Tel Stewart: August 2012

First off I want to let you know that what I say in this post is just my opinion and if you are in the market to buy a camera you need to do the research to make sure it is right for you. Also I might not cover everything because there is just so much to cover. If there is something I missed please let me know and I can go further in detail. That said...

So I get emails every day of people asking me what cameras and lenses ThePianoGuys use for our productions. Usually the reason why people ask this question is to get advice about what they should or shouldn't get when buying a camera and/or lenses for their own production. Also people ask me what is the best camera out there or which is my personal favorite. These are difficult questions to answer because there are so many circumstances where one camera would be better than another based on many different factors. I will do my best to explain in this post what we have come to understand about the cameras and lenses ThePianoGuys use and why we have chosen to use these over other potential options. So what cameras and lenses do ThePianoGuys use? Here is our current list.

Cameras ThePianoGuys use on a regular basis:

Lenses ThePianoGuys use on a regular basis:

Other cameras we often rent for special proposes:

Why do we use these cameras over other options?

#1 Size and portability

We love the size of the DSLR cameras. The 5D Mark II (and the newer 5D Mark III) are great portable cameras. With the interchangeable lens ability you can really get a great look in a pretty small package. We can go into locations and remain under the radar easier because we aren't carrying around huge bulky cameras. Also when having to hike into locations the weight is less than bigger video cameras so it is easier to carry. In addition, because of the lighter weight it is easier to mount these cameras to the more portable stabilization units like the Glidecam which we use pretty much for every shoot.

#2 Picture quality

With the full frame sensor and the ability to attach high quality lenses to the camera, we can pull off truly cinematic looking shots with very little effort. The look of your video (the shallow depth of field and those really nice rack focus shots) are only made possible by the lens. A great camera operator could have a really nice camera but if he doesn't have a good lens attached to it then it doesn't do him much good. Remember: The picture is all about the lens. The better the lens, the less light is needed. (especially indoors) and the better your picture will be.

Although the look of your picture is all about the lens, cameras like the 5D Mark II (now the 5D Mark III) have low light ISO capabilities enabling to film in even dimmer circumstances. Note that raising the ISO increases noise on the picture, but it allows you to do things with the camera you couldn't have done before with other cameras. On our videos we have shot footage as high as 6400 ISO. A good example is the disco scene in our video "Me and My Cello - Happy Together"

Are DSLR cameras really more cost effective?

Some say yes

When comparing these cameras to the big cinema cameras then yes; using DSLR cameras for video is more cost effective. They use these cameras for television and many independent movies now. It used to be that you needed more than a million dollar budget to make a film. Now people are pulling off $200,000 features.

Some say no

If you go the DSLR route and you are on a very tight budget, you may come to find out pretty early on that it isn't the most cost effective way to shoot video. While it appears cost effective when looking at the body of the camera compared to other camera bodies, it doesn't hold true when looking at lenses. Remember, the look of your picture is all about the lens. Just the three lenses ThePianoGuys use (listed above) all add up to be over $6,500. This is more than three times the cost of the body of the 5D Mark II. When it is all said and done you are at a camera package of over $10,000 to cover all your most needed focal lengths. So now what?

At this point if you are still looking for a professional camera I would go for a Sony PMW-EX3 or EX1. (Sony PMW-EX3 is listed above as one of our regularly rented cameras).

What are the advantages of a professional video camera VS DSLR?

Because I have more experience with the camera I am gong to talk about the SONY PMW-EX3. This camera and cameras like it have many advantages over the DSLR cameras. I have shot with these cameras a lot and I have really come to like them. They just have a clarity about them that the 5D Mark II can't even touch. We shot our video “Pirates of the Caribbean using” with two PMW-EX3 cameras that we rented. You can tell the clarity of this video is much sharper than many of our other videos. Also, with auto-focus on these cameras it is easier to put them on a jib and have it stay in focus. You have a pretty decent (not the best) zoom lens that comes with it which makes it so packing and going is much quicker. You can buy a new EX1 right now for $6299 and the EX3 for around $8300 which is less than the camera package ThePianoGuys use.

Does any of this really matter?

In the past few years we have seen the evolution of cameras progress rapidly. All I have told you is great but you have to realize that all cameras are getting so good that anyone with a creative mind can create wonderful material. See this video by freddiew. They shot this video on a Samsung Galaxy S iii. It is amazing what can be done on the smallest of budgets. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars to create really great stuff. I advise you to read about all the cameras you can and talk to people who have used them before. With great cameras now priced so low there is no reason why someone couldn't go out and create their own story.

The last thing I want to share is this documentary called "REVENGE of the Great Camera Shootout". Make sure to watch part one and part two. This video really opened my eyes and made me change my view on cameras. I used to think that the only way to make films was to get the best of the best cameras. Well this documentary does a very unique test between many different cameras. (including an iPhone). Thank you for reading my blog. Please ask me questions through my twitter @Tel_Stewart.