What is the industry standard?

NorBro

NorBro

Major Contributor
I'm not sure if I'm posting in the correct section, but hopefully some pros will see this...

I would like to know what the industry standard format is these days? I know that it depends on so many things and can be anything to everything, but what do people mostly shoot on these days for professional work (TV mostly)?

Film? RED? Arri?

Maybe some DSLR action?

What are some popular choices?

Ideally, I'm looking for a camera between 10k-20k (an actual video camera that's overall good for everything).

Thank you.
 
It depends heavily on the type of show, but it seems like most television shows shoot Alexa and RED these days. Sitcoms still stick to older digital cameras because they're generally multi-cam. Of course, there's always exceptions: Walking Dead is shot on 16mm, Breaking Bad and Mad Men are shot on 35mm. I think The Office still shoots on the F900. Sony's CineAlta camera line is prevalent in television as well, you see the F35 and F23 everywhere.

Are you interested in buying one of these cameras? They're not cheap. None of them are in the $10-20k range. Scarlet can come in under $20k if you forego a lot of the accessories. Canon and Sony both offer professional digital cameras in that range as well, the C300 and F3 respectively - but neither is used in television production (yet).
 
Yeah, even here in Aus where we don't have budgets for TV shows (;)) they use Varicam a lot and are just starting to use Alexa a fair bit. Even the older Varicam is still way out of your price range.

If I had $20k, I'd probably look at an F3. It isn't really used in TV or all that much cinema.. yet, but it's still a decent option.

My question would be, what are you wanting to use it for?
 
If you want my advice, don't go spend 10-20k if you can't aanswer this yourself.
What kind of project do you want to shoot? Maybe consider renting prior to buying.
 
A lot of reality shows acquire on the F900, as well as some GoPros and other specialty cameras. I've also seen higher end cameras on some of the better funded projects. Distributors are less concerned with that than they are the strict format needs. But I have never worked on a professional television production in which the company owned the cameras. Renting is the industry standard and a good idea since no one will hire you or rent from you if you're camera doesn't match what they already plan to use.
 
Thanks so much for the feedback guys...how about some cameras like the Sony EX3 or the Panasonic HPX500...any of these ever show up anywhere? I'm interested in upgrading to a camera that renders the image differently. I have shot on every single kind of prosumer camera available and all the popular DSLRs (5D, 7D, 60D, T2/3i, etc), but I cannot get that "FULL" look I am looking for. It's so hard to explain, but I'm looking for something different.

I want that broadcast quality feeling..the HPX370/500 have kind of caught my eye...what do you think? Anything else out there in the respective price range?
 
Renting is the industry standard - if by "industry" you mean Hollywood (the only industry I have experience in).

You need to gain more knowledge before you drop that kind of coin - the cameras you are asking about are all over the map and have little in common. If it's "hard to explain," that's a clue that you don't understand it enough to use it effectively.
 
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Finnegan said:
Walking Dead is shot on 16mm, Breaking Bad and Mad Men are shot on 35mm.
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Are you sure about that? It was my understanding that the only show still shot on film today/this year was 30 Rock. I could certainly be mistaken though. (Or it could have been the only show on NBC or something...)
 
NorBro said:
Thanks so much for the feedback guys...how about some cameras like the Sony EX3 or the Panasonic HPX500...any of these ever show up anywhere? I'm interested in upgrading to a camera that renders the image differently. I have shot on every single kind of prosumer camera available and all the popular DSLRs (5D, 7D, 60D, T2/3i, etc), but I cannot get that "FULL" look I am looking for. It's so hard to explain, but I'm looking for something different.

I want that broadcast quality feeling..the HPX370/500 have kind of caught my eye...what do you think? Anything else out there in the respective price range?
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If you've tried shooting on all the prosumer cameras and DSLRs and still feel like you're limited by their capabilities, then there's only two possibilities: 1) you're an incredibly talented cinematographer and need a very high quality tool that gives you the maximum amount of control over your image or 2) you simply do not yet possess the skill necessary to make quality images on the camera systems you've tried, and are chalking it up to the camera system itself.

I'm honestly not trying to be a jerk, but evidence points to the latter. "Broadcast quality" is such a broad term and can mean so many different types of looks. Most cinematographers seem to think that even the HD broadcast quality standards for networks like the BBC are arbitrarily chosen and don't really mean anything in and of themselves. You've got to be honest with yourself when you ask what type of image you're looking to create, or what type of work you want to use the camera for.

Here, do this: watch the season 6 finale of House M.D. and tell me if you think that's "broadcast quality" footage. That entire episode was shot on the Canon 5D MKII by Gale Tattersall, ASC. The reality of the situation is that until you're able to make the 5D MKII look like that, you don't need​ anything more.
 
Law and Order, the last time they filmed exteriors use 35. 1/3" cameras are considered news cameras and not used for full production gear on a network level. F3 is making inroads on some shows. If you plan on shooting for reality and some cable then smaller format is being accepted.
 
WhiteMonkey said:
I think the glass used is more important than the camera or the shooter.
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Well I am a self confessed lens whore, at one point owning over 70 lenses. While I still have a pretty large kit and value each brand for its particular look, without a talented person behind the camera, shooting a well composed image in front of the camera, a lens is just a lens and a camera is just a camera. They are tools, nothing more. I have personally shot some of the most God awful looking footage with some of the most expensive camera/lens combos made. A $150,000.00 camera/lens kit does not make someone a better shooter, but a better shooter can make the most of any camera/lens Combo.

All the Best!

Dave
 
"...get that "FULL" look I am looking for.."

That look you are describing is more about lighting, costuming, design and color-grading rather than specific cameras. Better cameras and lenses can provide better color depth, resolution, sensitivity, flexibility, and ease of use. But a LOT of what most of us call the -LOOK- comes from lighting and post-production color grading. You may want to spend a few hours googling "color-grading" or "colouring" before you spend your $20K.

Jim
 
I want the look to match the varicam..if you can get a 5D to match that..let me know..and I don't mean look as in color grading..I can't really describe it..just a different feel to the footage...I see a difference in the DSLRs vs. real cameras..forget about the production conditions and post...just a different look is there..
 
Finnegan said:
Most cinematographers seem to think that even the HD broadcast quality standards for networks like the BBC are arbitrarily chosen and don't really mean anything in and of themselves. You've got to be honest with yourself when you ask what type of image you're looking to create, or what type of work you want to use the camera for.
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Given that I don't make my income form shooting... I've never 'worried' about 'broadcast quality'... Now, of course that doesn't mean I don't give a ****... it just means that if shoot something, I'm not going to 'worry' about NTSC 'legal' colors, or now even Rec 709... or the 7% IRE 'black' point... shooting Film Film the folks didn't change over to 30 fps, and then back off to 29.97... they shot 24... and let the 'broadcast engineers' figure out how to get it on the TV in some sort of 'quality' mode...(There may have even been some 'slew rate limits' on edges that old NTSC required... which I would have never 'worried' about... does HD have edge slew rate limits??? "Slew Rate" is how fast an analog device will change from one value to another.

So, in that regard, I do use Film Film as my golden standard...

So, unless someone plans to produce material that destined for 'broadcast', I'd say there are other aesthetic considerations that one would better look at.
 
NorBro said:
I want the look to match the varicam..if you can get a 5D to match that..let me know..and I don't mean look as in color grading..I can't really describe it..just a different feel to the footage...I see a difference in the DSLRs vs. real cameras..forget about the production conditions and post...just a different look is there..
Click to expand...

Well... if you like the Varicam look... buy that... or am I missing something...
 
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