Nick Hughes

That test was on the original C300, which is only $7k. The mkii has better DR, low light and (finally) 4k. The form factor also counts for a lot (like, a lot a lot). Additionally, you've got pro audio inputs, waveform, 4" lcd, dual-pixel focus assist, 10-stop ND and a ton of other features that make it a really great camera in the studio and out in the field. They can also take a beating. Nothing against the NX1- it would be a great B cam for a studio with this budget. However, neither it nor any DSLR-style camera should be in the running for A cam, where the competition as I see it is the Ursa (mini or full), FS7, Kinemini, etc.

When pricing everything out, don't forget that every piece of gear needs something to hold it, whether it be a tripod, c-stand, combo stand, etc. Proper sticks, heads and stands for a studio can easily run you 5-10 grand. Also, you'll need a ton of modifiers (particularly flags).

I definitely agree with your assessment not to invest in a camera body right now. Maybe a GH4, A7s or NX1 (or a pair of any) for those projects that don't require a $5,000+ cam. Cameras are easy to rent and easy to work into the budget. A grip truck much less so. Lenses are a great investment, but the lens you need can vary wildly from project to project. I would recommend getting three great primes at focal lengths he commonly uses and just continue to rent when projects call for something different. OR, he could go with something like a 24-70 and a 70-200. Those lenses have you covered for the corporate stuff and you can rent more specific, cinematic lenses for projects that call for them. An Arri (or Mole) lighting kit + good grip equipment will last literally decades. Getting a good LED kit for smaller setups is also a good idea, but the tech is advancing so rapidly at the moment that I probably wouldn't advise spending too much there. I personally love the Westcott Ice light, and they just came out with a new version. Paired with some Lite Panels, you've got a great interview setup going. In fact, he already has the Kinos, so one or two more lights gets him to a good place. Another interesting option might be to look into an HMI, like a Joker. They're so flexible- you can put them in a chimera, a fresnel, a leek, whatever. The also put out insane amounts of light and don't run too hot. Expensive, but very rentable if he has a good network of fellow filmmakers out there. What does he do for sound? This is a good opportunity to invest in some great equipment on that front. $5,000-$7,000 or so on three wireless wavs, a boom + mic, field mixer + recorder, and now he can get hired to do location sound, which puts him into a whole new world of opportunity. Or he can hire crew to do sound for him without having to pay equipment rental costs. That might be too much for your friend, especially if he doesn't do much sound-critical work. If the most he ever does is 1-person interviews, I'd still recommend spending at least $2-$3k on audio equipment. It's the most overlooked aspect of filmmaking and can make the most difference. A good kit will allow him to expand. He's definitely going to need to upgrade him computer + storage setup, but I won't bother getting into that.

How's the low-light and general IQ compare to the 60D? I have a GH4 and a GX7, but I like to keep a Canon body around for using my EF lenses natively.

​Nice test, would love to see some smaller apertures if you have the time.

Sounds like no internal recording.

I use color finale on an adjustment layer over all my footage with a contrast curve, saturation boost and LUT applied. Helps me not get too used to the flat settings I shot on. I still grade in Resolve usually, since Color Finale is too slow (currently) to use on a ton of a clips. I really don't enjoy using the FCPX color boards, so it's very nice to be able to use curves and color wheels.

Strongly considering picking one up, but I hear that third-party stabilized lenses can behave strangely with the speedbooster. I would love to hear of anyone's experience, especially compared to Canon IS.

No reason you can't make multiple LUTs depending on the look you're going for. One philosophy for grading is to apply 'too much' then dial it back.

​Definitely is possible. BM is pretty unpredictable with firmware updates. I'm waiting until there are some actual people using it to see if it all pans out, but on paper this is the product I've been waiting for.

​Just have to wait until people actually have their hands on it so we can find those fun BM 'quirks' that always seem to pop up. Though I will say I haven't heard too much negativity about the URSA beyond the sheer size of it. I suppose the low-light limitations still exist, so let's hope the new sensor kicks it up a few notches.

​Ebrahm said in the other thread about this:

Black magic makes a ton of money on their high-end products, the ones they have been producing since before they started making cameras. They can likely afford to have lower profit margins on the more consumer/prosumer level products. Companies like Atomos don't have that high-end line to rely on so they need to raise the margins to stay profitable. That's my guess at least.

​http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1137222-REG/video_devices_pix_e5h_5_monitor_with_hdmi.html Specs here

​If i worked for a production company that specialized in in-house studio videos where the camera stays locked on sticks or dolly, then I would 100% go for the Ursa (over any cam in that price range, not just the mini).

​June/July, as per the video posted above

​Not trying to turn this into an FCPX conversion thread, but FCPX has been doing this flawlessly for a while now. Still, very cool that Resolve is implementing a lot of these high level features. More competition in the market is good for us users.

I remember it was the same situation for 11- took a day or so (I think) to actually lead to 11 and not 10.

Not actually downloadable yet, unless there's a hidden active link somewhere.

Looks like they are swappable. BTW, C300ii has swappable mounts, though you have to send it in to do so.

You're going to miss those longer focal lengths if you sell those lenses. I'd keep at least the 100.

You do need to set it to 24hz to use C4k, but I never personally use it. I almost never shoot a project exclusively with the GH4 and I'm not trying to deal with any of the issues that mixing 24 and 23.98 might introduce (sync problems, specifically). To me, the extra 200 pixels aren't worth it, especially when I'm usually delivering 16:9 anyways.

Lower the screen brightness and make sure to use the histogram and zebras to nail your exposure.

24hz is not necessary, continue using 50z.

​Not denying that the Kinemax looks like a great camera, but it's not the right tool for every situation. VICE shoots on C100 and C300 and they put those cameras through their paces over and over again. Try taking a Kinemax into a desert combat zone, or the jungle, or the antarctic, or any of the other places they visit and see how well it holds up for a week. Chroma channels and high frame rates become a lot less important in certain situations. The C series are seriously built cameras that can take whatever you throw at them.