The best camera for low light indoor filming?

Don · May 15, 2015

I'm looking for a starting point for my research, I will be shooting indoors, at night, so all light will be brought in, and it's a close and personal conversation/interview type setting- so I want it to look natural and not lit up with a ton of lights.

I saw some sample pieces, and to my (untrained and inexperienced) eye the D7000 did an incredibly impressive job in film mode with a regular 18-105 lens, and just a couple of living room lights that were on anyway- would going with Prime lenses and a FX camera make a huge difference, or is there something else to focus on that you'd recommend?

Ironically, budget isn't a huge issue on restricting what I get to use on this, but of course I don't want to be wasteful either. If there's a DSLR or even the Black Magic Ursla or something similar that someone would recommend I look into, that does a great job in such low light settings, please let me know. I'm interested in a crisp, clear, high resolution picture/film, and willing to spend if there's something for X amount more that I'd get X·2 times better a result.

Thanks!

film_autre · May 15, 2015

low light you will want the sony a7s or canon Cinema line cameras.. the c100 is pretty cheap right now..

Don · May 15, 2015

film_autre said:
low light you will want the sony a7s or canon Cinema line cameras.. the c100 is pretty cheap right now..

And these are better options than even video cameras, even the Black Magic USRA camera?

Aegis · May 15, 2015

Don said:
And these are better options than even video cameras, even the Black Magic USRA camera?

The current Ursa's *terribad* for low-light (a compromise made to get the global shutter in there) but this may change with the new 4.6k sensor - too early to say yet though. The Pocket and Cinema Cameras are better since they have a native ISO of 800 (Ursa is 400) - pair the PCC/CC with a SpeedBooster and a fast lens and you can do some respectable low-light shooting.

AFAIK though, *nothing* comes close to what the A7s can do - it's low-light is just insane (C100=ISO 80k, A7s=ISO 409k).

samwagner1000 · May 15, 2015

yup. a7s looks awesome in low light (real time northern lights i mean come ON: https://vimeo.com/109709953). c100/300/500 also have a very pretty grain (shot a scene by moonlight alone on the 300 awhile back, something like ISO20k but damn it was pretty-wish i had link, still in post)

IronFilm · May 23, 2015

Indoors with a few living room lights is not a terribly challenging situation. So a Sony A7s would be total overkill.

Even my old Panasonic GH1 with a fast lens could handle this situation with ease.
(And you can pick up a used GH1 for US$150ish, is the best bargain buy you can find! Other than a Sony NEX-5N, which goes for about the same)

But as you've got a little bit more budget, I'd suggest a Sony A6000. Is the next best at lowlight after the Sony A7s which is cheaper than it. And is still damn nice for non extreme situations (which yours isn't). I use an A5100 a lot myself, which is practically the same camera in many ways. (Used a Sony A7s too)

harmonica44 · May 23, 2015

If you want deep DOF indoors though, the A7s is better for that than most cameras. A lot of other ones, are only good if you open up the aperture to a shallow DOF, unless you prefer that for the whole shoot.

WhiteOpus · May 23, 2015

harmonica44 said:
If you want deep DOF indoors though, the A7s is better for that than most cameras. A lot of other ones, are only good if you open up the aperture to a shallow DOF, unless you prefer that for the whole shoot.

no.

IronFilm · May 24, 2015

So so so wrong about deep DoF.
Kinda hilarious a person is advocating a FF for DoF, hahaha! Ironic.