Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Log in
  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Wise buy/sell DSLR decision?

M

Michael Frymus

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 15, 2012
Messages
328
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Ontario, Canada
I have a Canon T2i, Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and a Contax Zeiss 85mm f/2.8
Yeah, I dont own a RED unfortunately.. Nor can afford one :(

I would like to upgrade my camera to a 5D mkii as I still cant afford professional video cameras. So, its the best I can do at the moment.
Sell T2i & 17-55mm lens for the 5D mkii body.

In the end I have the 5D & 85mm Contax lens.
I probably wont be able to get more lenses until August or so most likely.
 
Right now, my 5D gets to see way more action than my RED for a variety of limiting factors since I mostly don't shoot so my cameras only see the light of day if I'm renting to one of my clients. With out a good amount of lenses the 5D won't be much help though, however, you can always rent the lenses you need per project.
 
Have you thought about a 7D? I don't know if you're set on getting a full-frame sensor, but the 7D has more features than the 5D MKII and a newer UI. Shoots great video. I worked on one as well as a 5D Mark II and Mark III for a documentary I did in Africa and aside from still image resolution there's not an immediately noticeable difference when cutting all three together.

It'll also run you quite a bit and save you money for lenses, which in my mind, are often times more important than the camera you shoot on.

You can see the documentary footage here:

http://archetypescreative.com/work/runforwater.html

It's big mix of 7D and 5D with the exception of the first video which has some footage from my Epic in it.

Hope that helps.

Rob
 
Hang on to those lenses. Optics change at a snails pace compared to cameras. They are by far a more sound investment. I'm still using lenses I got in the 60s and they still look beautiful!
 
Bob Gundu said:
A 5D with only an 85 is very limiting. Hopefully you can add more lenses soon.
Click to expand...
I would have to get lenses for sure to it. But, I need to make another purchase in July for lighting gear and that will set me back for lenses. So, I would be able to get any lenses until at least August. I would be getting used Contax Zeiss lenses with it.

But yes. If I needed to shoot something and needed lenses, Id probably rent them out until I can get my own
 
What do you think that 5Dii is going to do for you that your T2i does not? The 5Dii is hardly a new camera and while it's a well-regarded camera I'm not sure I would buy one at this point. The 5D MKIII is the current 5D model and is a bit more expensive, if you can get to a a MKII, I would find a way to stretch and get the MKIII instead. Or there is the new 6D that aligns itself between the 5D and 7D in the line-up. However, if you're starting fresh with a new camera and lens set, does it have to be Canon? IMO, the Nikon D800 is an excellent choice and well positioned here. SLRs and their users often clash, usually as if it were a religious war. As far as SLR lenses go, I truly believe that Nikon makes the superior products. Canon typically has the better camera bodies and they are more oriented toward the cinema shooter and indie filmmaker these days. The 7D is a more user-friendly camera than the 5Dxxx and I would probably take it before a 5Dii in most cases.

If you're willing to rent glass when you need to shoot, then why not be willing to rent a camera as well? If I were in that situation, I'd stick with what I had (the T2i) until I had the means and the need to make a larger upgrade. ...Just my $0.02. Buy a GoPro, everyone needs one of those. It's amazing the stuff you can pull off with a Hero3.

Whatever you do, don't make any purchase decisions until later next week after NAB. ;)
 
This industry as a freelance is tricky. If you dont have good gear, people put you down as if your not as experienced.
Hence, if you were 'good' you would be able to afford the 'good' stuff.

*That's not what Im saying, but the perception of others and clients. If you got a RED, your amazing and they'll hire you any day over someone with a T2i or T3i or whatever.

I know its about ME. I know it wont help me improve my work. Thats not what i plan on. Im hoping people will just get things to their head and not just go for the 'gear'. But, I cant help that, so Im thinking about a 5D so, I can at least seem better.
Which is really stupid from our perspective. But not from the clients.
 
Don't get caught in the trap that to be a professional you have to have the latest gear. (Its at least partly responsible for me being broke all the time!) There is a constant slew of people shooting on the same gear you have who produce astonishing work.

Below is an example shot on the 550D ( what we call the T2i ) which is btw a little NSFW:

https://vimeo.com/59727570
 
+1 to what Andrew said. Don't fall into the gear trap. People hire YOU, not your equipment. There are tons of awesome productions out there being shot on the T2i, Andrew linked a good one. Thanks to him, BTW, totally worth watching that.

It doesn't make any bit of difference which equipment you actually own. The majority of known working DPs I know and work with don't own cameras like a RED or any HD camera, etc.. They're a DoP, not a rental house. It doesn't matter how big of a camera kit you assemble, you're never going to have all the equipment needed to supply every production that may want to hire you. Not only that, but after you sink tons of money into a large equipment package, how fast can you pay it off? A reasonably decent EPIC kit can come to $100K before you even add lenses. And is still only one part of the equipment puzzle on any reasonably sized production. Is that EPIC kit going to generate at least $150K in revenue in the next 18 months to ROI itself before it's obsolete or in need of costly repair? DP's owning and supplying cameras is a concept that rolled around with the influx of DSLR shooters to the industry. It's not typically the function of the DP to incur the burden of hiring camera equipment for a production. The producer, director and others in the proper position to do so will handle equipment rentals, necessary insurance costs, etc..

I often find myself telling people they don't need better equipment, they need better clients. In either case, both can be hard to attain sometimes. Lots of catch-22 circumstances. Hopefully you take constructive criticism well. I would tighten up the edit of your reel and keep just the best select shots. It doesn't need to be 2 minutes. Turn it into 30 to 40 seconds of awesome and build up from there. Get it and the info about YOU up front and center on your web site where people don't have to click buttons/ links to access that info. Add some more pizazz to the site. The button bar is stylish, but most functions are not necessary and the black void surrounding it is just so.. empty. Get the gear list off your site. Productions should be hiring the equipment they want from a staffed rental house that can offer the tools and support needed. If they want the DP to bring the camera, that's fine too, but charge them accordingly for whatever camera(s) and equipment they want. That means if they want a RED, you supply a RED. And you supply it at rental cost, plus your overhead costs for necessary insurance, handling time and expenses plus a little profit.
 
Yes, I understand and I know.
I don't work on big budget productions at the moment. Haven't gotten to those clients yet. And so far, the clients that I've been getting request to provide own gear.

It was also a thought (which I havent looked into yet) to turn the 5D into a PL mount whenever I do get PL lenses. But, that probably wont happen as it will be a ways off
 
I have a 5D mark II right now and I am sick of it and Im planning to sell it off to raise money for my first feature-
which leads me to this, my .02 cents: dont get too caught up in owning all the latest gear or have "good" equipment. Rent what you need based on the aesthetics and feel that your project(s) demands. Just keep the basics around at home, or a nice lens kit, but everything else is really on a one-time basis based on the project.

Although, a PL mounted 7D is a great all-around tool to have around
 
+1 on what the others said. Dont get into the gear trap! if you still want to:

Do not get the 5D MII if at all, get the III. And do not get the 6D it sucks for filming even compared to the II from what i saw. Bad moire issues.

As I own Canon (Nikon though has the better sensors at the moment) I would advise you to get either the 7D for filming or with a flip screen 60D, or one of the 600D, 650D or the upcoming 700D (should be this month I believe). The flip screen is really helpful for shooting. Save the money and get full frame lenses for you to be ready when you step up. To me this makes more sense and rent a Scarlet if you need better stuff. ;)

I was torn between getting a 5D MII and a 7D back when it came out. I chose the 7D because its simply the technical more advanced camera and for filming the right choice. (The 60D wasnt out then) If you really need low light, rent a 5D MIII for the session. It's vastly superior to the II has much less moire issues and renting a body is cheap. If you have the full frame lenses, you can then use them on the III.

And wait until after NAB :)
 
I don't want the best and latest gear. I cannot afford it for sure, and most of the time would not do me good to have. Most of the time I dont need that high quality.
Then again, I too am sick of the T2i. Ive had recording problems where it just stops. Have to format my card completely and reinstall magic lantern to work properly again.
They are very fast cards, so it shouldnt be that. I just want something that gives me more features and wont have recording problems too.
The 5D was a step up without loosing money really. But, if the 5D ii, is not recommended, as it doesnt seem like it, I will move on from that decision. Stick with a few obtaining more basic gear which would work with any camera, or keep saving up for a much better camera like the Sony FS models or something else..
 
I am definitely going to forget about getting the 5D. Its also the fact that its full frame and not Super35.

I think what I may do is sell my Canon 17-55 IS and get a set of Contax Zeiss lenses instead?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top