daylight-viewable. The monitor has a contrast ratio of 1000:1, and the panel itself is 10-bit (8+2 FRC), so not “true” 10-bit.
Finally, the LH5P display is slightly larger at 5.5″ (5.2″ for the LH5H), and it has a new removable Bluetooth antenna at the monitor’s back, whereas the Bluetooth module of the LH5H is built into the monitor.
As a direct frustration with Tilta’s Nano motor which required a very specific input to perform well, I decided to have a go at designing a solution. Oskar joined me again so this time we actually ended up launching an Indiegogo campaign. At the time we didn’t have much of a prototype but the idea was clear: Someone had to put some high-capacity cells inside a top handle since it was such a mandatory piece of kit. Why not us?.
As I mentioned previously, the PortKeys LH5P has one 1/4-20″ mounting point at the bottom. This is the monitor’s only mounting point, which is a bit of a letdown. I like to have multiple options for rigging a monitor to my camera, at least one on the left or right side and one at the bottom. There is nothing but an exhaust vent on the monitor’s right side, so I guess it would have been probably possible to put another mounting point here.
The Z CAM E2 also offers an HDR mode, where it captures a second image with an 8 times higher shutter speed for the highlighted part and merges it into one video frame (to increase the dynamic range by additional 3 stops).
For sound, I took a Sennheiser MKE 440 with me, using the 3.5mm audio input on the Z CAM E2 – mounted to the side, which was not ideal. Also, the recorded sound quality via the 3.5mm input leaves a lot to be desired. I hope Z CAM can improve on the audio part in the future.
I guess adding a small button at the bottom of the screen that allows you to access the “tool adjustments” settings would be a good help and easy to do (UI/Software change).
Finally, when grading the footage of the Z Cam E2C in DaVinci Resolve using the official Z CAM LUT’s from their webpage (I used the zlog2_LC709A_64_noGain_normal LUT) I noticed very yellowish skin tones – see the image below.
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.
The main tube/handle is where you insert your battery. This tube is 16cm long with a diameter of 3.2cm, and the total weight with a battery inside is around 170g.
The user interface consists of two pages. When you start the monitor, it shows you your image or the Portkeys landing page if no source is connected. If you touch the screen, the image scales down a bit and the Function settings page pops up on the sides of the display. All your monitoring tools are on this Function page.
If you’re new to PortKeys, this company is specialized in affordable HDMI and SDI camera monitoring solutions. Recently, we talked about their LEYE viewfinder, the fully-featured SDI/HDMI BM5 monitor, and the affordable PortKeys P6. The company has just released a new 5.5″ HDMI-only monitor, the PortKeys LH5P. This product name may sound familiar to you, as it is the big brother of the PortKeys LH5H that was released last year.
Open the lock, put the main compartment’s zippers through it, lock it, and you can be sure that nobody will be able to open your backpack.
First Komodo accessory is the GDU Komodo Monitor Mount priced at $79. The mount sits between the camera and a monitor and provides forward and back tilt. According to GDU, a tension bolt system keeps the hinge tight across the tilt range and prohibits loosening during use.
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 OEYE-3G EVF is upgradable through a USB port and includes many free software features right out of the gate such as:.
The next thing I’m a bit skeptical about is that each time you exit the menu and re-open it, you’ll always come back to the first page/first tool. That’s frustrating and I would like for it to stay – or at least have the option – on the same page/tool I just tweaked.
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.
Codec wise there are H264 and H265 10bit internal recording options to SD cards, but as a big differentiator to other cams in this price bracket, it offers to record ProRes via USB-C to an external SSD drive.
We use a strobe light at 300Hz to reveal pairs of black bars that occur due to the read out nature of CMOS sensors (the rolling shutter). Each pair represents 3.3 ms of rolling shutter.
The BM5 is PortKeys’ new 5-inch 1080P flagship field monitor. It features an HDMI and SDI input, and an SDI output with cross-conversion. In case you need to monitor your sound, a 3.5mm output jack is located on the left side. There is a USB port at the bottom of the monitor for future firmware upgrades.
Not all monitors are created equal, and the quality of the display behind them may vary significantly. A great on-camera monitor must be as color accurate as possible and close to “what you see is what you get” as possible. If your monitor colors are incorrect, you won’t see your footage the way it’s supposed to be.
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).
Out of the box, the colors and images coming out of the PT5 are extremely good, and I would say close to being 100% color accurate. I only lowered the saturation by 3-4, and that’s it. I was delighted by what I saw, and I would not be that surprised if Portkeys calibrate each monitor out of the factory. The image is crisp and clear, which is impressive for an entry-level product.
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.
Our first Black friday deals post features interesting cameras from DJI, Canon, FUJIFILM, Nikon, Panasonic, Sony, and Z CAM. Additionally there are FilmConvert, and MZed Black Friday offers. This is the first out of three Black friday posts. In the next post we will take a look at lenses and computers.
Ahead of NAB 2019, Chinese company Z CAM has announced three new versions of their Z CAM E2 camera, with S35 and Full Frame 6/8K sensors. Now during the show, we had a chance to talk to Kinson Loo from Z CAM and hear more about what to expect. Let’s take a look at this upgrade!.
With these upcoming firmware updates, the Ninja V will be capable of recording ProRes RAW HQ/ProRes RAW at up to 4K60P from the HDMI port of the E2. According to Atomos, “additional frame rates will be added in the future.” Your footage will be recorded onto affordable AtomX SSD mini SATA drives in the Ninja V.
The PortKeys KeyGrip has been shipping for a couple of months now, and filmmakers have been complaining about the lack of a power switch button. Indeed, there was no battery switch, which means the KeyGrip was draining power if you didn’t remove the batteries from the handle.
If you have never heard of VIDEOGEAR, don’t worry, because neither did I prior to testing their monitor. Also, there is very little information on this company on the Internet as they don’t even seem to have a website or utilize social media. The company only sells its product on various marketplaces such as Amazon.
I loved how lightweight the PT5 is; it weighs nothing with a Canon LP-E6 at the back, so your camera rig stays easy to operate handheld.
All in all, I was amazed by this aggressively priced 5″ monitor from Portkeys, which is the company’s “entry-level” monitor. The image coming out of the PT5 is great for the price, and it offers all the tools you need to monitor your signal properly.
Also, the PortKeys Bluetooth Module adds support for Sony a7II/a7III/a7RIV/a9 cameras, and Tilta Nucleus-N/M follow focuses. Unfortunately, you will have to plug a cable from the monitor to your camera/follow focus to have access to these functions.
An external camera screen or on-camera monitor takes the video and audio signal from a camera and displays it on a separate monitor. The two most common systems to send those signals from your camera to the monitor are HDMI and SDI.
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