Darmon Moore

On 5/29/2022 at 11:20 PM, John-Erling Holmenes Fredriksen said:

No added grain, that’s just the sensor noise (which is quite lovely on the ARRI)

It really is! Great work mate.

This is great John. Thanks for the write-up! Did you apply film grain over the top in post or are all those images the native digital noise from 2500 ASA? Regardless, looks lovely mate.

Cheers,

Darmon.
www.dcdarmon.com

20 hours ago, Dom Jaeger said:

We supplied Varicams for the upcoming ABC drama Savage River, shot by the indefatigable legend Don McAlpine.

He used Varicams on the 2017 movie Ali's Wedding and has been an ardent convert ever since. 

Here he talks about using them at an ASC meet:

 

And again:

 

Thanks Dom. Great material! Don has confirmed what I thought this camera could do. The 5K ASA would be a real saving in the lighting department if needed! 

21 hours ago, Albion Hockney said:

for sure an under rated camera. Panasonic did everything right and the market just didn't take it in.

Better picture then any sony/canon offering still I'd say. Great DR.

sadly people don't request it though.

Great value

the TV series "Master of None" was shot on it ...good reference to see what its capable of with good production.

Thanks for the reply mate. As I expected, the sheet specs live up to what they're claiming. Such a shame the market didn't take it in.

Good Morning, Afternoon & or Evening to who is reading this.

I'm an owner operator out of Sydney, Australia. Recently I've had two major issues on set with an Ursa G2 which has lead me to get rid off it as I can't afford to have major malfunctions on set with paying clients who expect gear that works.

Currently I'm renting for jobs, which is great for some jobs, but not financially beneficial for a lot of my work. Now, I find myself in the market for a reliable system that can deliver high-end files etc etc etc. 

I'm considering the usual, Arri, Red etc (although I do rent these for jobs that require it). However, I've always been quite intrigued by the Panasonic Varicam LT, and I will be renting one soon to get to know the colour science & camera in general a little better.

Finally to my question - There is clearly a huge lack of material based around the Varicam LT, which is why I turn to ya'll.  Is there anyone here that can shed some light on the system and how it has worked for them in the field? There are sub 500 hour kits going for under $10K which seems like an absolute bargain when you see the camera on paper.

Any information regarding the camera pro or con will be ultra helpful. 

Thank you in advance,

Darmon Moore

Hi Darmon,

 

Happy to help. 2.5K MFT is a great choice, I prefer the 4K not because it's 4K, but because it's got much less Moire and Aliasing (actually it hardly got any from what I've seen) plus you don't have the rolling shutter effect because of the global shutter.

 

Now, I don't know about you, but all those artifacts could drive me crazy when filming.

 

As for Raw...I'm not sure why you wouldn't want compressed raw? I prefer RED compression system over Blackmagic or Sony for instance. I'm sure you know we're talking here 500GB per one hour of 2.5K Raw, as opposed to say almost 5 hours of ProRes 422 HQ 1080P or about 3.5 hours of RED 4K 7:1 compression.

 

But as I said it's a great choice nonetheless, when you have a bigger shoot, you could always rent an Epic or Alexa.

 

Regarding lenses, GL Optics are now offering a Cine version of the Sigma 18-35mm with over 300º focus rotation and a proper aperture ring etc. For only 3500$ it looks like a great investment, much better than any camera IMHO...http://www.glcinemod.com/english.html

Ok fair call, Aliasing, Moire and rolling shutter are beyond a pain!

Man those lenses are gorgeous, but with my budget I couldn't see myself affording any of those soon :(

How do you feel the 4k uncompressed and or ProRes HQ, holds up against the 2.5k uncompressed raw?

Darmon.

Darmon

 

 

:)

Ummmmmmmmmmm WHY!

I would be furious!! please don't tell me this is common.

Hey Oron, that was a very interesting post you put there. I didn't really look at it that way, thank you :)

Now I have considered all the BMCC cameras on the same level, it just comes down to what would be the right one.

In relation to the 4k and 2.5k version. If I were to go for these, my hunch is to move towards the 2.5k version for the plain fact

that the raw is uncompressed, where as the 4k is compressed. I don't need 4k, that is much to big for the market (vimeo etc) I am going to be practicing in.

Don't get me wrong, down scaling the 4k image looks beautiful, but again, I think 4k is too large for me at the moment. Plus when they bring out the 'raw' from the 4k there is no way I want to deal with those files sizes :)

for the 2.5k version I would go with the MFT with a metabones, bringing it closer to the Super 35mm sensor size.

Darmon.

except the battery is covering the monitor so u kinda have to gamble ur shot

About 10 minutes after posting I noticed that :)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tilta-BMPCC-Dslr-Rig-Cage-MatteBox-Handle-95Wh-V-MOUNT-Battery-Fo-Blackmagic-/251382660684

This looks pretty neat.

This is my approach, I'm used to ENG cameras so that's what I'm aiming for.

 

I tend to agree with your observations, but you need to look upon many of the cameras you could get for this price - the pocket, a DSLR (which is realy rather similar, operationally) and other small camerras - as a sensor in a box that really needs to have a camera built around it. It isn't really a camera on its own.

 

That being the case, you might need to consider something like a Tilta BS-T03 baseplate. Not only does that get you an ENG-style shoulder mount, you also have rods front and back and compatibility with a broadcast-style quick release plate. You can pick up a compatible tripod plate reasonably cheaply and gain the benefit of the sort of quick release capability enjoyed by news crews. Any decent fluid head tripod, although size it for a decent camera rig as opposed to assuming a tiny one will do because the BMPCC is tiny. Get something with triple leg extension. You can probably afford it.

 

Next consider glass. You'll almost certainly end up using DSLR lenses at this sort of price point on a big sensor, although if you're particularly dedicated you can pick up 2/3" B4 mount lenses that will cover the BMPCC with the extender in, for a few thousand used. Otherwise consider how you're going to grip the thing. I don't personally like the dual front handle approach - people do it with a lot of DSLR rigs because they see it used on high end feature films, but remember they're working with focus pullers and camera assistants. They don't need a hand free to tweak focus or turn over. You do, so consider other options.

 

Battery. Lots of people make rod-mounted battery mounts. Slide on the back of the T03. Buy batteries and chargers from wherever's the best deal.

 

Viewfinder. Various people make LCD viewfinders in the fixed-loupe style that you can mount where an ENG camera's finder would go. They may need to be mounted on a magic arm or a configuration of rods and brackets. Most of the current crop are only 800x480. A higher-res option was shown at NAB but it's several thousand dollars and may be overkill.

 

The thing to remember is that the lenses, batteries, tripod, baseplate and other accessories will cost you more than the camera and will probably last you longer than the camera - the actual light sensor is only a small part of the equation.

 

P

Thanks for the reply Phil.

In terms of the cage/handle etc I was looking at something like, thoughts?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1020904-REG/ikan_tilta_es_t13_black_magic.html

The thing to remember is that the lenses, batteries, tripod, baseplate and other accessories will cost you more than the camera and will probably last you longer than the camera - the actual light sensor is only a small part of the equation.

Completely agree, I want to invest in some accessories that will last for camera systems to come and go.

As for lenses, I have heard and seen great things about the Rokinon/Samyang budget CINE kit.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1016626-REG/rokinon_super_fast_t1_5_cine.html

The quality of these lenses for their price are seriously remarkable. Plus they come with follow focus notches and T stops.

I would probably get the Metabones Pocket camera addtion, to get those wider angles and more light.

as for tripods and EVFS/Monitors, I'm quite inexperienced in that area.

Darmon.

After reading everyone's posts and looking at some reviews/footage etc, this BMPCC is really starting to sway me.

The image you can get out of such a small camera (AND YOU GET RAW!!!) is quite phenomenal.

At the moment I think blowing money on the 2.5k or the 4k is probably going to be a waste of money. Seeing as my direct market at the moment is going to be on the web.

As Freya, Alex, Artyom - Well basically everyone has said, the BMPCC is amazing for it's size and price.

This means I can spend some money on things I can use with later cameras down the track.

Lenses

Tripod

External Monitor (if need be)

Cage

Rods

Audio Equipment

Lighting

etc.

So I suppose my question now is, what gear should I be looking at getting if I were to purchase the BMPCC.

Once again, your professional advice is beyond helpful guys.

Darmon.

invest in glass and rent camera per project

The only problem with this, is I can't just pick up my kit and go do some spontaneous shooting. I have to order,book, pick up etc.

I really just want a tight nit kit that will serve me well, something I can put in countless filming hours with. Plus at this stage, renting would be a waste of money in my opinion.

Hey everyone, I've just finished reading through all the recent replies.

Thanks so much for all your input, very appreciative :)

This is where I am at in terms of what camera kit I would like to invest in:

4K BMCC:

No more rolling shutter issues

Minimized Aliasing/Moire, in relation to BMCC 2.5k/BMPCC

The crop is a little better, only at 1.7 on the 4K version.

BMPCC:

$1000 :)

Small, lightweight and compact

More money for Lenses,tripod etc.

Great dynamic range, image is still great.

FS700 (Not ruling this out)

XLR

ND's

2K/4K with Odyssey

S-log2 (I personally think the BMCC is better in this respect)

35mm Sensor

FPS variety

So they are some of the Advantages of getting these different cameras. Could get away with something like 5-7K with the BMPCC for a basic kit, where as i'd be looking at 10-15K with the FS700 for a kit that would support this particular camera. the BMCC as Oron pointed out could easily be kitted out with 10K.

I've had a look at the new Sony A7s, it's intriguing with it's 4k (especially with the new Atmos Shogun) and it's 720p 120 FPS. However I have this weird feeling that there is going to be some issues with that camera, we will have to wait and see I guess.

I know some of you have posted explaining that tripods and lens's are more important, and yes I agree, I will be spending good amounts on those to ensure their longevity in my kits to come. However at the moment I want to figure out the camera that is actually going to sit on that tripod for now :) then I can pick the best pieces for that camera.

Again, some very insightful experience being added to this post. Really really appreciate it!!!

Darmon.

Said everything was going to change:

 

http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicursa

 

$5,995

 

Freya

WOW!, that is a serious game changer. They say shipping in July, that must be in 2078 knowing the folks at black magic ;)

Hi Darmon,

 

I see you're Australian, so to get a Blackmagic camera serviced should be fairly easy.

 

The Balckmagic 4K got some issues with small portions of cameras, but overall most issues are software related and are not major. Worst come to worst they could always replace the camera for you.

I mean for the price, this thing is unbeatable and as you saw from my list, will leave you plenty of cash to spend on other stuff.

 

On a side note, I did put all the prices as if you're from the US, I know Aussieland is more expensive for some of the stuff I listed.

Yeah your list is looking very nice, I mean with the right kit (all the bits and bobs) the BMCC image looks fantastic!

P.S i'm moving to london soon

4K also has a larger sensor, though at present moment it is suffering from some serous sensor problems. This may or may not be due to the sensor calibration or the way it's recording it's pro-res-- but in either case I don't think it's quite ready for work just yet. Pocket is closer to production ready, though the purple grid you get can be a major issue if you're not careful (and hard to see on set, though fixable, kind of in post, and may not exist in Raw.I keep meaning to test this; but haven't had a chance/reason to. )

What about the 2.5k verion ( in terms of production ready )

For narrative work I'd def pass on the FS700, it's a great camera but less for narrative.

 

For 10K my initial list will be slightly different, I will go for:

Camera: Blackmagic 4K - 3000$

Tripod: Sachtler ACE M - 600$

Lenses: Sigma 18-35 1.8 - 800$ + Zeiss contax 50mm 1.7+ 85mm 1.4 - about 800$ (when you have more money get the 21mm and 35mm contax as well).

Vocas MB210 mattebox or similar - 350$

Lanparte Follow focus - 450$

Base plate: shoot35 or used zacuto mini baseplate - 150-200$

Shoulderpad: Redrock micro or similar - 200$ (get it used if possible)

Handels: a few good brands: 200$ (get them used if u can)

Battery pinch + battery - 500$

Some bits and pieces (Rods, Israeli arm etc) - 300$

External mic - Sennheiser MKE 600 + some sound Accessories + Zoom H4n - 700$

Extrnal SDI Monitor or EVF ( Samurai Blade or Cineroid) - 1000$

Used 1K and 300W Fresnel + some LED light - about 900$

 

Total - Nice package for 10K :)

Wow that is a nice list! talk about a set up.

Hey Damon,

 

if you want to start thinking about it now then check out this thread:

 

http://www.cinematography.com/index.php?showtopic=63159&do=findComment&comment=406706

 

but keep in mind that everything is going to change in a few days time and there may be a completely different reality in relation to cameras by then.

 

Blackmagic Pocket is worth looking at I think more than the other blackmagic cameras as it is cheaper and gets a lot of important things right such as Micro 4/3 mount which allows you to use a wide range of lenses with adapters and also should be able to shoot raw as well as very nice pro-res to SD cards!!! It's really incredible little camera.

 

All the Blackmagic cameras suffer from being a bit DSLR in nature tho. Not as bad as an actual DSLR but something in that area.

 

GH4 looks amazing but we need more real world details on it. Also a bit DSLR'y only not quite as bad as it can sit on that special electronic brick for audio etc.

 

As I say tho, wait till everything changes over the next few days.

 

Freya

True, I am very interested to see what NAB has to offer.

It's all very tough when deciding what to invest in, especially these days with so many options!

I'm want to wait a few months before I purchase anything, so hopefully just hits the button :)

Thanks Freya and Adrian.

Hey Freya, thanks for replying!

Secondly I think you should focus less on the camera anyway because they go out of date at an alarming rate whereas things like a decent tripod etc remain good for a long time in theory.

I agree with this 100%, however I do have to get a camera before I can shoot anything.

I would like to include budget lighting in the $10,000, seeing as it's basically the most important part of a brilliant image.

Darmon.

Hello!

Firstly I'd like to say this is my first post on this forum, and I appreciate all feedback I may receive :)

After completing my Bachelor in Digital Media (majoring in Film and Video)

I have decided that film making is the path I want to take.

I have worked on a few short films and produced a few pieces of my own.

During this journey I used a few cameras and started broadening my knowledge of several different camera systems.

Mostly used:

550D

7D

Canon C100

Panasonic P2

Keep in mind I have nothing, no lenses, no tripod, no rig, no nothing! :)

After weighing up my options I have decided that I need to purchase a "Camera Kit" that will allow me to go out and shoot without worries

of having to organize gear pick ups (I.E renting), I need a system that will cover a film makers basic needs.

Jimi Hendrix didn't get good at guitar by not playing the guitar!! In fact he used to play whilst making dinner :)

After doing several months of research the cameras and the kits that catch my eye are:

BMCC ( shoots beautiful raw images at a low price)

FS700 (comes with bells and whistles that other cameras would need as extra items)

Please don't hesitate to suggest other cameras in my price range, however I would like to get out of the DSLR world.

I know I am asking a lot here, I'm just not fit to answer all my own questions, which is why I need to turn to professionals for advice.

You may ask, well what is it you shoot?

Narrative works are where I am looking to go.

So yeah, $10k is my budget, I know it's not a lot, but I need to make it work.

I really appreciate any and all advice!

Thanks,

Darmon

P.S is this the right forum topic for my post?