Top 5 Digital Cinema Cameras Under $5,000 For Your Movie

     Most of us who shoot or are interested in shooting any type of narrative story have at one point asked ourselves which camera we should buy to tell our story. We all want our movie to look good (well most of us anyway. lol.) and a good performing camera is high on the list of requirements; Although, lighting is very important and plays a big role in quality, we strive for a camera that can look damn good in natural lighting as well, because if it can do well in natural light it's going to be even better under controlled lighting.

     Deciding on a camera usually ends up a confusing decision given all of the choices out there today, each with their pros and cons. The good news is that we have better options at better prices than ever before. Now, I'm only going to talk about digital cameras for use in indie filmmaking under the the $5,000 range, because if you have the funds for the new Scarlet Dragon, Epic Dragon or Sony F5/F55 you probably aren't going too crazy over which camera you should go with....go with them if you can afford them and still have money left over to shoot your project. lol.

Here are my current "Top 5 Digital Cinema Cameras Under $5,000" for Filmmaking:

1: Canon 5D Mark III $3,200:

     Yes, this may seem like a WTF choice for most given that it's known for soft 1080p video at best, but of course I am referring to the new BEAST the 5D Mark III becomes with the very simple Magic Lantern RAW video hack, which unlocks its full video potential concealed by Canon to protect their higher end video cameras like the Canon C300/C500. The ML RAW hack unleashes a full frame RAW digital cinema camera beast with very sharp/detailed 1920x1080p video, high 14-Bit color, higher dynamic range, much better post-grading ability, the best low light at or under $15,000, 60p RAW (at 720p) for slow-mo, and with many useful professional video features.  I believe this amazing Magic Lantern Hack, which was thought to be impossible (it was even an April Fool's joke on Philip Bloom's blog the month prior), makes the Canon 5D Mark III the #1 overall digital cinema camera around dollar for dollar under $10,000 in features and price/performance. I will explain why below:

     The original 5D Mark III shooting its normal soft-as-baby-poo faux 1080p (Note: My Canon T2i shooting 896x512p RAW is sharper and resolves more detail than the Mark III's H.264 Native 1080p video) would not be nearly this high on my list by any means. The RAW video option has revealed the true awesome potential of the Mark III's sensor that Canon has hidden from us and at no stress to the sensor. It now shoots at or above 1920x1080p 24fps RAW video @ 14-Bit color. It's a VERY easy hack, easy to work with and has a pretty simple work flow as well. The improvement in dynamic range, resolved resolution, sharpness, color and low light ability and ability to post grade is simply remarkable.

     Why is this a better option than the BlackMagic Cinema Cameras? The BMCC would have bee my #1 choice prior to this great RAW hack for the Mark III and as far as overall dynamic range and highlights the BMCC is still top dog, but not by much. The reason I now believe this is the better option is because for the first time ever we have a Full Frame RAW Cinema Camera capable of very good and close to BMCC dynamic range (Though the BMCC has the edge, but not by a lot), sharp/detailed 1080p, 14-Bit Color, Selectable frame rates down to 1fps, Shutter override, HDR video mode, fantastic low light performance, no lens crop factor...what you see on the lens is what you get, 3x lens crop mode (so, your super fast wide angle 24mm F1.4 Rokinon Cine lens also becomes a 72mm F1.4 Cine lens saving you at least a few hundred dollars), fast and wide is simple now. Very little-to-no moire or aliasing.

     You see, there are very few cons and tons of pros, and I was pretty upset with how Canon was pumping out these DLSRs with very little video improvements. All praise goes the awesome people over at Magic Lantern for making this hack a reality.  I'm considering sending back my BlackMagic MFT original for the 5D Mark III, which is weird considering how long I've drooled after the BMCC. 

2: BlackMagic Cinema Camera MFT Mount $2,995:

     The previous #1 choice moved down to number 2, but still has the advantage in dynamic range, albeit slightly. The future ability to use Speedbooster will turn the BMCC MFT into a different beast by turning it into a near Super 35mm crop with 1 stop extra of light. That means the low light on this camera will reach a new level all while having less crop ratio on lenses, so wide and fast will be much easier. You will also be able to use Sigma's new revolutionary 18-35mm F1.8 lens along with the Speedbooster, making it a 29-57mm F1.2....yes, you heard it, a 29-57mm F1.2 constant aperture. Sounds like a dream come true aye? Only $800 for such a versatile wide-to-normal view super fast lens. Now we just gotta waif for the Anti-Aliasing/Moire filter to arrive and this camera will be really beefed up.

3: BlackMagic 4K RAW Production Camera $3,995:

     For those who need top of the line resolution the BlackMagic 4k RAW Production Camera  is an unbelievable deal for only $3,995. Did I mention it has GLOBAL SHUTTER!? No more annoying rolling shutter. BlackMagic Design once again shocked everyone with the introduction of a 4k Cinema camera with global shutter at not just a realistic price, but an ABSURDLY low price and that's WITH DaVinci Resolve included. You do lose a bit of low light and dynamic range compared to the original BMCC, but the dynamic range is still higher than you'd normally get with a DSLR or camcorder. Also, buy some lights. This is a cinema camera. :D

4: BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera $995:

     Another stunner for BlackMagic Design....a Super 16mm pocket cinema camera mft mount shooting 1080p video with 13+ stops of dynamic range in compressed RAW format as well as ProRes HQ that you can literally fit in your pocket....although you probably wouldn't want to try that with lens on...just sayin'.  It uses an active MFT mounts, so you can use the MFT lenses you aren't able to with the dumb MFT mount on the original BMCC.

     The sensor is from the same family as the original BMCC, so it's basically a cropped version of the sensor, which means the video is pretty much identical minus a bit of resolution. The crop factor is 3x, so it's a pretty big crop, which means you'll need to go a bit wider to get the same field of view as the 2.3x crop BMCC. However, it's a great candidate for 7-14mm Panasonic lens. It's also going to be compatible with the upcoming Speedbooster, which will make it into about a 2.13x crop at one stop faster using EF lenses. Then the Tokina 11-16mm (23.4-34mm full frame equivalent) would be a great choice or the upcoming Samyang 10mm F2.8 (21.3mm full frame equivalent), which both would also become faster F2.0 lenses with the speedbooster.

5: Panasonic GH3 $1,249: 

     At number 5 is the popular GH2 follow up, the Panasonic GH3. The new camera improves upon the original using a new and improved image sensor for a bit higher dynamic range along with higher recording bit rates, 1080p at 60fps for those want better slow-motion for that "live" look and much improved high ISO/low noise. This camera does a lot right for $1299 (body only). The GH3 will also be compatible with the upcoming speedbooster/focal reducer, which will make it near a 1.42x crop (so less crop than APS-C or even Super 35mm) and 1 stop extra of light. The OLED display is a huge step up from the GH2's LCD. The headphone jack is also a nice addition.

RUNNER UP:

     Nikon D5200 (If you don't need 60p the D5200 would be a #5 as it has great low light and no moire or aliasing that nearly every other DLSR exhibits) $696 body only (Great bang for the buck):

FINAL CONCLUSION:

     Any camera I listed will suffice in making your movie if you take care to make it look good and don't forget lights. They're all very capable cameras and RAW is NOT for everyone. Get the best tool for the job. If you need Slow-Mo, you may want to get the 5D Mark III or the GH3, or both if you can afford it. If you need slow-mo and RAW the 5D Mark III is the only choice in this price range. If you need fantastic low light get the 5D Mark III. If you need to have little-to-no moire/aliasing get the 5D Mark III or the D5200. If you need full frame, get the 5D Mark III. If you need the best overall dynamic range get the BlackMagic Cinema Camera or the Pocket Cinema Camera. None of these cameras are the perfect camera, but I believe the 5D with Magic Lantern and RAW is the most versatile digital cinema camera out now and the only full frame RAW cinema camera anywhere near it's price, or maybe even at all. I "shutter" (*wink*) to think of what Canon would have tried to charge us for a Canon 5D Mark III that shoots RAW 14-Bit Full Frame 1080p video.

     Always remember to factor in added expenses in addition to your camera body; Such as, lighting equipment (this is VERY important), lenses, recording media, storage space, possibly a new more powerful computer with lots of storage (as well as backups) to handle massive RAW files from cameras that shoot RAW, camera rigs, monitor, ND filters, IR filters, etc. Whatever you feel you'll need, factor that in before blowing too much on a camera. This may seem like common sense, but a lot of people don't realize how fast this stuff adds up. We have a lot of wonderful cameras available today at more affordable prices than ever before. Now, pick your camera and start shooting! :D