Panavision Genisis - The Ultimate Digital Camera?

tmnt said:
Was going through the list of films shot on digital on the following link can can safely say it's usually the Genisis films that I didn't realize were digital.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_shot_in_digital
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genesis_(camera)

If you could have any digital camera in the world, what would it be?
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I would go with Alexa paired with Cinedeck Extreme. Great lattitude, 4:4:4 uncompressed, good form factor, light weight, decent price. While Genesis is great, its in a different price bracket, usually way out of price range of indie. Alexa price and/or rental rate is not bad.

Other digital cinema cameras that are good as well are Red MX, and on lower end AF100.

I own HPX-300 and at this level I am happy with the results.
 
The Alexa sounds great and is getting very good reviews. Looking forward to seeing it on the big screen to see what it's really capable of. So far I've only seen it on Game of Thrones.

Red MX is really taking off with major blockbuster productions.
 
The Genesis is a rental only camera.
I rents for around $4k a day without lenses/recorder/support.

In my opinion almost any modern camera is capable of delivering professional results, only limited to the people involved in the production.

All the Best!

Dave
 
You can get the Genesis for cheaper, negotiation is the best tool in any indie shooters kit, it's important to find a good rental house your comfortable with and develop a good relationship with them, if you use them often there likely to throw in bits of kit for free or offer you a great deal on a package.

If the question your asking is the Genesis the best system out there based on it's performance, then no it's not it has been surpassed by more recent/cheaper and superior designs. Having said that though if your working with a crew used to handling Panavision 35mm equipment with a DOP used to using film then the decision to go with the genesis becomes more obvious especially where speed is key.

Over here in the UK the Alexa seems to be the star in the commercials market and is slowly creeping it's way into features too, I think your right it's at a good price point especially in the rental market, it's compatible with current Arri film gear and it's extremely sensitive meaning you can afford to use smaller lights thus reducing the rental bill at the end of the shoot.
 
I agree that having the best camera doesn't mean much without a crew that knows what they're doing. I disagree that a cheap HD camera (cams below alexa/mx) can compete with the big guys.

Add, the Alexa will blow the Genesis out the water with latitude but what I care about is real film motion. Do you think Alexa can compete there? I'm dying to see a big budget Alexa movie on the big screen to see.
 
@tmnt: Scorsese. Richardson. Hugo.

3D alexa's and cooke lenses. One of the best directors ever, teamed with the best American cinematographer today. Can't wait to see the results.
 
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If I had to pick one, probably alexa w/ gemini.

2nd place, Epic

3rd F3 w/ SLOG and Gemini.
 
I guess a lot of it boils down to choosing the right tool for the job or what ever the budget dictates, the great thing we have today is choice, no longer is it an either, or, decision. Oddly enough I still see the merit in a super 16 format digital system especially for small crew work, 4/3rds I think may become an interesting format in the future, although the lack of professional level glass on the wide end worries me somewhat.

tmnt understand what your saying about filmic motion, I think you may be interested in one of the future models of the alexa I think it may have an updated version of the D21 chip by the looks of things and will have a mechanical shutter, that and the fact you will be able to use 2x anamorphics without having to crop the sensor.
 
tmnt said:
I agree that having the best camera doesn't mean much without a crew that knows what they're doing. I disagree that a cheap HD camera (cams below alexa/mx) can compete with the big guys.

Add, the Alexa will blow the Genesis out the water with latitude but what I care about is real film motion. Do you think Alexa can compete there? I'm dying to see a big budget Alexa movie on the big screen to see.
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Latitude smatatude, I have see some real crap shot with very expensive cameras, likewise I have seen masterpieces shot with Playskool cameras.
If you want real film motion an Arri 35BL is dirt cheep today, but I don't see a bunch of folks running out to buy one.
 
Ha, nice Dave, I'll just have to buy a telecine house too when I win the lotto. I remeber at film school we used a 16BL, those things are supposed to be pretty bulletproof, aren't they?
 
Never shot with the 16BL. All of the 16mm I used were Eclair.
I installed a film lab and telecine in-house while I was still shooting film to help bring costs down but eventually sold all my film gear as clients budgets keep shrinking. It's funny, film students who had just graduated purchased most of my gear with loans from their parents.
 
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