When the battery compartment is open, all you have to do is align the stickers (if they are still here) of the battery and handle and push the battery inside. Jokes aside, even without the stickers, you can’t go wrong when you get used to the product. Put the connectors of the battery down, and there you go.
There is also a nice Z CAM smartphone app available for IOS (Android still in a beta release), which connects to the camera’s wifi and allows access / display / change all settings as well as providing a full screen image preview with little latency.
The HS7T Metal Edition still features a 7-inch 8-bit IPS display with a maximum resolution of 1920×1080 and a viewing angle of 178°. The screen has a contrast ratio of 1200:1 and it can reach a peak brightness of 1200 nits. This is not as bright as the BM5 (2200 nits), but it starts to be usable under bright sunlight.
This update makes the Z CAM E2/Atomos a very capable lightweight combo capable of shooting 4K60P ProRes RAW for just under $2500.00, which is incredible. (Our friend and colleague Philip Bloom shot a short piece with this new setup. You can view it by clicking here).
The exterior design of the PortKeys LH5P is not groundbreaking; it’s simple and quite minimalist. Now let’s take a quick tour of the monitor:.
It supports Teradek’s “Broadcast Mode”, which means that this one transmitter can communicate with an unlimited number of receivers. And it can also pair with their Bolt App for iOS and Android, which will allow you to tune the 5GHz transmission channel and monitor for interference.
The batteries are wrapped in a plastic housing that also feels secure and robust. Each battery has a “Volta 36” marking, which looks cool to me.
Education is an important part of self-development. MZed offers all kinds of usefull online courses. You can check our rewievs of their courses – Cinematic filmmaking masterclass by Philip Bloom and Directing color with Ollie Kenchington. They have interesting Black Friday offers which will be live from Wednesday 27th (PST) until the end of Monday, December 2nd (PST). Available offers:.
A monitor of this size and weight makes a lot of sense to use with a small and lightweight battery, like a Canon LP-E6 pack (around 50g). With the battery mounted, the total weight of your setup is about 250g, which is not massive on top of your camera rig.
The next bundle includes the newer flagship full-frame mirrorless camera from Panasonic – the LUMIX S1H (our Review, our Lab Test). The camera can record up to 6K 30P or a wide range of 4K modes. It offers nice ergonomics, good IBIS, and relatively clean images with high ISO.
Two ways to mount the EVF on your camera/rig: a built-in NATO rail and three 1/4″-20 mounting points with ARRI locking pins. All the mounting options are at the bottom of the LEYE II.
To me, being able to control the camera using a field monitor (like a RED Touch for example) is a big thing. If I can get a bigger monitor to mount on a Canon C200 or Sony FS5 and still be able to control the camera like the standard little screen, it’s a go-to.
If your monitor colors are incorrect, you won’t see your footage how it really is. For example, when a monitor’s colors are wildly inaccurate, you can see orange when you’re supposed to see yellow or red. It can affect how you’ll set your camera’s white balance or exposure, for example.
The waveform plot of our Xyla 21 stepchart shows about 11 stops (see figure 1). Using IMATEST to calculate the dynamic range I got a result of 10.8 stops at ISO 500, Z-LOG2 using ProRes HQ 4k DCI 23.98fps (at a signal to noise ratio of 2, 11.9 stops for SNR = 1, see figure 2).
But, you can put small LED lights – I put two Nanlite PavoTube 6C in one pocket with ease – or a compact slider, for example; it works.
In terms of direct comparison, the Soonwell PH70 battery handle retails for $279.00; it has double the Volta Cinema Top Handle’s capacity, but you can’t change batteries, and it is a lot bigger. Plus the Soonwell handle we have at our CineD headquarters can’t be turned on or charged anymore after it wasn’t used for about three months. For the price, it’ll be hard to beat the Volta Cinema option.
RED Komodo is the new Super 35 6K cinema camera that features a very small form factor. RED shipped out the first batch of custom-colored pre-release cameras in Grossman Gold color. The first hands-on tests and sample footage from Komodo users as well as first accessories are appearing.
Regarding power, the BM5 uses a single Sony NP-F style battery. Like the SmallHD Focus monitor, you can use the power output of the BM5 to feed your camera via a dummy battery. On top of that, you have the option to power the monitor with an external battery by using the Lemo port on the monitor, and the included Lemo to D-Tap cable.
And the Z CAM E2 did not disappoint – see the video on top. The camera has a very organic, detailed image with fantastic, out of the box colors. Grading the Z-LOG2 profile using the LUT’s supplied by Z CAM on their homepage was a joy and is as easy as it can get.
The new Z CAM E2’s will be available in October 2019. To me, pricing is impressive, for cameras with that many features:.
To me, Atomos did it right with their Ninja V: there is one 3/8-16″ mounting point at the bottom with ARRI locating pins. If you use a 3/8-16″ monitor mount with ARRI locating pins, your monitor won’t go anywhere or twist.
Attaching an external monitor gives a closer approximation of how each shot will translate to the big screen, and as an added bonus, other people on set can watch the footage take shape.
On the Portkeys PT5, there are one HDMI input port and one HDMI output port. The monitor supports a maximum input resolution of DCI 4K at 24p, 4K UHD at up to 30p, and FullHD at up to 60p. I tested all three with a Canon EOS R and a Canon EOS C70 and did not have any issues, may it be on the input or output side.
However, the 5-inch display of the BM5 is a little too small sometimes, especially for focusing or precise monitoring tasks. There’s some good news though since PortKeys is now improving their 7-inch monitor lineup by introducing a Metal Edition of their already-existing HS7T monitor. Let’s take a look at the improvements.
Panasonic G9 used to be “only” a great MFT mirrorless camera with a main focus on photography. Panasonic recently announced new firmware update, which will equip the G9 with killer video features – same like its slightly bigger sibbling, the GH5. G9 will be able to record 10-bit video internally up to 4K 30p, 4K 60p 8-bit, new slow motion framerates in 1080p, and it will also support the paid V-log upgrade.
Also, I can’t say enough how comfortable the Flexloader L is on your shoulders and back. This is a crucial part of a backpack that will get as heavy as it can get once fully loaded.
These tools are pretty standard nowadays on on-camera monitors, but nothing is missing on the LH5P. Also, you can adjust the position and scale of each tool via the touchscreen, but more on that in a second.
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.
The PortKeys Universal Handle is in a pre-order stage at the moment for $299.00 until February 22. After that period, the price will be $399.00, and orders will begin to ship in March 2020. You can pre-order it on PortKeys’ website.
Portkeys, a Chinese company specialized in HDMI and SDI field monitors, recently announced an impressive new monitor: the PortKeys BM5. This 5″ monitor features a lot of monitoring tools, but it can also control your camera. Let’s take a look at it.
I have tried this option in practice but quickly abandoned it for moving shots, as the motion blur (or partial lack thereof) of the resulting image looks weird. It may work for a static interview though, or a situation where the scene demands a higher shutter speed (1/200 and up).
Adapta is KipperTie’s simple PL to RF adapter while Revolva also offers a system for inserting ND filter cartridges. Pricing for KipperTie Komodo accessories has not been announced yet.
Also, there is a USB Type-A port at the bottom of the monitor that you can use to power the LH5P via a power bank (5V/2A). If you power your monitor with a Sony NP-F battery, this USB port doubles up as a 5V/1A power output that could charge your smartphone at the same time just fine.
The battery fit at the back of the monitor is snug. The battery goes in and out smoothly; no issues here. There is a battery lock to keep everything nicely and securely in place.
What do you think of this new PortKeys OEYE-3G EVF? Do you already use an EVF with your camera? Let us know in the comments down below!.
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.
We are looking for technical and non-technical writers with expertise in camera technology and film and video post production, as well as “soft” filmmaking topics of where filmmaking techniques are applied.
The PortKeys P6 is a lightweight – 0.28lbs/130grams – entry-level monitor for filmmakers looking for a compact on-camera display. The P6 features an 8bit 5.5″ 1080P display with a 500nit brightness and 1000:1 contrast ratio. This monitor is much more affordable than their PortKeys BM5 that is a workhorse entirely made of aluminum – the P6 is made out of ABS plastic.
Panasonic S1 is a very capable full-frame mirrorless camera. It can record internally at up to 4K 60fps in 8-bit and output 4:2:2 10-bit signal externally. For more information about the camera please check our Panasonic S1 review and the revisited V-log upgrade review.
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:.
Talking about the bottom of the Flexloader L, there are two rugged bumpers under the dense nylon cover. These bumpers will help reduce impacts when you put your bag on the ground.
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.
In terms of battery life, I’d say it’s a massive improvement over a Sony NP-F 970 battery on the back of an on-camera monitor. On the SWIT CM-S75F, one Volta36 battery gave me close to four/five hours of continuous runtime. On the PortKeys BM5, my four hours shoot was over, and the top handle’s battery wasn’t dead.
However, on-camera monitors are not your traditional computer display. Most of the time, you can’t use a probe or spectrophotometer to adjust your on-camera monitor.
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!.
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.
As I mentioned previously, you can navigate inside the UI via the touchscreen or the physical buttons. But, you can also turn off the touchscreen by long-pressing the power button. It’s nice to have that option if you want to avoid fingerprints on your display!.
Next are the shoulder straps that do have two adjustments settings. The first one, like every backpack, is the length of each strap.
In the end, you’ll probably end up not using the case, which is a bit of a shame. I think most filmmakers would have preferred spending a little extra money to get a larger case that can fit a couple of accessories. But, this is a budget-friendly monitor, so I understand that PortKeys have to save money somewhere, and this is already nice to include a case for the price.
In terms of weight, the monitor is 250 grams/8.8 oz without batteries. External dimensions are 144 x 114.8 x 28mm/5.5 x 4.3 x 0.7in without battery. Comparing the LH5P to some of its competitors, like the smallHD FOCUS 5, the PortKeys monitor is slightly heavier. However, with dimensions of 133 x 84 x 19mm/5.25 x 3.3 x 0.75in, Focus 5 is overall smaller, but it is 5″ vs. 5.5″.
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