The soon to be released Canon 1D C - 4K camera with the new 50mm Cinema Lens.
I’ve never intended this to become a ‘gear‘ focused blog so this post will be a bit different.
But trust me, it will come around.
Having embraced the motion capabilities of the 5D Mark II I am excited about eventually moving to a more robust camera system. While working with the RED One on my Fox Sports campaign, I considered that to be the next logical step. Especially when the Scarlet was announced late last year at a more affordable rate.
Cut to today and Canon has been making headway with a few new cameras that are truly amazing. First came the C300 Cinema Camera announced this past November (same day as the Scarlet). Then, only 2 weeks ago they announced the Canon 1D C. (pictured above at a Canon event I attended) The first DSLR to shoot 4K internally and the C500, a 4K RAW version of the C300.
(and that’s just Canon. there are many other manufactures rocking out some amazing cameras)
So where am I going with this?
Well, as you can see, it’s hard not to get caught up in the mentality that a ‘New Camera’ will instantly make you a better photographer/director. And all of the sudden your current camera just doesn’t seem as sexy as it did 24 hours earlier.
Now don’t get me wrong, I understand the differences between my 5D Mark II the RED and the new 1D C are HUGE. But I also know that I don’t have an additional 15-20K burning a hole in my pocket to go out and buy one today. What I do have – in my possession – is a camera that captures amazingly beautiful HD footage that has been played on broadcast television to mine and my clients satisfaction. And I can always rent the RED if need be.
So here lies my challenge:
I cannot allow myself to get lost in the hype. Convincing myself the minute…the second a new camera system is announced I need to throw everything out in the hope that the next best thing will be the illusive, ‘IT’. Only to have the same thing happen a year down the road.
While writing this, I began to think about how I went through this exact struggle in late 2004. I had recently shot/directed my first short film on Hi-8 and had done other video work with Sony Betacam’s the Canon XL1s but was never happy with their ‘video’ look. (I even had a client complain about the XL1s footage) But then, it all changed with the release of the Canon XL2. One of the first affordable cameras to shoot at a ‘filmic’ frame rate of 24p. There were probably others but I don’t remember. What I do remember is that the movie, “28 Day’s Later” had been filmed on it and I had to have it!
Side Note: This was an SD camera…this was before HD so I hope you get where I’m coming from now.
My progression in video formats over the years: VHS > Hi-8 > Beta > SD > HD > to today, wishing I could shoot in 4K.
To be honest, I don’t know where this leads. If I had the budget, and the clients were requesting it, I would buy a new camera today. But my clients aren’t demanding 4K…Yet.
So I write this to no one but myself in the hope that when I walk in my studio tomorrow and see my 5D Mark II, I will be thankful for what I have.
I am embedding the first music video that I directed back in 2005. It was for the band, The Reflection. I shot this on the XL2 over a two day period and the edited it in the original FCP (literally going a bit mad in the process…seriously). I haven’t shown this in a while, for many reasons. But I’m putting it out there… And you know what, I’m proud of this. Is it the best music video ever made..no freakin’ way. But at a young age, I knew I wanted to direct music videos. And with this I was able to fulfill that dream. Let’s just hope that there are more to come in the future.
The Reflection: Brandy & Wine, 2005
- please leave a comment below if you agree/disagree the ramblings above -
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Good read. It goes to show that its the artist not the camera that makes the photo. The video you posted still looks good today. I hope more photographers take the art more seriously then the tech in the future.
Thanks man, it’s hard to remember but it is the person behind the camera…not the camera itself.
Glad you dug the video.
A dollar spent on a cameras is a dollar lost for production. Rent.
Agreed….
i still love that music video jeff! it brings back a lot of memories! rock and roll!
Thank you baby. That was a crazy time so thank you for putting up with me….Those were some crazy long nights working on this project. Rock n Roll baby…
Great article! Thank you, it really cleared up for me what gear I’m going to get for my projects. Thanks again.