Is film making a hobby of yours? You may also plan of making this as your profession which is amazing! Now the question that arises is how well do you know your equipment? Your camera, lens, Filters etc. It is absolutely important to know about all these things. Different types of films or photographs need different camerasto get the desired results. You need to know what exactly you need. You’ll never be able to find anything you need if you don’t know you’re required equipment.
In this post, We’ll be discussing the important things regarding the camera with respect to film making and photography.
Now Which camera should you purchase?
You can shoot a film with a Canon 80D or even an iPhone but you can also shoot with an Arri Alexas. If you look around, if you’ll find cameras of sorts of colors, sizes and price ranges. They exist because people are still buying them. If you compare cameras on YouTube, you’ll find videos comparing iPhone to a red camera. Although, the video executives still insist on filming with an Arri Alexa. They could save a lot on cheaper camera and go on a platinum style vacation. They just sign the check without any second. What is that they know but you don’t? Well its nothing big, they just know what they want! It has been proven that the iPhone as is as good as the Red Weapon. There are plenty of options for you out there. So which one should you put your money on?
Think about what will your film be like? Where all your films be seen? Under what conditions do you plan to film? Your films will be seen by what audience? How much monetary foundation do you have? Taking all this under consideration, you’ll have quite a few options through which you’ll have to choose. There’s one thing you need to know, some movies can be shot on Arri Alexa and some can’t, some can be shot on an iPhone and some can’t.
Cameras for Film Making
Want a camera to shoot a movie? That’s simple. Buy an Arri Alexa! Beyond your budget? Go for a Red Camera. Still, a stress on your budget? Go for a varicam or a C700.
The truth is that the list will go on until you find a camera that comes in your budget. What if the camera you can afford is not good enough for film making? Well, any sensible film maker knows that it not his headache. Its all on what the studio is up to. Its convenient to rent the best camera you can afford. You need to have faith in what your DP tells you.
Cameras for Cinematography.
The solution here is simple. Rent or purchase a camera that the market demands. Ring up the production houses in your local reach and enquire what’s in demand. You do not need to pay attention to things you know or what you saw on the YouTube videos. For e.g.,., The Alexas Mini came very late into the market. The production houses have already started using Red cameras for gimbles and drones. Although Alexas Mini if by far the most rented camera in the market and the quality of the output is amazing.
If you’re looking for mediocre quality cameras for rent, you could opt for a Sony a7S or a Panasonic GH5 or any camera that can be taken as a substitute. Opting for the GH5 is a good option as it is better than the other cameras in its league. If your budget is low, you’d be comfortable using is either the Canon C300 Mark II or the Red Epic-W, that is if the price is affordable. In India, the price of renting the Red Epic-W is so low, it’s a struggle for the owners to make money back.
P.S. renting the Red Epic-W means not only the camera but all the accessories that comes with it.
The other things to look after.
*Lenses
Most beginners have no idea about lenses. Deciding on a lens is quiet really a personal decision. There are different types of lenses out there like the wide angle lens, fish eye lens and telephoto lens. Remember, a lens tells an emotional story, its more important than the technical specs. So which lens must you buy? Its simple, buy the one that you feel will be comfortable to use. Purchase the one which you feel will give better results. But more than anything, go for the lens that will give you a better perspective of the world.
*Image Stability
Your images will appear less shaky if your camera has better image stabilization. It’s not essential if you’re going to use a tripod or stand. It is really effective when you try film handheld.
*Sensor Size
The bigger the better! The big sensors in HDSLRs and mirror less cameras come handy while shooting a video in low light. It also lets you get a shallow focus effect. You can also use small apertures without diffraction softening your image. But if you’re shooting for an event, the small sensor camera gives you a greater depth of field which is useful.
*Things You can ignore
Special effects — Not necessary it should be a feature. If you want them, get them in an editing software.
Digital Zoom — ‘200x’digital zoom, might sound magnificent but its just another way to blow up the center of the image. It messes up the image. Remember, its only the optical zoom that counts.
MegaPixels —This tells you how many million light-capturing pixels there are in the sensor. It’s good for big prints but doesn’t make the video better.
So these were some things you needed to know about your camera. Now that you know even more about your camera, experiment and get better. Hope this post was helpful. Do comment below if we’ve missed any points. Thank you for reading.