Joe Filipas

  I can get through entire days on the GH3 with 1-2 batteries. You're going to want more than 4 Nikons for the BMPCC though, that'll get you through 2-4 hours of shooting. The BMPCC is an insane battery vampire - you can literally watch the percentage dripping away percent by percent.

For documentary work in the field, I think it might be best to think of this camera in terms of getting b-roll.   I've used a first-batch BMPCC as a b-camera for narrative work (and next week I'm sending it in for calibration to eliminate the white orb issue), and if I were to use it as a run and gun documentary camera, I'd certainly want a few extra SD cards - I'm getting about 40min per 64GB card, and probably a few more batteries. I currently have 9 and feel like that's sufficient for 6 or so hours of shooting. Audio isn't great, so rigging an external recorder and mic would be necessary. It would be a little cumbersome, but could work.    In this price range, though, you might be better off getting a GH3 or G6 for running and gunning documentary work - better battery life, fewer storage needs, better in-camera audio. Or, for a few grand more, jump to a C100.

If you're shooting mostly ProRes (which I've been doing), a single 240GB SSD should be plenty - that'll get you about 2.5 hours of footage on a single drive compared to 30min shooting in RAW. Getting another for backup isn't the worst idea in case you have one fail in the field. I've been using the Sandisk Extreme with zero complaints.   The other thing that surprised me with the BMCC is how heavy it is - invest a little in a serious set of sticks if you don't already have some, the DSLR-grade $100USD tripods aren't going to work well with a camera this hefty.   I ended up getting an Ikan basic rig setup for the camera to get some handles and a baseplate. The BlackFly works pretty well, although you need to loosen the camera to remove the SSD as the handle is in the way of the drive slot. Most importantly for me, though, is the baseplate/rod support is very sturdy and the price was very reasonable.   For external power I have the Switronix Powerbase 70 - with smart power management it's enough to get through a day's shoot.   So, to get the camera field-ready (and I already had a lens set), I put in roughly $700USD for the most basic components.

[quote name='PatrickV' timestamp='1342639427' post='14107'] I think i need another lens besides my 14-140mm. Which will suit me best? Samyang 35mm F1.4, SLR Magic 12mm F1.6 or the Olympus 45mm F1.8? [/quote] Goes without saying it depends on your needs, but as an owner of the SLR Magic 12mm f1.6, I'd say it's a great value for a fast manual wide. I really enjoy that lens. Lately my 14-140mm (and 20mm and 14mm pancakes) have been staying at home as I've been using old non-ai Nikon glass (28mm f2.8 and 50mm f1.8) along with the 12mm for most of my work.

[quote name='PatrickV' timestamp='1342622261' post='14083'] Can jou? [/quote] Yup. And like Andrew said, leaving either camera on auto won't yield the best results out of either camera, for comparison or otherwise. I've shot on both the T2i and have a pair of GH2s, and long ago demoted the T2i to just stills. In the right hands, I've seen the lower end Canon cameras produce good results for the web, but the GH2 simply resolves detail better.

With Vimeo compression, yup, not too much difference - but you can see some moire on the brick courtyard on the 550D.

[quote name='Joe Filipas' timestamp='1342452346' post='13966'] I'm curious if anyone can tell - is the letterbox all done in post? Or was this shot anamorphic? The behind the scenes footage looks like it was shot in the standard 24H. [/quote] I asked on Vimeo if anyone is interested - no anamorphic shooting, just cropping in post.

I'm very excited to see the final product - and it's inspiring to see such a striking look achieved with minimal equipment and crew. I'm curious if anyone can tell - is the letterbox all done in post? Or was this shot anamorphic? The behind the scenes footage looks like it was shot in the standard 24H.