By site editor Dan Chung:
SmallHD have put on sale their $49 US HDMI port protector for the 5D mkII. It is designed to prevent damage to the camera’s delicate mini-HDMI port which can be damaged if an exposed HDMI cable is knocked during use. I have personally fallen victim to this and had to pay several hundred dollars for a Canon service centre to replace a broken port.
Canon 5D Mark II Port Protector from SmallHD on Vimeo.
The SmallHD port protector was first seen at NAB2012 where the company were giving away a limited number of an early run to existing users of their products. I was lucky enough to get one then and have been using it since.
Unlike other port protectors from the likes of Zacuto or Lock Circle the SmallHD is not made of metal but of a lightweight plastic or polycarbonate type material. At first I was concerned that it would not be very strong but after several uses it seems to be fine – although I would worry about breaking it if taking it on and off the camera repeatedly.
It works well with most straight mini HDMI cables but not right-angled ones – a 1.5 foot HDMI cable is included with the protector for free. It also provides a fair amount of protection for the other ports on the side of the 5D mkII such as the audio minijack.
SmallHD do warn that you can’t use the protector with a battery grip or neck strap. It only fits the 5D mkII and NOT the 5D mkIII. If you are still using a 5D mkII with a monitor or EVF day in day out then the SmallHD 5D mkII port protector is a very sensible buy.
Head over to the SmallHD website for more details.
