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A used Canon XA10 would also suit your needs fine. The XA20 is the newer version but it doesn't seem like you need anything it has.
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Jun 27, 2016 16:07
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Thanks to all. You all can tell how out of the loop I am with this, so your advice was extremely useful.
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Jun 27, 2016 16:12
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Hi, folks. Career actor, newbie filmmaker, long-time thread follower. My partner and I have a couple of ideas for projects that we'd like to produce, and while neither of us are strangers to filmmaking and I'm confident in my performance and production/management skills, I'm completely overwhelmed by the film production process. Navigating production insurance, business entities, 501(c)3s, SAG-AFTRA signatory issues, camera/audio/lighting equipment...my head is spinning. And this isn't even pre-production, this is all, like, pre-pre-production. We've both been reading and researching a ton over the past few months but are getting conflicting information ("Just go out there and shoot!"/"Have everything thoroughly planned out BEFORE you begin"), and I'd love to talk with some filmmakers from this thread who would be open to talking about their own experiences, and potentially their recommendations for my specific situation. I'd love to speak with those who are familiar with working with SAG-AFTRA in particular, but am open to talking to anyone who may be able to help me navigate all of this, as I have many, many questions about equipment/babby's first camera/investing in a basic filming setup, composition, financing, etc. as well. My PM box is nearly full, but you can email me at me(at)melanieehrlich(dot)com. Thanks in advance to anyone who reaches out--I really appreciate it. P.S. If anyone here is local to NYC, I'd be happy to meet in person over a cup of coffee or something, too. blinkeve1826 fucked around with this message at 23:36 on Jul 20, 2016 |
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Jul 20, 2016 23:32
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With that much stuff to take care of, maybe you should try to find a DP to partner with? Unless you're planning something really small scale you're going to need crew at some point anyway. This is conjecture on my part but I feel like there must be plenty of aspiring dp types in NYC.
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Jul 21, 2016 01:36
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I'd like that, though I haven't met anyone yet with the right combination of dedication/focus, desire to collaborate, and talent. (It's not from lack of trying--we're both consistently networking at film festivals and other events around the city.) And at least one of the projects (a doc) we want to shoot ourselves. Beyond that, though, these are all things I'd like to know for my own reference anyway; even when I work with a DP, I'll want to know how to speak his/her language.
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Jul 21, 2016 16:00
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Interested in some opinions about cameras and not sure if this is the best thread to use. I'm coming from a Canon XH-A1S that I got 6 years ago, and am wanting to upgrade to not tape / maybe something a little lighter for long shoots, not to mention its gotten a case of the hot pixels spreading. I normally shoot comedy sketches but I also want the option to shoot live shows, events, maybe even weddings so I think a DSLR might not be the best way to go based on what I hear about video time limits and lack of XLR. I've been looking at the XF-200 because it seems most similar to what I'm used to and it's lighter, however the $3000 price tag seems a little much for what it's offering. Seems better in low light than the XA30 but that one is more than a grand cheaper but seems like a glorified Vixia. I also looked at the C100 and I can afford a used one with the body only at $2500 but know nothing about lenses yet, so I'm sure it'll pass $3K just for a good lens. However it seems to have weird issues like a bad viewfinder, low bitrate, bad slo mo capability, and LCD doesn't swivel. My budget is $3K at most, so wondering if any of you have some good suggestions. Not too familiar with other brands like Sony or JVC, so I'm not counting those out, though I gather Canon's image is typically better?
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Aug 22, 2016 20:31
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Fireant posted:Interested in some opinions about cameras and not sure if this is the best thread to use. I'm coming from a Canon XH-A1S that I got 6 years ago, and am wanting to upgrade to not tape / maybe something a little lighter for long shoots, not to mention its gotten a case of the hot pixels spreading. I normally shoot comedy sketches but I also want the option to shoot live shows, events, maybe even weddings so I think a DSLR might not be the best way to go based on what I hear about video time limits and lack of XLR. A poo poo lens looks amazing on a C-100. You could use that to film the far side of Uranus and you'd still get a picture. What you want to get if you go with the C-100 is a external recorder, using the HDMI to write RAW to a SSD, like an Atomos. You can put any piece of poo poo in front of the sensor and it will look a million bucks with that combo.
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Sep 2, 2016 03:16
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The C100 doesn't pass raw video through HDMI, or anything?
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Sep 2, 2016 03:34
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1st AD posted:The C100 doesn't pass raw video through HDMI, or anything?  Are they playing word games with uncompressed and raw?
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Sep 2, 2016 17:04
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They mean different things. It's not word games. edit: think of it like the difference between jpg, tiff, and raw photo files. Uncompressed does not mean the same thing as raw.
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Sep 2, 2016 17:08
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While the C100 is passing through an 8-bit uncompressed signal through the HDMI port, the camera's imaging processors will have already altered the signal coming from the sensor. What you're getting out of that port is a bitrate unrestricted version of what gets recorded to the SD card, so it's an improvement over AVCHD but there's a limit to what you can do to grade the image. True raw video would be recording the 12-bit data from the sensor with a bare minimum of processing, and then in another application you'd have to debayer the image, apply a curve, etc.
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Sep 2, 2016 17:14
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Let me know if this is not the right thread to post this in, but I didnt see a sound recording thread I make documentaries in my free time and I'm wondering about how best to record sound. Currently I have a cheap Rode Shotgun Mic directly plugged into a Canon 5d mk3 I'm shooting with, but the mount is a little loose so it shakes around on camera movement which is annoying. 2 questions: 1) Do you have a microphone recommendation for shooting documentaries? 2) How big an improvement is the preamp on an H1 / H4n vs plugging right into the 5D? I use a shoulder rig but I really dont want to have to carry around another piece of equipment if I dont have to. PPS: My shoulder rig is cheap and I like it alright, but if one of you are really in love with a particular one I'd be open to an upgrade
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Sep 4, 2016 01:15
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SpiritOfSanDimas posted:1) Do you have a microphone recommendation for shooting documentaries? Cheap side? Probably a Rode NTG-2 or NTG-3. Don't bother with Azden shotgun mics, they're terrible. And don't bother with the Audio Technica AT-897, low output and noisy. SpiritOfSanDimas posted:2) How big an improvement is the preamp on an H1 / H4n vs plugging right into the 5D? I use a shoulder rig but I really dont want to have to carry around another piece of equipment if I dont have to. The preamps in the 5D suck pretty bad, almost anything else is going to be an improvement. You can always keep a Zoom recorder in your pocket so it wouldn't be too much more to carry.
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Sep 4, 2016 02:04
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Whatever you get, don't buy a microphone that has it's own dedicated cable. They are pretty much always universally poo poo. I see a lot of beginners/newbies/etc. steer towards them because of the ease of no cabling concerns and less bulk and etc. The RØDEs above are pretty much basic/standard-level amateur doc mics, get one of those. The H4N is good, simple, easy to work but I personally use the DR-60D for non-commercial or low-end doc work because it has a top screw that mounts into your camera's bottom plate which makes the whole thing truly one-hand operable.
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Sep 4, 2016 14:54
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A lighting question. I'm being cheap, and want to use china balls/paper lanterns for my lighting (thanks to forum user Armagnac for suggesting this). Is there any way to (safely) incorporate a dimming mechanism into this type of lighting setup? I found this Filmriot Youtube video on DIYing a dimmer, but have no idea if it's suited for paper lantern lighting setups.
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Sep 6, 2016 18:19
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melon cat posted:A lighting question. I'm being cheap, and want to use china balls/paper lanterns for my lighting (thanks to forum user Armagnac for suggesting this). Router speed control
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Sep 6, 2016 19:20
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Anyone have basic slider recommendations? Looking for something to do small push-ins with my a7r ii. Was looking at the Rhino Core 24" but I'm kind of out of the loop: https://rhinocameragear.com/products/rhino-slider-core
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Sep 8, 2016 15:39
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Alright, I need help making a purchasing decision. I've been doing a lot more video projects lately. I'm shooting with a Sony NEX-5. I need to upgrade to a real, proper video setup. I was thinking of getting the Sony a6300 for this reason. But then I watched this video and I'm nearly convinced that I'd be better off getting a C100. I've run into overheating issue with Sony DSLRs, and dislike the fact that I can't really record continuously without having the camera turn itself off. Am I crazy for considering this? Or can I just hook up an Atomos Ninja Assassin to the a6300 to help it overcome its running/overheating limitations? I like it. Thanks. melon cat fucked around with this message at 18:44 on Sep 8, 2016 |
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Sep 8, 2016 18:08
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melon cat posted:I was thinking of getting the Sony a6300 for this reason. But then I watched this video and I'm nearly convinced that I'd be better off getting a C100. I've run into overheating issue with Sony DSLRs, and dislike the fact that I can't really record continuously without having the camera turn itself off. Here's an article about using the a6300 with the Atomos Shogun. Don't know if it's a great counter to getting a C100, but depending on what you're planning on shooting and the budget you have for purchasing equipment, you might want to hold off on buying a C100. EDIT: Also in other news, Sigma just entered the game with their new Cine Lens line. If they end up being cheaper than Rokinon's Xeen line, I might just have to buy myself the prime set. VoodooXT fucked around with this message at 18:54 on Sep 8, 2016 |
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Sep 8, 2016 18:51
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Thoogsby posted:Anyone have basic slider recommendations? Looking for something to do small push-ins with my a7r ii. Was looking at the Rhino Core 24" but I'm kind of out of the loop: https://rhinocameragear.com/products/rhino-slider-core At that price, I would expect a hell of a lot more than what that little thing offers. I'd build a DryLin slider if I were you, I love mine and it's modular, can be changed, converted to multiple stages, goes on a tripod... all at roughly 1/4th the cost of that thing.
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Sep 8, 2016 20:00
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melon cat posted:Alright, I need help making a purchasing decision. I've been doing a lot more video projects lately. I'm shooting with a Sony NEX-5. I need to upgrade to a real, proper video setup. What kind of video work are you doing? There are some good points in that video, but also some kinda dumb ones. Like, I run external audio frequently and it sounds great. On big shoots I usually have a sound guy who, guess what, is recording separate audio. And the poo poo he was talking about with primes vs zoom makes no sense in the context of a C100 vs DSLR since the zoom he put on the C100 is a DSLR lens. That he could have used on a DSLR. It has nothing to do with C100 or not. And when I need continuous coverage and don't have the ability in camera I just run more than one camera (which is extremely helpful in the edit anyway.) All that said, having a "real" video camera is a lot more convenient. I've never lost/gotten a job based on what equipment I own, but I'd like to have my owned kit be a little better just to make life easier. I don't think it's crazy to go for something like the C100, but it really depends on your overall budget and what you're trying to do.
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Sep 11, 2016 21:22
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Was thinking about renting either a Ronin M or a MoVI M5 for two days to shoot some narrative stuff. I only really need it for a day but two would give me a day to muck around with it and get everything balanced. The thing is I can't find any real comparisons of the two on YouTube etc. which seems odd since it seems like choosing between the two would be fairly common for people looking for a gimbal in that price range. I've watched a lot of test footage and the Ronin seems like it might not be as smooth but probably a little easier to set up and use. Anyone with experience care to comment on either?
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Sep 12, 2016 15:04
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I've used both and think that the M5 has a much better single operator mode. The Ronin's I've used never felt as smooth as the Movi. Some of that might be that I setup the Movi myself while the Ronins I used were setup by others, but looking at test footage I think that it might be inherent in the programming. Only thing I found difficult about setting up either is that with the Movi you need to go into a drop down menu and hit "write to firmware" or something to save settings, which seems kinda unintuitive and dumb. Edit: there's probably not that much comparison because people just buy the Ronin since it's so much cheaper.
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Sep 12, 2016 15:35
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Thoogsby posted:Was thinking about renting either a Ronin M or a MoVI M5 for two days to shoot some narrative stuff. I only really need it for a day but two would give me a day to muck around with it and get everything balanced. The thing is I can't find any real comparisons of the two on YouTube etc. which seems odd since it seems like choosing between the two would be fairly common for people looking for a gimbal in that price range. I've only used the Ronin so I can't comment on the Movi, but I definitely found the Ronin a little cumbersome for single user mode. That said, definitely get it for two days as you said. Trying to get used to it and get your shots on the same day is probably just going to result in compromised work.
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Sep 12, 2016 16:01
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Thanks for the input ya'll. Is the difficulty with the Ronin in single-user just that you need the extra thumb module to have pan / tilt control?
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Sep 13, 2016 13:53
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For me it was just that their version of majestic mode doesn't seem as polished and smooth, especially how it transitions into motion. It's possible that I could have tuned that out with more tweaking though.
powderific fucked around with this message at 15:38 on Sep 13, 2016 |
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Sep 13, 2016 14:50
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powderific posted:What kind of video work are you doing? There are some good points in that video, but also some kinda dumb ones. Like, I run external audio frequently and it sounds great. On big shoots I usually have a sound guy who, guess what, is recording separate audio. And the poo poo he was talking about with primes vs zoom makes no sense in the context of a C100 vs DSLR since the zoom he put on the C100 is a DSLR lens. That he could have used on a DSLR. It has nothing to do with C100 or not. And when I need continuous coverage and don't have the ability in camera I just run more than one camera (which is extremely helpful in the edit anyway.) Thanks for chiming in on this. I'll be using the video camera for making videos for local small business, shooting corporate interviews, weddings, and run-and-gun interviews at busy events. And I usually have one assistant (of varying skill level) helping with recording or audio, so I definitely want a camera that's easy to pick up and record with without having to fiddle with settings, audio connection, etc. As for budget- I was originally thinking $3000, but after factoring in lenses + a possible Atomos device I've had to bump it up to ~$5000 to be more realistic. VoodooXT posted:Here's an article about using the a6300 with the Atomos Shogun. Don't know if it's a great counter to getting a C100, but depending on what you're planning on shooting and the budget you have for purchasing equipment, you might want to hold off on buying a C100. And that Sigma Cine Lens line looks promising. My wallet just scrambled into a corner, shaking. melon cat fucked around with this message at 19:31 on Sep 13, 2016 |
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Sep 13, 2016 16:20
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When you're comparing those two prices remember that one camera is 4K and the other is 1080p. The C100 probably is a better workhorse though if you're ok with the extra investment.
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Sep 14, 2016 00:48
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Went with the MoVI. It feels stupid spending a fraction of the full cost of the Ronin to rent it but the MoVI guy is insanely helpful (this dude: https://vimeo.com/99233379) and it comes with a full kit with a monitor etc.
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Sep 16, 2016 14:00
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melon cat posted:Thanks for chiming in on this. I'll be using the video camera for making videos for local small business, shooting corporate interviews, weddings, and run-and-gun interviews at busy events. And I usually have one assistant (of varying skill level) helping with recording or audio, so I definitely want a camera that's easy to pick up and record with without having to fiddle with settings, audio connection, etc. Yeah, I have to agree with that video you linked. Don't use a DSLR for professional videography. Just do not. It's not worth the pain. Separate system audio sounds like no big deal, but for videography work it's a complete non-starter for more reasons than will fit in this post. Rigging a DSLR sounds like no big deal, until your talent shows up early and you're not done setting up and your follow focus gear is jammed and you have to rack a backwards-focusing old prime lens and you miss it and it looks like poo poo. For videography, everything you can possibly have built in, needs to be built in. You need built-in audio. You NEED built-in ND. You SUPER loving NEED built-in ND. Holy poo poo. anyway, if you're doing a narrative thing and you can budget time to build a rig just the way you need it for a shot, by all means get a DSLR. But for videography work, holy poo poo absolutely never do that.
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Sep 16, 2016 23:47
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Dr. Fishopolis posted:Yeah, I have to agree with that video you linked. Don't use a DSLR for professional videography. Just do not. It's not worth the pain. Separate system audio sounds like no big deal, but for videography work it's a complete non-starter for more reasons than will fit in this post. Rigging a DSLR sounds like no big deal, until your talent shows up early and you're not done setting up and your follow focus gear is jammed and you have to rack a backwards-focusing old prime lens and you miss it and it looks like poo poo. I will confirm this. I do small fan music videos, and I started with a Sony Mirrorless camera. The drat thing overheated. I didn't think that was possible. I saved up and got an old XH-A1, and all of these things.. are amazing. The ND filter alone changed how I can film in a day. My ONE complaint is since it doesn't have interchangeable lenses, it lacks in some flexibility, but otherwise its a great camera I got for a steal.
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Sep 17, 2016 00:29
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VoodooXT posted:Here's an article about using the a6300 with the Atomos Shogun. Don't know if it's a great counter to getting a C100, but depending on what you're planning on shooting and the budget you have for purchasing equipment, you might want to hold off on buying a C100. I think this guy is a loon. Okay, yes. If you put together an a6300 and a shogun, you have a basic camera that can shoot 4k digital video that just about any broadcaster would gladly take, in a package that costs around $2400. That's loving crazy and worth getting excited about. However, this guy is talking about basic videography work. Weddings. Corporate gigs. Web delivery. Okay, quick outdoor interview. Great, let's get set up, shall we? Got my camera, lens, atomos, mic and rig parts out of the bag. 30 minutes later, everything is rigged up and ready to go. Screwed everything together with israeli arms, a cage and a nice little rail system. Cables connected, LUT loaded, mic levels set. Two different batteries that last 90 minutes if you're lucky. Oh, and we gotta screw in a 1/2 ND as well. Wait, no, make that a full. There we go. Oh poo poo, this cable's loose, lucky I have a spare. Wait, let's move back a bit, this lens really shines at around 25 feet. Meanwhile, I pulled out my 6 year old AF100 and shot the loving interview. Okay, sure I'm delivering 1080p, low bitrate, borderline ungradable footage. But I can also hand off a card at the end of the day and know it needs very little else for delivery. I don't care about the rest, because I know what my client wants and I'm comfortable in the fact that I'm not Janusz loving Kaminski. I work much, much faster and more simply than the guy with the DSLR. Nobody is going to look at a 300x crop of my footage and fret about the banding in the bokeh regions. Would I shoot a music video or a broadcast commercial or a narrative short with an AF100? gently caress no. Those things have rental budgets. But for videography, I wouldn't be caught dead with a DSLR.
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Sep 17, 2016 03:03
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The overheating thing is a dealbreaker for me. Never had that happen on any of the DSLR's or mirrorless stuff I've shot on though. I think you guys are maybe overblowing the difficulty of rigging a DSLR a wee bit. While you can go to great lengths with rigging, you don't have to. To shoot at the level you're describing with the AF100 interview there's no reason to use an external recorder or any extensive rig. I'd run audio into my camera through a juicedlink and just have a vari nd on a lens ready to go. A for real video camera is more convenient, sure, but It's not that crazy. edit: to be fair, I may just have camera stockholm syndrome since my primary gear is all DSLR stuff and I've gotten used to it. powderific fucked around with this message at 04:38 on Sep 17, 2016 |
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Sep 17, 2016 03:53
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You're right, there's no need for all that external poo poo, which is my point. For videography, 99.99% of what matters is showing up, getting the shot and not loving up. Every time you throw variables into the equation, you're increasing your chances of loving up. DSLR rigs are a whole mess of variables. Even without a rig, poking around menus to set iso, white balance and shutter speed is very bad. Pushing a button, flipping a switch and turning a dial is good.
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Sep 17, 2016 08:27
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Dr. Fishopolis posted:Even without a rig, poking around menus to set iso, white balance and shutter speed is very bad. Pushing a button, flipping a switch and turning a dial is good. I have yet to find a DSLR where this isn't actually the case?
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Sep 18, 2016 00:24
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Maybe on the very low end? I'm confused by that too as all of my dslrs have dedicated buttons for white balance, shutter, ISO, etc.
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Sep 18, 2016 02:09
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Yeah when you get into the, like, Nikon D52XX series stuff... the settings aren't that easily controlled. It's infuriating and I could only ever see it turning people off to photography.
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Sep 18, 2016 03:53
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It's more a matter of how they operate--on dedicated video cameras you generally have 3 ISOs set to a three-position switch instead of hitting a button and scrolling through a list. Same goes for white balances, and you can save two or three of them so you don't have to dial it in every time, just knock a switch into place. A small difference, but it's one more thing I can put into muscle memory instead of breaking my focus on what I'm shooting. My office just replaced all of their DSLRs with Sony FS5s and it's made our B-roll days waaaaaay nicer.
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Sep 18, 2016 03:56
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If you change your white balance during a shoot you are grossly incompetent, hth.
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Sep 18, 2016 05:25
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If you lock off your white balance for a whole shoot instead of changing it to match your lighting, you're grossly incompetent (you're a huge prick).  Are you seriously advocating for doing an entire shoot in one white balance? What if part of it takes place outside and part inside? Or part during the day and part during the night? Edit: unless that's a typo and you meant mid-shot, in which case yeah, don't do that. But if you're, say, wandering through a museum shooting b-roll and the displays with track lights have a different color than the displays with in-built fluorescents, then being able to save a white balance for each of those and switching back and forth as needed is much easier and faster than pulling out your white cards every time you move four feet. CaptainViolence fucked around with this message at 07:29 on Sep 18, 2016 |
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Sep 18, 2016 07:11
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