Portkeys has released the latest versions of its flagship on-camera monitor range in the shape of the BM5IV and the BM5IV WR. It’s also released the new CINENORM OS that powers them while it’s at it.
Portkeys makes some very cheap monitors that give you plenty of bang for your $100 or so, but the main interest with the company’s range is slightly higher up than that. Its flagship BM5 series is an interesting mix of features and competitive pricing that has got a fair bit of attention over recent years, and the fourth generation iterations, the BM5IV and the wireless BM5IV WR, don’t look like they will disappoint.
Both are 5.5in and house their impressive Full HD 2000 nit displays in a ruggedised aluminium housing. Viewing angle is 178-degrees. The hardware has been overhauled for this new version with the addition of an HDMI output to the 3G-SDI in/out. That usefully enough enables them to support up to 4K DCI at 60p.
Here are the highlights:
The BM5IV WR adds wireless control of ARRI, RED, SONY, Nikon, Canon, Panasonic, and BMD cameras. It also raises the price to $749 from the base $599 for the BM5IV.
The new CINENORM OS, first previewed at NAB, comes pre-installed (as an aside, it’s also available as a free update for anyone using a BM7 II DS). It can support up to seven custom pages and each can be preset with monitoring tools. That means users just need to swipe left or right to quickly switch and select pages, letting one monitor swiftly adapt to the different needs of various roles and scenarios within the crew.
The UI has been totally rewritten to provide a less idiosyncratic experience than before and more than 80 camera models from 8 different brands can be controlled (add Z Cam to the above list). New features include allowing users to generate LUTs using their own color calibration method (or the official Portkeys calibration method). This can then be imported into the monitor via a USB stick, allowing color calibration without sending the device back to the factory.