As a cinematographer, so many times potential clients ask me, 'what kind of camera are you shooting with', that I've started to say, 'does it matter'? Many will argue it does, but I disagree. It's a tool. I can build some pretty cool furniture in my garage workshop with generic, not so great tools because I'm creative.
Granted, a professional grade cinema camera does have its perks / bells and whistles, but it's not going to magically make a shot look amazing. Did you know season 7 of 'HOUSE' was filmed on a Canon 5dMkii? Or that Season 7 of 'Dexter' was shot on a Nikon D800? Perhaps publicity stunts to get eyes on the show, or maybe the director / dp envisioned getting shots that would be more attainable with a smaller rig. Regardless, it doesn't matter. Your camera is a tool. If you have the skills to properly light and frame a shot, it'll look good. My last feature I shot with Sony's A7siii and A7iv cheap photography zoom lenses. Granted my budget was under 3k, it made my job easy as I was a solo crew and I didn't have to rig so much stuff up (like on my Blackmagic 6k).
Point being, don't get hung up on the camera. Go out and shoot and make some art! Now that I've blabbered on, what's in everyone's bag at the moment?
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Stephen Folker. "It's a tool. I can build some pretty cool furniture in my garage workshop with generic, not so great tools because I'm creative." I saw a video where an experienced filmmaker or photographer used a cheap camera, and an amateur used an expensive camera. The filmmaker or photographer's final product was a lot better than the amateur's final product.
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Maurice Vaughan I've seen that same video. They gave the pro a $300 entry level DSLR and the amateur a high end cinema camera. Both had no lights either.
It's incredible what pros can do with little, Stephen Folker. I heard a lot about the RED camera way back. What are your thoughts on that camera?
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Maurice Vaughan it's just a camera.
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What's the old saying? An artist doesn't;t blame his tools. A good cinematographer can make magic with most any camera. But folks coming up can benefit from great technology (said the amateur).
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I think about trade workers back in the old days. The skill and craftsmanship of building a house 100+ years ago and the tools used, were so basic compared to today. And those houses are still standing today and will in another 100 years. Fast forward, technology today as made things easier, but the amateur still has to have the skill set to make it work.
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I remember a short film shot by Zack Snyder on an iPhone that looked pretty good.
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100%. Has anyone ever wondered about the paintbrushes used by Picasso?...
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Love the comparison, Gareth Taylor. It's less about the tools and more about how we use them
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Stephen Folker I agree with the argument in principle but with a couple of caveats. I've shot with films on everything from SD video to film to iPhone to pro cinema cameras. The camera does not matter for most aspects with these caveats: You add major expenses to post for a project going to DCP if you don't shoot 10-bit or higher at 24.000fps. But a used BlackMagic Pocket, Z-Cam or others will do this as well as very recent iPhones.
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Gareth Taylor Good point! And let's not forget the legendary Bob Ross used some big ole' paint brushes and had some unique techniques.
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Hey Stephen (another Stephen w/same spelling is cool in my book). I think nowadays most mirrorless cameras shoot 10bit 4k.
M LaVoie - Good point about build quality / extreme temps, but for most people, I don't think we're shooting in Antartica or Death Valley. Just saying in general - it's not really so much an issue.
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Great reality check, Stephen #1! You were quite helpful this past summer as I surveyed the cinema camera landscape before buying the Canon EOS C70. I spent many, many hours getting a handle on its capabilities over the last few months, which culminated in my first short film earlier this month. Now, I'm trying to decide which 50mm lense to put on my Xmas list :-)
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Hey Ty Strange - glad you were able to find something to fit your needs. The C70 is really a great all in one camera. Canon makes a great 50mm lens for under 200 bucks. I think it's on sale right now at BHPhoto.
Look forward to seeing your short film when it's in the can!
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Ty Strange Great, very glad to hear it. Congrats on the short, look forward to seeing it. And anamorphic is always fun ;)
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Funny you should mention that lens, Stephen Folker. I've had my eye on that one for the last few weeks.
The short is in the can already. It was an exercise in stepping through the filmmaking process, to assess my skills-to-date, from storyboarding to filming to final cut. It just happens to have enough production and entertainment value to share.
https://vimeo.com/887141003
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Thx, Stephen V. Stone! And nice to meet you. I do enjoy the anamorphic look and the tech behind it. Love the names of your cats!
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Everyone has own choice and it depends on how you feed light to your camera.
for me atleast if it delivering good resolution and better dynamic range then it's enough.
this can be Blackmagic pocket 6k or sony A7s mk3 too.
but if they have good budget abd and looking forward to more into theatrical Release i would prefer on Cinema camera like ARRI LF or Mini LF.
without need if people are just seeking for cinema camera only then it's just showoff.
i had shot my indie feature with BMPCC6k only. with. ( 4 members including cast and crew).
and it worked very well in final with grading too.
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Harshad Mori good point! Everyone should have a choice (Red, Arri, Nikon, etc). But the point is, not to get hung up on the camera model. By the way, would love to see your finished film when it's ready to see! :)
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https://youtu.be/2mZUy7W7u_8?si=jQn2xXkjiV-aqckN
Stephen Folker you can watch it's trailer on above link on YouTube . you will find full movie on same channel on YouTube. this film was everyone's debut film and with team of 4 people( including cast and crew) we had shot for 22 days (85% film is night Exterior ).
Please share your valuable feedback too.