Portkeys LH7C

The Portkeys LH7C is a 7" touchscreen on-camera monitor with 1000 nits of brightness, HDMI input and output, and wired control of Sony, Canon, Panasonic and Nikon cameras. A single TA03Y cable carries both the video signal and the commands, so recording, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, white balance and focus are all set from the monitor.

The 1920 × 1080 panel with 10-bit processing (8 bit + 2 FRC), full Rec.709 coverage and a 1000:1 contrast ratio stays readable in direct sunlight. MOVNORM OS adds waveform, ARRI False Color, zebra, 3D LUT on the display and on the HDMI output, and anamorphic de-squeeze. The monitor weighs 263 g and draws no more than 8 W.

Camera control over a single cable

The LH7C combines the video signal and camera control into one cable. The TA03Y adapter plugs into the camera's HDMI and USB-C ports, the other end into the monitor — no second cable running along the arm, and with it goes the most common source of on-set dropouts.

Once powered, the monitor recognises a supported camera on its own. Recording starts and stops from the touchscreen, as do ISO, aperture, shutter speed, shutter angle, white balance, colour temperature, exposure compensation, focus mode and focus point. The monitor also shows the camera battery level, card status and remaining recording time.

A seven-inch Full HD display at 1000 nits

The seven-inch 1920 × 1080 panel reaches 1000 nits, so the image stays readable in direct sun. A 1000:1 contrast ratio and an 85° viewing angle in every direction hold the colour rendition even for whoever is standing next to the operator.

10-bit processing (8 bit + 2 FRC) and full Rec.709 coverage mean smooth gradients without banding — on seven inches that shows up in skies and skin alike.

4K HDMI input and an output for a second viewer

The HDMI input accepts DCI 4K (4096 × 2160) at 24 fps, UHD 4K up to 30 fps and Full HD up to 60 fps. 4K material is oversampled to 1080p, which gives a sharper preview than a plain downscale.

The HDMI output passes on 1080p60. It can optionally carry the 3D LUT, the user interface, brightness, hue and contrast adjustments, the anamorphic correction and the stretched bottom of the frame used for vertical shooting — so the director or the recorder sees exactly what the operator sees.

MOVNORM OS: tools for exposure, focus and colour

There are RGB and Luma waveform, Luma histogram, audio meters, zebra, ARRI False Color plus a user mode with hand-set IRE values, the Log Stops function that splits the camera's log signal into exposure zones based on its actual stop data, and HDR (HLG).

A new peaking algorithm brings the Peaking Frame — highlighting only inside a chosen frame so the camera UI stays clear. There is also a rectangular crop for zooming precisely into any part of the image, gesture zoom, framing guides, grids, aspect ratios, automatic image flip, image capture with semi-transparent overlay, and anamorphic de-squeeze at 1.33×, 1.5×, 2.0× or a custom value from 0.25× to 4.00×.

Up to 20 custom 3D LUTs load from a USB drive. Four F1–F4 buttons on the top edge take whichever functions the operator reaches for most.

Focus Tracking Frame

On Sony cameras the LH7C can now move the tracking focus frame with a finger on the monitor screen. Other brands are to follow in a free firmware update.

Power for a full shooting day

A draw of no more than 8 W means roughly 7 to 8 hours from a single Sony NP-F970 (6600 mAh). The built-in plate takes NP-F970, F960, F750 and F550 batteries, and the DC 7–24 V input allows powering from the rig's V-mount or Gold Mount battery.

The polycarbonate and ABS body weighs 263 g and is only 18.4 mm thick. Three 1/4"-20 threads with anti-twist grooves — on the bottom and on both sides — let the monitor go wherever there is room for it.

Supported cameras

The range of available control depends on the camera model and on the cable used — some cameras connect HDMI to HDMI, others HDMI to Micro HDMI. Control of the Canon EOS C50 is promised in a coming firmware update.

• Sony A1, A7S III, A7 IV, A7 V, A7R V, A9 II, A9 III, FX3, FX30, A6700, A7C II, ZV-E1
• Canon EOS R1, R5, R5 Mark II, R6, R6 Mark II, R6 Mark III, R7, R8, R50 V
• Panasonic GH5 II, GH6, GH7, S1, S1H, S1R, S1 II, S5 II, S5 IIX, S9, BGH1, BS1H
• Nikon Z8, ZR

Key features

• 7" 10-bit touchscreen panel (8 + 2 FRC) at 1920 × 1080
• 1000 nits, 1000:1 contrast, 85° viewing angle in every direction
• full Rec.709 coverage
• HDMI input up to DCI 4K30 with oversampling to 1080p, HDMI output at 1080p60
• wired control of Sony, Canon, Panasonic and Nikon cameras over one cable
• 3D LUT on the display and on the HDMI output, up to 20 custom LUTs
• waveform, histogram, ARRI False Color, zebra, Peaking Frame, Log Stops
• anamorphic de-squeeze, rectangular crop, image capture and overlay
• four user-assignable F1–F4 buttons
• Sony NP-F or DC 7–24 V power, only 8 W consumption
• 263 g, 18.4 mm thick, three 1/4"-20 threads