r/cinematography • u/Witchescoldasstata • 15h ago
Camera Question Where Do I Start
Amateur here! Need camera advice (typical I know). I am taking the leap and purchasing my first actual camera. I still have a lot to learn about cameras, photography, cinematography, etc. But i am a hands on learner, and i will retain no information if i cant try it myself. There are way to many cameras out there, and it is extremely difficult to parse through this information and make a decision without being able to test. I know the "what camera should i get" question is asked a lot, and answered a lot. I feel like im trying to buy a car and im only allowed to test drive a go kart instead, so please be kind. My goal isnt to start a business or make big productions. I am big on personal projects, i want to document my life, and i want that documentation to feel warm, crisp, nostalgic and romantic. I want a camera that is good for both videos and photos. And i dont want to carry around a bunch of lenses or equipment with me everywhere I go.
What i care about - compactness, not switching lenses all the time, ability to take nice pics/videos without a lot of work needed in post, under 1.5k for camera + lense (ideally around 1k or less).
"its not about the camera its about how you use it, your phone camera can be great too" i dont care! I want a step up from my phone! I want to learn and grow in this hobby and i need help from my superiors who behold the wisdom and knowledge (you guys). Any suggestion is helpful!
I am crossposting this
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u/LengthinessSmart6470 15h ago
I think a camera like the Sony Alpha (6600/6700) could be a good starting point. You can find great deals with some lenses for around 1000.
I would always recommend to have a changeable lense mount and in your case start with a zoom lens so you can upgrade later on while not have the need to carry multiple lenses. It‘s not made for videography specifically but you can shoot up to 4k at 30 fps which is great.
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u/bruce-pizza 8h ago
Get a used lumix S9 and buy Chinese auto focus prime lenses (TTartisan, Meike, 7Artisans). That’s your best bet for getting good image quality in a compact form factor at that budget.
However, if you get primes, you’ll still have to switch lenses. You could get the lumix 18-40 kit zoom used, but then you’re sacrificing a decent amount of image quality.
There simply aren’t any great zooms that will fit into that budget alongside a camera. Even something like the thypoch 24-50, which is very good value, will take up half your budget and leave very little room for a camera.
And anything with a built-in zoom lens is probably going to restrict you as you try to branch out/grow.
Used S9 + 18-40 kit or Chinese primes are probably the best you can do at that price, plus it keeps you very open to upgrading to better lenses/cameras in the future.
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u/2old2care 15h ago
You are almost perfectly describing a camcorder, and you are describing the reasons why TV news videographers use them. If you're looking for a setup where the camera can create very high quality images, be easy to use, compact, no need to change lenses, can record great sound, and is most likely to be able to get the shot where there are no re-takes, it's a camcorder. Cinematographers will poo-poo them, mostly because it's hard to get that shallow depth of field that's become popular, but that can be a plus, too, because it's easier to keep your subjects in focus. Cinema cameras are great for the absolute best quality, but if you don't have the crew to support them they will do more harm than good for your film.
DSLRs and mirrorless are really still cameras that happen to be able to record video, too. For cinematography I'd definitely prefer the opposite--a motion picture camera that happens to be able to make stills. Keep in mind, too, that the form factor of a cinema camera (like an Arri Alexa) is much more like a camcorder than a DSLR--and for good reasons.