Z Cam E2 In-Depth Review Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of our in-depth review of the Z Cam E2.  You can read the first part here!

In our second installment we're looking at Flexibility and Ease of Use.  I define these terms a little differently than most cinematographers.  Flexibility is the ability of the camera to take on different tasks-- it's technical adaptability; ease of use is how easy it is to work with in the field (i.e., does it set up quickly, screen functionality, app, etc.). Flexibility is physics, Ease of Use is workflow.

Flexibility

One of the great things about the E2 is how well it can work with your existing gear.  Being a modular camera, you’ll need a monitor, but an Android or Apple phone does just fine; you can connect via USB C or Wifi.  The batteries are super cheap Sony NPs, and there’s a good chance you already own some.  I had ten lying around.  If you have other NATO rail attachments, those will work for handles and monitor holders. 

But you’ll still need to buy some stuff you if come from the mirrorless world. CFAST cards are darn expensive.  A 128GB card starts around $120, and you use up space quickly with those high Mbps.  You can attach an SSD via the USB-C port. I discovered that the SSD’s I use for my Atamos recorder work well with a $15 case.  Between a 128GB card and 500GB SSD, my memory needs are set for both wireless hand held work and longer tripod setups.  I may buy an external hard drive with automatic backup that can transfer my CFAST cards on the road.  That way I can keep clearing out a single card, rather than have multiple cards.

With all of the quarter inch holes, you don’t need a cage, but you’re going to want one.   The Smallrig cage starts at $90, but it comes with a few quirks.  I love that it hugs the E2 so closely that it barely increases its size.  There are two NATO rails built into either side, keeping the unit small, but they also bring problems.  With the cage attached, it’s almost impossible to open the CFAST slot without a key or thin object.  And tightening NATO rail attachments is a fiddly process because there’s not enough room between the camera and the cage.  But these shortcomings are well worth the reduced size in my opinion.  

The other accessory you don’t need but you’ll want is a speed booster.  I originally bought a Viltrox for my Nikon lenses.  At $85 it was a fifth of the cost of the Metabones, and I’d heard good things about them.  After I bought it, I read a couple of reviews that claimed the Viltrox isn’t quite as sharp.  When mine arrived, I found that it was sharp but not snug; it wiggled on the camera.  So I found a used Metabones adapter for Nikon on Ebay for $150.  But while superior in fit, the Metabones speedbooster is actually inferior in other ways.   You can find a more detailed review/comparison of the Viltrox and Metabones here.

Having shot full frame exclusively for the last few years, the one thing I didn’t realize is that Speed Boosters don’t allow your Micro Four Thirds sensor to capture a full frame image from your lens.  It captures a Super 35 sized image.  While I’ve seen and heard numerous explanations as to why a Micro Four Thirds sensor with a speed booster is just as good as a full-sized sensor, it’s more complicated in real life.  My favorite focal length is 28mm.  It just looks right to me.  With the speed booster I need to use a 20mm lens to get the same angle of view, and these wider lenses often don’t have the same speed, compact form, image quality, and lack of barrel distortion.  And a fast wide lens is often pricier. As a Nikon user, I’ve got a solid option with the 20mm f/2.8, but I miss the “character” that comes with narrower lenses.  A lens shouldn’t just be wide or narrow, it should have a character that supports your visual aesthetics, and wide angle lenses tend to be pretty flat.

Another claim of speed boosters that doesn't hold true in my set-up, is that you get increased speed.  In other words, that your f/2.8 lens will act like an f/1.4.  When I compare the E2 setup to my Sony a7iii with a "dumb" adapter I get more than a stop less light.

Both images were captured using the same lens (the Sony is cropped in post) and settings.  I used the widest and narrowest apertures in order to make sure the adapter settings were consistent.  The only difference is the speed booster and sensor.  What's more, if you use a light meter, the Z Cam under-exposes the image.  Though to my surprise this image is less than 1 stop under.

Z Cam (top) Sony (bottom) exposure set by light meter

The loss of light is a bit of a mixed bag.  The Z Cam's lowest ISO is 500 (currently), and that's pretty high for daylight use; it actually helps that there's less light hitting the sensor.  But if you're shooting in low light, you want every stop you can get.

The E2 has HDMI out for a monitor, USB-C out for SSD or phone monitor, Wifi for phone/tablet monitoring, a mini XLR in, an Ethernet for live broadcast, and a LEMO port for tethering multiple cameras together.  The HDMI 2.0 Type A port outputs up to C4K @60fps 10 bit 4:2:2.  You can build up you camera into a full cinema rig with monitors, support, matte boxes, follow focus, etc.,  or strip it down to just a small battery and wireless phone-monitor to balance on a lightweight gimbal.

I give the camera a flexibility rating of 9/10.

Ease of Use

There are some clear differences from a use standpoint when compared to a mirrorless camera or DSLR.  While this modular camera can be quickly set up, it’s not a run-and-gun unit.  The menu is well laid out, but for gunning purposes, the buttons are too difficult to access, making things like changing your ISO a lengthier process.  You have to re-grip the camera and then slowly click up or down.  This works fine when you’re on set (and with a bigger crew), but as a one-man band with a client waiting, or on the street, or in harsh weather, these adjustments have to be quicker and easier.  And you probably won’t just pull it out of your bag fully assembled and ready to shoot.  Anytime you have to assemble your camera in public, attaching handles and monitor, you attract attention.  This is doubly true with such an unusual looking camera like the E2.  There’s nothing stealth about the Z Cam.  

If you want to speed up your ability to adjust your exposure parameters, the only option I’ve found is a beautiful but very expensive handle from RVLVR.   I bought it because I realized that I really needed a DSLR functionality to be fluid.  With it, the ease of use becomes a lot closer to that of a DSLR (which in my opinion is the high water mark).  I’ll have a separate review on the RVLR soon.

So while the E2 isn’t intrinsically easy to use from a physical standpoint, it’s really designed for “build up” ease of use.  Adding a handle, control grip, and monitor makes the Z Cam much easier to use.

The tiny screen is surprisingly clear, even for someone with my mediocre eyesight.  People say you can’t use it for focusing, and that’s mostly true.  At least, you wouldn’t want to.  But in a pinch, it can work.  My first trip out with the camera I forgot to charge the phone I was using as a monitor, and it died after 20 minutes.  I switched the Z Cam screen to black and white and turned on peaking because a Black and White image with red focus peaking makes it easy to quickly check and adjust your focus.  In this setup, I couldn’t evaluate the aesthetics of the image on the tiny screen, but I could see the framing and what’s in focus easily.  I’ve left it in this setup since then, even when using a real monitor.

So far, I’m very pleased with how the Wifi system works.  There’s generally low latency, though, it is variable.   I was surprised that I saw the biggest lag when in the woods, away from other signals. You can’t connect multiple phones or tablets to wifi, which is a bit of a bummer, but you can use both Wifi and HDMI out so your client can watch on their own screen.  I use a 13 dollar magnetic phone holder for my monitor that’s super convenient.  I can pull the screen off and walk on set to make an adjustment while seeing the change on screen.  It snaps back on in less than a second, and I’m ready to go.  And while it seems like unscrewing a monitor is no big deal, I’m surprised by how often that little act prevents me from doing something. Honestly, I live by these little time savers.

The newest version of the app is great.  You can not only monitor over wifi, but control the camera.  Monitoring includes all of the essential tools like Zebra, false color, wave forms, peaking, and de-squeeze display for anamorphic lens users.

There are some odd quirks that I hope get ironed out in future firmware updates, things like unwieldy file names that can’t be re-named, and the inability to see the file name while recording.

On the whole, I give the E2’s Ease of Use an 8/10.  The loss of two points is really due to the form factor, and this would be true of any brick-brain camera.  I’d rate the Blackmagic 4k about the same, even though it comes with a built-in grip.

Tomorrow: Reliability and Conclusion.