Choosing a camera

Didn't see a general choosing a camera topic. Maybe it's a good idea to have one where everyone can ask a question about what camera they should use for a project or what camera they should buy themselves.

Please tell me if there already is a topic like this and I'll ask my question there. Here it is:
I'm looking to buy a new camera, my current one is a Canon XM2 and as I have been offered a film job I'd like to upgrade to something more appropriate to this HD era (I'm a late bloomer I guess :lol:). I want to shoot short films in my own time and perhaps I'll get more film jobs in the future. Think of jobs like making a commercial for a small cultural festival or an event.

Now for the real question: what camera do you recommend? Should I get a DSLR, or is that the stupidest idea at the moment? I know I like shallow depth of field, but I don't like the fact that DSLRs can't film for a long time (I like to take long shots). I also read about a lot of Canons overheating, is this still a problem?

Thanks in advance!
 
Definitely check out the Blackmagic cameras - they offer amazing quality and they're fairly affordable compared to other cameras. They shoot in raw or ProRes which gives you a lot of flexibility with special effects work and color grading!

Otherwise, if you can't quite afford that kind of camera, I have the Canon T3i and it does pretty well on its own as long as you light your scene properly and make sure you use decent lenses!
 
...I know I like shallow depth of field, but I don't like the fact that DSLRs can't film for a long time (I like to take long shots). I also read about a lot of Canons overheating, is this still a problem?

Hi Alpaca - this is a little outdated. Outside of the EU, modern DSLRs all record continuously for about 30 minutes (the older Canon T2i/550D, T3i/600D, 60D and 5D Mark II are limited to 12 minutes of continuous recording in all regions).

But DSLRs have other limitations when compared to your XM2. Their viewfinders are blanked out when you record video, forcing you to use the LCD for composition and critical focus. This is OK indoors, but outdoors, your LCD is likely to wash out in bright sunlight, so you have to buy a viewfinder loupe or external electronic viewfinder (EVF). These can be expensive.

If you want a large sensor, interchangeable lenses with a built-in camcorder-style EVF and hours of continuous recording, your best choice below $1000 is the Panasonic G6 (it also has fast autofocus, focus peaking, a built-intervalometer for timelapse, built-in manual audio gain, on-screen audio meters [low-end Canons need the free Magic Lantern firmware mod to display meters] and 1080/60fps progressive recording for smooth action and slow motion - but it lacks a headphone jack and is limited to 28mbps AVCHD).

Here is what this camera can do:

Narrative:

http://vimeo.com/78037118

http://vimeo.com/81339712

Music Video:

http://vimeo.com/88584840

http://vimeo.com/84436275

Slow Motion/Sport

http://vimeo.com/76503135

Travel Video

http://vimeo.com/88543042

http://vimeo.com/86145944 (shot with a power zoom lens)

Short Documentary

http://vimeo.com/73561266

http://vimeo.com/87978429

http://vimeo.com/78507820


For a little more, your best choice at around $1000 (body-only) is the Panasonic GH3 (which adds a headphone jack, higher recording bit rates (up to 72mbps ALL-I) and a robust all-metal body to the G6's feature set. It loses focus peaking.

Here is what this camera can do:

http://vimeo.com/53834993

http://vimeo.com/72445002

http://vimeo.com/76979952

http://vimeo.com/70176315

It would be a challenge to find a camcorder or a DSLR with the image quality/feature set of these cameras.

Hope this is helpful!

Bill
 
First off, thank you for the quick reply! At least now I have a starting point and I can start to learn what to look for.

@Yodaman:
Unfortunately I don't quite have the budget to buy a Blackmagic camera with lenses and other gear, but I'm sure that some (bright, sunny) day I do..

I've taken a good look at the Canon T3i (Or the 600D as it's called in Europe) and it seems like it's a pretty good camera. Of course you need to light the scene properly, but since you pointed this out I take it the Canon doesn't cope well with low-light situations? I don't know if this makes any difference, but I mostly shoot from a tripod.

@brunerww:
The Panasonic G6 is looking pretty good, especially since it has on-screen audio meters. This is a huge pro if you ask me. Is there any way to connect a headphone to the camera? It would be pretty useless to record audio with your camera if you can't check it immediately.

I'm really impressed by the GH3, I love the fact that it has fysical buttons instead of a menu to change settings. However, I don't know what "focus-peaking" is, is it a shame that it lacks this or is it missable?
 
I don't quite have the budget to buy a Blackmagic camera with lenses and other gear...

The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is not that much more expensive than the GH3. It is only 879€ von Duitsland on eBay NL.

Here is a broadcast commercial shot in 12-bit RAW with this camera: http://vimeo.com/81148562

Here is the story behind the shoot: http://blog.planet5d.com/2014/04/iconic-olympic-commercial-with-a-us-ski-jumper-shot-in-bmpc-raw/

For this job, the production company picked the BMPCC over the Alexa and Canon Cinema EOS cameras.

This is a formidable camera for the price.


The Panasonic G6 is looking pretty good, especially since it has on-screen audio meters. This is a huge pro if you ask me. Is there any way to connect a headphone to the camera?

Sadly, no. But the camera is only 370€ von Engeland. If budget is the primary consideration, this camera is the best choice.


I don't know what "focus-peaking" is, is it a shame that it lacks this or is it missable?

"Focus peaking" creates a colored outline around an object when it is in focus. It is used for increasing the accuracy of manual focus.

The 770€ GH3 has an "expanded focus" feature that magnifies the subject, making it easier to focus.

Focus peaking is a "nice-to-have", not a "must-have", in my view.

By the way, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera has both focus peaking and expanded focus.

I shoot with the GH3 and the BMPCC. I use focus peaking when I'm shooting with the BMPCC - but I don't miss it when I'm shooting with the GH3.

Again, hope this is helpful!

Bill
 
I have to say the blackmagic camera looks amazing... Is colour grading hard to learn and is it very different from adjusting the colours that come from a DSLR?

I do know that if I'm going to buy a DSLR it won't be a low-end one, I'd rather spend around €800,- on a camera that I'll gladly use over a longer period of time than spending €300,- on a camera I'll probably want to upgrade in two years.

At last: of course this is very helpful! I've learnt a lot, I still have a lot of reading to do and probably some camera shop owners to bother in the coming weeks. :lol:
 
You'll probably end up wanting to upgrade your €800 camera every two years too. Color Grading is a whole industry, so from that perspective, yes it's hard. A professional editor, director etc wont be a colourist (usually) as its simply a different area of work.

Of course, most low/no budgeters are wearing many many hats, and so we do our own colouring anyway. There are stacks upon stacks of colouring tutorials online. So yes, you can learn it to some extent.
 
I do know that if I'm going to buy a DSLR it won't be a low-end one, I'd rather spend around €800,- on a camera that I'll gladly use over a longer period of time than spending €300,- on a camera I'll probably want to upgrade in two years

You definitely sound like an ideal black magic buyer here. The BMPCC gives you what is needed to tell cinematic stories in the timeless mode (albeit without slomo)

Coloring well is the learning curve (pun intended), and that will be prioritized with the logarithmic output of the magic. Check out the RGB curves

You'll need lens, storage, and tripod up front. Best of luck
 
Coloring well is the learning curve (pun intended)

:D


I have a tripod and I learnt a lot of simple tricks with it, like making a stabalizer out of it, so I'm good there.
About the lenses and storage, that was one of my concerns as well. The BMPCC costs €995 new and then I'd need at least one, but probably two lenses and, again, at least one, but preferably two SD cards. That's going to cost a lot, but I'll look into it. I don't have to hurry with my purchase or anything.

Thanks again!
 
The Blackmagic is looking better and better... I wanted to ask how an adapter can cause a smaller aperture, but I figured it out (thanks physics!). I'm impressed by this video:

http://vimeo.com/49875510

However, they tested the bigger Blackmagic Cinema Camera instead of the Pocket Cinema. Does anyone have a good comparisson video of DSLR footage vs the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema? As I said earlier, I don't have to make haste so I can start out with just the Blackmagic, a microphone and one lens. My GAS (Gear acquisition syndrome) will take care of the rest over the coming period of time.

One big question: Do you consider this a smart investment for an upcoming filmmaker who doesn't have a lot of experience or would you recommend starting out with a DSLR or another semi-professional videocamera (like the XM2 that I have now, only up to date)?
 
they tested the bigger Blackmagic Cinema Camera instead of the Pocket Cinema. Does anyone have a good comparison video of DSLR footage vs the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema? As I said earlier, I don't have to make haste so I can start out with just the Blackmagic, a microphone and one lens. My GAS (Gear acquisition syndrome) will take care of the rest over the coming period of time.

One big question: Do you consider this a smart investment for an upcoming filmmaker who doesn't have a lot of experience or would you recommend starting out with a DSLR or another semi-professional videocamera (like the XM2 that I have now, only up to date)?

The Pocket has an identical image pipeline to its larger sibling (spare the oversample).

I do think it is a smart investment; its has several features of prosumer cameras aimed at filmmakers (@ less cost & unlike dslrs), it has an imaging approach that mimics the highest fidelity cinema cameras, and it has the flexible form factor of the Dslr.

It is knowing the camera you choose that will get you the best out of it; and so to make the most efficient trajectory to the screen, you'll want to invest time in learning a camera that will return the favor
 
Thanks, Sage Pictures!

I just came back from a small film/production company in my neighbourhood and I saw a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera there. That thing is amazing, I asked the guy a ton of questions and he gave me this advice:

If you only want to make films you should buy a Blackmagic and learn all the stuff you need to learn to use it properly. However, since you're just starting out and you probably are going to take on jobs like making commercials for festivals and stuff. Then the workflow of the Blackmagic is just to complicated and you should buy a decent DSLR or other videocamera so you can gain a lot of experience in the filmmaking process itself before you dive into the world of colour grading and making short (or long) films.

So it basically boils down to this: use a DSLR to build your portfolio and then move on to a Blackmagic or something else.

Maybe they can lend me their Blackmagic when I'm filming my second script, maybe they even want to help out, who knows.

I think this is some decent advice, but I'm still not 100% sure what to do... Thanks for all the replies and tips, I'll keep you guys posted!
 
Thanks, Sage Pictures!

I just came back from a small film/production company in my neighbourhood and I saw a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera there. That thing is amazing, I asked the guy a ton of questions and he gave me this advice:

If you only want to make films you should buy a Blackmagic and learn all the stuff you need to learn to use it properly. However, since you're just starting out and you probably are going to take on jobs like making commercials for festivals and stuff. Then the workflow of the Blackmagic is just to complicated and you should buy a decent DSLR or other videocamera so you can gain a lot of experience in the filmmaking process itself before you dive into the world of colour grading and making short (or long) films.

So it basically boils down to this: use a DSLR to build your portfolio and then move on to a Blackmagic or something else.

Maybe they can lend me their Blackmagic when I'm filming my second script, maybe they even want to help out, who knows.

I think this is some decent advice, but I'm still not 100% sure what to do... Thanks for all the replies and tips, I'll keep you guys posted!

On the next rung down, you can get quite the steal with this, which gives an identical imaging path as the more expensive Dslrs

If you are serious about narrative filmmaking, you will want a Black magic; the higher fidelity is a plus for commercial applications as well (also keep in mind the efficiency of learning just one camera inside and out and sticking with it)
 
@Yodaman:
Unfortunately I don't quite have the budget to buy a Blackmagic camera with lenses and other gear, but I'm sure that some (bright, sunny) day I do..

I've taken a good look at the Canon T3i (Or the 600D as it's called in Europe) and it seems like it's a pretty good camera. Of course you need to light the scene properly, but since you pointed this out I take it the Canon doesn't cope well with low-light situations? I don't know if this makes any difference, but I mostly shoot from a tripod.

Sorry it took me so long to respond, crazy week at work! Haha.

Anyway, yes, the T3i is a very decent camera, but it does seem to produce a fair bit of noise even at fairly low ISOs (anything more than 400), so for low-light you really need to make sure you have lenses that can open up wide (like f/1.4 or something), or figure out how to light the scene but make it still look dark - Film Riot on YouTube do a great job of explaining that!

Shooting from a tripod will definitely help you out in terms of rolling shutter/jello effect, so use it as much as you can! Mount a slider to the camera and the tripod so you can do some dolly moves, too, that will really help add some cool feelings to your videos.

Hope this helps!
 
It turns out my cousin has a Canon 600D (T3i), so I'll be testing it in the next few weeks. However, I don't think I'll be buying this one as it's beneath my budget and if I van afford a "better" one I'm definitely going to buy a better one!

I've been looking at the Canon 60D and 70D. As the 70D just came out, the 60D has had a significant price drop, that's really attractive for me. That means I can spend more money on good quality lenses. Does anyone have experience with one of them, or maybe even with both of them?
 
I've been looking at the Canon 60D and 70D. As the 70D just came out, the 60D has had a significant price drop, that's really attractive for me. That means I can spend more money on good quality lenses. Does anyone have experience with one of them, or maybe even with both of them?

Remember, this has the same exact imaging pipeline
 
It turns out my cousin has a Canon 600D (T3i), so I'll be testing it in the next few weeks. However, I don't think I'll be buying this one as it's beneath my budget and if I van afford a "better" one I'm definitely going to buy a better one!

I've been looking at the Canon 60D and 70D. As the 70D just came out, the 60D has had a significant price drop, that's really attractive for me. That means I can spend more money on good quality lenses. Does anyone have experience with one of them, or maybe even with both of them?

60D is comparable to the 600D, whereas the 70D is slighly improved in most areas. The 600D is still the best bang for buck model in the EOS range, and if you wanna save pennies for glass then this is most peoples choice. With the 70D things step up a notch, but you will still ditch in a few years, long before the lenses. Unless you want the AF, build quality, and slighly improved image performance, the 600D is usually the better budget investment in the long run, with more budget relocated towards other essential hardware, followed by the inevitable body upgrade in a few years (by which time Canon might have actually got off their arses and released a long overdue next gen APSC sensor).
 
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