Best camera for music videos

J.D.

J.D.

Active member
Fast, cheap, good...pick two
I am making music videos that are low budget and need to be shot quickly with a small crew. I need quick set ups with minimal lighting. I also want the best filmic look.
What camera would you suggest?
 
J.D. said:
Fast, cheap, good...pick two
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The best camera for music videos is still the Arri 435. Fits 2 out of 3 of your criteria, which is all you asked for. :beer:

For some reason, I suspect that "cheap" is actually the most important of those criteria.
 
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id say a GH2 with some fast vintage nikon primes.
its the DSLR least likely to encounter problems in the field.
 
nothing said:
The best camera for music videos is still the Arri 435. Fits 2 out of 3 of your criteria, which is all you asked for. :beer:

For some reason, I suspect that "cheap" is actually the most important of those criteria.
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Ha, Ha, Ha,.... you beat me to that post. Yeah, "Best" is relative.
 
What if I drop cheap out of the mix? I need fast and good. I own the gh2 and I have access to the af100, I need the video to look professional.

Jd
 
J.D. said:
What if I drop cheap out of the mix? I need fast and good. I own the gh2 and I have access to the af100, I need the video to look professional.

Jd
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If you own a Gh2 then that's your answer. The only thing I would suggest is getting some fast glass and some stabilization for your camera. After that comes, story + directing then editing.....
 
with a GH2 and access to an AF100 already, all I can think of is that you may also want to get a 5D2 for beauty shots, and/or a nex-5N for slow motion (1080p60)
 
I couldn't suggest a camera without far more information. Music Video - as in a 'story' style, with a filmic look that simply has a narrative and the CD audio gets dubbed over the top? No lip-sync or need for live sound - OR - Music Video as a recording of a band or musician actually playing and singing - with or without lip-sync? Two vastly different uses of the phrase 'music video'. A DSLR approach would be good for one, but rotten for the other. I'm guessing the narrative type of video is what he has in mind - but all of my music videos are live or lip-sync performance types, so I'd miss all the usual camera features found on cameras designed for video, rather than stills. Audio inputs, time code, remote zooms, proper viewfinders, etc etc. It's also very common for us to shoot entire gigs - so continuous running without stopping for me, is essential. Being honest, my attempts at telling stories all looked very contrived - I guess I'm just not artistic that way.
 
J.D. said:
What if I drop cheap out of the mix? I need fast and good. I own the gh2 and I have access to the af100, I need the video to look professional.

Jd
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Perhaps I was misunderstood, my recommendation was NOT cheap - the Arri 435 only meets your other two requirements. ;)

Seriously though, you have the cameras you need. For a budget music video shoot I doubt you could do better than a cheap/free AF100 as "A" camera and a free GH2 as "B" camera, without spending a lot more. Get shooting!
 
Thanks for all your input. Paulears the videos are narrative typically without the band. And Nothing if I shoot enough videos maybe I'll be able to afford the arri...
I love my gh2 and I have nikon glass.

I think I will add the hack to the camera and start shooting...

JD
 
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