Tuesday, July 23, 2013

The "Best" Cameras Are... (#7)


It’s hard to categorize things like cameras because each type can be and is used for so many different purposes and reasons. So anything that I may consider “the best” is relative. But, I will say what I believe to be the best camera for me and what it is that I want to do with film.

DSLRs are my kind of camera. For sure. I don’t know everything about them, but I do know that DSLRs are some of the more lightweight cameras and have an amazing cinematic look to their video without costing the price of a three bedroom, two bathroom house. 

For me, a documentary filmmaker, I know many of the situations that I will be in will call for a good quality video with tight and cramped spaces. A Sony EX3 is gonna be difficult to use in that situation, and because I am an independent filmmaker, I do not have money to spend on a large crew. So ingenuity and effectiveness are huge for me. Why use a much chunkier camera when I can get the same look with a DSLR and save my arms from utter destruction?

Philip Bloom tagged the phrase “it’s not the camera…” in his post reviewing what kind of DSLR to buy. I agree with him. It’s not always about the camera you have, but how you use what you’ve got. There is always going to be some new camera to film with, but if you haven’t learned how to use said camera, then the cool functions and awesome video does nothing for you. You can’t use it efficiently. So I say, understand how YOU figure cameras out, and then every camera will seem like “the best” when it’s time to use it.

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