[David C jones]

Have you tried opening the files in another program? Maybe this has nothing to do with you issue but, I’m not sure Resolve Lite will work with RAW, only 1080p. But I may not have that quite right.

As far as dropped frames, I’ve heard of it happening on certain SSD’s; not sure about the Sand Disks. The one way you can know in the field if you have dropped frames is if the record light blinks while recording. May not be the easiest to see, though.

Dave J

[David C jones]

I’m not an expert in the differences between the two cameras but, we just got done shooting with the BMCC for the first time and I don’t think I’d wanna use anything else (except an Alexa :)).

Of course, it may depend on what your final output is going to be and what format/codec the ARRI was set up to shoot. With the BMCC, if you’re shooting RAW, you have, I believe, the widest exposure latitude of just about any camera out there. You’d also be shooting RAW or ProRes which is what the ARRI shoots though, the Alexa will also do 4K; the 300 internal recording is limited to 50mbps (not sure about HD/SDI out).

Hopefully someone with more expertise on the differences can chime in here.

Dave J

[David C jones]

I agree with everything Peter said.

I just got back from a doc shoot with the BMCC and we used a Mattebox and ND filters. We used both much of the time. Some lenses, particularly telephoto lenses didn’t need the Mattebox; the lens hood was adequate. If you’re outside, you’ll most likely want to at least invest in a French flag to control lens flare. You will definitely want to look into getting ND filters. You’ll need the Mattebox to hold the square or rectangle filters; in a pinch, you can hold them in front of the lens but, a Mattebox is the way to go!

Dave J

[David C jones]

Love your BMCC setup! How are you mounting the MixPre D? I actually have one and would love to use it in the future. Can you post a pic of it?

Dave J

[David C jones]

Actually, we didn’t do any audio, just b-roll that will have music & narration under it. That said, I’ve always shot film for my projects so, it’s always been “double system” for me. I would most likely continue that practice with the BMCC but, would also be open to some sort of mixer attached underneath. I’m a fan of SoundDevices stuff and I know they have a small mixer they’ve touted for DSLR use but, would love to hear what others are using 😉

Dave J

[David C jones]

Thanks Peter! I have a Macbook Pro from 2010 so, I’ll have to use the eSATA port.

Best,

Dave J

[David C jones]

Thanks guys for the recommendations!

Dave J

[David C jones]

Hi Dan,

If you only go with one mic, I’d recommend the Sanken COS-11 lav. In a comprehensive test that was done a few years back, the one doing this test found it matched boom mics the best. It’s my favorite mic.

Best,

Dave J

[David C jones]

Hi Darrin,

In terms of getting good sound, mic placement and environment are more important than what recorder you use.

In general, any mic you use shouldn’t be more than 2 feet away from the interviewee’s mouth. And you want to be in a room (or place) where there is little or no noise ie: others talking, air conditioners, motors running, traffic, etc.

What type of mic you use really depends on where you’ll be conducting the interviews. Your budget is very limiting as even a basic hand-held mic like the ElectroVoice 635 is over a $100 dollars (a good rugged all-purpose mic, I might add). Lav mics will cost more but can also be better at rejecting background noise, esp. one with a cardioid pattern. You might look at used gear as it will serve you as good as something new and cost less.

Dave J

[David C jones]

Hi Diana,

It’s really more about the model of mic than the brand; Sennheiser makes high-end lav mics as well as less expensive ones.

Given your situation, I would recommend getting a lav mic that has a cardioid pickup pattern. It will reject more background noise. And as Brian said, placement is more important than the mic itself.

Best,

Dave J