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.
PortKeys is mostly known for making affordable products that offer filmmakers an excellent price/features ratio. The PortKeys LH5H came out in July 2020, and its successor, the LH5P, was released in January 2021. This monitor is one of the company’s entry-level products. However, the least we can say is that this HDMI-only monitor is no different from its bigger brother when it comes to features, at an aggressive price-point.
Z Cam E2C cinema camera rigged up with a monitor (Portkeys BM5) and a ZOOM H2 (not visible, behind the monitor) for audio capture via the 3.5mm input.
To charge batteries, all you have to do is slide them into the battery charger. The pins inside the charger will align with the battery connectors, and it’ll start charging. However, the batteries are not locked into place in the charger.
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.
Unfortunately, after the rolling shutter, the next disappointing fact was revealed: by the way how the stops are distributed in the Z-Log2 profile (which is the obvious choice for highest dynamic range readings), the noise floor is completely cut off.
If you’re a regular CineD reader, you’ve heard us talk and write about Portkeys – a Chinese company specialized in creating monitors and viewfinders. Indeed, we’ve reported numerous times about their products that feature an incredible price/feature ratio, including their latest Portkeys BM5 III WR that can control the RED Komodo or the Portkeys LH5P that I reviewed earlier this year.
PortKeys, the company specialized in HDMI and SDI camera monitoring solutions has just released its latest 5.2″ monitor that is capable of controlling your camera: the PortKeys LH5H.
I had to read instructions to find simple functions. For example, when you’re on the Function page, I activated the Frame Guide tool by tapping on the screen and activating it on the side. Then, I could not find where to adjust the settings and aspect ratio of that tool.
You are limited to a single 7-24V Lemo port for power and some may miss having a battery option. After a quick run-through the menu/UI seems especially intuitive and the peaking seemed great.
One HDMI input and one HDMI output port supports resolution up to 4K DCI at 24p, 4K UHD at up to 30p, FullHD at up to 60p.
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.
On the left side, there is a standard ARRI Rosette, the USB port, and the On/Off switch. At the bottom, you’ll find two 1/4″ holes for mounting purposes, and the diopter adjustment dial.
B&H has a great deal on the Sony a6000 with two lenses – E PZ 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS and E 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 OSS – plus memory card, extra battery, battery charger, and camera bag.
Back then it was hampered by a weak codec (Full HD, AVCHD in 17Mbps) and the max. usable ISO value was 400, but the Voigtlaender lenses gave it the full frame look (e.g. the 25mm f0.95), and the hack of V. Kiselev at a later stage improved the bitrate to a stable 25Mbps. All in all, I loved the images – so much that I never sold it….
Since May this year, I have been using the micro four thirds (MFT) Z CAM E2 and more recently now the Z Cam E2C cinema camera. The more expensive Z CAM E2 flagship model has very pleasing colors out of the box, a flat Z-Log2 profile and high frame rates (up to 4K 160fps) in combination with strong internal recording options (H265, ProRes) as well as anamorphic modes – a very well rounded offering.
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.
Finally, on some pages, like the Settings page, you have various settings you can adjust at the bottom of the screen/menu. But, for some settings, there are two subpages. One weird thing is that you have to use the physical buttons to access the second subpage, which doesn’t make sense to me.
Moreover, a NATO-type clamp has been added to the bottom, which provides better flexibility when rigging the monitor. The NATO clamp also allows the screen to be attached to a handheld bracket: a great option for a run and gun director’s monitor setup. Four 1/4”-20 threaded holes on the body provide even more mounting options.
Indeed, the Volta36 batteries are 36Wh/5A batteries; that’s a lot of juice in such a small package. In the graph above, you can see the capacity to weight ratio compared to other battery solutions.
You can get the gimbal inside the bag; it works. However, I’m not a massive fan of putting some stress on a motorized gimbal that will take some pressure from my back.
A quick word about the dummy battery that came with the top handle. There’s nothing revolutionary here, it’s a classic D-Tap to Canon LP-E6 dummy battery, but the cable has the perfect length to power a monitor attached to the monitor mount.
Untouched (left) vs. tweaked (right) colors when applying the official Z-Log2 LUT to the Z Cam E2C footage. Skintones are yellowish, tweaks are needed (screenshot from Resolve).
The Volta Cinema Top Handle immediately caught my attention when I first saw it. From what I saw, I found this product brilliant, with a simple design and a clear mission: power your camera or accessories via the handle. Other companies have tried this, albeit arguably not as elegantly.
Also, once the image looks acceptable, you can start seeing that the display doesn’t have a high density of pixel: 441ppi, according to the manufacturer. If you’re pixel peeping, you can see individual pixels on the screen.
Fig. 2:IMATEST calculates 10.8 stops of dynamic range for the Z CAM E2 cinema camera at a signal to noise ratio of 2 for 4k DCI ISO500 ProRes recording using Z-LOG2 (1/SNR = 0.5, medium value in the upper right hand table).
The charger uses a standard micro USB PCB, and it can be charged with a plethora of devices, including wall plugs and power banks. To maximize the charging speed, it requires a minimum of 2.1A 5V connection.
Atomos has just announced that the Atomos Ninja V 5″ HDR monitor-recorder will support ProRes RAW recording from the Z CAM E2. The Ninja V will be able to record 12-bit Apple ProRes RAW at up to 4K60p. We caught up with Dan Chung from Atomos to learn more about it.
In terms of construction, the PortKeys BM5 is entirely made out of aluminum. In front of the screen, there is a toughened glass in to protect it against shocks. It weighs only 350g, which is relatively light for a rugged field monitor. The BM5 is daylight viewable with an impressive brightness of 2000 nits and a viewing angle of 178°.
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.
Canon EOS C500 Mark II is a full-frame cinema camera capable of 5.9K video. When announced last year, the camera introduced the new modular design. To know more about it, check our Lab Test as well as our first look hands-on video. This bundle will additionally get you a Canon BP-A60 (OTH) battery and SanDisk CFexpress Extreme Pro 512GB memory card.
The number of software features included is impressive. Unlike the Gratical X for example, all software features are included for free, and the PortKeys OEYE-3G EVF firmware can be upgraded through the USB port. These features include:.
I’m glad to see that Portkeys listened, and you can now store the PT5 with all its accessories inside the case as well – good job!.
If that wasn’t enough, it also has recording capability and Bluetooth connectivity. Compatible with virtually every input and setup, it even allows you to control internal features like shutter speed and focus when used with certain camera models.
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.
B&H offers additional free accessories (SanDisk 32GB Extreme PRO SDHC UHS-I memory card, Corel PaintShop Pro 2020 ultimate license, and Ruggard Journey 24 DSLR shoulder bag).
The Portkeys PT5 only has one 1/4-20″ mounting point at the bottom, which is the same as the LH5P that I already reviewed, so that I would have the same complaints: one mounting point is often not enough for an on-camera monitor, and 3/8-16″ mounting points with ARRI locating pins are more versatile.
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.
This monitor has its limits for sure, but it is an excellent monitor if you want to step up your game and start working with a product that offers professional monitoring tools.
Like most on-camera monitors (the ones that are not OLED), especially daylight-viewable ones, if you crank up the brightness, the display tends to lift the image’s black parts. In short, blacks are not black anymore, but more on the grey side and the picture starts to be a little washed out.
The monitor doesn’t have a built-in battery plate like the Zacuto Gratical HD. You can switch it on using an external battery through the 7-24V Lemo port. The OEYE-3G only draws around 7W.
There are many 5″ on-camera monitors available on the market, with different price ranges depending on features you need/want. So I decided to compare the Porkeys PT5 ($169) to the Atomos Shinobi that retails for a $299 price tag ($130 more expensive) and the FeelWorld F5 that is $149.
At the back of the monitor, there is a Sony NPF-style battery slot to power the monitor. As I mentioned, you can use the USB port to feed the monitor from a V-Mount/AB external battery as well as a battery bank.
To use a Sony NP-F battery, slide it to the right. I already said it for Portkey’s monitor, but I love that battery powering option.
Before we dive deeper, while I like the included hard case that does its job at protecting the monitor, there’s no extra space inside to put a battery – even if you attach a small Sony NP-F battery, the case doesn’t close anymore – or some spare HDMI cables. Even the antennas don’t fit mounted to the monitor inside the box.
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.
To me, the Manfrotto PRO Light Flexloader L shines as a multipurpose backpack. To give you an idea, I was able to fit:.
Did you like that review of the ? What do you think about one of the most affordable products on the market right now? Do you want to learn more about a camera monitor and want us to review it? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!.
At first, I had a weird feeling as in case of assistance or firmware updates, I guess you are left in the dark with no customer service to contact.
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).
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