Always Changing–Which DSLR NOW?

[Noah Kadner]

After shooting with the AF100 I’m a little spoiled- much more ergonomic camera to work with than any DSLR out there. Costs more of course. So it comes down to:

DSLR- great images, not optimal ergonomics, relatively cheap ~700-2500
AF100- great images, optimal ergonomics, more expensive. ~4995

If I had to pick a camera that wasn’t the 5D Mark II- I’d go with the 60D. The swing out monitor seals the deal.

Noah

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[Albert Solan]

No new firmwares updates for the 7D? ever? where did you read that? I’m curious because I’m seriously considering buying one soon.

[Yuke Ward]

Lots of details (forest) and fast (action) movements? Aren’t these DSLR cameras’ weak spots due to rolling-shutter and line-skipping?

Hugely popular feature “Monsters” was filmed with an Ex3 and a 35mm adapter (and still lenses?).

chack out the making-off :

https://www.slashfilm.com/how-gareth-edwards-shot-monsters-on-an-incredibly-low-budget/

[Michael Sacci]

[Mike Thomas] “until I realized that new filmware is coming out all the time for all the models” Unless you are talking about Firmware HACKS this is such a non-issue. Some of the Firmware that has come out is normally to fix something not to add features to the camera. The 5D needed a firmware update to change the frame-rates to something that was actually usable.

Magic Lantern Firmware is good, I may try it on my 60D by they are hacks and have a level of risks to use. Although the risk seems to be small there is a risk.

[Bill Davis]

Camera = piano.

If you can play one piano, you can play ANY of them. More importantly, if you aren’t yet a highly skilled piano player, the quality of the instrument to which you sit down at is always going to be a a pretty insignificant consideration.

Every single camera mentioned in this thread is capable of making a GREAT movie – or another in the ever increasing series of home made digital movies that goes nowhere. It’s a harsh reality – but it IS reality.

Pick a camera – any camera – whatever you’re currently leaning towards – knowing that in the end, what really matters is the EXPERIENCE you gain making your movie. NOT any sort of magic that the particular device will impart. There IS no magic in devices. But smart people CAN develop magic in themselves. But only after the hardware stuff is BEHIND you and the process of creating has started.

FWIW.

“Before speaking out ask yourself whether your words are true, whether they are respectful and whether they are needed in our civil discussions.”-Justice O’Conner

[Eric Nicastro]

I have a 60D and love it because of the swing out monitor. Same sensor and guts as the 7D, just not as rugged of a body and not as fast for stills. I used my 60D on a Glidecam 4000. Being able to move the monitor and keep it angled towards me was wonderful and made my life so much easier! I even put it on a monopod and held it above my head, pointed the monitor down so I could keep my shot framed. And it’s extremely inexpensive; only about $1,000 for body only.

[Mike Thomas]

I was referring to hack filmware as Michael pointed out. Apparently the 7D is the only model which won’t accept them.

Thanks for the replies.

[Michael Sacci]

I would not make my decision on what has hacked firmware available.

[Sohrab Sandhu]

[Bill Davis] ” There IS no magic in devices. But smart people CAN develop magic in themselves”

Nothing but THE TRUTH!

These bloody expensive cameras are still easier to get but the Magic….ah!

2.66 GHz 8-core, ATI Radeon HD 4870,
FCS 3, AJA Kona Lhi

“The creative person wants to be a know-it-all. He wants to know about all kinds of things: ancient history, nineteenth-century mathematics, current manufacturing techniques, flower arranging, and hog futures. Because he never knows when these ideas might come together to form a new idea. It may happen six minutes later or six months, or six years down the road. But he has faith that it will happen.” — Carl Ally

[Malcolm Matusky]

You did not say what your “budget” is for camera equipment. Perhaps you should rent? Buy? That’s a business decision you have to make first, then you can figure out what equipment you can get for the money you have. See Philip Bloom’s website about the af-100, he just bought one, and has a GH2 to go with it, and a 7D, 5D, piles of lenses etc etc.

What do you want to accomplish? Do you need 2 cameras? The af-100/GH2 combination is great, as long as you are OK with completely manual lenses, PL mount, etc. The m43 lenses are consumer stuff, slow, not constant aperture, not too useful for filmmaking. Berger is just coming out with an adapter for Canon EOS to m43 with IS, aperture control, etc. If it works, and is available, should be very interesting. I think this would be a great combination for “feature” filmmaking at this point. Not a “vista-vision” sized sensor, but just shy of Super-35, the feature film standard.

Or should you rend a Red? $ 1,500~2,000/day not including data storage issues, etc, etc. Do you have a fast enough computer to edit on, 10~20 TB of storage???

I’m shooting with the 7D, I like it, and it works for me. I hand hold a lot, but very short scenes, so the front heavy nature of my rig is OK, I also use a monopod when I have longer takes, or go to the tripod. Not as easy to use as a “video camera” but I like the look and find the light sensitivity very useful in the uncontrolled environments I shoot in. I usually shoot ISO 640 and up so I can shoot with an f4~5.6 to keep things in focus, I shoot alone! I have been thinking of getting a HMC-150 to complement my rig, but have not needed it yet, so I’ll wait or rent when I do.

Regards,

Malcolm

Malcolm