C100: "A few things about the C100"

Okay Jim. No worries guys. Sorry to hi-jack. Originally just wanted to clarify the AF remarks for those who didn't know. Like I said. I'm a long time Canon user, and I'm currently shopping and trying to decide which way to go to move up from DSLRs and small sensor video. There are sacrifices in any decision I suppose.

Peace. :)
 
Okay Jim. No worries guys. Sorry to hi-jack. Originally just wanted to clarify the AF remarks for those who didn't know. Like I said. I'm a long time Canon user, and I'm currently shopping and trying to decide which way to go to move up from DSLRs and small sensor video. There are sacrifices in any decision I suppose.

Peace. :)
Sheldon-
Something I have always done and many of the long-time contributors here at DVX and at DVinfo have said is this:
1) there are many great tools out there from the different manufacturers...try to find the one that hits the most points for you on the jobs you will do.
2) even more important, understand & recognize what camera works functionally the best. A camera that has one particular feature that might make it unique can often not be the best in the functionality department. It's important to look at it from a daily viewpoint...price & recording times of cards, price & running times of batteries, are the important buttons or monitors or eyepieces in the right spot for you....is the camera reliable? does it record to a proper codec that fits the job you're working on, do you need to rent/buy a lot of additional accessiories to make the camera function at established standards. Do you need many lights or just a few?

It's nice to say that one's camera can do a gazzilion things but if you are not going to use them or only use them once in a while, then that shouldn't be a major consideration on what camera to buy.....my top 3 in choosing a camera are chip, codec, and functuality (if that is a word) .........No let's get back to the "shallow" video we shot!

Jim Martin
Filmtools.com
 
Sheldon,
I agree with Jim.

We are artists - not button pushers. Take a camera on rent or borrow it from a friend and try out. If you like it, then buy it.

Specs is just one part of the story. I often grumble about the lack of 50fps at 1080 in the C300. However, I have happily bought this camera to shoot wildlife. The low light capability of the Canon cameras are very nice. Shoot for the moment and make money.

You should also look at the 1D C. You will get both an awesome stills camera as well as 4K. The 1080p is very sharp as well. There are many many options.

The C100 is also a very capable camera. If you don't need broadcast ready codec, then the C100 will serve well.
 
IW:

I'm actually both artist and button pusher. :)

If all I did was narrative, things would be much simpler. I've been anxiously waiting for the 1DC ever since seeing it at the c300 launch at Paramount Studios in LA. I thought about having the photography/film camera all in one, but now that I'm more focused on outdoor stuff, I need to pack light and need to be a one man camera crew. I also need to capture audio for one or more people. Combine that with having to remain as still as possible at times to avoid getting busted and it makes things more difficult.

In the past, I've used a lot of Mini DV and DVCAM cameras, and sometimes relied on AF to keep movement down. It's been about 8 years since I filmed this way, and the new breed of s35 cameras have changed everything. I hoped to invest in one camera that could be used for both outdoor/adventure type stuff and for narrative, but I realize now that to get the functionality I need for outdoor stuff, I might have to sacrifice on picture quality slightly (FS700 vs. Canon c100/c300).

In my case, the footage and the moment is more important than how "film like" the product is. If I miss the moment, I've failed. There are no second takes. Anyone who has done fishing or travel stuff with a host, you understand the needs are different, but unless you've filmed in hunting situations with 2-3 people trying to stay still, you won't quite understand how tough it is to get the material on camera and have the stars align so you get that what you came for. If I was going to be out there alone all the time, that would change things slightly. AF would be nice, but I think I can work around it. It's risky in some situations, but it's not like I haven't used manual focus in the wild; however, slow motion is a big deal for me, and something I see as a deal breaker. Using it in the right situations could really make my work stand out among what else is out there.

Sorry if my response is bring the thread OT again.
 
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