PortKeys HS7T Metal Edition Released – 7” HDMI & SDI Monitor in a Tough Body. B&H Buy link: Sony a9 Camera Body with Free Accessories Kit Was: $3,998.00 Now: $3,498.00 (Savings: $500.00).
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. Have you used the new Z Cam E2C cinema camera already? What are your experiences? Let us know in the comments below!.
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). Plus it offers Canon’s excellent Dual-pixel AF system. You can take a look at our 1DX Mark III review to know more about it. This set also includes the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II EF-Mount lens and Sandisk 512GB 1700MB/s CFexpress card.
Canon EOS C500 Mark II Bundle – €523,70 Savings. All in all, I’ve not been overly impressed by this monitor as I’m used to much higher-end monitoring options. However, every time I had complaints about the Black Mini, I always came back thinking, “well, it’s $89, so it has some caveats, but it’s usable.”.
There’s also a nice little pouch inside the bag, which is around 23 x 15 x 5cm/9 x 5,9 x 2in. Various picture profiles available including Rec.709 / Z-Log2 / FLAT / HLG.
Manfrotto PRO Light Flexloader L specifications. This rolling shutter result of 36 ms is the highest I have ever measured in the lab. Compared to the very good 11.1 ms of the sister Z CAM E2 camera, it renders the E2C a very delicate candidate for handheld work.
Ahead of NAB 2019, Chinese company Z CAM has announced three new versions of their Z CAM E2 camera, with S35 and Full Frame 6/8K sensors. Now during the show, we had a chance to talk to Kinson Loo from Z CAM and hear more about what to expect. Let’s take a look at this upgrade!. CVP Buy link: Sony a7 III Camera Body Was: €1,710.35 Now: €1,564.83 (Savings: €145.52 – CashBack).
The PortKeys LEYE II is available now for $399/€360, which is the same as the original LEYE it replaces. I would have preferred longer threadings with a full turn or even a bit more. That way, it would avoid possible loosening problems, even if it didn’t happen to me during the making of this review.
B&H Buy link: Canon EOS 1DX Mark II Camera Body Was: $5,999.00 Now: $5,499.00 (Savings: $500.00). 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.
PortKeys LH5P – New Design, Similar Functionalities. Volta Cinema Top Handle real-life test.
One of the things I love the most about my PortKeys BM5 is its build quality. The aluminum alloy makes the monitor sturdy and reliable. Moreover, it is packed with professional features that come at an astonishing, affordable price. Z Cam E2C rolling shutter for 4096×2160 25 frames per second: 36 [ms].
Volta Cinema Top Handle Review – Elegant Way to Power Accessories. To give you an idea, one of my Manfrotto Reloader Air-55 Pro zippers died two years ago. I sent it back, and they quickly sent me a brand new roller bag free of charge to replace it. That kind of service what professionals are looking for.
These monitoring tools were also available in the previous version, but Portkeys improved its peaking mode, which looks easier to view now. A new “freeze-frame” tool is now available to capture a frame and use it as a reference/guide. False Color, Zebra, Underscan, Histogram, Waveform, 3D LUT.
Also, and this is not particular to this monitor, but something I still don’t understand, is why manufacturers only put 1/4-20″ mounting points – thankfully with locating pins on the LH5P – at the bottom of their products. The list of built-in monitoring tools is quite impressive and includes 3D LUT monitoring, waveform/false color/zebra, peaking and zooming, HDR support, and framing guides/grids/aspects.
So when the new Z Cam E2C arrived I was curious to see if some of the strengths have trickled down to this very affordable model – the Z Cam E2C is currently listed at just 799 USD. PortKeys LH5P on the left, PortKeys LH5H on the right.
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″. Waveform (RGB and Luma), False Color, Exposure, Histogram, False Color, 3D LUT.
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. Ahead of NAB 2019, Chinese company Z CAM has announced three new versions of their Z CAM E2 camera, with S35 and Full Frame 6/8K sensors. Now during the show, we had a chance to talk to Kinson Loo from Z CAM and hear more about what to expect. Let’s take a look at this upgrade!.
Check Field, Guides, Center Marker, Grids. When communicating with the company they told me the following.
Manfrotto put some thick and quite long metal pull straps at the end of the main compartment and gimbal zippers, so it’s easy to open/close the most-used bag’s pockets. E2-S6 S35: $3995 available in PL, EF and M4/3 mounts.
Canon EOS 6D Mark II Camera Body with Accessories Kit – $400 Discount. Prices are not outrageous, starting at €15.00 per adapter, so it’s nice to buy these directly from Volta Cinema.
PortKeys is a Chinese company specialized in creating monitors and viewfinders. We first reported about their PortKeys BM5 monitor, a 5-inch field monitor with SDI/HDMI input and output ports capable of controlling your camera. Then, the company released the OEYE-3G and LEYE EVFs, a Universal Handle that can control nearly every camera, and more recently, the PortKeys LH5P that we’re reviewing here. Sony a7 III Camera Body with Accessory Kit – $200/€145 Discount.
Up to 50 custom 3D LUTs can be loaded into the FEELWORLD F7 PRO. Source: FEELWORLD. 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.
Features of the Z Cam E2C Cinema Camera. The list of all camera models and functions supported by the Portkeys BM5 III WR.
Sony a7R II Camera Body with Free Accessories Kit – $400 Discount. Buy link: Canon EOS R6 Bundle Was: €4.061,14 Now: €3.916,32 (Savings: €144,82).
These theoretical tests don’t have much sense to me as you usually don’t always shoot at full brightness for this amount of time without switching off the monitor, but it gives you a rough idea. In “normal” real-life shooting conditions, I found the battery life to be pretty good. I got away with around 3 hours of battery life at the maximum backlight setting. To me, this is a decent battery life for an on-camera monitor powered by a small battery. However, if you do the maths, a big Sony NP-F970 battery could theoretically run the PT5 for more than 12 hours!.
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. Manfrotto PRO Light Flexloader L specifications.
The currently retails at Amazon for $89 with by using this discount code at checkout: Y2DWYGBM. The special offer ends on October 5th,2021, at 23:59 PDT. Dual native ISO: 500 and 2500 ISO.
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. 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 recently released a lightweight and very affordable 5″ on-camera monitor: the PT5. With a maximum brightness of 500 nits only, I was curious to see how this HDMI-only monitor performs. Here are my findings. CVP Buy link: FUJIFILM X-T30 Camera Body Was: €827.09 Now: €680.96 (Savings: €146.13 including Cashback).
If you swipe to the left or right, you can access the System settings page. This page is where you can adjust the display settings, audio output, LUT, firmware update, etc. 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.
Also, there are rubber pull straps at the end of some zippers that open “secondary” compartments. 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.
B&H Buy link: Canon EOS R Camera Body with Accessories Kit Was: $2,299.00 Now: $1,799.00 (Savings: $500.00). We use a strobe light at 300Hz to reveal pairs of black bars that occur due to the read out nature of CMOS sensors (the rolling shutter). Each pair represents 3.3 ms of rolling shutter.
The direction of the NATO rail mount can’t be adjusted, like other top handles on the market, which is a bit of a letdown. 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.
Cine 7 monitor + Bolt 4K Monitor Module 750 TX connected to the camera with ARRI license installed (If you are using 2 Cine 7 monitors you can have the license installed on either one.). PortKeys LH5P Review – Great Monitor Under $400.
you can write well and you are actually enjoying it. One small cinema camera with a cage (Canon EOS C70).
We hope you see the opportunities and chances of growth this presents if you feel like we’re looking FOR YOU. Both the LH5H and LH5P has the same ergonomics and input-output ports.
If you’re new to PortKeys, this company is specialized in affordable HDMI and SDI camera monitoring solutions. Recently, we talked about their LEYE viewfinder, the fully-featured SDI/HDMI BM5 monitor, and the affordable PortKeys P6. The company has just released a new 5.5″ HDMI-only monitor, the PortKeys LH5P. This product name may sound familiar to you, as it is the big brother of the PortKeys LH5H that was released last year. We hope you see the opportunities and chances of growth this presents if you feel like we’re looking FOR YOU.
At the rear of the monitor, you will find the battery plate to power the PortKeys P6. The design of the battery plate is similar to the SmallHD 701, and you can use Sony NP-F batteries on the left side, or Canon LP-E6 on the right side. Also, you can power it with an external battery via the DC barrel input port. 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″.
Buy link: Canon EOS 1DX Mark III Bundle Was: €9.620,00 Now: €9.138,19 (Savings: €481,91). Now let’s take a quick tour of the monitor.
The PortKeys LH5P is the big brother of the LH5H, and both monitors have a lot in common, including. GDU Komodo Accessories. Source: GDU.
I’m currently finishing our review of the PortKeys LH5H that will be released very soon, so keep an eye on CineD if you want to learn more about these affordable on-camera monitors. Teradek just released the 4K Monitor Module 750 TX, a transmitter unit capable of 750 feet of 4K HDR transmission – not to mention wireless camera control. Oh, and it meshes right onto your SmallHD Smart 7 monitor. Are you drooling yet?.
Pretty much every tool you need is here to judge your image, except Zebras and a Vectorscope, but that’s already decent for an entry-level on-camera monitor. 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.
Volta’s capacity to weight ratio compared to other battery solutions. Image credit: Volta Cinema. PL to RF Revolva Mount Adapter with ND filters. Source: KipperTie.
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). By shopping at our partner’s store, you are supporting CineD through our buy links, as we get a small affiliate commission (at no extra cost for you) when a purchase is completed. Let’s take a look at the deals!.
The reason there is a hole is to allow the user to easily remove the battery without having to tilt the camera, on top of the inherent advantage of heat dissipation which comes with an open design. The HS7T can be powered by two hot-swappable Sony L-Series batteries or via the 4-pin LEMO input (DC 7.4~24V). Moreover, the monitor can supply power for any wireless video transmission system attached to the back: a helpful feature when trying to keep the monitor setup clean and compact.
Once you switch the power button on, the monitor takes around ten seconds until it is operational, which is acceptable. 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).
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. 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.
The Portkeys PT5 comes in a little case with a sun hood, one HDMI to HDMI cable, one HDMI to micro HDMI cable, a sunshade, and a cold shoe monitor mount with locating pins. Portkeys is very generous on this one. B&H Buy link: RX100 III Camera Kit with Accessories Was: $748.00 Now: $598.00 (Savings: $150.00).
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. Once you fully open the two main zippers, you access the 26.5L interior to store your camera equipment. The first thing you’ll notice is that the bag flap opens entirely. Some like it, while others prefer latches to prevent the flap from touching the ground; it’s a matter of taste.
The next thing I’m a bit skeptical about is that each time you exit the menu and re-open it, you’ll always come back to the first page/first tool. That’s frustrating and I would like for it to stay – or at least have the option – on the same page/tool I just tweaked. The Portkeys PT5 is made from ABS plastic, which helps keep the weight down at only 130g/0.28lbs. Also, it is very compact at 136 x 72 x 17mm in terms of dimensions, so it should not take that much space in your camera bag.
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