camera-gear Help me enter the modern era of Video and Photography

B

BSH

Hello,

After a decade off from video and photography I am looking to get back at it and seriously need some help picking equipment. I have been doing a ton of research but still struggling to pick a direction with gear.

I'll be making content for Youtube and Instagram and right now I have a Gopro 6, a Mavic Mini and my Iphone X. This setup works ok for some basic stuff but I really need to ramp up the photography side of things as well as video and audio. I was leaning towards getting a Canon 6D mark ii and using that as my main camera for both, as well as getting a Gopro 9 for some decent slow mo stuff. Now I'm kicking around the idea of getting a used C100 Mark ii for video as well as the 6D mark ii for pictures as well as a back up video camera.

I used to have a Canon XL1s, a Sony DVCAM something or other and a Panasonic HX200. To be honest I've forgotten the model number of the last two but the point I'm trying to make is that the idea of shooting video on a DSLR seems foreign to me. The C100 would be more familiar as well as much more functional for audio stuff but I really wish it had better frame rate options for slow motion.

The last consideration is that I will often be out bouncing around in the bush so rugged durability is a major asset.

Please offer up any advice or recommendations. I'm leaning towards Canon but open minded, it will mostly be me doing something while the camera is on a tripod, so no operator.

Thanks

Here is an example of the kind of stuff I'm doing. As you can see the Gopro is being pelted with rocks the whole time and actually broke the lens. I am not expecting that kind of durability from the Canon's.

 
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Ya things are getting out of hand. I have to thank you for recommendation for the A7Siii, I have done the research drank the Koolaid and now I'm just hoping for a big black Friday sale. The footage from that camera is astounding. Are you recording audio into the camera? What is your mic setup?
 
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Sound devices mm-1 preamp and a scx-one microphone is what I used today when I did auditions over Zoom with my a7s as a webcam.

I wish I had some wireless lavs but I need to invest more in lights. Glad I could help.

12k is great for music video . It allows you to do high stylized camera movement in perfect coordination with dancers all in post production
 
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One of the main things that makes the Sony A7s iii kick is the fast auto focus and flipping/touch screen.

You don't need to go that high for YouTube though. Wait for it to take over the market, and get its cheaper brothers.
YouTube isn't worth the extra firepower unless you already have thousands of followers to help pay for the investment.

Don't make the mistake all us videomakers do, following hype trains down memory lane, then have so much gear we have to sell when we don't reach the end goal.
 
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I appreciate the thought but 10k of so worth of gear is a far cry from the setup I used to have and clients were still calling me with jobs after I got bored of the stuff I was working on and stopped making videos. Could it be done with a basic setup? Absolutely, but stunning images can only help.
 
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BSH said:
I appreciate the thought but 10k of so worth of gear is a far cry from the setup I used to have and clients were still calling me with jobs after I got bored of the stuff I was working on and stopped making videos. Could it be done with a basic setup? Absolutely, but stunning images can only help.
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Well sounds like you know what you are doing.

If you have an original and worthwhile channel with exceedingly stand out content, or a following of at least a couple thousand. Then I'd say it is worth the cost. Like you said, your following will see you are getting better, and probably want to see what happens next.

But, YouTube channels have started much cheaper and been way more successful than the fancy pants LED lit backdrop, cinematic focus, 8k resolution content creators. They probably just end up being review channels for their own expensive and expansive gear cabinet.

I've already made a mistake buying the best gear at the prime times, and it wasn't at all worth the price of admission.
 
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Ya I can definitely agree with all of that, and I am a long way from a couple thousand subscribers but only at it for about 6 months.

From my perspective, when I got out of film school I bought a Canon XL1s and a very nice Manfrotto tripod for a little over $8,000 Canadian, and that got me in the game. Now 20 years later I can buy this setup for a similar amount of money but the image quality and frame rate capabilities are like comparing a VW bug to a Ferrari.

I should also mention that I have a pretty solid photography background, so on both fronts this camera will allow me to really ramp up the quality of content that I'm creating. Plus with Black Friday rapidly approaching there will hopefully be an opportunity to get some sort of deal.

I have always been a 'jump in the deep end' and learn how to swim kind of guy, it's just who I am.
 
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BSH said:
Ya I can definitely agree with all of that, and I am a long way from a couple thousand subscribers but only at it for about 6 months.

From my perspective, when I got out of film school I bought a Canon XL1s and a very nice Manfrotto tripod for a little over $8,000 Canadian, and that got me in the game. Now 20 years later I can buy this setup for a similar amount of money but the image quality and frame rate capabilities are like comparing a VW bug to a Ferrari.

I should also mention that I have a pretty solid photography background, so on both fronts this camera will allow me to really ramp up the quality of content that I'm creating. Plus with Black Friday rapidly approaching there will hopefully be an opportunity to get some sort of deal.

I have always been a 'jump in the deep end' and learn how to swim kind of guy, it's just who I am.
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Yeah, it definitely works for some people. Sometimes, even the thought of spending a boat load of cash propels you to use it.
 
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BSH said:
Ya I can definitely agree with all of that, and I am a long way from a couple thousand subscribers but only at it for about 6 months.

From my perspective, when I got out of film school I bought a Canon XL1s and a very nice Manfrotto tripod for a little over $8,000 Canadian, and that got me in the game. Now 20 years later I can buy this setup for a similar amount of money but the image quality and frame rate capabilities are like comparing a VW bug to a Ferrari.

I should also mention that I have a pretty solid photography background, so on both fronts this camera will allow me to really ramp up the quality of content that I'm creating. Plus with Black Friday rapidly approaching there will hopefully be an opportunity to get some sort of deal.

I have always been a 'jump in the deep end' and learn how to swim kind of guy, it's just who I am.
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Not to burst your bubble but people are waiting for this camera on back order. It’s brand new and in high demand. There is no incentive to put it on sale
 
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Dang it! That does burst my bubble. I have seen it on a few Canadian websites for sale but just checked and at least a couple of them say you need to put down a deposit. Thanks for the heads up, I'll call around and see how far out it is. Planning on buying it in a month and a half anyways so I guess we'll see. Hopefully I can get some Black Friday sale's on lens, mic, tripod, filters, cards, etc, etc.
 
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Well... After a lot of pondering and the realization that I will probably need a new computer as well to handle the footage, I have decided to chicken out and go with the A7iii. Almost half the price, high likelihood of Black Friday sale's and most importantly still plenty capable for my needs. It is what it is, I really appreciate the help. Thanks guys
 
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BSH said:
Well... After a lot of pondering and the realization that I will probably need a new computer as well to handle the footage, I have decided to chicken out and go with the A7iii. Almost half the price, high likelihood of Black Friday sale's and most importantly still plenty capable for my needs. It is what it is, I really appreciate the help. Thanks guys
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Probably the better choice for now. Plus all your gear should carry over when you get the better model.
 
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I haven't kept up with the latest gear buzz for a long while. Nevertheless, I'll share this. I'm a longtime fan of these two guys; I used to watch them regularly. Disclaimer: they are both filmmakers given they are YouTubers, but they may not not address all the needs and wants of a filmmaker like you.

Kai W

Lok Cheung
 
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