Sony A7Sii with Shogun or the BMPC4K?

Filip Grębowski · January 19, 2016

Hey everyone,

I am soon to be a Computer Science Student, but Cinematography has always been something I love doing in my free time as a hobby! I am planning to open up a wedding cinematography business this summer, and I want to invest in some beasty equipment I have been saving up for, for a very loooong time.

I am debating between the SONY A7Sii (Low light master) with the Atomos Shogun or the BlackMagic Production Camera (the best 4K out there). Both look incredible, and I want my videos to come out like movies as that theme appears to be my style of shooting. I like the fact you get DaVinci Colour Grading software with the BMPC. Luckily, both of the cameras film internal 4K but both have there pros and cons. That is probably my highest budget, I can't afford looking at any high end RED cameras etc because I'm still at college, and my budget is quite limited!!

Please tell me your opinions about these two cameras, and what you would recommend. I want to shoot other stuff as a hobby, other than weddings, such as holidays and trips, so I want it to be versatile. The function of the Sony as a DSLR for shooting images does not appear as an advantage to me, as I have a Canon already which shoots some pretty high quaity images.

Its nice to become part of this forum, and thanks for all the upcoming help!

Edited January 19, 2016 by Filip Grębowski

Max Field · January 20, 2016

A7sii is cool for the price but I'm personally not a fan of it's size/weight and feel it could break in an instant if not careful. I will say it's the most impressive still camera out there as far as video is concerned.

BMPC4K's touchscreen controls had me hesitant when I was looking to upgrade from DSLR. When shooting video, I want a camcorder, not an iPad.

It sounds like for what you're doing, no one will be demanding 4K, and with that I'd recommend either a C100 or Sony F3. Both similar in form factor, the F3's S-Log output, when turning off the sharpness enhancements, has a very nice look to it.

End of the day though, If you're primarily starting as a hobby, a Canon DSLR will work just fine. What Canon do you currently have?

Adam Michael Ogden · March 29, 2016

I would recommend spending the money on some nice glass, lights and audio and maybe a second camera for a different angle to cut to since DSLRs can only record for a max of 29:59 (some record less) because of legal reasons. I would definitely recommend getting some kind of audio gear other than the built in mic on the camera. If you have the budget I would go with 3 wireless lavs (bride, groom, official), a shotgun mic and a recorder but at least get a shotgun and a recorder. Good audio is very important especially for wedding videography. People are much more forgiving of bad video than they are of bad audio.

You really don't need 4k for a couple of reasons. People who are going to be hiring you aren't going to be asking for 4k and it's going to be a lot more expensive for you in the long run. You'll need a lot of storage space for those 4k files considering your're going to have hours of footage for just one wedding. And if you go with the BMPC and shoot 4k raw then thats at least 10x more storage space that you'll need. Also you'll need a beast of a computer to edit the 4k raw let alone 4k. As for getting DaVinci for free when you get the BMPC, DaVinci resolve is free if you're working with 1080p footage.

In the end it's your decision but if you already have a decent DSLR then there are other things you should put your money towards before upgrading to a better camera.

Edited March 29, 2016 by Adam Michael Ogden

Adrian Sierkowski · March 29, 2016

To come out like the movies; the camera is vastly irrelevant to the crew, lighting, grip, and design involved in a movies producing. Take any camera in the world into a boring room with nothing but a lens, and you're at a strong disadvantage.

That said, were I going into a wedding, and I'm not, A7 all the way because you will well need that low-light capability especially for the receptions.

This isn't an endorsement of the plan, at all, and I'd rent both before you buy either to see how they work for you and if they, in your hands, with what you can do now, meet your expectations. In college, save your money for those student loans or living expenses when you graduate unless there is some pressing reason to upgrade right now.

NAB and CES happen every year after all.

Tyler Purcell · March 29, 2016

DSLRs can only record for a max of 29:59 (some record less) because of legal reasons.

Actually, many DSLR's do 1080x1920 @ 60p. It's pretty common actually, just not on the 5D. This is because the imager is so big, it requires a lot more processing power and Canon has always under spec'ed their processors on that camera.

Adrian Sierkowski · March 29, 2016

He means in the EU run time, as recording straight over 30 min makes it a video camera and subject to different VAT taxes. It's not about FPS, it's about the actual limit of run time on the cameras per take.