Cinema or Convenience?

[Kenneth Hansen]

Dear filmmakers.

I'm currently in a big dilemma and can't choose between which camera to get.

I'm a solo filmmaker shooting mostly handheld run and gun stuff and sometimes do small to medium sized setups. 95% of the time it's only me beeing the producer, director, cinematographer, gaffer etc. I currently rent cinema cameras for my productions and i own a A7iii which i almost never use - but i'm tired of renting so i want to invest in a camera.

I've been looking for a new camera for months now. My first thought was a RED Komodo (which is my realistic dream camera) - but it costs around $8.000 here in Sweden + $2.000 for accessories. Then i looked for some cheaper "cinema" cameras and found the BMPCC 6K Pro ($2.700). I've also looked into the FX3 ($5.000) but i ended up buying the Pocket 6KPro. I just received the camera a few days ago and i'm not sure if i made the right choice. The first thing that made me question it was the micro jitters when shooting handheld - which is a big problem for me. So i'll have to rig it out to make it usable.

I'm considering selling the 6KPro and going for a FX3 now. My thought is that if i go for the FX3 which is much more convinient then i can focus on the more important stuff instead of dealing with "small" stuff like manual focusing. Stuff like being able to get a quick shot outside when it's dark because of the FX3s amazing lowlight, instead of having to think about renting lighting gear and setting them up because the 6KPro has very bad lowlight. Stuff like being able to pull the FX3 out of my camera bag very quickly while walking through the city and getting a shot instead of having to pull the 6KPro out and screw all the rigging parts together. Stuff like being able to throw the FX3 on a gimbal without having to setup some kind of follow focus or automatic focus rig on the 6KPro.

The benefits of the 6KPro is that it looks and feels more cinematic, you get a lot of flexibility in post and my clients would probably be more impressed when they see my pull up with a rigged out 6KPro rather than a small FX3 (even thoe i hate to say it, but it's true). And then i started thinking about the Komodo again. If i'm already dropping $5.000 on a camera why not save up some more and go for my initial thought? But then again, i need i camera right now... :chuncky:

I haven't bought any accessories for the 6KPro, except two extra batteries and a SSD mount because i wanted to test it out first - so it wouldn't be a big problem to get rid of everything. I really hate all the micro jitters when using it handheld so i have to rig it out if i go for this option because i shoot a lot of handheld. If i go for the FX3 i would also rig it out a bit, but it's not as necessary because it of the ISS. I think that the FX3 easily could be used handheld with no rig, but the 6KPro is almost unusable without a rig. When reading this through it sounds like i think the FX3 is a bad camera, but don't get me wrong, the FX3 is also an amazing camera with great image quality and up to 120fps in 12-bit 4:2:2 which is crazy! The 6KPro can only do 120fps in 2.7K which is really disappointing because i use a lot of 120fps slowmotion. My heart wants to go for the 6KPro but my brain is telling me that for me personally right now, the FX3 is the better option - even thoe it's more expensive.

So my question is, what should i do? Keep the 6KPro as my A camera, rig it out and keep the old A7iii as a B camera? Or Sell both the 6KPro and the A7iii and go for the FX3. I don't see a point in keeping the A7iii if i get an FX3. I don't do multiple camera shoots so i only need one camera. and the A7iii and FX3 are so similar anyways so it doesn't make sense for me to keep them both. If i sell the 6KPro and the A7iii it's equivalent to the price of the FX3, so if price didn't matter, what do you think i should choose?

6KPro or FX3?

THANK YOU!

 

[M Harvey]

None of us can really answer this question for you. People make great work with all of the cameras you’ve mentioned, despite their individual limitations.

We can maybe offer advice about how you can answer your own question.

Looking back at my own experience, my sense is that your best next step is to spend some time with the camera you own and figure out how to make it deliver the best possible results. So with the BMPCC 6–study strategies for reducing jitter when handheld, come up with some simple rigging that fits into your workflow. And work with the files in post to learn how much value that extra data brings to your work.
Since you also own the A73–itself a very capable camera—, you can learn a lot about what works for you, between the two very different camera designs. And you can take advantage of its good low light ability and IS for times when you need it.

 

[Karim D. Ghantous]

Have you considered the FX30, which is S35?

 

[Kenneth Hansen]

Thanks guys for all the recommendations and helpful tips. I have thought a lot about it and i'm not going for the Komodo right now - hopefully one day. It's between the BMPCC 6K Pro and the FX3 right now. Even thoe i like the 6K Pro and the image it produces, i'm considering going for the FX3. I just feel like the FX3 is more suitable for a guy like me doing a lot of fast paced handheld run and gun stuff. Even thoe i much prefer the 6K Pro image. But then again, the camera really doesn't matter. It's how you use it, the lighting and most importantly the story. And that's why i'm considering going for the more convenient option (FX3), so i can focus more on the story and the creative stuff instead of worring about micro jitters and focus pulling and so on.


I have noticed that my handheld camera motions look more interesting when using autofocus. My camera motions a much more steady and "boring" when i use manual focus because i have to concentrate on having my subject in focus. And i think that i'd rather have a interesting looking camera motion and use autofocus, than having a more cinematic looking image but really steady/boring motion with the 6K Pro. But i'm still considering :fat: