Portkeys BM7 II DS 7-inch Workhorse On-camera Monitor

Portkeys BM7 II DS 7-inch Monitor

General

The Portkeys BM7 II DS stands as a testament to relentless evolution, a formidable 7-inch touchscreen monitor that emerges from the triumphs of the illustrious BM5 III WR. With a luminous zenith of 2,200nits, fortified by an array of HDMI input/output ports, twin SDI inputs, a solitary SDI output armed with HDMI cross conversion, and a realm of wired and wireless camera control capabilities, this monitor carves a path towards visual ingenuity.

In the symphony of technological marvels, the Portkeys BM7 II DS assumes the role of a luminary, a harbinger of visual transcendence. Its robust constitution, underscored by a high-caliber 2,200nits luminance, emerges as an ode to brilliance. This luminosity serves as the canvas upon which the digital tapestry of cinematic tales unfurls. Its corridors resonate with the harmonious cadence of HDMI input/output ports, offering a gateway to seamless visual orchestration. The SDI inputs, akin to vigilant sentinels, usher the essence of signal transmission into its bosom, while the singular SDI output, equipped with HDMI cross conversion sorcery, ensures a continuous symphony of imagery—a continuum that knows no dissonance.

But the Portkeys BM7 II DS is not merely a repository of visual splendor; it emerges as a conductor of the visual narrative. The realm of camera control transcends its wired and wireless frontiers, beckoning filmmakers to steer their tales with finesse. In this expansive landscape, technology and creativity entwine—a marriage that reshapes the boundaries of cinematic storytelling.

Details

The Portkeys BM7 II DS is a 7-inch workhorse on-camera monitor which expands many features of our famous BM5 III WR monitor. You’ll still benefit from a crisp, crystal-clear, and daylight-viewable touchscreen display, four user-assignable function buttons, a full suite of professional monitoring tools, the capability to control your camera wired or wirelessly, but with a bigger screen real-estate, more input/output ports, and new video monitoring capabilities.

The housing of the BM7 II DS is entirely made out of rugged aluminum and has toughened glass in front of the display. At the top and bottom of the monitor, you’ll find 1/4″-20 mounting points with locating holes, which adds versatility to mount it in any position/place on your camera rig. With a weight of only 460g/16.2oz, the BM7 II DS is lighter than most competitors’ 7-inch monitors and even lighter than some 5-inch monitors!

The high brightness of 2,200nits makes shooting outdoors in bright sunlight a breeze. The Portkeys BM7 II DS has a FullHD 1920 x 1080 resolution and a 1000:1 contrast ratio. Also, the 10-bit (8+2 FRC) panel makes color reproduction accurate with rich color details and no color banding. Each BM7 II DS display is factory color-calibrated and passes strict hardware controls to ensure the most accurate colors. Indeed, you’ll benefit from 100% coverage of Rec.709 and 85% coverage of DCI-P3 color spaces.

Despite its 7-inch size and bright 2,200nits display, the BM7 II DS only draws 15W of power. You’ll find a built-in dual Sony NP-F-style battery plate at the back of the monitor for hot-swap capabilities, as only one battery is required to power the monitor at full power.

On professional filmmaking sets, we know that the versatility of a monitor is crucial. For this reason, we implemented two industry-standard 7.4-24V power input ports: one with a 2-pin LEMO connector and one with a locking 5.5mm barrel connector (D-Tap to locking 5.5mm barrel connector power cable included).

The BM7 II DS has all the video input/output ports you can hope for, with HDMI input/output ports, two 3G-SDI input ports, and one SDI output port. Also, the SDI video output with HDMI cross-conversion ensures perfect video continuity no matter where the monitor is placed in the video signal chain. Last but not least, both the HDMI and 3G-SDI output ports can output a clean video feed, but you can also output the video signal with a 3D LUT applied if needed.

Thanks to the multiple video input/output ports, the BM7 II DS allows you to monitor two video inputs simultaneously, thanks to its split-screen monitoring features. Various split-screen modes are available: support dual horizontal, dual vertical, left horizontal – right vertical, and left vertical – right horizontal. Also, a handy left horizontal and right vertical cropping of the same source makes your life easier when you need to view your video signal simultaneously in 16:9 and 9:16 aspect ratios for social media.

When it comes to monitoring tools, the BM7 II DS is packed with all the features you can expect from a professional on-camera monitor, including:

• A high-precision Waveform that can be displayed full-screen. Waveform SDI output is also possible. Histogram and Zebra tools are also available.
• 3D LUT monitoring and 3D LUT HDMI/SDI output. You can load custom LUTs via the USB port at the bottom of the monitor and the included USB key. Furthermore, monitoring tools can be set before or after the 3D LUT.
• ARRI False Color mode and user-defined mode. When you use the user-defined mode, you can freely set the IRE values.
• A new Peaking algorithm to help you nail focus easily. A Peaking Frame mode can be activated only to apply Peaking to a defined image zone. Lastly, a Zooming feature is also available.
• Framing guides, grids, aspects.
• Image Capture and Image Overlay. Image Capture takes a snapshot of the HDMI or SDI video input (combined with a LUT if desired) and saves it to the monitor’s memory. Then, you can set the transparency/opacity of the Image Overlay. This feature is helpful for shot matching (continuity) or a quick overview of the day’s shots.
• Anamorphic image de-squeeze with all the standard ratios (1.33x, 1.5x, 2.0x) and the possibility to enter a custom aspect ratio from 0.25 to 4.0x.
• Audio meters and audio monitoring via the 3.5mm headphone jack.
• Sharpness, chroma, brightness, backlight, tint, and color temperature adjustments.

On top of all the professional monitoring features, the Portkeys BM7 II DS is also capable of controlling wired/wirelessly many cameras:

• The 2.4 GHz WiFi antenna at the back of the monitor can connect wirelessly to the RED Komodo/V-RAPTOR. You can change your camera settings directly from the monitor and even touch to focus.
• The WiFi connection and camera control functions are also compatible with multiple Sony cameras, including the Sony A7S III, A7M IV, A7M III, A1, A9II, A7C, FX3, FX30, RX10, and RX0.
• The monitor supports Bluetooth connection and camera control for Blackmagic Design users with the BMPCC 4K, 6K, and 6K Pro.
• Wired control is also available for multiple Sony, Canon, Panasonic, BMD, and ZCAM E2 cameras.
• If you use a TILTA Nucleus N/M wireless follow focus, the BM7 II DS has a dedicated motor port that supports wired control of your motors. The focus scale can even be displayed on the display.

* Wireless control does not mean wireless video transmission; the video signal cable still needs to be connected.

To view more Portkeys Products

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• Portkeys Monitors: Affordable, High-Performance Video Monitoring for Filmmakers

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Portkeys BM7 II DS 7-Inch Workhorse Monitor

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