by Going around the device, there is a lot to discuss. Beginning with the back. You have SDI in and out. A 5 pin Fischer (I think, no documents, and its not a typical adapter) port for connecting follow-focus tools like the Tilta M. Youll also discover your detachable go to for 2.4 GHz wifi for cordless control. More on that later on.
Input/Output
Starting with the build quality, this screen is built nearly completely of aluminum in the back. It has extremely durable ports. The glass is not fantastic with handling reflections but its crystal clear. You likewise have a rugged battery release button to hold the battery in tight. Last but not least, you have a bottom and leading thread install. They are both geared up with what appears like Manfrotto anti-rotation holes. I have no chance of examining due to the fact that its almost entirely exclusive to simply Manfrotto.
There are a lot of things that make utilizing one more difficult. The weight, the battery, the I/O, cable television management, and all sorts of things like that make choosing a best display quite difficult. It boasts all the tech you might need, with all the convenience one looks for in a screen.
On the bottom, Youll discover another proprietary cable, for connecting all your cameras. A USB port for upgrading, and installing user custom LUTs. And bonus offer round! If youre utilizing a battery, I found out you can in fact power little things with it. It handles to power the motor for my Nucleus nano.
Construct quality
Going to the left side (Only the left has IO) youll find an HDMI in (but no out). There is likewise a devoted headphone jack for monitoring audio. I liked having this. We utilized the monitor to keep an eye on wirelessly, and I might get our scratch audio straight into my earphones from the screen without connecting any other device.
Finally, on the top, youll find 4 adjustable function buttons and a menu dial to have physical dials to control the monitor.
User user interface
I believe display UIs are like trackpads in the laptop world. There is truly just one business that does a clear, obvious menu layout. Sadly, that person is not PortKeys. At least not today. The Menu system uses a series of taps and swipes to navigate. While navigating the menu you are on might be easy, navigating to the menu you want is hard. Im hard-pressed to think that any amount of time with the screen would teach me that swiping up when on the focus criteria will take me … I have no idea where.
With that being stated, having functions buttons makes the hands-on part of the screen a little more hands-off. I embedded my most utilized functions: Waveform, Peaking, False Color, and guides. Actually, as soon as your monitor is set up the way you like it, you do not do a lot of adjusting it anyhow. The most i would touch the monitor for after Ive calibrated it for the task is to check the battery. Which, by the method, shows a measurement in voltage which is my favorite thing to see on monitors.
It goes without stating, that a monitor of such a high caliber, has all the whistles and bells you d expect
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Lets talk about this panel. Its a damn good panel. Well begin by resolving the reality that it is color calibrated on arrival. You have the option to turn it off, however it actually does appear quite accurate. The brightness is a crucial function with it being a high brightness screen: 2200 nits. Its not the brightest monitor on the planet, however its more than enough to see in bright conditions. Again the glass is a little reflective, so sometimes its a matter of angle. Normally, its perfect. Speaking of glass. The 5.5-inch screen stays quite little, with bevels that are actually respectable considering its size. In some cases the bevels wind up taking a substantial amount of area, making a five-inch display bigger than it requires to be. I believe PortKeys did an excellent job on that front.
Complete disclosure, we had a problem getting our BM5 WR to connect to our komodo at. I reached out to support (like anybody would) and they were extremely practical and gave me all the things I needed to ensure it wasnt a problem with the display. Here is the list of things you must examine if youre having problems:.
You likewise have the capability to submit LUTs to your display utilizing the consisted of USB stick.
As soon as again the color accuracy of the screen, I want to accentuate. Im not stating that it takes on Flanders scientific or anything, however out of the box, you get great colors. And if the colors dont seem right to you, you can custom-made change the color settings on the screen right there. Im actually pleased to see a business consider that type of flexibility in calibrating your screen. In time you might end up needing this. With the majority of screens, they would become unusable since they just enable basic changes.
Wireless controls.
Red Komodo (repairing).
However, being able to alter nearly whatever i would anyway straight from the display and have all my display functions implies I really do not need the electronic camera screen any longer. Im typically not too far from the electronic camera, but we were at least 30m (view) away and controlling the Blackmagic perfectly. Its extremely snappy and it responds well. Not to point out that cordless workflow means dealing with one less cable. it keeps my rig tidy, and it makes me more versatile when shooting to have to care about something less.
Now for the primary reason why I like this display. The P4k is excellent if youre standing, but for anything portable, its not fantastic since it doesnt move. The Komodo is just on top, so likewise not terrific.
The panel.
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Color.
Your Komodo can be named anything as long as it begins with Komodo, e.g: komodo1, komodo2, komodothisexampleisjustforfun.
Your wifi must be set to Adhoc.
You need to be on a 2.4 GHz network.
Attempt altering the channel if you see the connection dialogue isnt going away after the very first 30 seconds.
Im sure they would be pleased to help you if you are still having issues reach out to PortKeys.
What would make it perfect?
Fans are too loud: We are in our winter season here, so I havent checked in the scorching sun, however weve utilized it on a couple of warm days. Far too loud to be used in an interview, even on medium.
Firmware.
Battery slot: I love a rugged battery slot, however the battery is a little too difficult to get in, especially with the antenna in, it can be a discomfort. It is practically exclusively a two-hand task.
When I load my bag, I want to feel like the tools I take with me, work for me and not the other way around. The PortKeys BM5 WR has blown me away on being a terrific balance for practically any usage case and its special offering of cordless control is something that makes it difficult to look back at other displays. As with any technology in our industry, there are always compromises. I believe that with the display you are getting the finest bang for your buck. If you are looking for strong build quality, great color, cordless control, extraordinary brightness, and a light-weight 5.5-inch monitor. Look no more.
The PortKeys BM5 WR monitor is available to purchase now for $749 and is shipping now.
Theres really a lot to love with this monitor. The flexibility, cleanliness, and ease of usage are what make this screen one of my favorites. Its not to say that there arent a couple of peculiarities. Here are a couple of suggestions I would produce V2.
Locating pins: I am actually pleased they executed an anti-rotation procedure. I think generally and especially in higher-end sets, the Arri locating pins is far more common.
The weight, the battery, the I/O, cable television management, and all sorts of things like that make choosing a best display quite difficult. We utilized the monitor to keep an eye on wirelessly, and I might get our scratch audio straight into my headphones from the screen without attaching any other gadget.
Being able to alter almost whatever i would anyway directly from the screen and have all my display functions indicates I actually dont need the electronic camera screen anymore. The versatility, cleanliness, and ease of usage are what make this display one of my favorites. The PortKeys BM5 WR has blown me away on being a terrific balance for nearly any use case and its unique offering of wireless control is something that makes it hard to look back at other displays.
The individuals at PortKeys have actually been pressing out firmware releases continuously for this display. They are an excellent enhancement for the screen and they show that the business appreciates the item. Their most current upgrade included gesture zooming directly on the screen. Its things like this that make me confident in supporting a business. There newest upgrade was only a number of weeks ago, and its a display that has been out for over half a year.
Lemo 2-pin or screw DC instead of proprietary (and in basic): Too numerous exclusive cables. I think 2 pin Lemo cable televisions can be pricey, however DC cables, are lockable and cheap.
Conclusion.
