Portkeys LH5C 5.4″ Camera Control Monitor: Feature Rich for $199

The new Portkeys LH5C 5.4″ Camera Control Monitor looks to be packing in a lot of features at an affordable price point.

The Portkeys LH5C is a professional 5.4-inch on-camera monitor with 800nits of brightness, HDMI video input/output ports, Rec.709 color and 85% DCI-P3 coverage, 3D-LUT output capabilities, and wired camera control features.

Key Features

• 5.4-inch,10-bit (8+2 FRC) panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1152 and a 1000:1 contrast ratio.
• Maximum brightness of 800nits, 85% DCI-P3 coverage.
• 1 x 4K HDMI input, 1 x HDMI output.
• Professional monitoring tools: RGB and Luma Waveform, Anamorphic Image De-Squeeze, Peaking, ARRI False Color.
• 3D LUT monitoring and 3D LUT HDMI output capabilities.
• Built-in Sony NP-F style battery plate.
• USB-C 3.0 5V power input port.
• Low power draw: only 7.5W.
• Lightweight and rugged ABS + PC housing: only 162g/5.7oz.

Not Just a Lightweight Price

Portkeys says the LH5C is the most affordable on-camera monitor on the market with wired camera-control capabilities, and it might well have a point. Spec is none too shabby for all that, featuring a 5.4” LCD touchscreen with 800 nits brightness, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, and a large 178° viewing angle.

The display has a 1080p resolution (1920 x 1152), and it covers 100% of Rec.709 and 85% of DCI-P3 color spaces. A 10-bit (8+2 FRC) panel is said to provide no color banding artifacts.

With dimensions of only 13.5 x 8.2 x 2.2 cm / 5.3 x 3.3 x 0.8in for a weight of 162 g / 5.7 oz, it's slim and lightweight monitor and should feel like an unobtrusive addition to your rig.

Connectivity and More

The monitor has one HDMI input port that supports input resolutions up to DCI 4K at 30p, and 1080p60. The HDMI input is adjacent to the 3.5mm headphone output on the left side of the monitor, while over on the right side you get the expected HDMI output port (up to 1080p60), a USB-C 3.0 5V power input port, and a 1/4”-20 mounting point with anti-twist grooves.

At the bottom is a USB-A port to load up to 20 custom LUTs and save freeze frame images onto the included mini USB stick, as well as a micro-USB camera remote port. There's another 1/4”-20 mounting point here too, to help you mount the monitor on a camera via the included MH-2 cold shoe mount.

Round the back is a built-in Sony L-Series battery plate. Portkeys says that thanks to a low power draw of only 7.5W, a small Sony NP-F550 battery can power the monitor for close to 3 hours. Additionally, the USB-C 3.0 5V power input can extend the monitor’s usage time by powering it via a power bank, V-Mount or Gold Mount battery.

Camera Control

A dedicated CAMERA REMOTE interface, enables professional wired camera control via a micro/mini USB, USB-C, or LANC control cable for supported models.

The full list is on the website, but essentially we're talking various cameras from brands such as Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Z CAM, and Blackmagic Design. It is compatible with well-known models, including the Sony FX3, FX30, FX6, and the Canon EOS C80 and C400, among several others.

You can adjust key camera parameters directly from the touchscreen and change focus area with a simple tap.

After establishing the connection between the monitor and the camera, you have the ability to modify settings such as aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and white balance right on the screen of the monitor. Additionally, for certain camera models, the LH5C features Touch Focus capabilities, enabling you to choose and adjust the camera’s focus point directly through the touchscreen.

There's also a new autofocus feature, Focus Tracking frame, which is currently only available for Sony users. This lets you select and move your camera’s tracking frame box directly on the monitor’s touchscreen, making the LH5C feel even more like a natural extension of your mirrorless camera.

MOVNORM OS Features

Portkeys' MOVNORM OS has a whole raft of pro monitoring tools.

• 3D LUT monitoring with 3D LUT HDMI output capabilities. Up to 20 custom LUTs can be loaded via the USB-A port at the bottom of the monitor.
• Anamorphic images can be de-squeezed using 10 standard aspect ratios, which feature commonly used options like 1.33x, 1.5x, 1.8x, and 2.0x, along with the ability to input a custom aspect ratio ranging from 0.25x to 4.0x.
• The Freeze Frame feature enables you to save a frame onto a USB stick and juxtapose it with the current image signal. This freeze frame capability can be especially beneficial for stop-motion filming, for instance.
• The 360° color grader enables you to alter the Hue and Saturation of a selected area in an image. You can precisely detect and isolate a specific color range within the image and modify it.
• Vertical extension: when capturing images in portrait mode, it is possible to elongate the lower section of the picture. The stretch leg tool functionality can be transmitted to the HDMI output.
• Focus tools, including peaking, custom peaking frame, and gesture zooming functions, so nailing focus is as easy as possible.
• Image analysis and exposure tools, including RGB and Luma Waveform, Luma Histogram, Zebra, and customizable False Color with 13 different colors, including ARRI False Color.
• Framing tools: crosshair, check field, guides, grids, rectangle crop.
• Audio meters.
• Monitor adjustments: backlight, contrast, color temperature, sharpness, chroma, brightness, tint, HDR/HLG, and image flip (H/V).

Pricing and Availability

The Portkeys LH5C is available now and comes with a safety box, a mini USB stick, a sunshade with protective rubber covers, the MH-2 cold shoe mount, a LANC cable, and a USB-C control cable. And it costs $199. On paper, that seems very competitive even given what we're used to from some of the main Chinese developers.