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I have £25k to spend on gear


Oliver Daniel
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I posted a few months ago about a friend who got an investment, and the replies were pretty cool so thought I'd try again - but this time it's me.

I've now got access to a £25k ($38876) equipment fund to move my video business to another level (another level of fancy toys, that is)....and I'm wondering how to spend it. 

Short story... the company I run employs three people, including me. Our work has been historically music video production (exclusively), but we are now in development of making a lot of commercial/corporate work. Not boring talking heads stuff on white backgrounds.... cinematic, edgy, highly stylised videos for businesses who want to be more adventurous. 

We had an equipment investment a few years ago.. iMac, lighting, grip, monitor,cameras. I'd say the only survivor of this investment moving on is the lighting gear. We've sold most of it off and have rented a bunch of stuff since. So we have a lot of areas to improve.

Due to our clear out...we need replacements/additions for A camera, B camera, monitors, Mac, hard drives, lenses, lighting, bits and bobs. We have kept things like our DJI Ronin-M, Edelkrone Slider Plus, 2 x Kino Flo Divas, 3 x Dedolights, vintage lenses. Everything else has gone. (we do have some GH3s knocking about too). 

Lighting is No.1, as always. We know what lighting we want (LEDs and bits) to add but everything else is up in the air. We've kept our good lights but need more, such as Lupolux and Scorpion, to open possibilities and creativity. 

In terms of cameras, we use the FS7 often but certainly are curious about the URSA Mini. It's important to B-cam this stuff, as we will also use these for lower budget stuff as A-cameras. (RX10 II etc to go on grip stuff like Ronin-M).  Lenses needs vary, bit of all worlds required really. 

I've got a solid idea of what I want..... but just for fun... what would you do in my position? 

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Joker Bug + attachment kit so you can use it in a chimera lantern, as a leko, fresnel, etc.

Dana dolly would probably get a lot of use if you don't have something similar. And/or some kind of motorized cineslider with 3-way head for some pretty intricate timelapses.

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I think if URSA Mini lives up to expectations it would be a great A camera... just today I realised that besides all other options it will have an option to shoot 3072 x 2560 1.2:1 aspect ratio for use with 2x anamorphic lenses/adapters to get 2.4:1 cinemascope 6144 x 2560. With all other options that it will have, it certainly ticks a lot of boxes.

But as you always say, first it has to be tested in the real world :).

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I think if URSA Mini lives up to expectations it would be a great A camera... just today I realised that besides all other options it will have an option to shoot 3072 x 2560 1.2:1 aspect ratio for use with 2x anamorphic lenses/adapters to get 2.4:1 cinemascope 6144 x 2560. With all other options that it will have, it certainly ticks a lot of boxes.

But as you always say, first it has to be tested in the real world :).

You're right, I'd never buy any camera without throwing it straight in the deep end first. The first time I hit record on the FS7, I was filming one of the most lucrative jobs I've done. It worked out. 

The URSA Mini is due September now. It really seems like a great piece of kit so I'm happy to wait until the rental house has one. Or it's the FS7 for sure. Some people do forget that the URSA Mini shoots raw. I'd use it for the money shots ;)

This is my general rough list: 

  • A Camera - must have HFR (FS7, URSA Mini). 
  • B Camera - RX10 II, BM Micro. 
  • Edit - Mac Pro or iMac Retina Full Spec.
  • Large Thunderbolt 2 RAID Drive - G Tech, Lacie, Promise.
  • Lenses - Sigma ART zooms/primes. 
  • Lenses - Modified vintage lenses. 
  • Light - Lupolux LED 1000w, 650w x 2 + batteries. 
  • Light - Scorpion Lights x 6 + batteries. 
  • Slider - Upgrade Edelkrone to motion control or buy Rhino EVO motion. 
  • Monitor - Small HD 501 or 502. (mainly for gimbal, RX10 II Slog LUT). 
  • And bits and bobs....
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You're right, I'd never buy any camera without throwing it straight in the deep end first. The first time I hit record on the FS7, I was filming one of the most lucrative jobs I've done. It worked out. 

The URSA Mini is due September now. It really seems like a great piece of kit so I'm happy to wait until the rental house has one. Or it's the FS7 for sure. Some people do forget that the URSA Mini shoots raw. I'd use it for the money shots ;)

This is my general rough list: 

  • A Camera - must have HFR (FS7, URSA Mini). 
  • B Camera - RX10 II, BM Micro. 
  • Edit - Mac Pro or iMac Retina Full Spec.
  • Large Thunderbolt 2 RAID Drive - G Tech, Lacie, Promise.
  • Lenses - Sigma ART zooms/primes. 
  • Lenses - Modified vintage lenses. 
  • Light - Lupolux LED 1000w, 650w x 2 + batteries. 
  • Light - Scorpion Lights x 6 + batteries. 
  • Slider - Upgrade Edelkrone to motion control or buy Rhino EVO motion. 
  • Monitor - Small HD 501 or 502. (mainly for gimbal, RX10 II Slog LUT). 
  • And bits and bobs....

I have a couple of Scorpion lights in the mail. Can't wait to try them out.

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Yes, when Ursa Mini delivers what it promises, then this would be my first choice... The 4,6 K EF model with viewfinder, etc.

A Canon CN-E 15.5-47mm T2,8 L Wide-Angle Zoom lens would be nice, but reduced the whole budget by half:).

So, the Sigma 18-35/1,8 Art is also ok:). I think with this money, there are a lot of high quality lenses affordable...

A used 1 DC as a B-cam.

Lucky man!:)

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Thought about the c300 mk II? I'm sure you know this already, but corporate work can often be dictated by trends and names... I think it is a fairly safe bet that camera will be the name on people's lips in the next few years. Big chunk of change though.

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Guest Ebrahim Saadawi

Thought about the c300 mk II? I'm sure you know this already, but corporate work can often be dictated by trends and names... I think it is a fairly safe bet that camera will be the name on people's lips in the next few years. Big chunk of change though.

It's a serious consideration to go big and buy the C300 if you work in an environment/country/city that requests and rents specific cameras. For example since to 2012 to this day every C300 owner in the UK got work, a lot of work, especially for broadcast and events, they wanted C300 owners every day, they paid the camera off many times, with gigs and renting it out every day, a money-making machine even if they don't use it, FS700 owners? Not much.

So a more expensive reputable camera can be much cheaper than a less reputable cheaper one.

You know your clients and work space. Do they care and rent your C300 every day? get that it's more than worth it business-wise. They don't and just want great results? get an FS7.

*A word about the URSA Mini 4.6K: keep in mind the huge downside it has in low-light performance (BM 2.5K levels) compared to the Fs7/c100/c300. If you want low-light, 3200/6400/10000 ISO, scrap it off the list already. If you only need 800/1600, it's a serious contender and should be waited for.

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It's a serious consideration to go big and buy the C300 if you work in an environment/country/city that requests and rents specific cameras. For example since to 2012 to this day every C300 owner in the UK got work, a lot of work, especially for broadcast and events, they wanted C300 owners every day, they paid the camera off many times, with gigs and renting it out every day, a money-making machine even if they don't use it, FS700 owners? Not much.

So a more expensive reputable camera can be much cheaper than a less reputable cheaper one.

You know your clients and work space. Do they care and rent your C300 every day? get that it's more than worth it business-wise. They don't and just want great results? get an FS7.

*A word about the URSA Mini 4.6K: keep in mind the huge downside it has in low-light performance (BM 2.5K levels) compared to the Fs7/c100/c300. If you want low-light, 3200/6400/10000 ISO, scrap it off the list already. If you only need 800/1600, it's a serious contender and should be waited for.

Thank you to yourself and Jimmy for the suggestion. 

I'd love a C300 Mk II, really would. It seems like an absolute powerhouse with the powerful name. Bit of a pain it doesn't do 4k 50/60p though. 

Most of my clients come straight to me through my website, word of mouth, treatment calls or direct from agencies. At the moment this is mostly music related - the other guys are heavy on the development of the commercial/corporate side. I don't EVER get any work just based on the gear I've got - I'm hired as part of a team who specialise in delivering videos from start to finish, all in-house. Just 3 of us. We do it all. 

I've never thought of the "marketing" prospect of selling work as a C300 Mk II owner/operator, wouldn't even know how to position that. I understand that I could make the money back very quickly on letting it go out on rentals, but it's still an "if". Also it's a large chunk of the budget I have. On the whole, cameras such as the FS7 seem a safer bet. It's been very popular so far. 

In terms of low-light...the thing is, I do light everything. Everything. I'm not a part of the low-light laze craze where people ignore lights if they own an A7S. I honestly think that's why the A7S has weird color - the artefact of a superb low light sensor. 

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Just been looking at the C300 Mk II.... what's with the placement of the screen? Awful. It would be terrible if you couldn't change it. 

You can rotate it and flip it down so it's right in front of your eyes in a shoulder configuration. You can also tilt it back if you're doing low shots. Not sure how easy it is to change the whole configuration, though.

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You can rotate it and flip it down so it's right in front of your eyes in a shoulder configuration. You can also tilt it back if you're doing low shots. Not sure how easy it is to change the whole configuration, though.

I'm glad to hear it!

Have you thought about a Scarlet Dragon?

It would be interesting to see how a "Shot On Red" tag would work to attract more clients. A lot of people are drawn to it. Many clients do ask if they can shoot on RED, but those clients are usually a pain to work with. If someone mentions the camera before the ideas, I roll my eyes. 

I've done Epic work before so I know the workflow etc. Purchasing this camera would take up all my budget and with the URSA Mini on the horizon, it seems hard to justify. Like I said, it would be interesting to see the behaviours if I sold my services with a RED stamp on it. 

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The kind of client that would ask specifically for RED would also probably scoff at a Scarlet, even though the Scarlet dragon looks the business. You also have to consider the OLPF situation, the skintone OLPF is pretty shocking in low light (even 1600).. As you always light your work, that might not be a concern.

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The kind of client that would ask specifically for RED would also probably scoff at a Scarlet, even though the Scarlet dragon looks the business. You also have to consider the OLPF situation, the skintone OLPF is pretty shocking in low light (even 1600).. As you always light your work, that might not be a concern.

The first Epic footage I shot had some right dodgy stuff going in the blacks. I put it down to user error, but I was surprised at how very very careful you have to be with it. 

Someone needs to make a RED shell that houses other cameras. Most clients wouldnt know the difference but would be STOKED.

Just like that Chinese website www.pchood.com that rehouses lenses so they look more expensive. I might just get an URSA Mini and stick a RED badge over the BM logo and say its a Limited Edition version: RED Magic Dragon. Ha!

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I posted a few months ago about a friend who got an investment, and the replies were pretty cool so thought I'd try again - but this time it's me.

I've now got access to a £25k ($38876) equipment fund to move my video business to another level (another level of fancy toys, that is)....and I'm wondering how to spend it. 

Short story... the company I run employs three people, including me. Our work has been historically music video production (exclusively), but we are now in development of making a lot of commercial/corporate work. Not boring talking heads stuff on white backgrounds.... cinematic, edgy, highly stylised videos for businesses who want to be more adventurous. 

We had an equipment investment a few years ago.. iMac, lighting, grip, monitor,cameras. I'd say the only survivor of this investment moving on is the lighting gear. We've sold most of it off and have rented a bunch of stuff since. So we have a lot of areas to improve.

Due to our clear out...we need replacements/additions for A camera, B camera, monitors, Mac, hard drives, lenses, lighting, bits and bobs. We have kept things like our DJI Ronin-M, Edelkrone Slider Plus, 2 x Kino Flo Divas, 3 x Dedolights, vintage lenses. Everything else has gone. (we do have some GH3s knocking about too). 

Lighting is No.1, as always. We know what lighting we want (LEDs and bits) to add but everything else is up in the air. We've kept our good lights but need more, such as Lupolux and Scorpion, to open possibilities and creativity. 

In terms of cameras, we use the FS7 often but certainly are curious about the URSA Mini. It's important to B-cam this stuff, as we will also use these for lower budget stuff as A-cameras. (RX10 II etc to go on grip stuff like Ronin-M).  Lenses needs vary, bit of all worlds required really. 

I've got a solid idea of what I want..... but just for fun... what would you do in my position? 

why the 25K? (how did they come up with that number?)

what are the other successful companies in your area using?

is it necessary to own equipment in your market?  (are there rental houses in your area?)

can you rent the higher end stuff when needed?

do you have producers and production managers working for you?  (if so what do they say?)

 

(i'll try to give you an example from working here in LA that might help..)

good luck

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