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.
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.
Second is to use the dedicated 7-24V power input port, which is ideal if you want to power it of a V-Lock/Gold Mount battery.
I don’t remember any third-party field monitor – other than any OEM screen that usually ships with your camera – that can control a camera. By connecting the supplied cable from the monitor to your camera, the BM5 can control some of the camera functions.
In short, you got it, the PortKeys LH5P’s UI is a big step up from the previous archaic one, but I feel like it still needs some refinement and improvements to get it “right.” PortKeys could change this kind of thing via a firmware update, so I have no doubt they’ll put in the extra work to make it a great, easy to use, and pleasing UI.
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.
On the Black Mini, there is only one HDMI input port. The monitor supports a maximum input resolution of UHD at up to 30p and FullHD at up to 60p. My findings are a bit different from the manufacturer’s claim of “4K 60Hz”, but it’s already pretty good.
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.
The R6 is one of Canon’s two newly introduced mirrorless cameras. It is the lower-resolution more-affordable sibling to the Canon R5. It offers internal 4K60p video in 10-bit with no crop and with AF.
Only the large pocket is closed by a zipper. The two small ones feature soft fabric wings to kind of close them, but tiny items could eventually fall out of the pockets as they are not physically closed.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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When looking at the price of this camera, keep in mind though that you have to rig it up with a monitor and audio equipment – see the setup that I used for the sample footage below:.
Like every touchscreen monitor, one thing that annoys me is that the display quickly becomes a fingerprint cemetery. Of course, you can use the physical buttons to counteract that, but it takes a little bit of time to get used to these.
The company has just released a new budget-friendly 5″ monitor that could be a good option for filmmakers that are just starting out.
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).
As a filmmaker, I usually stand by the saying, “you get what you pay for.” So I was pretty surprised with the number of included accessories. Inside the case, you’ll find:.
I like that you can still put the TSA lock in its pocket even when your bag is secured. You probably don’t want to catch unnecessary attention by walking around the city with a lock hanging on the outside of your bag.
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.
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.
But there’s even more for BMPCC 4K/6K users: The LH5P has a built-in Bluetooth module, which means you can connect your camera and monitor without the need for a cable. I loaned the monitor to a friend that has one, and it worked perfectly with his BMPCC 6K camera.
Fast forward 10 years and I have the new cinema camera Z CAM E2 from the Chinese manufacturer Z CAM in my hands. A micro four thirds camera capable of shooting 4k DCI using a LOG profile (Z-LOG2) recording ProRes HQ 10bit 4:2:2 internally up to 60fps (4k H265 up to 120fps, 160fps in 1:2.4 mode). Wow!.
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.
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.
The battery is held at the back of the handle by a screw. As you can see, one end of the Volta Cinema Top Handle is fully open. According to the company:.
This can seem quite simple. However, to access these pages, you have to swipe the monitor in various directions to go to the desired page. For example, for the System page, you have to swipe left. For the function page, it’s a swipe on the right. The Control Settings page needs a swipe down and a swipe up for the motor page. It’s not easy to memorize, and there’s no visual indication of the page you’re currently in. But it doesn’t end there.
The PortKeys LH5P is a 5.5″ monitor that came out in January 2021. This 1700nit monitor features an HDMI input and an HDMI output port, and it supports resolutions up to 4K DCI. With a very aggressive price tag under $400, this small on-camera display can even control your camera wired or wirelessly. Let’s take a closer look at it!.
To modify a tool’s settings, you have to hold the icon of the tool you want to adjust in the sidebar and slide to the right at the same time. I’ve been able to make it work, but even with the user manual, it’s not straightforward, and it took me a dozen tries to get to the tool adjustments settings.
In a lot of ways, the Portkeys PT5 reminds me a lot of the SmallHD 501, which is still to this day my favorite 5″ on-camera monitor. It’s compact, lightweight, with good battery life, and it just feels like it’s part of your camera. The good thing is that the PT5 is a fraction of the SmallHD 501’s price, and it even has a way better battery life, but it doesn’t have SDI input/output ports. So you can’t have the cake and eat it too.
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.
The Volta36 batteries can’t be charged through the top handle, so it comes with a specific battery charger. As I mentioned earlier, the charger has a micro-USB port so that you can charge the cells via a USB wall adapter or even a power bank.
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.
Fig.1: Waveform plot of the Z CAM E2 cinema camera at ISO500 using Z-LOG2 ProRes HQ – about 11 stops can be identified above the noise floor.
Having excellent and accurate monitoring tools to evaluate what you’re shooting is great, but the image quality of a monitor is more crucial. Not all monitors are created equal, and the quality of the display behind them may vary significantly.
You got it; when carrying the Manfrotto PRO Light Flexloader L, you have choices, and it can rest on your shoulders for hours. The Manfrotto team put a lot of effort into making a comfortable bag. Being comfy is crucial as the Flexloader L can quickly become heavy considering how many compartments and how much stuff you can put in it.
The sweeping images we see on movie screen are first visualized by looking through a camera, but the second step before anything rolls is to view them through a larger monitor.
Another feature is a gigabyte ethernet connection for control of the camera and live streaming. The WIFI (with the included antenna) of the cam allows the use of the Z CAM app that features a full-screen image view – essentially, if you accept some lag (see the video above) you can use your smartphone as a monitor.
The Z CAM E2 M4 is a new addition to the Z CAM line. It is basically the original Z CAM E2 without some functions in a new body and with a lower price tag. For more information about this interesting modular Micro Four Thirds camera, make sure to check my article from its launch. Besides the camera body, this bundle further includes the PortKeys BM5 MKII Monitor (which can control the camera) and Hawk-Woods DV-F990 Battery.
In short, at least on paper, it seems like the LH5H comes with all the tools you need to correctly judge the exposure of your image and frame your shots correctly.
At the front of the bag, there is a small accessory pocket. This can be handy to carry some small items, batteries, snacks, papers, etc.
The OEYE-3G EVF is upgradable through a USB port and includes many free software features right out of the gate such as:.
USB cables: a mini-USB to USB-C cable, and a mini-USB to Lanc camera control cable. When you purchase the LH5P, you have the option to buy additional camera control cables.
Disclaimer: As usual, let me first say that I am not a VideoGear Ambassador. Like every other article on CineD, VideoGear, or any other brand, did not pay us to write this article. However, the company approached and sent us the product to review for free.
This type of case is similar to most – if not all – Portkeys monitors. However, I was pleased to see that this case is more prominent than previous cases.
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.
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