You need one external EVF/monitor on the D16 for sure, not two. Aftermarket EVF's/monitors provide histograms, false color, and scopes for exposure assist with the advantage of being mounted where they work best for however you want to rig the camera. The Bolex provides an undebayered raw view mode for double checking highlight exposures.
The D16 does have on board backup to CF cards. The backup is verified error free and will be automatic when the firmware is 100% completed . Since the camera's performance is not dependent on the variable quality of off the shelf commercial media there is far less potential for frame dropouts or other errors. The internal SSD is an enterprise server grade model with full error correction, in camera formatting and management. You know from the onscreen display if there is any media problem with a CF card when you format it in camera. So far there has not been a single report or complaint of the D16 losing footage or even dropping a single frame.
The combination of the internal battery and a Switronix Powerbase 70 have lasted through 12 hour production days for Elle and Joe without running out of power.
Can't argue with the low light capabilities of the C-series. They are remarkable in that respect. Then again 80 years of documentaries, have been successfully shot on millions of feet of 16mm film without any of the modern conveniences video cameras provide and at ISO's typically in the 25-400 range. The D16 can push cleanly to 1600 ISO or so with proper processing choices and some judicious noise reduction. That is plenty fast enough for most available light conditions.
35mm is an inconvenient format for solo doc shooters. You either carry a bag full of lenses or they get rather large and heavy. 16mm film and 2/3" video have been the preferred choice formats for very practical reasons, among them needing only one reasonably fast compact wide range zoom lens to cover any situation.
Through more than a decade of shooting docs on 16mm film and stringing news for a local TV station shooting anything from 16mm sound on film CP's to Betacams, it was a rare luxury to have the opportunity to field review anything. In many cases even if you could there would be no point. You either got the shot or you didn't. You learned to trust your skills, your equipment, and your instincts.
The D16 suits well for disciplined film style doc shooting where you pick your shots with some forethought and shoot for coverage of important action. It would not be my first choice for constantly rolling on an all day event doc grind. But for the kind of docs I have typically shot, 2 hours of footage in a day is a rare occurrence. I'm very selective.
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