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.
When it comes to the E2, the added benefit of this connection, is the ability to record ProRes RAW directly on the Atomos Ninja V. (At this stage, there is no word from Atomos if ProRes RAW recording will be implemented on other members of the E2 family of cameras).
Inside the main compartment, you’ll find two central dividers that measure the Flexloader L’s interior length. The Flexloader L also comes with eight small dividers.
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.
Also, Manfrotto put two thick rubber reinforcements/locking holes on the front and one on each side to create a tuck-away strap system.
You can immediately feel that it’s a well-made product out of the box. The materials look dense, the stitchings of the bag are perfect, the sewing thread is thick.
The new PortKeys Bluetooth Module for BM5/BM5 II monitors screws directly to the back of the monitor. This update is especially exciting for BMPCC 4K/6K users. First, you will have access to the daylight/tiltable screen of the BM5. Second, you will be able to control your camera via the monitor wirelessly. The number of settings you can adjust via the BM5 is imposing; please see the full list below.
On the right side of the Portkeys PT5, you’ll find an On/Off switch, a 5V USB Type-A port, and a 7-24V power input port. So you can power the PT5 in a lot of different ways:.
Canon’s full-frame DSLR flagship 5D Mark IV offers interesting price tag and free accessories in kit on B&H (spare battery, memory card, bag, and optics cleaning kit).
On the software side, the PortKeys P6 features a lot of useful analyzing functions and tools. Below is a list of the built-in tools:.
The fan is quiet; you can hear it when you start the monitor because it’ll kick in at maximum fan speed for a second. But, once the monitor is on, you’ll have to put your hear next to the exhaust vent to notice it at low speed, and even an on-camera microphone would have a hard time catching it.
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.
For the camera part, all the exposure tools (zebra, false color), as well as focus peaking, work very well, although the focus peaking is very strong – I would prefer an option to adjust this in the menu (not available currently).
Like the PortKeys OEYE-3G, the LEYE doesn’t have a built-in battery. You can power it via the DC 7-24V barrel port or 5V USB Type-A port on the device’s right side. It means that you’ll have to use an external battery to power the EVF, either a V-Lock/Gold-Mount battery or a power 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.
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.
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.
According to Manfrotto, the Flexloader L can take up to eight lenses, a DSLR/DSLR with grip or Cinema Camera, a 16-inch laptop (27 x 2.5 x 46 cm/10.63 x 0.98 x 18.11in), a gimbal, a tripod, and more. So you got it; this backpack can take a lot of stuff. That also means carrying a lot of weight on your shoulders, but we’ll talk about that in detail later.
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.
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:.
Nothing broke; it still works perfectly. I secured the casing with some tape, so it stays as closed as it is supposed to be. However, I’m a bit worried about its longevity over time. I think that Volta Cinema could work on a better battery charging solution.
I’ve used bags, cases, rolling bags, and fly cases from various types and many different brands. The quest to find the perfect storage/carrying solution that combines build quality, storage capacity, total package weight, and functionality is endless.
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.
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.
B&H Buy link: Panasonic LUMIX G85 Camera with 12-60mm Lens and accessories set Was: $997.99 Now: $697.99 (Savings: $300.00).
Judging the brightness, color accuracy, or Delta E of the Portkeys LH5P with a spectrophotometer did not make a lot of sense. Indeed, numbers are just what they are: numbers. I prefer to judge a product by its feeling and the overall perception of an image.
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:.
I used the Volta Cinema Top Handle during seven full productions days, it held all its promises, and it’s been a joy to use. It’s a nine out of ten usability score for me, because the one thing that I am missing is a battery indicator on the handle to see the battery state with a push of a button.
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.
It’s time to talk about my favorite part of the Flexloader L: the straps and back padding. The back padding is out of this world, and even with a fully-loaded bag that is close to 20kg, you’ll not feel it on your back, especially your lower back. It has a firm – yet so comfortable – padding with a mesh design and air tunnels, so you don’t sweat.
The HDMI ports are located on the left side of the monitor. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack in the middle of the ports.
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.
A few days ago Jarred posted a short demo of the new version of RED CONTROL app on iOS. The app seems to be able to control the Komodo and provide image feed from the camera with very little lag.
Last but not least, there is one user-assignable Function button to turn On/Off your favorite tool quickly; that’s great. But, to activate/deactivate all the other non-assigned built-in tools, you always have to go inside the menu, do your thing, let the menu disappear, and so on. It is a bit of a letdown if you’re often switching between different tools, which is a bit of a disappointment and can slow you down.
Just like the original F7, the PRO version is packed with the most common monitoring tools to precisely control your image. These tools can be displayed independently or in an all-scopes mode.
In short, the display is not stellar by any means. But again, if you look at things with a price/performance ratio in mind, it’s definitely acceptable if you’re starting out after a few tweaks.
I think monitors like the Atomos Shinobi that retails for a $299 price tag ($100 cheaper), or even the AndyCine A6 Plus V2 do make a better comparison starting point. I worked on a table to compare all three models which you can find below.
To know more, check our Lab Test as well as Nino’s C300 Mark III review. This bundle will additionally get you a Canon 24-70MM F2.8L II USM EF-Mount lens and SanDisk CFexpress Extreme Pro 512GB memory card.
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.
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.
PortKeys, a company specialized in HDMI and SDI field monitors, has just announced a new Bluetooth Module for their PortKeys BM5 field monitors. This add-on accessory screws directly to the back of the BM5 and allows you to control your BMPCC 4K/6K cameras wirelessly. Let’s take a closer look at it!.
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 FX9 is Sony’s new full-frame cinema camera. Announced in September 2019, it offers solid 10-bit internal recording modes, very good autofocus, audio, internal eND, and more.
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.
An 8+2 FRC panel is less expensive for manufacturers to produce, as it’s based on a “software trick” to simulate 10-bit on an 8-bit panel. I’m simplifying things here, but keep in mind that even some of the most expensive monitors from SmallHD or Atomos (except NEON) use the same technique.
According to Portkeys, the PT5 only draws 6W of power. To give you a rough idea, as these results can vary a lot depending on the age/state of your battery pack, I did a quick test with a fresh Canon LP-E6N battery pack (14Wh).
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, 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.
On the PortKeys LH5P, 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 Panasonic GH5 and did not get any issues, may it be on the input or output side.
Who is this monitor for? I think it can be a fantastic addition to your kit if you don’t need a daylight-viewable monitor nor the built quality of a product you can rent. For owner-operators that are shooting inside most of the time, or people that are making live streams, you can’t go wrong with the Portkeys PT5.
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