Recommended RED Cameras - Low Budget

G

GreySon

I'm looking for advice on the multiple RED cameras. I've browsed their website a good bit and looked at different models and packages. I'm quite ignorant on a good bit of it though.

I'm producing a thirteen episode series and was wondering if any of you could recommend camera packages on a budget anywhere from $10,000 to $60,000.

I'm also ignorant on the assortment of lens that I would need.
 
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I can't really help you with the RED stuff. If it is for broadcast television (16:9 1080p), you don't really need a RED. You could get away with a Canon 5D mkii or mkiii, many do. You could also use any of the fine, budget friendly-ish, offerings from Sony, Panasonic or JVC. If you MUST have a RED, you can either purchase an older model or rent whichever one floats your boat. The lenses you need will depend upon your specific shooting conditions and the look that you are after. Your DP is the one to answer these questions.
 
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I submit that this "first post" is designed to test a marketing strategy. Not an accusation, just a guess..

But regardless, I have nothing useful to offer beyond what anyone could find on the internet. Oh, and why not rent?
 
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Thanks for the help. I'm only looking at RED because that was what I had gotten in my head as to being what I needed. I'm looking to purchase and use a camera for multiple productions rather than renting each time.

I'm open to any camera that could get the job done.
 
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hey, your reel! Woho!

Sorry I have not real useful data at that level of expertise. Im looking hard at the BMCC with necessary accessories its right near the outside of my lower budget which is less than $5000.
 
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Why are you opposed to renting? Do you think that all the great directors own all the gear they use on their films? Most professional DPs/Cinematographers do not own their own cameras. "Hollywood" rents everything. That way they can always have the latest, greatest toys - or the best of the old favorites - whenever they want them.

Besides, it's not just the camera, its the glass; and most rentals companies will offer a very nice selection of top-grade lenses - much better than what you could afford, especially after you've blown your budget on the camera.

Do you have a DP attached yet? Why not let him/her decide which camera to use? Do you tell your plumber or auto mechanic which tools to use? No; you tell them what needs to be done and they choose the tools they prefer to do the job properly.

And, of course, what about audio? Have you even thought about it? A really nice entry level professional audio kit can set you back $4k to $5k. Oh, and who is going to run the audio? Same as above; you hire the sound person/team and let them use the gear that they feel will do the best job in the given situational circumstances. And what about everything else you will need - lights and electric, wardrobe, H/MU, etc., etc., etc. Have you even thought through a practical shooting budget? How much are you paying your actors and crew? What about the cost of permits and other legal papers? What about editing and audio post? How about marketing and your plans for distribution?

A piece of advice I've taken to heart - if you are not going to use it every day you shouldn't own it. After your 13 weeks of shooting what's going to happen to your camera? It will sit in a closet collecting dust and becoming more obsolete by the day. In a year you will be lucky to get 40¢ on the dollar. In two years if you get 25¢ on the dollar you've made a good sale. In five years it will be a paperweight.

The common thought seems to be "if I don't buy it I have nothing in the end." But, in the end, you have a film; or, in your case, a series of films. And isn't that why you're going through all this in the first place?
 
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Alcove Audio said:
A piece of advice I've taken to heart - if you are not going to use it every day you shouldn't own it. After your 13 weeks of shooting what's going to happen to your camera? It will sit in a closet collecting dust and becoming more obsolete by the day. In a year you will be lucky to get 40¢ on the dollar. In two years if you get 25¢ on the dollar you've made a good sale. In five years it will be a paperweight.
Click to expand...

I think this is shifting though in the camera world, at least at the lower end - as the low end isn't really as low as it used to be.

I bought my 5DmkII when it shipped in late 2008. Five years later it's far from a paperweight - I still shoot regularly with it even as I've started moving to other cameras. It's also a great stills camera. Over 5 years it's basically cost me less than $100/month to own. Of course it also paid for itself a several times over in the first year I owned it (and I don't do video professionally full time anymore), and it still has a reasonable aftermarket value as well. There are certainly better cameras on the market now in that price range, but not so much better that I've felt the need to rush to upgrade. I will upgrade at some point in the next year, but by that point I'd say I got way more than my money's worth by owning that camera than if I'd just rented it for specific projects.
 
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Thirteen episodes of what exactly?

Are you making an hour-long/episode series that you're allowing 15 weeks to shoot? Or a 9-minute/episode webseries that you're shooting in two weeks..?

Do you need RED?

And what's your real budget? There's a big difference between $10k and $60k.
 
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Don't spend 5 figures on a camera body unless you are intending to become a professional owner/operator of said camera. I suppose if you are starting a full-service type of production company, then maybe there is a case to be made as well. Sounds, based on your post, like you are doing neither of those things.

Save your $10-$60K for the production costs of your "thirteen episodes."

IMO, FWIW, YMMV, etc.
 
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