IronFilm

Xavier / 1tkman / Cinegain: I'm in NZ, which is a tiny market, kinda rare for a 2nd hand DJI Phantom 1 to pop up and when it would, the price would be far higher than a CX-20. Even though it seems to me the CX-20 is better featured. So especially don't see the point of paying extra for essential just a "brand" name.

And the fact the price of CX-20 is under the threshold for customs tax into NZ is making me seriously consider it over the others.

Cinegain: of course! Using a GoPro as I said in the first post, because I've already got a GoPro 3 Black Edition that I got last year.

My time frame is something like: order a quad asap, order gimbal in the next week or two once I've researched that next, and FPV sometime later in the coming months. Doing it gradually rather than jumping in the deep end all at once :-)

I'm not in the USA so FCC is not a concern for me :-)
Given I just need a few seconds worth to spice up a low budget video, and not filming any live events, so can do multiple flyovers, I think I can live without FPV initially and add it in a month or three later on. (one thing at a time... rather than rushing to add it all in all at once!) 

But yeah, gimbal is the next item I'd need to research immediately. While FPV is something I'd add in the very near term afterwards.

CX-20 is the cheapest that has return to  feature, and can add gimbal and FPV to. So I'm leaning heavily towards that.

What very low budget quadcopter would people recommend that can still carry a GoPro on it?

My purposes is for very low budget productions to add in a little bit of basic aerial shots to include into videos I do at the moment, such as weddings, real estate videos, and the odd corporate shoot (and for the various no budget things I do now and then such as films and music videos).

My short list would be (with the CX20 looking like my favourite):

http://www.banggood.com/Cheerson-CX20-Opensource-Version-AutoPathfinder-Quadcopter-RTF-p-932145.html
http://www.banggood.com/WLtoys-V666-5_8G-FPV-6-Axis-RC-Quadcopter-With-HD-Camera-Monitor-RTF-p-944001.html
http://www.banggood.com/Flying-3D-X8-6-Axis-2_4G-8CH-GPS-FPV-RC-Quadcopter-RTF-p-934779.html
http://www.dx.com/p/walkera-qr-x350-5-ch-one-key-go-home-r-c-quadcopter-w-gps-altitude-hold-system-bnf-white-245208#.VOVf-NgcSuA
http://www.dx.com/p/wltoys-v303-2-4g-4-ch-r-c-aircraft-w-gps-automatic-return-camera-suitable-for-gopro-hero3-3-330169#.VOVgCdgcSuA

All can carry a GoPro on them. (though the second one, the cheapest, requires some modding I think, and does stretch the lift capacity to the limits)

FPV + Gimbal for the GoPro would both be "nice to haves" as well.

Though both things that can be purchased later on to add to the quadcopter, and not right now.

Anything else I'm missing or should be considering, please point out! :-)

A5100 has a better codec than the A6000 but the A5100 has minor overheating issues.
If you don't need 60fps FHD, I'd recommend the D5200 over the D5300 as it is somewhat cheaper.

I own the D5200  / A5100 / BMPCC / GH1, if only the A5100 had zero overheating issues, audio in jack and a hotshoe then it would take top place out of all my cameras. Even so, it is still my most used camera! Hopefully the A7000 will resolve these remaining issues with the A5100.

​I agree, it would be mad as crazy for a person starting out from scratch to get Canon EF lenses for a GH4.
Almost any other (D)SLR lens mount would be a better idea!

Personally I have a big preference for Nikon F mount, due to their ease of adaptability and thus future proofing, and their tremendously good value (as you can pick up some amazing bargains, due to their vast number that have been made over many decades).

​I'm not editing it. I was just one of the shooters on the team (of four) covering the wedding.
The first day I was shooting only on a tripod, the second day I needed to pick up a number of detail/artistic shots in the dining room. Ouch, then it really hit me how bloody heavy the C300 is. If you get a C300 you'll absolutely need to upgrade all your support gear to cope with the extra weight. And it isn't easy to use handheld (certainly not with a 70-200mm lens on it like I had yesterday). In the end I did a few shots with it, but then gave up as it is too cumbersome, and did the rest of my Sony A5100 and my lightweight monopod.

Then of course there is the factor of its price.....  absolutely insane I reckon. I'll happily use it if somebody else is providing it, but spend my own money on it? Nope!!

Not unless you have clients *specifically* requesting this particular camera model (C300) then I wouldn't be buying it. Though for some people that is the reality, as it is what their clients know and trust. So they'll be requesting this specifically and not a NX1. Thus a C300 will earn you money, and a NX1 will not. However I'm not in that situation (yet?) and neither are the vast majority of the forum users here either I bet, so this point in favour of the C300 is largely irrelevant.

As for low light, get yourself a T0.95 lens (I've got the SLR Magic 25mm which I use on my BMPCC) or a Nikon 50mm f/1.2 and a focal reducer. Or get yourself an A7s? Plus of course get lights. We had a bunch of lights at our disposable, with Dedolights being the ones we used the most for the wedding yesterday. Though we really had to scramble to get them moved from the speeches area to outside for the cake cutting and first dance, having an extra set already set up there would've helped immensely. Though these lights were used for the look they created (as the venue's lighting sucked) rather than because it simply was too dark, but if you're needing help in that area then these will benefit you in that way too.

Used a C300 today for a wedding (was just one of three C100 the team was using to cover the wedding). And will be using the C300 again on another tomorrow.

I know others often go on raving about Canon, and their Cinema EOS range. And yes I'll agree with them. it is a very very nice camera. But I *still* think it is an absolutely crazy crazy expensive camera to get, is nuts! Only if you're working in an area where that specific camera is getting regularly requested does it make sense to get it, so only if you're already regularly renting it would it make sense to every buy it I reckon. (and that is past tense, way tougher choice now the FS7 is out for much less) Not the case for 99% of the people here on this forum I reckon, which makes it relatively irrelevant in that context.

​Agreed, lenses are for life!

I've got a set of Rokinon Cine DS lenses, and a good chunk of the way towards having a pre-AI Nikkor set which provides a very different feel to the modern Rokinon lenses. 

Now looking about for a 3rd set to gradually getting started with building slowly a 3rd set, having them being fairly well matched in low across the set is important to me. 

Minolta Rokkors / Lecia R / Rollei QMB are the main three I'm looking at currently, but open to and searching out other options as well. 

Somewhat coincidental the timing of this post, will be shooting both days this weekend a wedding that will be using several C300 cameras on it.

This is a nifty idea for when you're brainstorming or if you hit writer's block:

http://filmflap.blogspot.co.nz/2015/02/write-your-script-with-short-film-idea.html

JaeM: why did you decide to go with Pentax over anything else?

If you want to stick with Nikon, the best Nikon DSLR for video is the D750. The second best is the Nikon D5300 I reckon (or get the D5200 which is just about as good, but dirt cheap. I was using the D5200 as my main camera up until recently when I upgraded up to the Sony A5100 from the D5200).

I just this week picked up the start of a set of pre-AI Nikkors, as a second set to offer a contrasting alternative to my modern Rokinon Cine DS set of lenses.

Jedi, you totally should switch away from Canon!

I really hope the NX500 ends up being a close match to the NX1!

If so I'll be all over the NX500 when it goes on its first significant sale as a body only option.

New video shot with it is out:

New video shot with it is out:

Roger Deakins doesn't go around thinking about full frame crop factor! LOL

"full frame" and "crop factor" are two of the most genius bullshit marketing terms which have been inflicted upon the poor consumers by Canikon, so as to get them to spend more on their products so as to feel "full" and not "inadequate".

Yup, he is talking about a literal 32mm lens.

In photography there is often quite a big leap in primes from one to the next, but not so much with high end cinema lens. Which can have much smaller steps between them.

Here is a couple of examples of 32mm lenses:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/664902-REG/Cooke_CKEP_32_Panchro_32mm_Prime_Lens.html

http://www.abelcine.com/store/Arri-Zeiss-32mm-Ultra-Prime-Distagon-T1.9/

But yeah, if you're looking for an affordable one that you could buy yourself. I'd say just go for the Rokinon Cine DS 35mm T/1.5 in the Nikon F mount (I've got one myself).

Well, after looking into this a lot over the last few days it looks like I'm going to try and go down the DIY path...  ! Any references to others who have done this or tips there would be appreciated.

The reasons for this is a mix of budgetary constraints, and time constraint (we basically need it asap, as the shoot date is not too far away.... and it takes a while to get things shipped from overseas to the ends of the earth where I live).

​Yup, and don't ever discount Canon doing the same!!

​The Df has live view, but doesn't have video.

Too late to edit now, but adding another to the list:

http://www.newsshooter.com/2015/01/08/lenzhound-a-wireless-follow-focus-system-for-everyone-starting-at-395/

Edit: hmmm.....    seems it is not even shipping yet.

http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?125893-Has-anyone-heard-from-Lenzhound-Wireless-Lens-Motor-Control-System-(Kickstarter)

Edit 2: ahhh... they did start shipping a few days ago. So perhaps a little too early to firm an opinion on them just yet.

Stumbled across an open source project too:

Am looking around for a cheap but usable motorised focal focus (not wireless) to use on a CAME 7800 gimbal with Rokinon Cine DS lenses.

This one at $299 seems reasonable:
http://www.proaimshop.com/pas/PROAIM-E-Focus-DSLR-EF-DSLR-Pro-Zoom-Follow-Focus-Control-and-Battery.html

Another one I've seen mentioned a few times is this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DSLR-Lens-Controller-Electric-Follow-Focus-Control-For-Baseplate-Mount-5D2-60D-/360815775872?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item54024bd080

This one is wireless and a tad bit too bulky and expensive, but might consider it (though way too noisy... but maybe it might work for our needs, perhaps):
http://tomantosfilms.com/4194/wondlan-follow-focus/

Any other suggestions or reviews on these?

Why 100mm??

I'd prefer 135mm, or at least a 105mm which is a macro too.