Crosshair, framing guides, grids, aspects. 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.
Z CAM E2-M4 Bundle – €195,84 Savings. PL to RF Mount Adapter for Komodo. Source: KipperTie.
Have you used the new Z Cam E2C cinema camera already? What are your experiences? Let us know in the comments below!. When communicating with the company they told me the following.
Waveform (RGB and Luma), False Color, Exposure, Histogram, False Color, 3D LUT. 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.
Camera control for KOMODO or DSMC2 installed on either one of the Smart 7 Monitors.”. 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.
PortKeys has just released a new electronic viewfinder for DSLR/Mirrorless camera shooters with only one HDMI input that can take a 4K video signal: the PortKeys LEYE. This very compact EVF fills a hole in the market with an affordable price tag of $399. Let’s take a closer look at it!. HS7T with wireless video transmission system.
CVP Buy link: Panasonic LUMIX GH5 Camera Body with 12-60mm f/2.8-4 Lens Was: €1,616.67 Now: €1,319.83 (Savings: €296.84, Free accessories, Free 25mm f/1.7 lens, and Free 3-year warranty). Portkeys PT5 Review – Impressive On-Camera Monitor Under $200.
Back: a Sony NP-F/Canon LP-E6 battery plate and a battery release button. At NAB 2018, we already had a chance to take a look at the original Z CAM E2. In case you are not familiar with this compact camera, it is built around a Micro Four Thirds mount and sensor with 10-bit color support, 13 stops of Dynamic Range (16 stops when set to WDR) and can shoot in 4K DCI at up to 120 frames per second.
The concept of a handle that can power your camera is not new, with products like the Soonwell PH70. However, I’m not too fond of products that have built-in batteries. It means that once you run out of battery, you have no way to pop a fresh battery pack and continue shooting. It’s a no-go for me in professional shooting conditions. 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.
But, as usual at CineD, we review every product equally and point out the things that can be improved. I have no doubts that the products and accessories will continue to get better over time. 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).
To make things even more secure, there is even a side of the battery with a cut-out. I have no worries about inserting the batteries inside the handle or the battery charger. This year we decided to divide the Black friday deals into three posts, which we will publish in the next days before friday November 29.
I would suggest getting a case for transporting these batteries inside your camera bag. Maybe Volta Cinema will come out with a battery pack holder in the near future. I think soon we will start seeing third party accessories for Komodo from other manufacturers as well.
Panasonic sells the same camera as G85 in the USa and G80 in Europe, so don’t get confused. This set with the LUMIX 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6mm lens offers great value for the price. B&H offers free accessories (spare battery, memory card, and camera bag) with the purchase. CVP offers free LUMIX 25mm f/1.7 lens (!), and free 3-year Panasonic LUMIX warranty. 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.
There is a little built-in screen on top of the camera but no “proper” display. You need to add your monitor via the HDMI/SDI ports. However, the resolution of the LH5H is FullHD 1920 x 1080, and it can take 4K HDMI signals. In front of the screen, they use tempered glass to protect the monitor from scratches and the harshness of set life.
The new Z CAM E2’s will be available in October 2019. To me, pricing is impressive, for cameras with that many features. Apparently, this design is becoming quite popular. In fact, the new FEELWORLD F7 PRO has a very similar feature, which makes it a good director or 1st AC monitor on a budget. Let’s take a closer look.
On top of the EVF, you’ll find four user-assignable buttons. One SDI input and one HDMI input port. It can take video signals up to FullHD at 60 fps.
FUJIFILM X-T3 Camera Body Kit with Accessories – $200/€272 Discount. The PortKeys BM5 top and bottom. The remote camera socket is located at the left of the USB port.
The monitor comes with a wipe cloth and a USB disk. More accessories are available to purchase separately, including a safety box, an anti-fall rubber protection bracket, a sunshade, and a handy pan/tilt arm to mount it on top of your camera. DC 7-24V barrel and 5V USB Type-A ports on the device’s right side to power the EVF externally.
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 install a battery inside the handle, all you have to do is unscrew the front cap with a coin. The battery door threads on the inside are pretty short, and it only takes you half a turn to loosen it fully.
Canon EOS 1DX Mark II Camera Body – $500 Discount. Brightness, contrast, saturation, tint, sharpness, color temperature.
* CVP Terms and conditions apply. All products are subject to availability. We reserve the right to withdraw the Promotion at any time without notice. Any descriptions of the promotional product is for illustrative purposes only and there may be small discrepancies in the size and colour of goods supplied. 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.
But, you’ll have to handle all that extra tripod weight on your back, the unbalance, and the Flexloader L will flip over when you put it on the ground. Also, it’s not very practical to access the bag’s camera compartment. Let’s be honest, this plastic sun hood will not get you very far, especially as one of the sides is open. It is hard to put inside the bracket, it barely fits, there are light leaks from all sides… So you have it, it’s not the best design in the world, but at least they give you something that can help a bit.
FilmConvert Black Friday 2019 Offer. 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.
PortKeys HS7T Metal Edition: power options. 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….
Gimbals, Tripods, Monitors, Wireless Video, …. Right side: an 8V power output port with a barrel connector and a 1/4-20″ mounting point.
This year we decided to divide the Black friday deals into three posts, which we will publish in the next days before friday November 29. Another company that announced some Komodo Accessories is KipperTie. They offer a PL to RF mount adapter with a mounting foot. Additionally, the company offers a mounting bracket called Chinstrap for extra PL mount lens support even without a baseplate.
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. However, I found the small dividers not high enough. When you have small items (batteries or memory cards, for example) in a tiny space separated by a partition, they tend to move around in your bag, get out of their dedicated space, and end up hitting other items inside the bag.
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. Next are the shoulder straps that do have two adjustments settings. The first one, like every backpack, is the length of each strap.
However, for the past four years, I finally found some solutions that work for me. I purchased and used Manfrotto rolling bags – including the Pro Roller Bag 70 and Reloader Air-55 Pro – and they’ve been real workhorses. They’ve been a joy to use and what carries all my camera equipment 99% of the time. The Windows vs. macOS debate is as big as the backpack vs. rolling case one, but both solutions have pros and cons. There are two little charging indicators on top of the Volta36 battery charger that goes from red (charging) to green (charged).
To power the camera, you can use Sony NP-F batteries or use the DC 12V 5A LEMO power port. Finally, there is an ethernet port for control/setting/live streaming, a Wifi antenna port, a USB port, and an HDMI output. Also, you have full camera control (including monitoring) through a phone application. Also, this review was initially done on the PortKeys LH5H that came out in July 2020 but was discontinued less than six months after its release. This review was ready to go, and we had to do it all over again when the LH5P came out (you can feel the blood tears here).
Furthermore, these high-quality metal zippers pull straps are not here for the flex. Fig. 3: The Portkeys BM5 monitor – bright (2000 NITS) and well built, however the screen is very reflective which can hamper the viewing experience outside.
Because it oversamples its 20.1 MP full-frame sensor, it offers better image quality, but at the cost of some overheating issues. Take a look at our Canon R6 review to know more. This set includes an extra Canon LP-E6NH battery and Canon 24-105mm f/4L RF-Mount lens. Temperatures in the Indian jungle would be as high as 45°C, the climate is very dry hence exposing the gear to the bumpy, dusty roads in an open jeep got me a bit nervous. Would the cam and the monitor survive?.
PortKeys Firmware Update and Updated PortKeys KeyGrip. This style of cameras usually comes with lots of external ports, and the Z CAM E2 is no different. There is a 10-pin LEMO port for timecode sync, as well as a 2.5mm LANC jack. In terms of audio, there is a 3.5mm mic output plus headphone jack and a 5-pin LEMO port for a dual channel XLR microphone.
In short, the PortKeys LH5P has plenty of input/output power ports, which is nice, as some much more expensive options out there don’t offer that much. The PortKeys OEYE-3G EVF next to a Panasonic GH4.
As you can see, you need a cable to connect the handle to some cameras. Otherwise, if you are a Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4k/6K user, you can wirelessly control/adjust. The Manfrotto PRO Light Flexloader L is available now for $329.99/€227.35. It can seem like a fairly high price tag, but the price/feature ratio is incredible and you’ll probably have a hard time finding a more affordable solution that offers you better build quality, versatility, and reliability.
Change your aperture, ISO, shutter, white balance settings. Your camera monitor attaches to the mount via a 1/4″-20 screw. There is a rubber pad to protect the bottom of the monitor from being scratched.
Dynamic Range of the Z Cam E2C Cinema Camera. PortKeys was kind enough to send us this new LH5P model with very similar features: in short, it is the same display but 0.3″ bigger, it is made out of aluminum instead of plastic, and it has an antenna for wireless control. We updated this review accordingly and took some time to test every feature again. Enjoy!.
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. 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.
The screen itself is a WLED panel, which is a marketing term to say LED panel, so blacks should be nowhere near an OLED panel. And an expandable gimbal pocket that opens in two steps: first, unlock the zippers all around the bag. Then, extend your bag to reveal the full-size gimbal pocket. This pocket is initially designed to fit a Manfrotto gimbal, like their 300XM modular gimbal.
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. Any Smart 7 Monitor + Bolt 4K Monitor Module RX on the remote 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. 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.
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 so you can make creative decisions and adjust your camera settings. Some companies try to enter the EVF market with a monitor and a loupe attachment. It’s the case with products from SmallHD, with their SmallHD 502 + viewfinder attachment, and F&V with the SpectraHD 4 EVF. While these two solutions can be helpful, they are also quite bulky.
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. The Z Cam E2C uses an MFT sensor (slightly smaller than the one used in the Z CAM E2) which allows DCI 4K capturing of up to 4K 29.98 fps in combination with the Z-Log2 flat picture profile.
If you remove the pouch that comes with the bag, you can put a monitor – in this picture, the PortKeys PT5 that I reviewed here – and some SSD hard drives. 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.
Currently, with the pre-release models, available resolutions and frame rates are. 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.
You probably got it; I’m not a huge fan of the monitor mount, it works ok, but it could be improved to make it perfect. 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.
The Black Mini has a claimed maximum brightness of 400nit, which is not daylight-viewable like every monitor with a brightness under 1500nit. It does not mean that you can’t use it outside with the included sun hood, but you’ll have a hard time in direct sunlight. The glossy display doesn’t help with that, but we’ll talk more about that later in this review. Given the value of 36 ms, I was wondering how it can do 29.98fps at 4K – I measured the rolling shutter at 29.98fps and got a result of 31.3 ms interestingly. So obviously the readout speed changes with the different modes.
In the photo above, you can see that the PT5’s case is bigger than the one included with the Portkeys BM5 III WR (pictured) or the LH5P. That was one of the main complaints I had with these previous small cases. Indeed, you could only store the monitor inside, which is a bummer, as you’ll always want to carry at least video cables or some accessories along with your monitor. Portkeys PT5 5″ On-Camera Monitor Released – Only $169.
This new Portkeys PT5 on-camera monitor came out in July 2021 and is the company’s most affordable monitor to date. With a $169/€150 price point, I was skeptical at first regarding what this monitor has to offer. However, I soon realized I had nothing to worry about. In short, these new dividers take less space inside your bag, so you have more room to store camera equipment.
Chinese manufacturer PortKeys has just introduced a new version of its famous HDMI-only compact electronic viewfinder: the PortKeys LEYE II. The LEYE II now features a built-in battery plate. Also, PortKeys has been teasing an SDI version of its viewfinder for quite some time now, which should be released soon. So let’s take a closer look at these!. A Sony NP-F-style battery powers it. Also, there is a power input/output port so you can power it off a V-Mount/Gold Mount battery or use the monitor to power your camera.
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