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Marshal · 01-17-2019, 10:58 AM

It's a myth that one is able to shoot cinema grade videos (1080p) for less than $10k, even with cheap solutions such as Canon + Magic Lantern. Let me explain why.

The additional equipment you need to buy to make BMPCC(4K) actually usable, brings the price of this camera to way more than $1500. You simply can't get a semi-usable system for daylight shooting for less than $3500 (without lenses). Think about stabilizing, focus pulling, video monitoring, additional batteries and you will come to an actual price of a rig that is usable.

Panasonic GH5 or Sony A7s III (a low light beast!) are cheaper and much better alternatives for low budget everyday shooting, due to the lack of autofocus on Black Magic cameras. I agree, you can't compare them to BMPCC codecs, but ProRes compatible recorders are cheaper nowadays.

If you are going to use manual autofocus on BMPCC, you will have to spend couple of grands more for some stabilizing system (a shoulder rig, tripod or a gimbal), a monitor that is usable in the sunlight and a focus pulling system, and that can easily cost $1000+ each. Not to mention expenses for another person that will have to take care of the focusing if you want a really usable video quality. If you are going to use manual focus, then your budget is most definitely way higher than that anyway, so solutions like Canon C200 (a proper cinema camera) look way more tempting then. With its kick ass DPAF and a higher dynamic range than BMCC, I would always prefer to get a plug and play system (C200) that works out of the box for $7500 (with no additional expenses).

You can find some decent alternatives among Panasonic or Sony cameras, but none of them is going to cost below $5000 (plus lenses).

Also, don't forget about lighting...

BMPCC4K is a nice peace of equipment, but low sensitivity (ISO) and low dynamic range makes it hardly usable in low light situations.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not against Black Magic cameras. I love them because they are pushing the industry forward by putting additional pressure on big camera manufacturers to keep up with camera development. But don't think one can get close to a cinema grade quality camera for couple of grands only. I personally got disappointed when I figured that out the harder way. Anyway, all the remarks written above are from my personal experience only, so please take them with a grain of salt.

01-17-2019, 10:58 AM
Marshal Biz Dev and SEO Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 15,185	It's a myth that one is able to shoot cinema grade videos (1080p) for less than $10k, even with cheap solutions such as Canon + Magic Lantern. Let me explain why. The additional equipment you need to buy to make BMPCC(4K) actually usable, brings the price of this camera to way more than $1500. You simply can't get a semi-usable system for daylight shooting for less than $3500 (without lenses). Think about stabilizing, focus pulling, video monitoring, additional batteries and you will come to an actual price of a rig that is usable. Panasonic GH5 or Sony A7s III (a low light beast!) are cheaper and much better alternatives for low budget everyday shooting, due to the lack of autofocus on Black Magic cameras. I agree, you can't compare them to BMPCC codecs, but ProRes compatible recorders are cheaper nowadays. If you are going to use manual autofocus on BMPCC, you will have to spend couple of grands more for some stabilizing system (a shoulder rig, tripod or a gimbal), a monitor that is usable in the sunlight and a focus pulling system, and that can easily cost $1000+ each. Not to mention expenses for another person that will have to take care of the focusing if you want a really usable video quality. If you are going to use manual focus, then your budget is most definitely way higher than that anyway, so solutions like Canon C200 (a proper cinema camera) look way more tempting then. With its kick ass DPAF and a higher dynamic range than BMCC, I would always prefer to get a plug and play system (C200) that works out of the box for $7500 (with no additional expenses). You can find some decent alternatives among Panasonic or Sony cameras, but none of them is going to cost below $5000 (plus lenses). Also, don't forget about lighting... BMPCC4K is a nice peace of equipment, but low sensitivity (ISO) and low dynamic range makes it hardly usable in low light situations. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not against Black Magic cameras. I love them because they are pushing the industry forward by putting additional pressure on big camera manufacturers to keep up with camera development. But don't think one can get close to a cinema grade quality camera for couple of grands only. I personally got disappointed when I figured that out the harder way. Anyway, all the remarks written above are from my personal experience only, so please take them with a grain of salt.