In this episode of Indie Film Weekly, we finally settle one of our most FAQs: which camera should I buy?
NFS Co-hosts Jon Fusco and, yours truly, Liz Nord are joined by tech writer Charles Haine with his take on this hot topic. We also get into the DNC's film connections, the new slate of super-trailers released at last week's Comic-Con, indies nominated for this year's News & Documentary Emmys, memorials to both director Garry Marshall (Pretty Woman, Beaches) and the VCR, and some skyward drama around California's first drone-related arrest. As always, the show also brings news you can use about gear, upcoming grant and festival deadlines, this week’s indie film releases, our Ask No Film School segment, and other notable things you might have missed while you were busy making films.
Show Links & Mentions
No Film School articles
- 20+ Films You Need to Watch About Race in America
- How Garry Marshall Made a Rom-Com by Marrying Film and TV
- Cinematography Reigns, Kristen Stewart Had to 'Prove Herself' in Woody Allen's 'Cafe Society'
- Creating the Paranoid Wall Street World in Sundance Thriller 'EQUITY' with Screenwriter Amy Fox
- How to Not Waste A Dime On Your Feature Film (Sundance panel featuring Meera Menon)
Filmmaking Tools
- Assimilate Scratch Pushes Deep into Stereo 3D and VR with 8.5
- Is a Drone-Balloon Hybrid a Match Made in Heaven?
- FilmConvert Updates Camera Profiles for Three New Cameras
Upcoming Deadlines: Grants & Opportunities
- Points North Short Form Editing Residency - August 10
- NEH Media Production and Media Development Grants - August 10
Upcoming Deadlines: Festivals
- The Philadelphia Film Festival - July 29
- The Woodstock Film Festival - July 29 (final)
- IDFA - International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam- August 1 (final)
Film Releases
VOD
Netflix
Theatrical
Blu-Ray/DVD
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Your Comment
9 Comments
which camera rig is featured in the above image in the article ?
July 28, 2016 at 7:57AM
DJI Ronin
July 28, 2016 at 10:40PM
The brain behind is more important than the camera. As is what is happening in shot.
July 28, 2016 at 8:10AM
The 60D is the better option for that era of Canon DSLR's. The GH2 is a more versatile option and is readily available for under $200 used. It's color science, detail and lens options blow away the Canon DSLR's of the same era, and the hack opens it up to shooting razor sharp imagery with stunning detail. . You can also use a Speed Booster to reduce the crop factor to 1.4, providing the option for nice DoF with all the aforementioned bonuses. Either way, the camera should be among the least of your expenses when starting out.
July 28, 2016 at 1:42PM, Edited July 28, 1:55PM
At £500 there are many better camera choices than the old and out of date Canon T2i camera...
Panasonic G6 : £349
Panasonic G7 : £379 ( shoots 4K video )
Panasonic GH3 : £450 ( weather-proof, unlimited shooting time, 3+ hour battery life )
Panasonic GX80 : £510 ( shoots 4K video, 5-axis stabilization, unlimited shooting time )
All of these cameras can use almost ANY lens ever made with the appropriate adapter, and they offer FULL manual control over your video settings.
NOTE: My comment above about unlimited shooting time may not apply to the UK or Europe, but for the rest of the world it applies.
July 28, 2016 at 4:41PM, Edited July 28, 4:46PM
Really appreciate all your suggestions, guys. I hope the people who have asked this question in many different forms on the boards will also read the answers here. (And I hope you get a lot more out of the podcast than this one point! We try to cover lots of news and opportunities relevant to indie filmmakers!)
July 29, 2016 at 11:27AM, Edited July 29, 11:27AM
If Panasonic released something in the 3-5k range I think we'd be very happy. The GH4 is an awesome little camera and I'm sure it's successor will be too. I just wish it had a little more... 4k hfr, better low light capabilities, maybe CFast card slots to record higher bitrates or RAW even... I think it's a huge market opportunity for Panasonic. This is my wish.
July 29, 2016 at 11:43AM
Right now Panasonic has...
- The GH4 mirrorless camera
- The DVX200 camcorder with a micro 4/3 sensor and permanently attached zoom lens
- The Varicam LT Super 35 camera that starts at about $16K
So hopefully once the Varicam LT territory has been sorted out, they might try making a cine camera to compete with the Sony FS7, which would put them back in the low budget Indie film-making game. Sony is just eating things up at this price point.
July 29, 2016 at 7:55PM, Edited July 29, 7:55PM
I think the T2i is an excellent suggestion, esp considering the free Magic Lantern hack. Considering that you can purchase the camera use for about a hundred dollars and used with skill the resulting high quality video will compete with anything in the way we view video in the real world.
The other suggestions will cost many times the cost of a used T2i. People who have mastered the t2i for video will easily master any camera. Dave Dugdale at learningvideo.com has an inexpensive tutorial on the t2i which is well worth the money under forty dollars.
July 31, 2016 at 7:52PM