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I'm a DP working out of Central America and most of my work is high-end commercials in the region. I do some eventual documentaries, music videos, short films, etc, but my bread and butter is commercial work. So far, I've been renting gear out and mostly shooting on Arri Alexa Plus and RED Epic MX. I do not own any important personal gear. There are a couple of jobs coming up and I have the opportunity to invest about $20k on a camera package. 50% of the investment would be paid off within the next 2-3 months. So far, I've been thinking about purchasing a used Arri AMIRA. I like the fact that you can shoot 3.4k RAW, am a huge fan of ARRI's color science and the sensor's dynamic range. My main concern is that this camera was released six years ago and sensor technology is quickly evolving. I've also been looking at the new Sony FX9 as an option or even spending a little more money and going for a RED GEMINI (just because of native resolution and trying to future proof the investment). My gut keeps telling to go with the AMIRA, but I would really like to hear other opinions and ideas! Thanks.

What's everyone's thoughts on consigning a camera at a reputable camera house? I'm considering purchasing for the first time and I want to hear your experiences with it: the good, the bad and the ugly. I have a good relationship at this place and I've been chatting with a trusted rental agent (and friend) for a few weeks as we've looked at the data: it seems like cameras will generally pay themselves off in about 2-3 years, including a standard 50/50 profit split. Is this a wise way to pay off a large investment? Thanks in advance, appreciate you all.

Hey Guys, I'm an aspiring cinematographer and I am wondering how best to spend my money to invest in this field. At first, I was dead sent on buying on new camera (looking at the A7s II or the Ursa Mini); however, I have now begun to consider investing in lighting equipment, and opting to rent a camera whenever the need arises. Basically I'm torn: For $3,000 I could buy just a camera body, or I could get an Arri lighting package (x2 150w, 300w, 650w, 1k) and two 4' 2-bank kino lights w/ ballasts off of Ebay. My questions are: Can anyone provide insight into what would be the best and most beneficial course of action? I also have another question based off of the Kino lights: is the output of a 4' 2-bank Kino the same as the output of a 2' 4-bank Kino? What are the benefits to either or? Lastly, is there a better investment I could make that isn't a camera or lighting equipment? Thanks again, and any insight will be greatly appreciated! -Sam