Jim Ross CinematixHD

This is about as broad and vague a question as "I'm getting my license and want to know what car to get." What do you want to do with the car? How much money do you have? Where will you drive it? Same with the camera- how much cash do you have? What are you going to film? If you are going to make a living shooting weddings you don't need an Alexa. If you are doing rap music videos most of your clients can't afford you to shoot with an Epic. If you are new no one will PAY you what you need to PAY for that Scarlet you bought. I'm with Christopher- buy the best you can afford, but the best for what you need now. You can always move up. No need to have that Lambo if you are going to be delivering pizzas! Jim Ross, Cinematographer http://www.cinematixhd.com/

Why avoid Chinese goods? Just think about anything you've bought in Walmart. Products you used to buy years ago that would last a lifetime now fall apart in two years. If that. These products are not only made with cheap labor they are made with inferior raw materials. They have to be. It's not economically possible otherwise. They simply cannot use the best materials and make money. That's why your stainless steel tableware from China rusts in the dishwasher. They short on the chromium. They have to. Otherwise they can't produce it. But Americans have voted. They voted with their wallets and sent many American manufacturing companies out of business. They voted to buy things cheap and throw them away sooner. That may be fine with a frypan, but not with a camera! Think about it - would you buy a Chinese car? Probably not. Because you may not mind the cheap frypan or the inferior vacuum cleaner, it was cheap so that's okay that it is pretty crappy. A car on the other hand is a safety and status thing. We won't sacrifice there. We'll spend as much as a house on a car! Me? I don't even buy knockoff lights. I shoot with Arri, Westcott, Kinoflo, Mole. I bought some knockoffs earlier in my career. None of that equipment remains. It all fell apart. My Mole 2Ks are probably 25 years old or older. I bought them used. Probably have them another 25 years! Jim Ross, Cinematiographer http://www.cinematixhd.com/