PortKeys LH5P II 5.5-inch monitor review

A super 5.5-inch on-camera monitor built for professions, but priced for enthusiasts

PortKeys LH5P II
(Image: © Sebastian Oakley / Digital Camera World)

Digital Camera World Verdict

The PortKeys LH5P II certainly makes for a great on-camera monitor for either mirrorless or professional cinema cameras. Packed full of industry standard features means your investment in this product will serve you well throughout your filmmaking career, with the need to upgrade being for a bigger size monitor, rather than gaining extra specs. For the price, you are getting a great package that is built to withstand the vigorous day-to-day life of a filmmaker while on set, in the studio or for on the go shooting. Paired with a tough travel case for ease of transport between shoots, great monitor features and the ability for on-board audio monitoring, the PortKeys LH5P II is a great 5.5-inch monitor for anyone looking to up their game in the cinematography world.

Pros

  • +

    Strongly built

  • +

    Great display

  • +

    Packed feature set for professionals

Cons

  • -

    No HDMI cable included

  • -

    Only takes Sony NPF style batteries

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Having a good on-camera monitor is quite frankly the best kit investment any filmmaker should consider when wanting to start out or progress their filmmaking career, Monitors are usually bigger and brighter than the standard monitor see on your mirrorless cameras, which makes composition and framing much easier, let alone all the other parameters you'd want to check.

Most professional cinema cameras don’t feature a screen at all, so it is essential to pick one that suits your needs and overall makes it easier to compose your shots, gain crucial focus and above all allows you to do your job quicker. The PortKeys LHP5 II takes all these must-have qualities and even expands on them, depending on which camera system you're using. Let's find out how well this 5.5” monitor performs.

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Sebastian Oakley
Ecommerce Editor

For nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specializing in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound, and many more for various advertising campaigns, books, and pre/post-event highlights.

He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, holds a Foundation Degree in Equitation Science, and is a Master of Arts in Publishing.  He is a member of Nikon NPS and has been a Nikon user since the film days using a Nikon F5 and saw the digital transition with Nikon's D series cameras and is still to this day the youngest member to be elected into BEWA, The British Equestrian Writers' Association. 

He is familiar with and shows great interest in street, medium, and large format photography with products by Leica, Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa, and Sinar. Sebastian has also used many cinema cameras from the likes of Sony, RED, ARRI, and everything in between. He now spends his spare time using his trusted Leica M-E or Leica M2 shooting Street photography or general life as he sees it, usually in Black and White.