Portkeys PT6 Review

The Portkeys PT6 is an ultra-compact fully, featured monitor for your camera. It’s a pro-grade screen designed to get a decent representation of what you’re shooting rather than relying on the often flakey reproduced image that your on-camera screen will show.

What makes the small Portkeys PT6 stand out is that it has been designed for streaming; essentially, it has all the pro monitor features, just in a small box that you can easily transport. The monitor includes focus peaking, zebras, and false colour and is 100% DCI-P3 compliant. On the streaming side, this means you can take a feed from your camera at up to 4K and then feed it through the PT6 and output it at streaming-ready 1080p 60fps, and if the feeling takes you, you can even apply a LUT of your choice.

Monitoring the video is just part of what this dedicated monitor does; it’s also bigger than your camera’s screen and offers increased brightness, resolution and colour depth so that you don’t just get a good idea of how the image will look, you actually get a near as perfect idea of what your capturing.

The monitor takes the video feed directly through a full-sized HDMI port on the side which is impressive because the device is only a touch larger than a standard mobile phone. It is very small and compact at 150.7×77.8×8.5mm and weighs 130g without the power source. Power can come through the mains of using a Sony NP-F or Canon LP-E6 battery pack; the ability to take either is a nice touch.

While the PT6 won’t show the full resolution feed, it will show at 1920×1080 with a brightness of 600nit, contrast ratio of 1000:1 and colour depth of 10bit(8+2FRC). It will also enable you to apply LUTs and preview them live, and check a series of features that most cameras don’t feature, at least for video.

Those features include Peaking, Luma waveform, False colour Zebra, Grids, LUTs and more technical monitoring features that will help ensure you capture the video you want.

The Portkeys is a compact monitor for mirrorless and DSLR users shooting video. It gives you the visual aids common with camcorders and, through the simple HDMI connection to your camera, opens up a powerful set of features that will help maximise the quality of the footage you capture with your camera.

Setting up the small Portkeys PT6 couldn’t be easier, and through the test, I tried the monitor out with a Sony A7 III, Canon EOS R7 and Canon EOS R5 C. The set-up process for each was identical, with the HDMI feed plugging directly into the side of the monitor, and then once everything was switched on, the feed from the monitor appeared on the screen.

In the options for all cameras, I switched off the camera overlays so that I had a clean feed coming through to the monitor, so the only overlays were those placed by the monitor itself. Powerwise, in this test, I opted for Sony NP-F type batteries but also popped in one of the Canon LP-E6 batteries, which worked just as well.

You can see the difference in the quality between the PT6 and the Sony A7 III on-camera monitor. Firstly there’s more screen to check the image, and 1080 resolution ensures everything is nice and clear. You’re also benefiting from the full-colour depth of what is being captured. The difference in screen quality isn’t as noticable on the Cano EOS R5 C but the large monitor is still very beneficial.

The small size of the monitor is a real benefit enabling it to be attached to a rig, tripod or camera easily, and as it weighs next to nothing, there isn’t the worry of strain that you get with more weighty examples on the hotshoe. Being small, but still larger than the camera’s monitor is a benefit, but what pushes the usability are the additional features.

The two most common monitor functions when filming are focus peaking and zebras; these can both be quickly tapped on and off using the touch screen. Need to zoom, then there’s smartphone-style touch gesture control which is a nice touch. For those more familiar with using a monitor, there’s also the option for a false colour display to accurately check the exposure of specific areas of the image.

Alongside the basics are plenty of other helpful visual guides that will enable you to monitor better the footage you’re shooting. For me, one of the biggest benefits is the ability to overlay LUTs so that when shooting using a Log profile, you can see the effects of certain LUTs on the footage. These LUTs need to be loaded onto the PT6 using a USB key, but the process is easy, and the touchscreen interface makes finding your way around easy.

What I found quite surprising for a monitor of this size and price is the amount of input and outputs available. This is a testament to the fact that this small monitor has been designed for those wanting to stream their footage rather than capture it for editing later. The small monitor is of a similar standard as the more expensive models. It’s just that the screen is smaller.

The streaming from the monitor has been designed to be used in Landscape and portrait orientation; this means that those shooting in the popular vertical format now have a high-quality monitor to check on quality, whether that’s for editing later or through the live stream.

The small size and features make the Portkeys PT6 an ideal partner for anyone looking to up their video quality for their live streams from their DSLRs or Mirrorless cameras. While the monitor has been designed for the streaming market, it will also suit anyone looking for a cheap monitor to accompany their DSLR or Mirrorless camera when shooting video.

The price of the Portkey PT6 instantly makes this a bargain considering the monitor’s quality and features you get. The overlays, such as peaking, zebras and false colour, are standard features that anyone shooting video will benefit from. The ability to monitor in Landscape or portrait is also incredibly handy.

With the price being what it is, it seems a shame to point out any negatives, but there are a couple. The first is with the flimsy sun shade that arrives in the hard case with the monitor. This is next to useless; if you need one, some cut cardboard and gaffa tape will do a better job. The second negative is that while the unit’s design is good, the shiny black plastic feels, and looks a little cheap, why design a monitor with a slightly shiny finish? Keep it matt that just makes sense.

Aside from those two things, both of which are minor, the actual use and usability of the Portkeys PT6 is incredibly good. The monitor’s small size and weight make it convenient to transport and ultimately it doesn’t add too much weight and bulk to you camera or rig.

The display’s quality and overlays make it a great choice to use as a monitor for general filming or streaming. The screen might not be big or expensive, but Portkey has the balance right with what’s on offer with the Portkeys PT6 which makes it a great choice for streamers or anyone wanting a compact monitor.