I currently have at my disposal a C100 and a BMCC EF 2.5k. I'm posting this here as posting to the BMCC or Cinema EOS forums would probably give more biased answers 
I've got a fairly ambitious short film coming up that will be set mostly at night and the production will go on for the next few months. I was fully intending to use the BMCC for this, shooting it all in RAW since I wont be in any real rush to edit and grade it. In fact, this project would be the only thing on the horizon I'd be using the BMCC for.
However, in the last few weeks I've been leaning more and more toward using my C100 with a Ninja for this short film also. Let me list what I see are the pros and cons:
BMCC
Pros:
- 10bit Prores or 12bit RAW.
- Quite nice colours, generally has a great look straight out of camera.
- 13 stops of Dynamic Range (but that may be pointless at night).
Cons:
- Much much MUCH harder to work with due to weight and a whole load of accessories needed. A lot of shots will have to be filmed guerrilla style in really creepy places at night.
- Will really push the limits of storage space if I shoot RAW.
- Requires a laptop on set to really make it work (cannot even see how much space is remaining on the SSD, or format/delete footage).
C100+Ninja
Pros:
- S35 sensor, I've shot a lot of weddings that have that classic cinema look due in part to the sensor size. Very different to the usual full frame look I see in most wedding videos. I always notice the same effect - the perspective and amount of DOF - in most well made films.
- 8bit prores ain't too shabby and realistically I doubt anyone will tell the difference.
- Much cleaner high iso image. Since I'll be shooting in really dark locations, I'll require a lot less lighting and be able to capture some more of the ambient light. I'd usually shoot at the native ISO but being able to get clean 3200 (and really even 6400) ISO shots is great. Clean images in the dark may offset any BMCC IQ advantages. Lower powered lighting means it'll be easier to get in and shoot without drawing as much attention.
- I'm really used to using it on top of it being terrifically easy to use so I'd be able to concentrate on doing everything else rather than the camera demanding a lot of my attention.
- Lighter weight means it is easier to use with smaller jibs and steadicams - admittedly heavier cameras have a much more pro look when used with a steadicam.
Cons:
- I have to use an external recorder. My ninja has taken a fall a few times, might need to buy another one as it's a bit flaky now.
- No 2.5k so no cropping without IQ degradation.
What say you? Use the BMCC or just stick to my trusty C100?
I've got a fairly ambitious short film coming up that will be set mostly at night and the production will go on for the next few months. I was fully intending to use the BMCC for this, shooting it all in RAW since I wont be in any real rush to edit and grade it. In fact, this project would be the only thing on the horizon I'd be using the BMCC for.
However, in the last few weeks I've been leaning more and more toward using my C100 with a Ninja for this short film also. Let me list what I see are the pros and cons:
BMCC
Pros:
- 10bit Prores or 12bit RAW.
- Quite nice colours, generally has a great look straight out of camera.
- 13 stops of Dynamic Range (but that may be pointless at night).
Cons:
- Much much MUCH harder to work with due to weight and a whole load of accessories needed. A lot of shots will have to be filmed guerrilla style in really creepy places at night.
- Will really push the limits of storage space if I shoot RAW.
- Requires a laptop on set to really make it work (cannot even see how much space is remaining on the SSD, or format/delete footage).
C100+Ninja
Pros:
- S35 sensor, I've shot a lot of weddings that have that classic cinema look due in part to the sensor size. Very different to the usual full frame look I see in most wedding videos. I always notice the same effect - the perspective and amount of DOF - in most well made films.
- 8bit prores ain't too shabby and realistically I doubt anyone will tell the difference.
- Much cleaner high iso image. Since I'll be shooting in really dark locations, I'll require a lot less lighting and be able to capture some more of the ambient light. I'd usually shoot at the native ISO but being able to get clean 3200 (and really even 6400) ISO shots is great. Clean images in the dark may offset any BMCC IQ advantages. Lower powered lighting means it'll be easier to get in and shoot without drawing as much attention.
- I'm really used to using it on top of it being terrifically easy to use so I'd be able to concentrate on doing everything else rather than the camera demanding a lot of my attention.
- Lighter weight means it is easier to use with smaller jibs and steadicams - admittedly heavier cameras have a much more pro look when used with a steadicam.
Cons:
- I have to use an external recorder. My ninja has taken a fall a few times, might need to buy another one as it's a bit flaky now.
- No 2.5k so no cropping without IQ degradation.
What say you? Use the BMCC or just stick to my trusty C100?
