Perfect camera for enthusiast, not yet professional, user?

[cojocaru27]

For almost 1 year now I am saving money to buy the "perfect" camera. I know there is not such a thing. I mean the perfect one for me. And for me, the perfect perfect camera would be :

 

BMCC with 2.7k Raw and prores recording. Global shutter. MFT mount for portability, i am still not a professional and i don't wanna carry a lot of equipment. A 5 axis stabilisation like olympus one. Decent 60p. 

But most of all, i want the organic look of the bmcc that gh4, that probably you'll have it on your next comment, doesn't have. neither does sony a7s in my view. It is something that i cannot explain. it's just the cinematic look that has that feeling that you can't explain. that worm but still real colors, more like full frame d810 has in a way. with a little grain, but a good quality one....and something more that is just the way the lenses on this kind of camera are randering the colors and the dof.

 

Does this camera exist yet? what is the name of it?

Will be a new BMCC model in the near future with some of these demands?

will be the new 5d mark4?

will be the new olympus omd m5 mark 2?

will be the new sony alpha professional model that is due to beginning of the next year?

is it the nikon d810 what am i looking for?

 

looking forward for your answers.

Andrew, i know that you had some good experiences with most of these cameras, what is your thought on this?

 

thank you for your answers.

cheers.

John

[Danyyyel]

As a beginner I would recommend either the Black magic cinema camera with mosaic filter (I cannot stand moire /liasing) and a speed booster if you want at least the Cine 35mm field of view, or the Nikon D810 (eventually with a ninja recorder that will give you higher bitrate if you need the best quality out of it). They are good solid choice and perhaps the D750 which will give you additional very very good high ISO even if I am not sure if it is as sharp as the D810 which is very very sharp.

 

The reason I recommend these cameras is because one of the most important factor in image quality that unfortunately be cannot be counted is colour. Colour is perhaps the most important thing in image quality. With these camera you already have very good colour science (The canon also are quite good but still low rez etc...) from which you can easily adjust to your taste. That good starting point will give you a good starting point from which you can learn and concentrate on all the other aspect of filmaking like framing, composition, lighting and the knowledge of light etc etc.

 

The other advantage of the Nikon cameras, is the Nikon lense mount, which mean that every Nikon lens you are going to buy, you will be able to use on nearly every other cameras (except medium format and some rare cameras). Lens are more important than cameras. Camera body come and go but lens is a long term investment that can span for decades. 

[Nikkor]

Wait 2 years and maybe something comes close.

[Xavier Plagaro Mussard]

Perfection is the enemy of good enough. 

[BostonRed]

Perhaps you might want to start testing with Canon and hacking it with the magic lantern. It's a great intro to videography and using color as an image. 

 

The Magic Lantern hack allows you to shoot raw video (but it only works well from what I've seen with the Mk III, 1D, and MKII). The shots won't be true 1080 if that's something necessary but will give you a great image to work with (prefer this more than the Black Magic to be honest). The issue is with stability of the hack (which is usually okay) and that audio must be captured and synced externally. 

 

Anyway - my perfect video camera is the Red Epic Dragon. Price is definitely out of range, but the sensors and image algorithms in that thing is phenomenal. 

[eoslover]

the perfect camera is yet to come

probably A7s mark 2 with 5axis IS and internal 4k

[fuzzynormal]

Any camera is perfect as long as you actually do something with it...besides just take test pictures of leaves and then compare DxO charts the rest of the time.

Or, just wait for the next big/best thing. Have a lot of patience because it never comes.

[Zach Ashcraft]

Get an A7s, D750, or D810. Buy some nikkor lenses. Shoot to your hearts content

[dahlfors]

Or perhaps buy the cheapest video capable camera that is acceptable for you. Something like a Panasonic G6 / GX7, Sony A5100, Nikon D5200 or something.

 

Then get yourself some lenses, audio equipment and just go ahead filming. Along the way you'll learn better what you lack in the current camera, learn better what you like - and learn what will be most important to you if you get a serious upgrade.

 

The fact is. Even if you spend a lot of money on a camera body now, you'll most likely want to upgrade in 3-5 years at least. If you buy a cheaper camera body, you'll want to upgrade in 2-3 years as well, since the affordable cameras in the same price range will be so much better. With audio equipment and lenses you can feel pretty safe about the equipment being worthy for a long time if you take care of the equipment.

 

 

Other than that, it sounds like closest to what you describe would be either of the following:

 

1) 60p, "organic look with real colors", film grain-like noise = large sensor cameras: Nikon D750 or Sony A7S

2) 5-axis stabilisation: Sony A7 II or Olympus E-M5

3) Flexibility for editing in post: BMC cameras with RAW/Prores or Sony A7S with SLOG or Canon 5Dmk3 with magic lantern raw.

 

Note that the A7S have more rolling shutter than many of the other cameras, and you might want to use it with a speedbooster since it produces less rolling shutter in S35 crop. Personally, I'd forget about global shutter on this segment of cameras and put my hope for the future about global shutter...

[IronFilm]

Do you have a camera right now?

If not, just get one! Any one!

As you need to get learning with it. By the time you're even beginning to scratch the full potential of your camera a much much better one will have come along. 

 

So get something good, yet cheap, and go with it! Put the extra saved money into say lenses/audio/lighting that you can carry with you over to your next camera (I recommend Nikon F mount, so gives you the most flexibility, no matter what your next camera system is), or simply leave it in the bank. 

 

I'd recommend the Sony A5100 (they're US$350 currently, crazy good deal!). The A5100 takes all that is good about the A6000 and makes it even cheaper and better (only bummer is the lack of EVF now). 

 

http://www.eoshd.com/2014/04/surprise-sony-alpha-a6000-video-mode-huge-improvement/

I picked one up myself for only US$320 from the recent sales. 

[hmcindie]

Perhaps you might want to start testing with Canon and hacking it with the magic lantern. It's a great intro to videography and using color as an image. 

 

The Magic Lantern hack allows you to shoot raw video (but it only works well from what I've seen with the Mk III, 1D, and MKII). The shots won't be true 1080 if that's something necessary but will give you a great image to work with (prefer this more than the Black Magic to be honest). The issue is with stability of the hack (which is usually okay) and that audio must be captured and synced externally. 

 

 

5dIII with the RAW hack is absolutely, hands down, one of the best images for that price you can get. Unfortunately, installing it and getting used to the workflow will be a huge stone to get over for most people. It's not a beginner camera. I'd suggest getting something cheap, like the Sony a5100.

 

Though syncing audio is something that DSLR (and blackmagic) users should be doing anyways.

[Axel]

(Almost) any camera!

 

5 years ago, there were very few excuses to just go and make it happen. Today, there are none. My own experiences let me recommend a Lumix as a first camera. Just because they teach you how to work manually, without being too complicated to handle (and lightweight as well, compared to DSLRs). Price-wise, quality-wise and with all your described expectations in mind, they probably offer the best compromise.

 

The said 5d Mark III with raw is definitely not the ideal beginner's choice, and without raw the quality is not worth mentioning anymore. 

[/p/]

Save up forever

[Martin BetterFly]

if you're going after affordable organic (raw) look then you have pretty much only three options 

- magic lantern
- black magic
- kinemini 4k

 

out of them all only kinemini would have stable highspeed  option (up to 120fps in 2K and 60 fps in 3K) however there are videos of others shooting ML 60fps in lower and Full HD resoulution.
However I don't think kinemini fits into affordable section after you add on the cost media, monitor, batteries and power solution to complete the package. Therefore your only option for now is ML or if you're happy without highspeed any DSLR with uncompressed   

signal going into external recorder.

 

[cojocaru27]

i know my question was stupid from the begining and i really apreciate your answers.

i do have a camera right now and i have push it to its limits. i have an omd m5 and two very good lenses, olympus 25mm 1.8 and olympus 75mm 1.8 (one of the best mirrorless lens). the camera is just great for what i needed so far. we all know that its codec is far for being decent but i tried my best to compensate by expose right and make the most of what i have.

now i riched the limit and for a while i am saving to by a new camera. at least now i know what i need and what i want. that's why o was making that demands list.

for now i am in between BMCC which has almost everything i need except 60p and global shutter andstabilistation. But i will still have the lenses to use with it. i would just have to buy a proper wide one, like the slr magic 12mm or even slr magic 10.

on the other hand nikon d810 could be an option too. i know the quality is not the same, no raw or prores option here. but i andrew said in review that the codec is very very good. Almost as goos as the raw from 5d mark3 wihch is still the standard in raw film quality in its class. if it wasn't such a pain in the ass to work with it. anyway the future 5d mark 4 is due to come next year so maybe we'll have a surprize. let's see.

 

thanks again for all the answers.

[tosvus]

in your situation the gh4 is a great alternative, unless you plan to shoot handheld a lot.

[eoslover]

you should also really consider Samsung NX1

 

- great color

- 15fps 8k

- fantastic autofocus

- best slow mo next to fs700

[fuzzynormal]

i have an omd m5 and two very good lenses, olympus 25mm 1.8 and olympus 75mm 1.8 (one of the best mirrorless lens). the camera is just great for what i needed so far.

for now i am in between BMCC which has almost everything i need except 60p and global shutter andstabilistation. But i will still have the lenses to use with it. i would just have to buy a proper wide one, like the slr magic 12mm or even slr magic 10

The Gx7. If you already have the M43 glass, why not? It's under $500 in the u.s..

[cojocaru27]

i am not taking in consideration any of these camera, gh4, sony a7s, samsung nx1, gx7, etc because of the look of the footage. I know the future is 4k and even 8k and shooting in the night without iso issues and stuff like this but for me the organic look is more important. And i still think that you can't compare those to the look of bmcc for example. it is just something different.

[fuzzynormal]

This'll sound snarky, but it's written with honest sincerity: Go ahead and place your order. What exactly are you waiting for? Are you scared to actually start making videos or something?

Again, not trying to be rude, just curious why you seem to be here asking for affirmation to spend your own money? I'm always curious about that.