Can't decide what camera to buy... Panasonic AF101?

S

Spock

Hello,

I've been looking for a new camera with which I can shoot some serious projects. Mainly short films, but possibly some features in the future. However, I can't afford a RED or Alexa, and after those it doesn't seem like there's any sort of standard, so I've been struggling with what to buy.

I have a maximum budget of $4,000, but obviously I'd like to save some money if possible. Given that, the Panasonic AF101 seems like a good fit. Is that the way to go? Is there some glaring flaw I've overlooked?

In lieu of that, what camera would you recommend for my budget? I don't want a DSLR due to bad rolling shutter/ease of use/external audio/other problems. I'd prefer something made for shooting video.

Additionally, I know very little about lenses, so along with camera recommendations I'd appreciate recommendations on what lenses to get starting off.

Thanks guys!
 
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You're gonna have rolling shutter on just about everything within your budget. Blackmagic 4k has a global shutter (so no jellovision), it's within your budget, but you'd need/want a bunch of extra bits and bobs to make it really useful, a rig, lenses, external battery, etc.

It's the only camera with global shutter I can think of within your budget.

The kinimini might be worth a look, not sure on pricing though.. it does have rolling shutter, but it has a 'sport mode' that is supposed to reduce the leaning/jello. Not sure how easy it would be to get a hold of in the states though, I don't believe there are any distributors in the US..
 
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Yeah I see most cameras do have the rolling shutter, but I was under the understanding that the effect is less profound in some cameras, such as the AF101. Is this true?

Also, the Blackmagic was another one I was considering. What kinds of extras would I need?
 
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external battery solution and several batteries, several SSDs from the approved list, lenses, camera rig with follow focus, external monitoring (built in monitor is very difficult to use in daylight)...

The camera also is very light hungry, so you'd need plenty of lighting, and probably external sound recording gear since the internal audio is ... mediocre .. presently.

You're going to get the most bang for your buck with a dslr of some sort. Or panasonic GH series, etc..
 
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The AF101 is a a few years old now, and honestly I was never a big fan of it even when it was new. At the price they seem to be going for used these days you're still spending more than a GH4 for a sensor that's a few generations behind it. If you're looking for a big 'video' camera though I'm not sure what else would be a good choice at this point in your price range. Maybe an FS100? Gets into the same issue as the BM 4k though, not a lot of money left over for accessories, but if you could find a good deal on a used body it might be a decent option.
 
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@Will: see, that's the kind of hassle I'm trying to get away from with avoiding DSLR's. Sigh. I was really hoping I could find something decent and not awful to use with a 4k budget.

@ItDonnedOnMe: FS100 huh? That is a little steep but I could make it work... And hopefully I wouldn't need too many additional accessories, except for lenses. Or is there something else I'd need?
 
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The AF100 and FS100 have CMOS sensors and skew just like DSLs. As Will says, you have to buy a lot of accessories to get started with the Blackmagic 4K global shutter camera.

You may want to consider a $3298 Panasonic GH4 with the detachable YAGH XLR/SDI interface. With this setup, you can spend less money than for the FS100 and record higher resolution video than any interchangeable lens camcorder below $10,000.

Much higher quality images than the AF100, or, arguably, the FS100.

And it is compatible with Panasonic power zoom lenses such as this 14-42 and this 45-175. The FS100 is not compatible with Sony power zoom lenses.

The GH4 also records at a maximum 96 frames per second at 1080p for smooth in-camera slow motion. The AF100 and FS100 are limited to 1080/60p.

Here is what the GH4 can do:

http://vimeo.com/97096167

http://youtu.be/m86ae_e_ptU

There are many more examples posted to the Panasonic GH4K group I moderate over on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/groups/gh4k

This is the best video camera on the market in the sub-$4000 price class, in my view - camcorder or DSL.

Hope this is helpful!

Bill
 
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Personally speaking, I would say that a Canon DSLR would be better but I have a couple of friends who think otherwise. They say the AF101 has many pluses over others - less rolling shutter skew, proper sound, better focusing and exposure assist. Also, proper SDI and HDMI clean-outs. But then one thing you need to keep in mind that this is primarily a video camera and come what may, since this is not a convergence camera, you can't expect to be taking too many good quality stills with this.
 
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Alright, thanks for the help guys... If I go with the GH4 I'd have to buy accessories too, though, right? Like wouldn't I need all sorts of brackets for holding and filming and making smooth shots etcetera?
 
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Spock said:
Alright, thanks for the help guys... If I go with the GH4 I'd have to buy accessories too, though, right? Like wouldn't I need all sorts of brackets for holding and filming and making smooth shots etcetera?
Click to expand...

You're not going to get around getting extra supporting gear/accessories regardless of the camera you get. How much of that you need to pony up for right away varies.
 
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Well I realize that I'm going to need some supporting gear. I already have some tripods, a dolly, a stabilizer, etc, but it was my understanding that DSLR's need more of that than other cameras.
 
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Not really. An external audio recorder is probably worthwhile, but if you're able to prevent or circumvent auto gain control then you can get by with in-camera audio at least for a while. Batteries on dslrs last a decent amount of time, and tend to be fairly inexpensive, so that's not a big issue.

A dslr and a nice set of lenses is going to be the best bang for your buck, and really all you'd need to get rocking.
 
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Yep, people often tend to go overboard rigging up their DSLR. Start with the basics - camera, lens, batteries & cards - then add to it as you find a specific need. It sounds like you're already good in terms of the basic support gear.
 
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Spock said:
Alright, thanks for the help guys... If I go with the GH4 I'd have to buy accessories too, though, right? Like wouldn't I need all sorts of brackets for holding and filming and making smooth shots etcetera?
Click to expand...

No. This was shot with the GH4 handheld at 4K. Downres'd and stabilized at 1080p with warp stabilizer - no distortion. Even the stuff shot out of the helicopter is handheld.

http://vimeo.com/94862785

Neither rigs and nor image stabilization are really required with this camera if your distribution channel is at 1080p. This is one of the "secret" advantages of shooting at 4K.

Cheers,

Bill
 
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Oh, wow. Based on that footage maybe not, then. GH4 might be the way to go. Thanks for all the help guys, you've been great!

Hypothetically, though, I might be able to scrape together about 2k more for the budget, so with a 6,000 dollar budget should I still go for a DSLR? Or something else?
 
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