All of those manufacturers make good cameras. Don't forget JVC - my camera of choice.

My advice is to get a camera that has 3CCD's, XLR mic inputs and adjustable controls. The brand isn't really that important. People tend to like the camera they are currently using (thus my JVC recommendation) but bottom line - cameras in a specific price range are all generally the same.

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

I agree with ci, 3ccd's is the way to go. The canon xl1 is good, as is the Canon Gl2. Look on eBay for cheap camera's.

"Bullies aren't bulletproof"

quote:

---

Originally posted by gamblor

I have the money in hand, i have the idea, What camera should i buy and why? Canon,Sony,Panasonic.?

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.

---

What camera should you buy? I'd first ask, what do you need to photograph and why are you doing it?

What I mean is, the equipment you need (ALL OF IT, not just a camera) is determined by what you intend to do with the final product. Is your project meant for theatrical distribution to 2000 theaters? Is it only meant for DVD release? Is it meant for cable distribution (ie, Showtime, Movie Channel)? Is it meant for only internet viewing? Or are you just making your projects to show to your closest friends and family in the comfort of your own home on the laptop computer?

It's VITAL to answer this question regarding the end-goal because if you rent or purchase equipment that isn't satisfactory in terms of technical specs, then you won't be able to finish what you started.

And beyond this, asking the simple question of what CAMERA you should buy ignores everything ELSE you should also purchase to make movies or any other QUALITY endeavor. What about a quality tripod? A quality fluid head? A quality set of lenses? Matte box and filters? Quality monitor? What about lights, stands, gels, diffusion, C-stands, flags, and other Grip/Electric accessories to actually LIGHT and CONTROL the light for your scenes instead of just shooting what's in front of you like the local news Videographers do? What about carts (like a Magliner) to get all of this equipment around?

What about the on-screen talent? Have you put aside money to hire a qualified makeup/hair person or to buy the necessary supplies to make them look good for photography? Wardrobe? Props? Sets and set dressing?

Transportation to and from the sets for your cast and crew?

Craft Services (snacks and drinks) for your cast and crew? "Catering" (sit-down meals) for the cast and crew to keep them happy and productive?

There is far more to bringing ideas to life than just buying the "right" or "best" camera. Not only do you need to determine what the word "best" actually means (by knowing what you actually need the camera for), but you need to take into consideration all of the other elements that it DOES take to create a quality project that's worth everyone's time and your money.

We could spit out random makes and models of cameras all day long, none necessarily any better or worse for YOUR situation until we know precisely what your situation and intent is.

So, please write back with more details and I'm sure that you'll get the help you truly need. 🙂

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com

Are you both aware that the original post is FIVE years old?

Brian, "gamblor" made two posts five years ago and hasn't been
back since. I doubt he's coming back to offer more details.

cjsm4321, cool it with the commenting on posts three, four,
five and six years old. I welcome your contributions here, but
let dead threads go, okay?

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

quote:

---

Originally posted by certified instigator

Are you both aware that the original post is FIVE years old?

Brian, "gamblor" made two posts five years ago and hasn't been
back since. I doubt he's coming back to offer more details.

cjsm4321, cool it with the commenting on posts three, four,
five and six years old. I welcome your contributions here, but
let dead threads go, okay?

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

---

🙂 I missed that point, but there still may be new users showing up who search through old threads to look for advice.

Perhaps there could be a "FAQ" section on this forum where questions like "What camera should I buy?" and "What's the best filmschool?" can be easily accessed by the steady stream of aspiring "filmmakers." Those ARE the two primary questions I've seen and received directly and they happen to be the two that need the best explanation/answer before people run off to spend money and time.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com

Very curious; looks like the person hiding behind the user name 'cjsm4321' (and signing off with 'bullies aren't bulletproof') is on a binge to beef up the number of his own posts on the forum. He seems to have responded to some 16 threads (some years old) in a matter of just few hours, and none of the responses contributed anything meaningful there. Anyone has any ideas what could be the motivation here?

And Brian, rather than re-doing (or copy/pasting) essentially the same answer to every new person asking what camera to buy, why not just link to any of your prior posts on the subject?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Vasic

And Brian, rather than re-doing (or copy/pasting) essentially the same answer to every new person asking what camera to buy, why not just link to any of your prior posts on the subject?

---

The personal touch is important. 🙂 But sometimes I do just that if I don't have much time or if I know that it's been expressed well elsewhere.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com

Most of the threads he's responded to are three to six years old.
I think you're right - he's trying to beef up his number of posts.
Offering a "welcome" to someone who posted one time three
years ago isn't exactly a helpful post. I've asked him politely to
ease up on bumping up old posts, and deleted most of them (he
posted another 10 today) so we'll see. I'm sure he's just eager.

So once again, cjsm4321, ease up, okay? Check the date of the
original post and if the person is still active. No need to offer
suggestions to someone who hasn't posted here in two or more
years.

Brain, I, too, believe in a more personal touch. Kids come to a
forum to not only get information but to make a connection. A
FAQ or pinned topic will only compel some people to tell a new
person "Hey, check the FAQ before asking." I've seen it on other
forums and we tried it here for a short time. I don't mind
answering the same question over and over. And it seems you
don't mind either. I think for now I'll keep things like they are.
I feel it fosters more communication and sometimes creates an
interesting discussion.

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

You may have a point there, especially when questions relate to some specific piece of gear, since these tend to change rather quickly, so advice may get stale over time. On the other hand, Brian's (and CI's) advice tends to have fairly long shelf life, as it usually goes into the reasoning behind choices.

As for our newest member, he seems to have resurrected five year old threads and contributed over forty new messages in a single day. I honestly don't know what is the purpose of this, other than beefing up the message count. And on the message count, what could possibly be the purpose of doing that? Is there any inherent value in having plenty posts under one's belt on these forums? Do people here take a member more seriously if they see he has many messages?

If I don't know someone on the forum, I sometimes look to see how long have they been here. Message count doesn't mean much without the time spent here.

In all honesty, one could say the same thing about me; I have only discovered this forum last year, and have already contributed over 100 messages. In my case, I often tend to be opinionated and love to hear myself talk....

You may have a point there, especially when questions relate to some specific piece of gear, since these tend to change rather quickly, so advice may get stale over time. On the other hand, Brian's (and CI's) advice tends to have fairly long shelf life, as it usually goes into the reasoning behind choices.

As for our newest member, he seems to have resurrected five year old threads and contributed over forty new messages in a single day. I honestly don't know what is the purpose of this, other than beefing up the message count. And on the message count, what could possibly be the purpose of doing that? Is there any inherent value in having plenty posts under one's belt on these forums? Do people here take a member more seriously if they see he has many messages?

If I don't know someone on the forum, I sometimes look to see how long have they been here. Message count doesn't mean much without the time spent here.

In all honesty, one could say the same thing about me; I have only discovered this forum last year, and have already contributed over 100 messages. In my case, I often tend to be opinionated and love to hear myself talk...).

I don't think that there's anything wrong with answering old posted questions. For the most part, most of the questions from young aspiring filmmakers tend to be very similar. "What camera should I buy?" and "What filmschool should I go to?" are the predominant ones.

To that end, addressing these questions is "timeless" in a sense. That's part of the reason I wrote a book in the first place. All of us who have this desire to make movies generally have the same questions at about the same time in our lives. I wish I would have had the benefit of an internet forum or my own book to help guide my choices when I truly needed them. I wrote a book that addressed the questions that I wish I would have known to ask before I moved 3,000 miles from home. But I didn't, so I stumbled through it like most everyone else. Today's "kids" have so much more opportunity to learn than the rest of us ever dreamed was possible.

Technology changes, so the answers regarding those types of questions will change too. BUSINESS also changes so those answers will also change as years progress.

I think that the inherent danger in any forum or book is that the information/advice given is inherently dated from the moment that it is given. I went to great lengths to make my own book as timeless as possible, while giving the necessary information for someone who truly wants to have a viable career in the film industry. Not an easy task, I can tell you.

What may have been a good or viable answer to someone five years ago may not be applicable today. So, while it is tiresome to answer the same questions over and over again, it is necessary. That's partly why I'm averse to giving specifics to some questions, like, "what camera should I buy?" As of TODAY, sure, there may be a slurry of alphabet soup of makes and models that may or may not suit an aspiring filmmaker, but those recommendations DO change very rapidly as technology changes. Therefore, shouldn't it serve the aspiring filmmaker MORE to understand the bigger issues rather than concentrate on specific model numbers of cameras that will be obsolete or discontinued before the post is even answered?

So, the mission of any internet forum like this (or www.realfilmcareer.com or www.cinematography.com or www.cinematography.net) should be to help aspiring "filmmakers" understand the bigger issues so they can make wiser choices for their specific situations instead of giving out "buy this camera" advice. Inevitably, everyone will have to learn for themselves, but I hope that our mission and purpose (of www.filmmaking.net, www.realfilmcareer.com, www.cinematography.com, www.cinematography.net) is to truly help those who are ready to jump into this PROFESSIONAL industry instead of just telling them what they want to hear.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com