Choosing camera+lens to rent

B

balka

I want to make a half hour movie. I want to say in front that I am not expert in this field and I have never worked with such serious gear before. I understand that many things can go wrong, but I am still willing to try.

I want to shoot in 1080p @ 50fps. I want to get a video (non-cinematic) look that is very crisp. There will be indoors scenes (with adequate lighting) where I will be shooting monologues, there will also be outdoors scenes with relatively fast moving objects. I will not shoot anything in dark. Multiple retakes will not be possible due to time constraints. I will be one-man band.

I will be renting all the equipment I need. I cannot decide between what camera+lens option I should go with. I have already selected other gear.

I have a few options to choose from:
Nikon D750 + Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
Canon 5D Mark III + Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Sony A7S + Metabones adapter + Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Panasonic GH4 + Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8

There is a reasonable selection of Nikon and Canon lenses that I can rent. However, there is only one Panasonic lens and no Sony lenses at all. Canon set will not allow to film in 50fps, but I will get RAW (using ML; downside - slow workflow) and it seems to be a very popular choice. Sony set will cost me twice as much compared to other sets, in theory should offer the best video quality (S-Log2 (downside - min 3200 ISO), very crisp). With Panasonic set I will get smaller sensor, very high bit rate, CineLikeD and probably lower quality lens compared to Nikon and Canon alternatives. It feels like Nikon set will be the best choice for me.

Please advise.

P. S. I have read a comment about that Panasonic lens in my list, which I don't understand. It has a fixed aperture. How is it any worse in terms of zooming + exposure change compared to Nikon or Canon lenses that I have listed?
Here is a comment:
"When zooming in and out, the aperture adjusts to the 4 focal lengths...i.e...this lens is NOT stepless. That means that if you attempt to do a pop-zoom or even a regular zoom while filming the image will darken or brighten (depending which way you are zooming). It looks like you are opening up or stopping down the aperture. It's not a fluid opening or closing like the Canon 24-70mm f2.8 but abrupt adjustments like clicking the aperture open or closed. I shoot a lot of handheld comedy and sometimes want to be able to execute a "pop-zoom" for effect. You can certainly do it with this lens but it won't look good."
 
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With the limited amount of info, I would go 4k and probably as full frame as I could get giving me maximum bang for the buck from a lens perspective. So an a7s would be top of my list.

I personally don't see the benefit of 8-bit raw.

Sony lenses are in short supply because of Sony cameras flange lengths relative to other manufacturers. This means you can use any lens on a Sony but not the other way around. Also, some Sony zooms have the world's most annoying fly-by-wire focusing. So, so, so annoying.

Just make sure you can handle Sony's AVCHD. I've been wrestling with it for 5 years and hate it.
 
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We just shot 4k with an A7S with an external recorder. I highly recommend that option, though if it's the difference between shooting one film with an expensive camera or two or three with a less expensive option, I suggest to go for the cheaper version.

Multiple retakes will not be possible due to time constraints. I will be one-man band.
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This may be worth reconsidering. The majority of the time is going to be spent setting up. The amount of time it takes to go for another take is rather insignificant in the whole scheme of things.

After all that being said, the camera isn't the only important factor as many seem to think. Also focus on story telling, blocking, production design, sound, performance, coverage, editing, music and so on.

Good luck with your shoot. Let us know how it goes.
 
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Dialogue while you are a one-man-band?
(Sweetie mentioned some other possible bottlenecks)
Then none of the cameras are a great choice, since the audio input is limited.
The GH4 and A7s have audio-accessoiries with XLR inputs.
Or are you recording the audio seperately?

Anyway, the Canon and Nikon are still cameras that can shoot video, while the A7s and GH4 seem to be video camera that shoot stills as well.

Whatever you choose: try that combo first. Don't use it for the first time when you have so much time pressure.
 
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For audio I will be using Sennheiser G3 + Zoom H4N.

It won't be dialogue (two persons), it will be a monologue.

I cannot find external video recorder in my area for rent. So, getting 4K output from A7S will not be feasible.

What about that comment I quoted about Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm lens? Is it valid? I have not found anyone else complaining about it.

It looks like Nikon and Panasonic sets are the ones that fit my needs best. One set has a better lens, another - better camera. Books and industry experts teach us to spend more money on lens rather than camera, so based on that I should go with Nikon set, but I like Panasonic camera more.
 
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Books and industry experts teach us to spend more money on lens rather than camera
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This is true when purchasing. Cameras get replaced often, glass lasts... until you drop it, scratch it etc. etc. Not sure how well it applies to renting.

Whatever you choose: try that combo first. Don't use it for the first time when you have so much time pressure.
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Wise words. We did a 60 hour film project with mostly new camera equipment. It ended up working out well, but it did hurt.
 
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