C100: If you were getting started today...

[Christian Ritchie]

After some time spend doing a lot of internal corporate video as part of my day job, I've been thinking about making the jump and doing more video work on the side. Events, corporate interviews, maybe some music gigs. I'm looking at the C100 Mark II w/ 24-105 lense, and wanted to understand the best area to focus my spending on outside of the camera. I have a few other Canon lenses, but very basic. I'm also looking at picking up the Ninja 2 for the high bandwidth 4:2:2 output. Additionally, I'm aware that an investment in a good mid-range Manfrotto or similar tripod is the way to go starting out, so I figure that's a must have.

Beyond that, I see a LOT of gear, and I'm not sure which gets the most "bang for the buck", as it were. Some optional equipment I'm eyeing:

Zacuto Grip Relocator
Some form of slider (Kessler or Philip Bloom)
Follow focus (have no idea which one of these to look at. So many options, and such mixed reviews)
Shoulder rig
Matte Box
Audio Equipment (wireless mic, lav mic, on-camera shotgun, etc)
Lighting?! What's the baseline? Standard 3 light setup?

There are a bunch of articles out there about setups, but I feel, from reading around on these forums, that there are a large number of videographers that are familiar with maximizing their production values on a budget. I know I didn't give a budget number, but that's partly because, while my budget is not INFINITE, my income from my day job gives me a broader range of options to invest in equipment, so I'm trying to get a feel for what people consider "must have" and what people consider "Get it when your camera is paying you".

 

[indiawilds]

When you are starting out, better to focus on things that will last for a long time. Get a good sturdy tripod and fluid head. Since you are doing corporate interviews, better to have the tripod right. Grip relocators and such stuff can come later interms of priority. Get some good lenses. They will last for a long long time. Better to get few good lenses than a "set" of lousy lenses. You can give up a few focal lengths by pushing yourself to move front and back a bit while composing.

I will always rate a wired mic over wireless. However, I keep a wireless tie microphone handy for interviews as well as a good mic to be used off camera.

Nobody can decide for you. Just open an excel sheet and list down the equipment you think you need. Then place the numbers and then decide which month you can buy it. Equipment buying is not a spur of the moment decision. Unfortunately for many people it is. One should remember that our livelihood depends on it. So it can't be treated like buying pop-corn.

 

[Carcaridon]

I'd go for the Ninja Blade. It's still cheap and has a pretty good screen. For slides i have the kessler pocket dolly. It's a great solid dolly. Pretty much the same as the PB branded one. For follow focus I use the redrock micro follow focus blue units. I've never had an issue with them and they're really solid. Mattebox, I might be in the minority on this but I never use one. Too clunky and get in the way. My RRM Deluxe one sits in the pelican case from where it came. I don't think I've opened that case in 2 years. Not even sure if it's still in there. For audio, I use the Zoom H4N. I think most people use this. Great recorder. But the C100/M2 you can record sound directly to it via XLR if you want. Then a good mic and boom stand will work wonders. Again, this all depends on what your budget is.

 

[IronFilm]

If I was starting out from scratch I wouldn't be sinking a dollar into Canon products, and certainly not a Canon C100 mk2. That is for people who are unfortunately locked into the Canon ecosystem. Get instead the Sony FS5

 

[Jim Martin]

If I was starting out from scratch I wouldn't be sinking a dollar into Canon products, and certainly not a Canon C100 mk2. That is for people who are unfortunately locked into the Canon ecosystem. Get instead the Sony FS5

Suggesting a camera that is not out yet?...no, and from what he described, he has no use for 4K. Instead of suggesting switching manufacturers, answer what he is asking about...the right accessories for the camera he is kinda centering on.....and saying that the only reason soo many people are 'locked in" to Canon because of the lenses is a mis-leading statement at best.

Jim MArtin
EVSonline.com

 

[doubledark]

After some time spend doing a lot of internal corporate video as part of my day job, .

If you are already doing corporate video, maybe look at what gear you use on every shoot; that is what you will need if you want to freelance.

 

[Fahnon]

If you are already doing corporate video, maybe look at what gear you use on every shoot; that is what you will need if you want to freelance.

For my corporate jobs, I usually rent FS7 or Red or C300. I'm assuming the OP isn't into spending $8k+ for a body alone.

 

[bclighting]

I'd put my money into items that can be used with any camera. For starters I would skip the Manfrotto tripod and go for something better. I started with a manfrotto and when I had the money I went to a Sachtler. I wish I had just started with the Sachtler, the difference was night and day.

 

[Matt Turner]

If I was buying into the C100 again with a basic camera kit I'd get the following based on what I use all the time, in order:

C100 + DFAP + Zacuto Z-Finder Plus for Canon C100

Or

C100 MKII (+ 60p, face detection)

Plus:

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens
x2 SD Cards for dual or continuous recording
Canon BP-955 Battery (one spare will be enough, don't bother with the BP-975)
Manfrotto MVM500A Fluid Aluminum Monopod with 500 Head
Miller Air Tripod (or similar)
Note: Switch Monopod/Tripod order to taste depending on what you shoot
Manfrotto 577 Rapid Connect Adapter with Sliding Mounting Plate
+ Audio

That would get me a basic camera kit and everything after that can be added as required.
I'd use handheld or monopod over a shoulder rig for the C100 initially. Grip relocator only required if you get a shoulder rig.
I've never used a matte box with my C100, to me it kinda defeats the purpose of the camera.
I also don't have a follow focus, once again you'd have to rig up to use it. I'd add this down the track.
Slider: I skipped this and went for a Ronin-M!

+ Ninja Blade, awesome, I use it a lot but honestly for a lot of things it's overkill, you might get more bang for buck with a 2nd lens initially, if you do get one, get the Atomos HDMI cables. Also don't forget you'll need SSD and some spare batteries and a hood so it adds up.
+ Variable ND, has built in but it's a bit inflexible and sometimes a bit weak.

 

[Plexi Head]

If I was starting out from scratch I wouldn't be sinking a dollar into Canon products, and certainly not a Canon C100 mk2. That is for people who are unfortunately locked into the Canon ecosystem. Get instead the Sony FS5

You make no sense. C100 mk2 is for people that need a tried and true PROVEN versatile camera.

The 24 - 105 is kind of a fairly good lens (use it all the time) but to my eyes seems a little soft and dull when wide open and you will soon be looking for that extra stop of light. The Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS on the C100 has been rocking my world. Cheap as chips, good IS and nice and discrete. Great partner for the 24 - 105.

 

[Noel Evans]

When you are starting out, better to focus on things that will last for a long time. Get a good sturdy tripod and fluid head. Since you are doing corporate interviews, better to have the tripod right. Grip relocators and such stuff can come later interms of priority. Get some good lenses. They will last for a long long time. Better to get few good lenses than a "set" of lousy lenses. You can give up a few focal lengths by pushing yourself to move front and back a bit while composing.

I will always rate a wired mic over wireless. However, I keep a wireless tie microphone handy for interviews as well as a good mic to be used off camera.

What he said.

 

[cpreston]

I've been doing a bunch of one man band corporate interviews and documentary style b-roll recently. Quick and dirty, but it pays the bills. I've got much better equipment than the following list, but I've gotten use to shooting with the bare minimum to make my life easier. Here's what I use.
Canon C100 MkI
24-70 2.8L for interview
18-135 STM for b-roll (Use the shoulder strap as a back brace and the IS on this lens is just as good as having a shoulder mount)
Sennheiser wireless set for interview and follow sound
Rode Lavalier with adapter for Sennheiser and an extra adapter for XLR with an XLR cable. (The wired XLR option has saved me in places with bad interference)
Shotgun for on camera sound.
Extra battery for C100
Noga arm, HDMI cable, and on camera monitor that really helps me for interviews but isn't necessary
A few LED panels and stands
Manfrotto 755 video tripod with 500AH head (this is not my regularly used tripod, but it's quick to set-up, stable enough, and very light and versatile for moving fast)
White balance card

 

[IronFilm]

Jim, just because a person claims they "have no use" for 4K doesn't mean they shouldn't get a FS5. As purely as a 1080 camera it beats hard the C100 mk2, and you can view the 4K as merely a bonus for further down the road when you do need it.

 

[Matt Turner]

Get instead the Sony FS5

For someone starting off it's a very serious contender, I don't see what the problem is. I'd buy it over a C100 MKII if I was starting out today.

The FS5 is only $100 more and gives you internal "broadcast" quality HD recording (no need for Ninja) plus HFR & 4K and a few other tricks.

Sony have also rounded out a great set of 4K cameras at price points for everyone: A7SII, FS5, FS7, F5, F55.

Something serious to consider instead of buying into the Cinema EOS range now.

 

[zwarte_kat]

I wouldn't buy too much at first and just buy things as you notice you need them. Every purchase should solve a problem.

As for a basic start:

Lav mic (I find wireless okay but it seems others disagree)
Shotgun mic for on camera or boom or stand.
Canon 17-55 2.8 IS, I use it for 90% of my shots for all kinds of videos.
Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 for tight spaces
Canon 55-250mm STM IS lens for stuff far away, light and cheap. Alternatively the 70-200mm L series lenses are a better long term investment, but heavier, more expensive, less reach and less effective and noisy IS. (see the other thread). I think they are better for photos, though admittedly the image is superb. I have the 70-200 4.0L IS.
Tripod, manfrotto is perfectly fine for many of us, though I have seen them break.
Batteries of course, I personally think the small one run out quite quickly, so I always have a large type one as a backup.

I wouldn't bother with a Ninja for now. The client won't see the difference. And you will spend like 10 times more money on storage and recording media.

I haven't tried the grip relocator, but once you start there I guess that means the camera is on your shoulder, so you need a shoulder rig, now you are going to need a monitor to see what's happening, now you need batteries to power the monitor, so you are better of getting a V-mount block on the back to the rig. In the end you have a system that is at least twice as heavy as the camera, a camera that is built (and you pay dearly for it) to be very ergonomic bare bones. I'd say don't bother. Just use the strap.

I had some Sony cameras but didn't like the colours. The sony cams always have the better spec numbers, but when I see the videos the Canon image look better, especially for corporate.

 

[puredrifting]

Hi Christian:

My recommendations and advice below. I 've been in the business since 1988 and have a lot of business cycles in this crazy endeavor.

I'm aware that an investment in a good mid-range Manfrotto or similar tripod is the way to go starting out, so I figure that's a must have.

I am very opinionated on tripods. Manfrotto tripods and heads are not professional tools, they range from useless junk to barely competent junk for their most expensive. I own three of them and use them on projects where the producer is trying to save money and rents them with camera packages. Every Manfrotto head has stiction and it is either very difficult to impossible to do smooth simultaneous pan/tilts. Buy something quality and it will last you for decades. Sachtler (not the cheapo ACE junky ones, the real Sachtlers that cost $3k and up) are great, Miller and Vinten both have some good ones, once again, not the bottom of the line models which they have cheapened for the DSLR revolution, are good too. If you are going to buy junk, there is better junk than Manfrotto, buy the top of the line Benros. They are functionally better than the Manfrottos but they are still junk and will not last you. I have two Sachtler heads, a set of Sachtler legs and a carbon set of Miller legs. One setup cost me about $3,000.00 in 2005 and one cost me $12,500.00 in the 1990s. Both are still going strong. Cheap tripods are a waste of time.

Zacuto Grip Relocator

The Zacuto Grip Relocator is one of the best accessories you can buy for the C100 if you want to shoot handheld from a shoulder rig. Other than, it is not needed. If you want to shoot shoulder mounted, rather than handheld with the body of the C100 stuffed into your chest, buy it.

Some form of slider (Kessler or Philip Bloom)

If you are a newbie, wait on this until you learn what you are doing and need it. Sliders are fun toys but are kind of a special effect, you really don't use them for a lot of shots, usually just an establishing shot or an occasional shot you would interject in the middle of something. Get one later.

Follow focus (have no idea which one of these to look at. So many options, and such mixed reviews)

Are you shooting feature films with a focus puller? If so, get a good one. If not, don't bother. Follow focuses are what videographers put on their cameras to look cool. FFs only work with fully manual mechanical lenses, they are useless on focus by wire lenses. They add weight, bulk, size and don't really focus the lens any better than you can with your hand. The only reason to have one is if you have a focus puller and you are measuring shots and hitting marks. If you are not, don't bother.

Shoulder rig

You only need a shoulder rig if you are going to shoot handheld stand up interviews. If you are not, the C100 works beautifully as a small, light, handheld documentary camera. Hold it with your right hand in the handgrip and your left supporting the body with your forefinger and tumb able to rotate the lens barrel for focus and zoom. If you must have a shoulder mount, buy one that will be useful for your future cameras, takes 15mm rods, is built well. I would assemble your own with the components you want/need rather than buying a pre-assembled package. Also, 80% of C100 should rigs are way too front heavy, putting all of the weight on your two front arms. You will often have your left hand off of the handle because it will be focusing and zooming so then all of the weight of the rig is resting just on your right hand. Shoulder rigs that are longer with some weight distribution toward the rear of the shoulder pad are longer and heavier but much better balanced. You can balance a much heavier rig all day if the weight distribution places the load over your shoulder rather than on your arms. SOme rigs have options for lead weight at the rear of the shoulder pad, which seems counterintuitive, adding weight to your rig, but weight distribution is much more important than overall weight.

Matte Box

Once again, are you shooting films with an AC and focus puller? If not, a matte box is another accessory that videographers put on their rig to look legit but functionally, they are a huge PITA when you want to change lenses and flat, large 4x4 or larger glass filters cost more and generally are a PITA to use, unless you have an AC whose job it is to manage the matte box, lens changes, keeping dust and finger prints off of the filters, etc. I doubt you have a full camera crew so din't bother. Buy regular, round high quality filters and you will be fine. Most videographers these days don't really need or use filters nearly as much as they used to as most the effects filters are easier to apply in post. The exceptions would be ND filters, ND grads and occasionally a polarizer. All can be applied in post but you may not have the dynamic range to capture images correctly with just the built-in NDs on the C100. Skip the matte box though.

Audio Equipment (wireless mic, lav mic, on-camera shotgun, etc)

If you are a newbie, you have a lot ot learn before you plunge in and buy a lot audio gear, Get educated first and better yet, hire a pro sound mixer any and everytime you can. Single cam interviews, you can mic it yourself. Anything more ambitious, hire a pro, trust me. You can begin your education here, http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/location_sound.html it's an old article from 2002 but the audio basics are the audio basics, they have not changed. Most but not all videographers range from clueless to know just enough to be dangerous when it comes to the finer points of audio, the physics of it and gear selection. You will never regret buying the best audio gear either, don't buy cheap junk. Buy the good stuff and it will last you decades. My two TRAM TR50 lavs, I bought in 1988 and they are both still going strong. I bought my Sennheiser MKH60 shotgun mic a decade ago and it is still going strong, still sounds amazing. Don't cheap out.

Lighting?! What's the baseline? Standard 3 light setup?

There is no baseline. It all depends on what you are shooting. Once again, wading in and buying gear before you know what you are doing is a mistake. Learn the basics of lighting and determine what will suffice for your needs. Are you ONLY shooting sit down interviews? Indie films? Music videos? Documentaries traveling to Africa? A network sitcom? Good grip and lighting is a great investment, most new videographers skip the quality part here and buy junky, disposable stuff. I use C-stands that are 50 years old every day. I have some lights that were designed in the 1940s, they work great today for certain situations. There pluses and minuses to all lighting technology on the market, tungsten, fluorescent, LED, HMI. It all depends on what your priorities are, throw, fall off, budget, weight, size. I have a three ton G&L package, I have a small and light travel kit, I have a much bigger tungsten setup that is too heavy and large to fly with but works great for shoots around LA, my home base. I have a full green portable green screen setup that I can fly with but can also be used locally. But it's not big enough to shoot multiple talent, it's just a green screen interview setup. At the very least, buy some lighting DVDs/Blurays and study them or better yet, crew on some larger shoots as a PA or grip and learn what lighting and controlling light is all about. Grip and lighting control gear like flags, scrims, stands and sandbags are at least as important as the lights themselves. It is a mistake to buy lighting gear before you know how to light. Buy one light at a time and learn how to use it to it's full capability. You can shoot beautiful interviews with a single light, that's how Rembrandt and Michelangelo did it, except they were painting instead of shooting video and using a windpw light instead of a key light but the principals are all the same. Once you can light a person well with a single light, add a fill source, then a hair rim light, then lights to create the background. That takes care of interviews, but what about a round table for your friends indie film with ten actors around a dinner table. Can you light that with your interview kit and skills? See what I mean, gotta learn in stages and you need to learn from people who have and will share their skills.

There are a bunch of articles out there about setups, but I feel, from reading around on these forums, that there are a large number of videographers that are familiar with maximizing their production values on a budget. I know I didn't give a budget number, but that's partly because, while my budget is not INFINITE, my income from my day job gives me a broader range of options to invest in equipment, so I'm trying to get a feel for what people consider "must have" and what people consider "Get it when your camera is paying you".

You can cheap out but if you want to buy gear that is a good value, cheap gear is not the ticket, most cheap gear will fall apart. You will never regret buying good, quality gear and it will last you next five to ten cameras. Cheap gear might fall apart as soon as you are ready for your next camera, which in our business is typically a year or two at the most. Your choice.

 

[abreu-canedo]

C100 for corporate and interviews?

I would second the suggestions of focusing on the basics.
NECESSARY:
-Good tripod (depending on budget, between $600-$2k for starters). I know this won't get you a great tripod and tripods can last you a long time, but you should also scale your equipment investment to your CODB and profits. If you start doing well, re-invest later!
-A shotgun mic. Say, around $300-$1,000. Sennheiser MKE600 or P48 are some suggestions, but for sit down interviews, definitely a shotgun mic.
-A lavalere mic. Perhaps in conjunction with a wireless system. Either the Sony or the sennheiser are good starting options for about $600/$700.
-Headphones!!!!!!! Not earbuds.
-Lenses. Perhaps two zooms for flexibility: a wide and a telephoto zoom. Or you could go the prime route (20, 50, 85/100). This is not as flexible but I actually prefer the primes. Again, don't splurge here. Even though lense hold their value, starting out is better to be able to work for less. The more your equipment costs, the more you need to make that money back! I would only say that because at this stage you may be working with little to no lightning, the faster the lenses the better. You may even consider getting no -EF lenses just so you can use a speedbooster. Just conjectures, do what feels right for you. There are ups and downs to all strategies.
-One light that you can use to boost a fill side, to use as a backlight, or to throw on a background in a pinch. This should come with a dimmer, a stand and sandbag. I would recommend tungsten for quality/price ratio, but you may need some gels because most likely with one light you'll be using a sunlit window as your key.
-A case for your most important gear. You gotta protect your investment. Plus, arriving at a gig with your camera in a grocery bag is not the image you want to cultivate haha
-Software. I don't know why people don't talk about this. You could either go the CC route, but if going the licensing rout I would actually prefer media composer (avid) instead.
-Cheap white and grey cards.

SECONDARY:
-More lights. A three piece kit will get you far. I would say start off tungsten since it gives you good quality a cheaper prices.
-Some stands, flags, gels and scrims will really raise your production level.
-Slider, shoulder rig or jib are great, but mostly if doing multiple cameras. If single camera, you could still use say a slider, but cost benefit diminishes. Also, shoulder rig is nice if you are having to move a lot during shoots.
-External monitor. These can be great because you can have exposure tools not available I. Your camera, and a better way to judge focus, etc. This can also be a monitor/recorder, if your camer outputs better quality than it can record internally.
-External audio recorder. This could easily make its way to the necessary list, but since the c-100 has two XLR inputs, you could just use that to record. The preamps aren't the best, but not bad. Very usable when trying to keep costs down. Not only in equipment, but post syncing as well.
-A second camera. If you are using a c100, buy a 60d or t3i for super cheap as your second camera. A second angle really adds to your production value and helps when chopping up sound during interviews.
-Light meter. This could easily go in the necessary list, but many people never use it so I figure you could do away with this cost at first. But it is really handy in getting your exposures spot on and figuring out what lights to pull out of the truck before-hand
-A college aged assistant who know about camera, lights and audio. A motivated sophomore or junior will be qualified. Seniors tend to be more busy and charge more...deservingly so.

Im sure I'm leaving some things out, but hey...others will most definitely fill in any holes.

 

[LeoGrey]

Jim, just because a person claims they "have no use" for 4K doesn't mean they shouldn't get a FS5. As purely as a 1080 camera it beats hard the C100 mk2, and you can view the 4K as merely a bonus for further down the road when you do need it.

I don't think the problem is related to recommending a "better" camera solution. Jim is probably referring to the fact that you are recommending a camera that no one has ever used, as a BETTER solution to a camera with a proven track record.

Back on topic, if it were me I would have no problem recommending the the c100/ninja blade setup, regardless of its specs vs the competitors. The fs700/O7Q combo also provides GREAT results if you have the patience to deal with the ergonomics. The fs7 on the other hand has been on the market for close to a year and I have yet to see anything impressive produced on it. What it does have is an abundance of frustrated users(and potential customers) that are disappointed in the build quality and bugs found within a finished product. In my experience when choosing a camera system the spec sheet means very little(maybe 10%). The other 90 needs to be figured out by actually USING the camera and deciding if its the right one for you.

 

[Josh Bass]

I would argue that the small Sachtlers (don't know about the Ace that was maligned a few posts ago) are very decent sticks. Know several folks in town that have them and like them. I have the DV4 from circa 2003, and except for the fact that the level bubble is no longer accurate (used to be!), still works fine, rated for 11 lbs. FSB6 is, I believe, next step up in weight rating and features, also nice. But, yeah. . .it's about $2000 new.

 

[tobyhoffman]

Hi Christian:

My recommendations and advice below. I 've been in the business since 1988 and have a lot of business cycles in this crazy endeavor.

Some great advice by puredrifting - I'd take note Christian.

Bought my C100 as a 17 year old after using the Canon 550D/T2i for several years. Now let me tell you, if there is anything that I've learned about videomaking over the past few years it's that until you have done the job you really have no idea what you should be buying as an accessory to your camera.

I mistakingly thought as a 17 year old that a glidecam would be a great first investment for my C100 - boy was I wrong. This was the point that I still used my manfrotto ball head tripod that hardly supported the weight of the C100. Let alone not being skilled enough to use the Glidecam I soon found out that I was unable to shoot what I was wanting, luckily as I entered university I was able to gain access to a lot of necessary gear.

During my time at uni I have been working part time and that has allowed me to purchase the accessories that I thought were necessary to the type of shoots that I do. Keep in mind I do a lot of vlogging on youtube as well as short films and starting to do more and more corporates. Through these processes I have saved up enough to get myself a fluid head Manfrotto (501HD with carbon fibre legs) for about a grand. That is sturdy enough to hold the C100 with the Ninja 2 a Small HD AC7 attached to a manfrotto magic arm to the side - this is my most used setup so this is the type of equipment I have bought.

I believe lighting and sound are also very very important, I have been fortunate enough to be able to learn these skills at uni and apply them in the real world - even at this point I still grab my mate who does my sound and uses a mixer to do so. Honestly bud, learn the skills, learn what you shoot and go from there - it's the most cost efficient and satisfying method. Wish I had this knowledge previously but it's about learning your own route. Good luck!