Need help-Equipment
- Thread starter avery
- Start date
modus
Well-known member
My advice: research the options and decide for yourself.
Look at what you're going to be shooting and decide what will give the look you desire for the least of your money. This industry, as well as many industries, are full of tools to make your project look better. You could throw money at new equipment all day. Be smart about it and read up about your options first then get the most for your money.
niugnep
Active member
Couldn't agree more.
Just wanted to also add, research the equipment you do buy. Cheap is not always as cheap as it sounds because the piece equipment is a piece of crap. But if you look hard enough and long enough, you'll be able to find a deal on something that will work well for you.
Also, take a look around at what your friends have. For instance, I have a good buddy who owns two steadicam rigs. He rents them to me for nothing or dirt cheap when I need them. Therefore, I'm looking for other areas where I'm lacking equipment to spend my money on.
Good luck.
niugnep
Active member
You know I was thinking about this and I came up with a brief list, assuming you just own a camera that your first 3k should probably go to (assuming good friends don't have these things or you can't easily borrow your friends')
1. A good tripod. You could easily spend all 3k on a tripod setup. And if you (or I, for that matter) were at a higher level, it would be worth it. But they make some good tripods for l around the $500~ range... Libec comes to mind.
2. Lights! Get at least 3 decent lights. Lowel makes a decent set that will get anyone started. You don't need Arris to light a scene. And anything you can't light with the 3 lights you have you can usually fill with practicals.
2a. CTB and CTO gels. Should be in everyone's kit.
3. A decent camera mic like Rode or something with a short XLR cable and a shock mount... cause seriously, the mic on the camera is only good for scratch audio.
4. Gaffer tape. Cheap and essential.
5. Reflector... again cheap but damn useful.
6. Enough P2 cards to record for a few hours. Or an hour in HD. Suckers. (says the HMC150 owner)
7. Enough batteries to record for a long day without a recharge.
The rest really sort of depends on what kind of work you end up doing.
Event stuff, you need a good camera mount light with enough extra batteries so you can record for a few hours without needed to charge anything.
If your doing narrative stuff, then you'll need a boom pole and a wind screen for the Rode.
That should get you going... Then just shoot everything you can... for yourself. You want to find out what stuff you need before you discover you don't have something on a paying job (man, that sucks). You'll start filling in the other small areas that you are missing.
1. A good tripod. You could easily spend all 3k on a tripod setup. And if you (or I, for that matter) were at a higher level, it would be worth it. But they make some good tripods for l around the $500~ range... Libec comes to mind.
2. Lights! Get at least 3 decent lights. Lowel makes a decent set that will get anyone started. You don't need Arris to light a scene. And anything you can't light with the 3 lights you have you can usually fill with practicals.
2a. CTB and CTO gels. Should be in everyone's kit.
3. A decent camera mic like Rode or something with a short XLR cable and a shock mount... cause seriously, the mic on the camera is only good for scratch audio.
4. Gaffer tape. Cheap and essential.
5. Reflector... again cheap but damn useful.
6. Enough P2 cards to record for a few hours. Or an hour in HD. Suckers. (says the HMC150 owner)
7. Enough batteries to record for a long day without a recharge.
The rest really sort of depends on what kind of work you end up doing.
Event stuff, you need a good camera mount light with enough extra batteries so you can record for a few hours without needed to charge anything.
If your doing narrative stuff, then you'll need a boom pole and a wind screen for the Rode.
That should get you going... Then just shoot everything you can... for yourself. You want to find out what stuff you need before you discover you don't have something on a paying job (man, that sucks). You'll start filling in the other small areas that you are missing.