It is easy to get caught up and overwhelmed in the ever-changing landscape of digital cinema. To get your brain in a twist, we have to worry about sound, camera, computers, non-linear editing software… and within there you have codecs, dynamic range, color spaces, resolution, frame rate, and delivery platform. Don’t even get me started on “brand loyalty”!
Human’s dislike change, and they dislike being wrong, so if you are here to find out about “the last camera you will ever have to buy”… sorry. However, if you have a project starting immediately, or you want to start shooting and learning, that is where this guide comes in.
So I am here to give you my opinion on the current camera landscape. This is going to change, likely within a few months, definitely within 2015. The thing to remember is that the best camera ever is the one available now that you can afford to use. I have won awards for cinematography with Red cameras and with DSLRs. So if you are in the market, look through the lists below and maybe you will have a bit more confidence making your choice. I will specifically be talking about the CAMERA BODY, MEDIA and BATTERIES in my “ready to shoot” price. To shoot you need a camera, lens, battery, memory card, and tripod. Lenses will be a whole new article.
Let’s do this!
ANTI-TROLL DISCLAIMER: This is just my personal opinion. Stay cool.
JUST GETTING STARTED
You are going off to school, in school, or just leaving school. You want to make pretty and clear images that you can edit together for YouTube or Festivals or your aunt’s Etsy site. Or you have a story that deserves a documentary and like all documentarians, you have no budget. Take heart! You are a badass and no one can stop you.
CANON EOS REBEL T5i – $599 base price – $650 ready to shoot.
The affordable DSLR is still a great way to get going. I would also say that this is not a throw away item! I have fed my family and won awards for cinematography with my T2i. You can absolutely make these sing, and the best part is that when you get good here, everything else will seem super easy!
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Panasonic GH3, The Nikon whatever, Sony Alpha series.
These don’t make my list mostly because you will need lens adapters to get a comparable
frame size with the GH3, Nikon lenses rotate in the opposite direction of cinema lenses,
and I am not familiar with any great options in the lower level of Sony’s line (though I am
sure they exist).
BEING A PRO
People actually want to give you money for what you do! You want to be able to do narrative, commercial, and documentary content that can play in any venue, on any screen, but you don’t have to impress the old guard. Take heart! You might make a career out of this.
PANASONIC GH4 – $1,499 base price – $1,800 ready to shoot
4k is here to stay. In fact some companies are already pushing beyond 4k. But for the next 5-10 years, no one is going to shun you for 4k resolution. Having truly affordable options in this price range means, to me anyway, that you really need to be shooting at 4k to be relevant. Along came the GH4. When the GH4 and the SONY A7S were getting ready to be announced, many professionals were waiting with bated breath. They promised to be 4k DSLRs with no compromises at achievable prices. While Sony fell short with rolling shutter and no ability to record 4k internally, Panasonic hit it out of the park.
The best thing I can say about the GH4? I own a Red Scarlet and a GH4, I shoot on the GH4.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: SONY A7s with ATOMOS Shogun recorder – $5,000 ready to shoot – Expensive and there is still all that rolling shutter. But the lowlight performance and full frame look are phenomenal.
Chinese Red Knockoffs – They just aren’t QUITE there, but let’s talk next year! Until then, here is EOSHD’s ARTICLE on one such camera, if you are curious.
LOOKING LIKE A PRO
You have outgrown your local market or you want to officially take over. Your clients have
trademark icons after their logo and you are becoming a name dropper. When you walk on set you need there to be no doubt you know what you are doing and that you have the best tool for the job… even if the people you are impressing don’t know anything about cameras.
SONY FS7 – $7,999 base price – $9,500 ready to shoot.
Holy cow is this camera awesome! Sony really responded to Red cameras well with the FS700, but the form factor and external recording for 4k kept it off my lists. That is all rectified with this beauty. The dynamic range, ND filters, internal recording, XLR inputs, adaptability to any lens system, high-speed recording… and a phenomenal image!
The media is professional but reasonable, the codecs are widely supported, and all the controls a professional could want are there for you to access. To learn more check out The Camera Store’s two part review: PART 1 and PART 2.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Red Scarlet, Blackmagic Ursa, Aja Scion. This was a category that Red Digital Cinema has held for a long time. They still offer wonderful options but at about twice the price of the FS7 it is hard to recommend any more. The Blackmagic line has had a number of technical bumps along the way and remains untested. The Aja Scion looks quite promising…
I HAVE TOO MUCH MONEY
Seriously, why are you reading this article? If money is no option than you should know all this yourself, or you are jumping in to the top of an industry with a lot of dough but not much experience. You don’t need a camera, you need to hire me! 😉 Just kidding, but always keep in mind you can rent/hire what you need before making a permanent choice.
RED EPIC DRAGON – $26,000 base price – $38,000 ready to shoot
Red cameras are awesome. No one will question you if you show up with one of these bad boys. And they are half the price of their Arri competitors with more features. These cameras are effectively an infinite film camera.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Alexa, Phantom Mira. The problems? Price, price, price.
CONCLUSION
We will try to update this article as new cameras release. Probably every 3-6 months. This is a very exciting and wonderful time for filmmakers, you just have to be willing to accept that things will change. So instead of worrying about buying the “last camera you will ever need to own” you need to go for the best camera you can afford right now.
Happy shooting!
Jeffrey T. Morgan is a Professional DP and filmmaker. For more information, check out his website – www.PrometheusMotionPictures.com
