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!. Portkeys has just launched a new lightweight 5″ on-camera monitor: the Portkeys PT5. This monitor can take HDMI input/output signals at up to 4K DCI at 24p or 4K UHD at up to 30p, it has a maximum brightness of 500 nits with all the monitoring tools you need to control your image properly, and it retails for only $169. So let’s take a closer look at Portkeys’ most affordable monitoring option yet!.
The clever location of the Z CAM E2 battery allows the use of standard Sony NPF batteries with various capacities (and protects the HDMI port at the same time). For my trip I took a few 5200mA (NP F750) ones with me – good news is that power consumption was surprisingly low hence battery life was no issue at all. The offers you three 1/4″-20 mounting points at the bottom, top, and right side of the monitor. I think that it is enough for an on-camera monitor, even if, as always, I would have preferred 3/8-16″ mounting points with ARRI locating pins, which are more versatile.
Then, this battery compartment is held in place by the round piece with the D-Tap port and NATO rail attachment. If you loosen the two “cinema-standard” screws – it’s important for the rest of this article – on the side, you have a bit of adjustment to slide the battery part back and forth inside the mount. This is nice to position the handle where it works best for you. What do you think of the new Z CAM E2 versions? Will you consider buying one? Let us know in the comments down below!.
In late March we first announced that PortKeys, based in China, was taking the leap into the EVF world with their new OEYE-3G. cinema5D caught up with PortKeys team at NAB 2019 for an inside look into the new 0.7″ 1080P OLED display Electronic Viewfinder. All the details are below including pricing and availability. Codec wise there are H264 and H265 10bit internal recording options to SD cards, but as a big differentiator to other cams in this price bracket, it offers to record ProRes via USB-C to an external SSD drive.
Although the LH5H is an “entry-level” monitor, it features tons of monitoring tools like its big brother, including. Also, I had build quality issues with the battery charger, which is entirely made out of plastic. I’m cautious with gear, but after two days, I grabbed the charger by its casing, and it literally opened in two.
As you can tell, even my iPhone 11 is more significant than this monitor! Indeed, the Portkeys PT5 has dimensions of only 136 x 72 x 17mm for a weight of 130g/0.28lbs. I was shocked at how light it is when I took the PT5 out of the box; it weighs almost nothing, mainly because the casing is made of ABS plastic. Canon EOS R Camera Body with Accessories Kit – $500 Discount.
On top of the LH5H, you’ll find four customizable function keys, a power switch, and four buttons to access and navigate inside the menu. At the bottom of the monitor, there is one camera control mini-USB port (more on that later) and a 5-pin motor camera control port that doubles up as a DC 7-24V power output port. CVP Buy link: Sony a7R III Camera Body Was: €2,435.93 Now: €2,240.98 (Savings: €194.95 – CashBack).
Also, at the front, you’ll find the two zippers to fully open the main compartment. 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.
To me, the Manfrotto PRO Light Flexloader L shines as a multipurpose backpack. To give you an idea, I was able to fit. Special Camera Deals from CVP for CineD Relaunch.
The screen itself is very bright (2000 NITS), even in direct sunlight I had no issues seeing the image. Unfortunately, the surface of the screen is very reflective which can hamper the viewing experience, see figure 3 below. 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.
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. Like all PortKeys products, the LEYE features all the monitoring tools you need, including;.
B&H Buy link: Sony a7S II Camera Body with Free Storage Kit Was: $2,438.00 Now: $1,998.00 (Savings: $440.00). Unfortunately, as you can tell, there is no anamorphic de-squeeze option.
Have you worked with the Z CAM E2? What are your experiences with this camera? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. If you want, you can read the in-depth review of the Z CAM E2 by my colleague Gunther here.
At the back of the PT5, there is a built-in Sony NP-F and Canon LP-E6 battery bracket. 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.
At the moment, ProRes RAW is supported in Final Cut Pro X along with a collection of other apps, including ASSIMILATE SCRATCH, Colorfront, FilmLight Baselight, and Grass Valley Edius. Adobe and Avid have announced that Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer will support ProRes RAW this year. Fair enough, that’s not the end of the world as micro-USB to USB cables are very common in everybody’s house, but it’s worth mentioning. After all, even Apple decided to not ship their iPhone 12 with a charger anymore, which is curious considering its high price point.
RED Komodo can record in ProRes as well. Image Credit: Phil Holland. The monitor mount is not the greatest I’ve ever seen, some parts are made of plastic, but it gets the job done as the monitor is pretty lightweight.
you have the time to write regularly – people with full-time jobs should check if they can find the time to write regularly. B&H Buy link: Canon EOS 77D Camera Body with Accessories Kit Was: $799.00 Now: $549.00 (Savings: $250.00).
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. Sharpness, chroma, brightness, backlight, tint, color temperature adjustments.
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. The first batch of both accessories got sold out relatively quickly, the next batch should be shipping by the end of June.
Ideally you come from the filmmaking industry, have a technical mind and are interested in nerding out about new camera gear, fuzzing over things that matter to filmmakers and content creators alike, and have a talent and lust for writing. Top: four customizable function keys, a power switch, and four buttons to access and navigate inside the menu.
Sony a7S III Bundle – €187,54 Savings. 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.
The functions you can control are pretty basic at the moment: start/stop the recording, change your ISO settings, adjust the focus settings…etc. I think this is just the beginning. HDMI is much more common on DSLR and mirrorless cameras and SDI is much more common on larger cinema cameras. While HDMI can transmit both video and audio, it doesn’t have the ability to lock into a port like SDI does. On the other hand, SDI only transmits video information and not audio.
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. However, if we do some maths: the LEYE II draws around 3W max, a Canon LP-E6N battery has an 1800 mAh capacity and a 7.2V voltage, so you should get a little over 4 hours of runtime (V x Capacity / P = 7.2 x 1.8 / 3) with one battery, which is fantastic.
In October 2021, Manfrotto introduced a new PRO Light camera bags lineup for photographers and filmmakers. So I was very eager to try the Manfrotto PRO Flexloader L backpack for various reasons. First, it is one of the biggest carry-on camera-specific luggage on the market. Also, it’s Manfrotto’s second generation of PRO Light backpacks. So did the company improve what was already an excellent lineup of products? Let’s find out!. FUJIFILM X-T3 Camera Body Kit with Accessories – $200/€272 Discount.
The Portkeys PT5 LH5P features a 5″ WLED display with a FullHD 1080p / 1920 x 1080 resolution. The display is a touchscreen and the only way to navigate inside the menus. In theory, this combo should work very well. The Portkeys BM5 monitor (for detailed specs see our article here) is a 5” FHD monitor which allows via a separate cable to display and change settings in the camera’s menu on the touchscreen – on our early prototype this didn’t work though and a newer firmware wasn’t yet available.
Other than the sensor upgrade, all the features are the same as can be found in the original Z CAM E2, including the same 10bit ProRes recording to CFast cards. Z CAM only published the spec sheet for the 6k S-35 version that you can check out below. On the recording format front, the company will support internal RAW recording via a firmware update soon. More details will be revealed at the end of April. 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.
One SDI input and one HDMI input port. It can take video signals up to FullHD at 60 fps. The BM5 III WR is now a little bit bigger than its predecessor, with a 5.5″ display compared to the previous 5.2″ one. Also, the monitor features built-in monitoring tools, including.
DC 7-24V barrel and 5V USB Type-A ports on the device’s right side to power the EVF externally. To mount the BM5 to your camera or rig, the monitor features a 1/4″ hole at the bottom and one at the top. Also, an “L bracket” – like the SmallHD Focus – to mount the monitor more easily to your camera is available as an accessory.
Also, it is a WLED display, and the panel itself is 10-bit (8+2 FRC), so not “true” 10-bit, even if very few monitors are real 10-bit. PortKeys LEYE – Display and Loupe.
Sony a6500 Camera Body with Free Accessories Kit – $500 Discount. I went through the current deals on our partners’ websites and have selected the best offers currently available, which I think could be interesting for you. Some offers are only available at american store B&H, some offers only at european store CVP, and some offers are available globaly with both our partners.
The exterior design of the PortKeys LH5P is not groundbreaking; it’s simple and quite minimalist. Now let’s take a quick tour of the monitor. If you have a professional video tripod with a fluid head or light stands, you have another option on both sides of the Flexloader L.
CVP offers free LUMIX 25mm f/1.7 lens (!), free 3-year Panasonic LUMIX warranty, and free accessories with a GH5 purchase. The FEELWORLD F7 PRO can host a wireless video transmission system on the back. Source: FEELWORLD.
Bottom: one 1/4-20″ mounting point with locating pins. B&H Buy link: DJI Osmo Pocket Was: $399.00 Now: $309.00 (Savings: $90.00).
Canon EOS C300 Mark III has also been announced this year. It is a sucessor of one of Canon’s most popular cinema cameras ever – the C300 Mark II. The new generation offers an uncropped 4K120p video on the Super35 sensor as well as modular design, internal ND filters, and Dual-Pixel AF. 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, which is around 50 grams. Indeed, for example, a Sony NP-F 970 battery is 350g, which is twice the monitor’s weight; it looks a bit ridiculous. Also, Canon LP-E6 batteries are the same I use to power my Canon EOS R. I only have to use and carry one type of battery on set.
The monitor mount was designed for use with the SmallHD 5 series and the Portkeys BM5 but it will work with most other monitors that have 1/4″-20 mount holes on the bottom of the monitor. The batteries are best isolated from one another when traveling as long as there are other metallic components in the compartment. We haven’t yet experienced a short after months of use. They have short circuit protection, but as you know, in case it does happen it requires the user to connect them to the charger in order to restore them.
Cameras, Drones, FilmConvert, MZed. 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.
Panasonic Lumix G9 Camera Body – $500/€159 Discount, Free Accessories, Free LUMIX 25mm f/1.7 Lens, Free 3-Year Warranty. 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.
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. Just like its more affordable sibling, this camera also suffers from some overheating issues. Take a look at our news post from Canon R5 launch to know more about it. This set includes an extra Canon LP-E6NH battery and Sandisk 512GB 1700MB/s CFexpress memory card.
PortKeys has just announced a new 5.5-inch field monitor: the PortKeys P6. This monitor features a 1080P display with a decent 500nit brightness and a 4K HDMI input plus a 4K HDMI output. Let’s take a closer look at it!. 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.
The Portkeys PT5 features all the monitoring you expect from a monitor in 2021, including. 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.
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. As far as specs go, the 4K Monitor Module 750 TX is no slouch. It features zero-delay 4K30p video, 10-bit 4:2:2 HDR video, and of course the titular 750ft of transmission.
To know more about the video capabilities of this camera, you can take a look at our Canon EOS R review. If you would like to use the EOS R as a B-camera to the Canon C200, check our article on the topic. Music for the above video is courtesy of MusicVine. Get 25% off your next music license with code C5D25 (valid for one use per customer).
The display has a resolution of 1920 x 1080. It is a touchscreen with a maximum brightness of 2200nits and a contrast ratio of 1000:1. 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.
Wireless video – plate on the back. 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.
Codec wise there are H264 and H265 10bit internal recording options to SD cards, but as a big differentiator to other cams in this price bracket, it offers to record ProRes via USB-C to an external SSD drive. A monitor is a monitor, no matter its price, and I treat every product the same, so let’s get started!.
PortKeys HS7T Metal Edition: power options. The headphone volume output, image flip, OSD language/transparency.
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. 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.
Phil also tested the Sensor Calibration (Black Shading) with the Komodo. Black Shading is basically a sensor and pixel check while generating a calibration map to counteract a sensor’s inherent fixed pattern noise. For RED DSMC2 cameras it was roughly 1 minute per “K” for calibration (8 minutes on RED Monstro 8K). RED Komodo 6K is faster in this regard – Sensor Calibration was done in less than 1.5 minutes. PortKeys BM5 – A Field Monitor That Can Control Your Camera.
Rigged out RED Komodo. Image Credit: Phil Holland. DC 7-24V barrel and 5V USB Type-A ports on the device’s right side to power the EVF externally.
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. FUJIFILM X-T30 Camera Body Kit with Accessories – $100/€146 Discount.
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