Camera basic info needed.

V

Vows

I am going to shoot a film in Sept. I've been a professional photographer for 30 years and am a Nikon customer. I've got a couple of lenses that I have loved, and I am a manual everything photographer. I always have read Canon puts a beating on Nikon Digital, then in my info gathering I read about Black Magic. Question is, I've got mic, tascam, tripods, lights, location, set, props, so which camera for a 1 act full length, no special effects, all inside film with a $5k to spend?
 
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Vows - what's your distribution channel? If you're shooting for theatrical projection, you want to record at 2K resolution or greater. Wth a $5K budget, there's pretty much only one camera in your price range that will work with your lenses - the soon-to-ship $3K BlackMagic Cinema Camera with a micro 4/3 mount and a high quality Voigtlander Nikon to micro 4/3 adapter for $179.

With the remaining $2K, you can get the batteries, Solid State Drives, rails, matte box, etc. that you will need to turn the BMCC into a production camera.

If your distribution channel is the web, all you need is 1080p. In that case, I recommend a $1298 Panasonic GH3 with the Voigtlander adapter for your Nikon glass - or, if you want to use the camera for still photography in your day job after the film is finished, you might want to consider a Nikon D800 and an anti-aliasing filter to minimize its moire problem.

Hope this is helpful, good luck with your project and best of the holidays,

Bill
 
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Even for theatrical projection, you don't need 2k and could easily get away with 1080 straight out of a GH3.

A D800 would also be good, especially with an external recorder.
 
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I would like to submit my film to festivals. I don't need the camera until april, will Black Magic figure things out, and would nikon and others keep improving? As tech. changes almost daily.
Thanks
 
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again...MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER...that comment suggests to me that you would not make that choice, that it is less than adequate(the nikon). I read some much on Magic, but get the thing out there. Is it working? Lastly, I would like to use it photographing my wedding, that is absolutely a consideration.
Again.. Thanks
 
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Vows - The only reason I recommended the D800 was because it's a good camera, if you compensate for its weaknesses - and you are already an experienced Nikon shooter and own Nikon lenses.

I personally wouldn't shoot video on the D800 (or any DSLR). The mirror blocks the viewfinder, forcing you to use the LCD or a monitor, they quit recording after 20 or 30 minutes of continuous video (bad for weddings or other events), and they all (except the 5D Mark III) have terrible moire without anti-aliasing filters or other workarounds. No thanks.

People have shot great movies with DSLRs - but it is too much hassle for me. And for these guys too.

As far as the BMCC goes - yes, it will ship in quantity soon, and yes, people are already shooting amazing video with it, but it is not a wedding or event camera (can you imagine changing SSDs in the middle of the ceremony? Or the non-swappable battery dying?).

I would shoot both the wedding and the film project with the GH3, but that's what I chose as my personal camera - and I admit it - I'm biased :)

Cheers,

Bill
 
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