F Bulgarelli Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Hello everyone, Up until this point I've shot all my film projects with Arri or Moviecam cameras, an opportunity has arrived to shoot a 35mm short film on Panavision equipment. My question is: Being the first time doing this, what camera do you recommend? We need a quite 35mm camera, light enough to do some handheld, although 80% of the film is on dolly or sticks. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks Francisco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Holland Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Not a lot of choice Panaflex several types depends on the budget older ones or updated older ones , i would stick to Arri if i was you . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted March 14, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted March 14, 2008 I operated a 35mm movie on one of the heavier Panaflexes, the GII, and 80% was handheld... and I'm not the most athletic guy in the world... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F Bulgarelli Posted March 14, 2008 Author Share Posted March 14, 2008 I operated a 35mm movie on one of the heavier Panaflexes, the GII, and 80% was handheld... and I'm not the most athletic guy in the world... Thank you John and David, What aboout the newer cameras, have you used the XL David? I know I'm getting ambitious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member David Mullen ASC Posted March 14, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted March 14, 2008 I don't know the actual specs, but handholding a Panaflex GII is on par with handholding an Arri-BL, Arri-535B, etc. Sure, get a Millenium XL if you can, it's wonderful in terms of size and weight, easy to handhold or use on a Steadicam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Brad Grimmett Posted March 15, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted March 15, 2008 Your choices are: GII, Platinum, Millenium, or Millenium XL The lightest is the XL, but it's also probably the most expensive. The GII will be the cheapest, but will be the heaviest. The other two are somewhere in between. The XL is a nice camera, both for handheld and conventional operating. If budget isn't an issue, go with the XL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Downes Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Your choices are: GII, Platinum, Millenium, or Millenium XLThe lightest is the XL, but it's also probably the most expensive. The GII will be the cheapest, but will be the heaviest. The other two are somewhere in between. The XL is a nice camera, both for handheld and conventional operating. If budget isn't an issue, go with the XL. They all give wonderful results. I've used the GII on handheld before, and it wasn't too bad. Thankfully Pannavision has thought the design for all of these models out very well, giving you a myriad of configurations for your needs. You can't go wrong with any of them. Altho, in my opinion, focus on the lens kit first. I'd sooner shoot on a GII with the best lenses than the XL with the runners up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F Bulgarelli Posted March 16, 2008 Author Share Posted March 16, 2008 Thank you guys. Yeah, definetely the glass is most important. This is a period piece very much influenced by Delicatessen, we will do a DI, so a lot of the look will be dialed then, looks like we might be able to do a film test. Most likely I'm going to try the new vision3 stock, rated at 400asa for a bit of extra density, I'm planning to get as much information on the shadows as possible and then increase the contrast during the DI. Actually,right now I'm a bit concern about getting a too clean and sharp of an image. if you know what I mean. I never saw Delicatessen in the big screen, but it seems rather soft and a bit grainy and desaturated. This will be my first DI so it's a whole new experience. Any comments and suggestions are always welcome. Francisco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Brad Grimmett Posted March 16, 2008 Premium Member Share Posted March 16, 2008 Speaking of lenses...I know some DP's prefer the older "Z" series lenses to Primo's since they're a bit softer and less contrasty than Primo's. You may want to check them out during your tests if that's the look you're after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Downes Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Speaking of lenses...I know some DP's prefer the older "Z" series lenses to Primo's since they're a bit softer and less contrasty than Primo's. You may want to check them out during your tests if that's the look you're after. Egads, and here I am shooting with antique Cookes..... 8) I know their look, and how to exploit that look for my own projects is the main reason why tho. If all one has is a hammer, make sure the projects you get only use nails.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitchell Yount Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 In terms of ease of use panavison or arri? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Murrel Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 In terms of ease of use panavison or arri? In terms of "ease of use" - Arri - hands down. If ease of use is the most important factor, don't overlook Moviecam. -Jerry Murrel camera assistant Los Angeles, CA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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