Source
r/videography•
sawedust

[WSIB] First rig for "late bloomer"? 2000-2500 USD budget

Hi everyone,

LTL, FTP. I've been out of school for almost eight years. Due to some crazy life circumstances right after graduation (sudden death of my father, unexpected surgery, then getting married and having a child) I haven't been able to pursue my goal of being a videographer.

Fortunately, circumstances have finally turned around and I now have a few resources to get started. A lot has changed since I last graduated and I feel like I'm starting from scratch in most aspects. I'm hoping you guys can help me out in getting a little setup going for myself.

Primary use or uses:

  • An upcoming wedding (more below)
  • Family videos/vlogs
  • YouTube makeup/fashion videos
  • Short narratives or documentaries
  • Possibly more weddings
  • Still photography (must-have)

Primary or Secondary Camera?
Primary

Budget Range (Minimum and Maximum):
2000-2500 USD

Body type:
DSLR or DSLM

Current Gear:

  • Sony RX100M2
  • Nikon D50
  • Nikon Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens
  • Tamron 28-200mm f/3.8-5.6 lens (Nikon)
  • Ultrasone HFI-580 headphones
  • Mic stands

Desired features and their importance:

  • Acceptable low-light performance (shooting outdoors at night)
  • 1080 output minimum; 4K not required (but it'd be nice)
  • Camera and suitable lens for run & gun
  • Smaller form factor preferred
  • Able to take stills
  • Able to capture active kids in both stills and video
  • May need monopod/tripod/mount/stabilizer rig of some sorts
  • Good audio gear too. Will need mics for sure, possibly lavs and external recording (if deemed necessary)
  • Looks "professional"

Other noteworthy comments:

  • Don't mind starting from scratch with gear as long as I'm at or below 2500 USD
  • Shot mostly with Sony camcorders in school. DSR300, HVR-Z1U, PDW-xxx (forgot)
  • Used both FCP7/Avid in school but would prefer a Windows workflow since it's my main workstation now
  • I also have an iMac but its specs may not be powerful enough for video
  • I don't mind using a new program - I'm essentially starting again from scratch
  • Local classifieds has a Libec T102 with fluid head for sale
  • Would love to eventually make some income from videos

Your “top picks”:

  • Panasonic GH4
  • Panasonic G7
  • Sony A7S
  • Whatever is discounted after NAB 2016

Another reason why I'm jumping in now - a family friend, knowing I have background in video, asked me to film her wedding. Even if it's on short notice, I'd love to put in some quality work . I will be getting some sort of compensation - how much, I don't know - but I figured I could use this in a demo reel. The RX100 probably isn't going to cut it.

Her brother has a Canon 70D he's willing to loan and another friend of mine also has a 70D with which we can use as either the A or B-cam. He has a cheap lighting kit and a pistol grip, but only the stock lenses (18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM and 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM). No other audio gear.

While I can use their gear, I'd like to have something for my own for this event as well as going forward.

Thank you again for the great resources and discussions here and looking forward to your recommendations.

Posted Apr 12, 2016, 7:22 PM UTC

112
Figgle_bottomCanon 750D, Primere Pro CC, 2015, West London•

If you have the money for a GH4, then I don't think you need to consider a G7.

3
RaptorMan333LumixG7 + Sigma18-35, Adobe•

whatever you do, don't max out your budget on just the body. A cheaper body with quality support, stabilization, lenses and audio is going to FAR surpass the quality of what you can get by blowing the entire $2500 on a nicer body.

Honestly, between the Gh4/g7/A7s, they're all great cameras, you just have to prioritize what you value. the A7s is probably more versatile for shoots where you dont have pro light kits or a lot of light, while the Gh4 is probably better for you for more film oriented, staged shoots. Dont undervalue the G7 either. If you dont need higher frame rates or weather sealing, etc. then it's a very solid camera. I myself couldnt justify paying TWICE the cost of a g7 at this point in time because i wanted a nice tripod, lens setup, audio gear.

the lenses you have are pretty meh for video. Not to mention, idk if they'll cover a full frame sensor. You're better off picking up a couple fast primes.

2
sawedustOPA7sii, Adobe CC, 2016, HI•

Hi u/RaptorMan333,

Thanks so much for your response. Yes, part of the reason why I posted this is I wanted to get a full setup - not just the body. I know the lenses I have are pretty subpar for video, and I'm in need of audio gear as well as some sort of support or stabilization.

That's why I wasn't sure which of the cameras I'd go for - GH4 gives me a good body, but leaves less room for the rest of the gear. I was considering going EF lenses with an (speedbooster) adapter since most of my photog friends shoot Canon and I could get a deal on their old lenses, but after reading around here a bit I'm not so sure that's what I want to do anymore. That's probably $2000 there?

Then that leaves me with the rest for $500. I assume I can get a decent shotgun for $150, decent sticks/head for $150, an external recorder for $150, and a cheap lighting kit for $50, putting me at max budget.

On the other hand, I could go with the G7 to start out and invest more in lenses or other gear.

The low-light of the A7s is appealing and I'm familiar with Sony cameras, but a body+lens leaves barely enough room for the other gear.

What do you think about this?

1
RaptorMan333LumixG7 + Sigma18-35, Adobe•

personally i went with a g7 with the nikon mount 0.64x speedbooster and sigma 18-35mm nikon. I am building a kit of nikon primes that go longer than the 35mm end of my main sigma, because they're very affordable, look fantastic and can be adapted to future cameras pretty easily. My plan is to upgrade to the Gh4 (or potentially a GH5???) when i have the money.

a $150 tripod and $50 lighting gear are going to be garbage. Even the $150 tripods that say "fluid head" are not true, smooth fluid heads. They'll be plenty good for locked down shots, but if you want truly cinematic pans and tilts and want to be able to make money from videography you're going to need to spend some money on a tripod. If you can find a used fluid head then more power to you. I decided to drop $600 on the Sachtler AceM and rest assured that i get buttery smooth movement. The legs aren't super crazy durable, but i figure i can always upgrade the sticks. Your tripod may just be the most important item that you buy. It's a very overlooked piece of equipment. A good, well built tripod can serve you for years and years. All of the little features and nuances that pro level tripods incorporate are very much appreciated and well worth it. A $1200 tripod that's built like a rock and well cared for is going to last a lifetime. A $2000 camera body is going to be outdated in 5 years and maybe obsolete in a decade, and is probably going to need to be upgraded if you plan to shoot pro level stuff.

Tripod is going to be your best friend for stability. Also look at the Cowboy Studio shoulder rig, which i've heard is a fantastic buy for like $30.

Keep in mind that if you're going for the A7s and not the A7s ii, that the price is much lower and i think you can actually find it on ebay or used for around the price of a Gh4.

I think the best course of action is to wait a few weeks or months and really read up on stuff and make sure that you're investing properly in equipment that you're going to be happy with. Only you can decide which equipment is perfect for your individual needs, and there's a TON of factors to consider.

2
sawedustOPA7sii, Adobe CC, 2016, HI•

personally i went with a g7 with the nikon mount 0.64x speedbooster and sigma 18-35mm nikon.

I've seen this a lot on this sub and the G7 sub and was considering going this way as well since it's cheaper than going the EF route at the start.

a $150 tripod and $50 lighting gear are going to be garbage

No doubt - having worked with quality gear in school made shoots a lot easier. As mentioned in my first post a videographer in my area has a Libec setup for sale at an extremely good price but I'd have to check it out in person. Given the price I may go with that depending on how it feels.

But again, body + lenses leaves little room for everything else. $2.5k isn't a lot to start off with, but I'm hoping the starting gear I get alongside the camera body can come along the rest of the way. At this point I'm leaning towards better lens + tripod system + audio to follow me and upgrade the body down the line.

Thanks so much for the advice - I have a few weeks to decide and become somewhat proficient with my gear before the wedding shoot. If there's anything else on which you can advise me, I'd gladly appreciate it!

1
HybridCamRevGH1, GH2, GH3, GH4, BMPCC•

u/sawedust - I am a GH4 shooter whose first DSLR was a Nikon D50 - cool to see you still have yours!

If you don't mind pulling 4K/8MP frame grabs for stills, the best still/video camera solution in your price range for weddings, documentaries, family video and short films is probably a [$2249 Sony X70 with the 4K upgrade] (http://adorama.evyy.net/c/60286/51926/1036).

This camera has a relatively large 1″ sensor, built in ND filters, pro XLR mic inputs with phantom, a power zoom lens and dual card slots. It records broadcast ready XAVC long GOP 10-bit 4:2:2 at a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160p Ultra High Definition "4K" (most DSLRs and DSLMs in this price class record to 8bit 4:2:0). It also records to AVCHD and standard definition DV. There are full sized SDI and HDMI outputs as well.

In addition, the X70's optical steady shot system makes for very stable handheld shots, as seen in the walking shots in this travel piece: [San Blas Islands of Panama. December 2014] (http://player.vimeo.com/video/119601178). You would need to buy a stabilizer to get shots this steady with a DSLR/DSLM.

Here are a few more examples of the image quality it can produce at 1080p:

Documentary

Musical Performance

Here is the image quality this camera can produce after the 4K upgrade (please watch at 2160p and your monitor's highest resolution):

Here are a few 3840 x 2160 frame grabs from the PXW-Z100, the PXW-X70's sister camera:

In my view, the X70 with the 4K upgrade is best all-in-one (power zoom lens included) 4K pro video solution you can get below $2500.

Hope this is helpful and good luck with finding the right camera!

2
sawedustOPA7sii, Adobe CC, 2016, HI•

Hi u/HybridCamRev,

Thanks so much for your response. I appreciate the depth in which you've responded and have checked out the work you've provided. The D50 is still going strong, but I think it's finally time to put it to rest.

The PXW-X70 sounds excellent and would be right up my alley with my experience, unfortunately spending everything on the camera leaves me with very little room for audio or lighting.

If I do go with the X70, what would you recommend for a tripod/stabilizing system (would still like to have one to film myself when needed), external mics, recorders (if deemed necessary), and a light kit in keeping under $2500?

I also brought up the GH4 or GH7 as those would allow me to have a good body at a lower price, leaving an extra $1000-1500 for lenses and the other gear. Having good audio is important to me as well - I'd like to have a clean sound whether it be in-camera or externally.

I like the form factor of the Panasonic cameras and they'd probably be easier to carry along for random vlogs or trips - in a smaller town where I live people aren't weirded out by smaller cameras, but bring a camcorder of any size along with you and all of a sudden everyone is wondering what you're up to.

What do you think about going this route (GH4/G7), and what would you recommend to fill out my kit if I went this way? Looking specifically for lenses, stabilizers, audio, and lighting.

Thanks!

1
HybridCamRevGH1, GH2, GH3, GH4, BMPCC•

Thanks for the additional detail. The reason I recommended the X70 was that, by the time I added a [$200 external recorder/XLR audio solution] (http://www.amazon.com/DR-60D-Filmmaking-Recording-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00CRY250U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20), a [$30 variable ND filter] (http://www.amazon.com/Opteka-Multi-Coated-Variable-Neutral-Density/dp/B004R4949I/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20), a [$38 top handle] (http://www.amazon.com/Smallrig%C2%AE-Handle-Mount-Adapter-Camera/dp/B00HJGV33Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20), [$15 Campro Deluxe shock mount] (http://www.amazon.com/Campro-Microphone-Shockmount-Connectors-Audio-Technica/dp/B00615M2CC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20) for my microphone and a [$600 10x zoom lens] (http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-14-140mm-4-0-5-8-Optimized-Digital/dp/B0028Y5GLO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20) to my [$1297.99 GH4 with V-LOG] (http://adorama.evyy.net/c/60286/51926/1036?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adorama.com%2FIPCDMCGH4K.html) - the camera cost me about $2183 - almost as much as the [$2249 X70] (http://adorama.evyy.net/c/60286/51926/1036?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adorama.com%2FIPCDMCGH4K.html) - and it still doesn't have dual card slots, a power zoom, 10-bit internal recording or an SDI output.

You can be up and running with the X70 for $2547 with:

You'll still need lights, but you'll be ahead of where you would have been with a $1300 camera body with no lens, no XLR inputs, no power zoom, etc.

I absolutely love my GH4, and now that I have made the investment in the accessories it needs to make it a reasonable substitute for a video camera, it produces great audio and video - but for shooters in the $2500 price class, it might not be the best place to start.

Again, hope this is helpful!

2
PriceZombie•

Audio-Technica AT875R Line + Gradient Condenser Microphone

Current$169.00Amazon (3rd Party New)
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1
KawaiiHero•

I'm a big Sony fan and would recommend the A7S or the new a6300! A7SII would be ideal, if you could somehow afford it. I would try to find these cameras used in good condition through craigslist, r/photomarket, eBay, amazon used, best buy open box, etc to save some money. You could always just rent gear for like 4 days for weddings to start out, if you can't afford lenses with your body right now. It'll also give you the chance to try out some lenses to see if you'll use them enough to purchase + you'll be able to use the best lenses available for the wedding.

2
sawedustOPA7sii, Adobe CC, 2016, HI•

Thanks for finding me here! :D

It's tough to decide at the moment, but I'm doing my best to scour deals. If I'm able to find a deal on either the A7S/A7sii or the GH4+speedbooster that may decide which direction I go.

What lenses are you using for your camera?

2
KawaiiHero•

Good luck with finding a deal! If you can check a best buy retail store for an open box deal as well. I bought my camera from bestbuy and they waved taxes since it was an expensive order (saved like $200+ my entire order) and they price match online! I got the 35mm f/1.4 Sony distagon, which has an aperture ring which is good for video :) I am thinking about getting the zeiss Batis 85mm f1.8 or the new g-master 85mm f1.4! Both pretty expensive, so I have to sell some stuff and wait a while then decide. You should browse r/Sonyalpha or Sony alpha Facebook groups if you end up getting one! Consider renting lenses still to try them out :) especially if it's a wedding, so you get to use the best equipment!

2