It's a good suggestion Jax but I'd caution that it depends how comfortable and competent the OP is with having a longer post workflow, particularly color grading and associated tools such as e.g. using Davinci Resolve (Lite). If they hate that stuff, don't get a Blackmagic.Get a Blackmagic and spent most of your money on glass.
Hi ATH - coming from DVX, unless you're looking for a still camera, I don't recommend the 5D Mark III (even though it is on sale at Amazon for $2999 right now). No autofocus, no XLRs, a 30 minute clip length limit and a viewfinder that goes away when you're shooting video. Before you start buying lenses, you have to buy an external monitor or EVF plus follow focus rigs. Then you have to start worrying about sound.
It's a good suggestion Jax but I'd caution that it depends how comfortable and competent the OP is with having a longer post workflow, particularly color grading and associated tools such as e.g. using Davinci Resolve (Lite). If they hate that stuff, don't get a Blackmagic.
http://www.learningdslrvideo.com/black-magic-pocket-review/
I'll defer to your experience Jax, which is significantly more than mine. Dave Dugdale made a big issue of the post production workflow hassle of the BMPC compared to a 5D3. The color grading was a big issue for him and he struggled with it big time. He loved the quality of the output though. To be honest his review put me off the BMPC - otherwise I would have considered it an excellent potential upgrade path.I would've agreed with you in the past, but even if you never touch the 'Film' (i.e. Log) gamma mode, or ever dial to the 'raw' shooting mode, you can shoot in 'Video' (i.e. REC709) gamma mode with an extended dynamic range, and without having to worry about all of those things - in fact, the post workflow will be easier, and the files will be better on your computer, because you'll be shooting in ProRes.
I'll defer to your experience Jax, which is significantly more than mine. Dave Dugdale made a big issue of the post production workflow hassle of the BMPC compared to a 5D3. The color grading was a big issue for him and he struggled with it big time. He loved the quality of the output though. To be honest his review put me off the BMPC - otherwise I would have considered it an excellent potential upgrade path.
I don't know who Dave Dugdale is.
That's what the reviewer (Dave Dugdale) did hence his nightmares - he was new to color grading etc.If you are going to shoot in log ('Film' mode on the BMCC), then it becomes a tad more complicated, as you either need to apply a LUT before grading, so you don't have grey, washed out images in your timeline, or edit with grey, washed out log images, and then colour grade everything later.
If you're going to shoot raw, then it becomes even more complicated - I hate RED's workflow simply because you can't shoot anything other than raw, and 9 times out of 10 you really don't need it, even though it's 'nice to have'.
He's the guy I linked to earlier. Owns the Learning DSLR video website - has lots of free DSLR tutorials on his site and youtube etc. He's good at explaining things for the new folks (like I was last year).I don't know who Dave Dugdale is.