Getting the best camera for documentary

[Martín Yernazian]

I have been struggling with this for a long time. Looking for a camera for the last shooting phase of my 9 year old run documentary
"Art Officially Favored"

What I want is the following:

I want to create highly cinematic scenes ( with the help of lighting of course be it natural or artificial) = quality
To be able to run and shoot for some guerrilla scenes= stable
Very little to no rolling shutter, specially useful in those guerilla moments

I love to handheld my cameras. I've been using a 5d mark 2 for a long time and I hate the rolling shutter ( plus the moire and anti-ailising)
but overall a "cute" camera to get plenty done. I want to step it up.

Interchangeable lenses: I would love to use any kind of glass. My father is a photo-technician. I have access to all kind of glass... from all kind of times.
(the dirtier the better) all kind of formats... we have had some really cool results with anything from the 1910's to the 60s.

Also I love in camera tricks.... low shutter speeds and different frame rates.... (where is the fun!?)

Sound: I have also the chance of a recorder... but why not getting something that is already part of the pack.

I'm intending on getting a Blackmagic HyperDeck Shuttle if needed.

Some of my my choices are the following ( please forgive me if these might sound a bit to random)

BlackMagic Camera: I know... to new, to random.. yet isn't that the spirit of cinema. I know the price is 3k. I'm willing to put up the rest on
the accessories...

Panasonic AG-AF100A: Looks good as a doc camera but I'm afraid of rolling shutter and a camera that seems to be old tech.

Sony FS700: Don't trust Sony tech but that might be an old juju of mine. This seems like a workable camera.
Love the 4k possible upgrade. Like I said I feel this is the direction I want to go... where tech gets better (of course with limitations)

Sony FS100: Same as up there... not 4k though, not slow mo

Now to the crazy things

Red One: they are on sale, they are big and robust but 4.5k with a build fan base and plenty of parts and room to grow.

Ikonoskop A-Cam dii: this camera is weird, new... and so hot. I love this camera.... cons... price and their workflow. Can we make it happen... yes. But is it the best?
Love the idea of being able to use any Super 16mm glass.

My goal is to get a camera to finish this project but also to have a piece of gear that I could carry the edge to use in the next couple of projects.

I would appreciate any kind of help and constructive opinions.


Thanks Again.

ps: I have posted this in several forums. My intention is to get as many opinions as possible that could really help me. no spamming. Thanks

 

[Craig W. Bickerstaff]

I would say either the Red Epic or the Sony F5, I haven't really used an epic myself but I think the doco Sound City shot on Epic and that worked out pretty well.
I have had a fiddle around with the f5 and f55 cameras though and they are very good.

 

[Martín Yernazian]

Dear Craig, non of those 2 cameras are in my price range. That is why I put a list over there to guide people to make sure that no one said: Alexa!
of course if I had an option I will shoot the reminder of this film on film or with an Alexa. Sadly that is not the case. I've shot the film over 9 years
on mini DV (which will be upresing through a terramax) some HD and super 8 film. I wanted something to be prosumer and above.
Now if you read carefully I would love to buy the Ikonoskop cam but the price is an issue... so F5 or F55 or Epic... pretty out there.
Also the film was shot on 5K but it was downresed to 2k... and it has a crap load of money on post. So they could have shot that on 5d mark 2 (they did shot some of it with that camera)
and it would have looked super money.

 

[Hrvoje Simic]

For the context mentioned and most of the priorities, C-100 may be worth checking out.

+ proper sensor, small size, clean 1080p downscaled from 4K, ND filters, XLR, $1K less than FS-700
- onboard codec, 8 bit 4:2:2 out, no high speed, rolling shutter far from perfect (but noticeably better from 5D)

 

[Max M.]

C300, great camera for doc:

- great battery life
- Good image quality relative to small file sizes
- cheap media
- handgrip relocator with iris/ start/stop / iso adjustment in your hand
- built in ND
- silent
- stable, just works, never rebooting, no long start up times, just works

Absolute the best camera for run and gun now