Many cinematographers believe that the camera they use is the least important factor when it comes to capturing beautiful images, as lighting, lenses, color grading and other factors often play a more important role. I myself fall very much into this camp, and those of you who frequent this site probably know by now… However, Sometimes your choice of camera can be far more important than any other element of the cinematography process, and it’s important to know exactly when it matters most.
For most of my controlled professional shoots, my choice of camera is at the bottom of the priority list until many other creative and technical elements are locked in. When doing almost any shoot, my biggest concern is usually how we light the scene. From there, I decide on lens selection (based on the suggested lighting setup and the overall look of the project) and ultimately the camera selection that I feel will be best for the project – both in terms of usability on set, as well as how it will look. I usually approach things this way because on any professional shoot I have access to permits, sweet spots, larger lighting setups, etc. Or more suitable than others. In other words, I know that if (for example) I’m shooting in a studio type environment with a controlled lighting load, I don’t necessarily need a camera with extremely high dynamic range. With a lot of control over the lighting, I can light it in a way that looks great even with a low dynamic range camera. Does this mean I won’t shoot with a better, higher DR camera just because I don’t need to? Of course not… I’d still like to shoot with the best performing tool, but it won’t be as much of a priority as it would be in a different situation.
So under what conditions does a camera really matter? When does your choice of camera actually determine your final product? In my opinion, this is the complete opposite of what I described above – being completely out of control. When you can’t get to your ideal location, you’re not shooting with the proper lighting kit, or you’re dealing with any number of other common challenges, you really need to rely on your camera to do a lot of the heavy lifting. Let’s face it, for most of us, it’s more common to shoot in uncontrolled environments than in ideal conditions, which makes compact/independent level camera options in some respects better than large-scale productions more important.
why it is so important
Imagine a situation where you need to shoot a night scene outdoors in a parking lot with almost no lights, and you’re shooting guerrilla style. Needless to say you won’t be able to use lights as you will need to shoot with caution and even if you use an extremely fast lens (let’s say F1.4 or below) you will probably still need to increase the ISO/ASA to very high levels in order to fully showcase your talent. This means that you really need to rely on the camera to do what you do because the other tools you should have as a DP are either not available or don’t work.
Finally, you’ll want to choose a camera that can basically shoot in the dark, which in itself will narrow down your camera choices significantly. In this case, the most expensive camera isn’t necessarily the right camera for the job…for example, you might be tempted to shoot this scene on a RED Dragon or other similar high-end cinema camera if you have one, but get one Dragons actually don’t perform well in these conditions. The RED isn’t suitable for use in low-light conditions, and it certainly can’t compete with cameras like the Sony A7S or Canon C300, which can shoot at incredibly high ISOs with some noise or grain. The point is, it’s not always about choosing the most expensive or high-end camera, but rather the camera that’s best suited to the challenges you face on set.
In another case, the lighting itself might not be an issue (let’s say you’re shooting outdoors on a cloudy day), but you might have a small crew and only a few hours to use your talents to shoot a few pages, which means you Need to work quickly while staying light on your feet. Again, your camera choice will be most important since your lighting is more or less taken care of for you (sun/clouds) and you have enough outside space to use any number of lenses and still get exposure /The freedom you’re after because you’re not shooting in low light or in tight spaces. The challenge here is not to make the images look great, but to be able to capture them efficiently and fluidly while dealing with the challenges of shooting in this type of setup. In this case you probably don’t want to use a large cinema camera as it may require AC/focus levers, require switching media cards more frequently, and generally takes longer to manage the set, meaning you won’t be able to shoot as much as you want. Possibly more coverage. If you choose a more flexible camera (e.g. Blackmagic Cinema Camera, DSLR) or a slightly larger but still manageable camera (AJA CION, FS700) you will be able to get more shots than you would with other cameras if you are too obsessed with a more bulky camera The camera is out of reach.
Sometimes it’s not you…it’s the camera
We’ve all heard it a million times before – “It’s not the camera, it’s the person behind it” and apparently that sentiment is true. Still, it’s worth noting that even the best DPs won’t be able to create their best work if they’re shooting with tools that aren’t conducive to their project. As DPs, we only have so many tools (the camera is one of the biggest), and since we don’t have access to some of the tools in the kit (especially lighting and lens selection), the remaining tools we need have to work overtime can make up for it.
Filming of “Hell”
I was shooting an art film this past weekend that fell very much into one of the scenarios I described above. We were filming without permits, with very little time on set, and with a very small crew. While I considered multiple options for shooting this production – from using a GH4 to renting an Alexa, I ultimately chose the RED Epic because it’s small enough (even rigged) to quickly move between setups turnaround, and it has enough dynamic range that I can shoot comfortably in harsh sunlight without needing too much on-set lighting control. I also considered BMCC, but ultimately I needed a high frame rate, so I chose Epic. Overall I was impressed with the camera’s performance on the day and have no complaints other than having to reload media frequently (as we were shooting at very high frame rates on a small 64GB redmag).
Here are a few rough stills from the filming:
The camera really worked for me on this shoot. Epic allowed me to push things further than I should have, both on set and in post, and ended up making some really beautiful images based on the situation. If I had taken this photo with a GH4, the effect would be different. No, I’m not comparing the $1700 GH4 to the RED Epic, but what I’m saying is that despite what we think… the camera does matter – especially in this case.
As I said at the beginning of this article, I am a strong believer that lighting, framing, lens, color, and other key factors are far more important than the camera itself in most situations. The more tools you have in your tool kit (including knowledge of your own craft), the less you’ll have to rely on having a more powerful camera to save you in tough situations. But sometimes, when you’re getting ready to shoot and you know things are going to be challenging enough, it’s worth going out and renting/borrowing a more suitable cinema camera that will give you more wiggle room with your setup, even if it’s not the easiest to make choice.
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