Best DSLR for 48 Hour Film Project...

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imfilmworks

Member
Hello all!

This is my first post and I must say I have been thrilled to find this site! I think my question is pretty simple, but who knows...

My friend and I co-founded a small production company a couple years ago, with the long term goal of creating a feature we have been working on writing. In the meantime, we want to work on some other film projects and we have concentrated on participating in the local 48 Hour Film Project. We have competed each of the last 2 years and this year for the first time we ventured out of the friendly confines of Providence and tried our hand in Boston. We have been very happy with how we have progressed but we realize that our equipment is becoming a limitation. Right now we are using a Sony HDR-FX1 for all of our shooting. Its been fine, and given the restrictions of the 48 Hour project on time, it has produced decent results. However, my background is in still photography and when I first saw the output from the Canon 5D Mark II, I was floored. I've been desperately wanting to shoot with one for one of these projects. However, the budget has never been there. Given our success in Boston the other week, we have decided to raise some funds for the first time to help finance equipment for the 48 Hour shoot. While we will never be able to raise enough to PURCHASE any equipment, we have forecast that we will have enough to rent a Canon DSLR and an exceptional compliment of lenses for the weekend.

My inital thought was that the 5D was the no-brainer choice for us, but after doing some reading I am confused. I love the full 35mm sensor of the 5D, but became concerned about some of the things i read about its operation and the lack of standard 30p and 24p. It seems the firmware has corrected that, but I can't find any indication from anyone about it actually working.

The 7D seems to be more polished as a video camera, but the smaller sensor is less appealing (more for the crop factor than for the smaller size). Also, it seems that the High ISO performance may be less. With the 48 Hour Project we really are forced to shoot all day and night, so being able to shoot effectively at night is a big plus for us.

That leaves the 1D mark IV. At first this seemed like the solution. It seemed to have the polish of the 7D from a operations standpoint, and the native shooting modes (standard 30p and 24p), and had low light performance that seems almost unbelievable.... Also it seems like the rolling shutter is less of a problem. But it is still not a 35mm sensor. Its only a 1.3x crop factor, but still limits my ability to go wide....

So I guess my question is, if money was not an object (the rental cost of the 3 is very close, at least close enough to not make it a decision factor) and you knew you had just one weekend to make a movie so some shortcuts have to be taken (we would probably have rented a Red One if this was for a longer project) which camera would you choose and why?

I am tempted to say the 1D m IV based on high ISO, less rolling shutter and a reasonable crop factor... but the 5D is still tempting for that full 35mm....

Oh, and please take a look at our last entry:

http://www.imfilmworks.com

Thanks!

--Greg
 
Mate i have at one point had all three cameras , and i would not go pas the 5d
all problems have been solved in relation to 24p, and iso is at night is something that needs to be seen . Please save your money and time and stay away from the 7d.
1d nice but as a still camera is a winner .
hope tthis helps.
Kevin
 
Were you shooting off camera audio in the past? I think it might be advantageous to stick with on camera sound for a weekend film contest. Saves the time syncing etc. But if you have the time go for it.
 
I am going back and forth between the 5D and the 1D. Cost isn't an issue as we will only be renting (there is about a $50 difference between the 2).... the ONLY advantage I can see to the 7D is that it seems to have more intuitive controls for the user. But i am going back and forth between the amazing high ISO performance (Phillip Bloom's night work in Prague was awe inspiring) and the larger sensor of the 5D.

As for audio, we have always shot on-camera audio on our FX-1 through a mixing board, but we are really leaning towards off camera sound for this shoot, regardless of camera choice. We have an editor on site all day digitizing and editing as we shoot, so syncing shouldn't take too much time.

I'm half tempted if we get enough donations to rent BOTH the 1D and the 5D and use them.... Another thought is to use our FX-1 with at Letus 35mm adapter and some canon L glass.... thoughts?
 
7D is more intuitive, BUT if you only have limited time, either get plural eyes, or just use feed sound into the camera.

Cant use the 7D like this cause of AGC
 
In my opinion you're thinking about the camera part too much. Any of these cameras will be fine for the 48hr project.

I'm actually participating in the Philly one this upcoming weekend and I'll be shooting on the 7D. Last year I used an EX1 and while everything looked great (everyone was surprised I some nice shallow DOF shots without an adapter), the final projects were still only projected from SD dvds. Maybe it worked differently in Boston and maybe it will even be different this weekend in Philly, but the most important thing is coming up with a cohesive interesting sub-8min story.

Any of those cameras will be fine, but if you haven't used a DSLR for video before then I would strongly suggest getting your hands on one before the shoot to at least get comfortable with it.
 
I agree with the assessment that the cohesive story is paramount. This will actually be our 4th 48 Hour project and we are trying something different. This last weekend we attempted to produce something with a skeleton crew and no budget at all. Now we want to try something different with the camera. We have a great writer and a fantastic editor, so I know those things will fall into place.

As for the viewing on SD dvds, you're right.... however we have always treated our 48 hour projects as something more. We have every intention of trying to make something that we can enhance after the 48 hours have expired to really display our vision. So the camera is more about long term thinking for the movie rather than just the 48.

Right now I am leaning towards the 1D, simply because of what I have seen it do in low light.... but I am still thinking....

Does anyone have thought about the Letus system on the FX-1 as perhaps a easier alternative as we already have experience with the camera?
 
What is your experience pulling focus on full frame or 1.3x crop cameras? You keep talking about low light, which I assume means you will be shooting some stuff WFO. This is where the 7D might come in handy. Even if you had to bump the ISO up a tad more on that body, the reduction on focal length required for mediums and CU's on a 7D might make your AC's day.

I'd rather have footage a touch more grainy but for it to be in focus then the other way around.

Just something to think about.
 
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