Now, before you grab the pitchforks, hear me out.
We, the shooters, live in a time of complete technical splendor. Never have humanity had the luxury of having access to affordable powerhouses that are the modern cameras.
And yet, it’s never enough for us, is it?
YouTube and all of the social media channels are filled to the brim with gearheads that drool over the latest and greatest technology in the cinema world. Yesterday's “banger” camera is today's “outdated” archaic junk that pales in comparison with the newest release from X brand. In lengthy sponsored videos Youtubers explain to us that cinema was just reinvented… again… for the third time since last month.
And I’m not judging them for doing that, for I, too, suffer from GAS and FOMO. I, too, enjoy spending money on new stuff that promises to skyrocket my workflow or shoot the quality of my work into the stratosphere, next to the greats.
However, I do have a problem with the fact that regardless of the camera, lenses, tripods, gimbals or software magic these Youtubers rave about, their work hasn’t changed one bit in the last couple of years. The same crossfit video in a hazy gym, the same girl in the tall grass at sunset, the same stupid test with a flashlight pointed at the lens.
So that begs the question: Does gear really matter at this point?
And the answer is just as simple as it is complicated: Yes, and no.
Yes, because if you’re a high-level working professional, usually you have to work with the very best gear available, because you can’t afford it breaking down mid-shoot, battling with optical inadequacies or deliver sub-par results for the money you charge. It’s more of an obligation than a choice, really. You wouldn’t trust a surgeon with a chinese off-brand scalpel now, would you?
and
No, because if you’re mostly creating social media content or YouTube videos (platforms with really high compression), or you’re a hobbyist that likes shooting, it’s pointless to invest in expensive high-end gear just to scratch that itch. The video of your spouse at the beach, or your dog playing with your kids doesn’t require the industry standard performance of both camera or lenses.
But wait, there’s more!
There’s the third, and in my opinion most important, factor behind that question, which is: Is that fancy new gear you’ve got just masking your lack of skills?
And here is the unpleasant part where you start hating me.
Recently, I shot a medium-sized commercial using…. wait for it…. my own trusty Sony FX30! :O
Yes, a €1700 camera.
Below you can see the results:
I chose to pair the FX30 with a set of Blazar Mantis Anamorphics, which feature a 1.33x squeeze, but due to the oval iris blades, the out-of-focus elements look more like 1.5x squeeze.
I had the option to rent an FX3, FX6, or hell, even a Burrano. But I didn’t.
Why? Practicality.
First off, I was told the budget is stretched thin, so this was a cost-saving decision. Second, I don’t like shallow DoF, so I don’t care about bokeh. And third, I wasn’t going to shoot in dusk, so I didn’t care about ISO 12800 either.
And still, on the note of saving costs: I own a complete package of accessories for my FX30: Cage, rails, power solutions, gimbal, easyrig, etc.
If I was to shoot with an FX6 or a Burrano, the production would have to rent all of that, which makes the rental bill that much chunkier.
Plus, I was confident enough in my skills that I knew this setup was more than enough for the declared usage by the client - YouTube, LinkedIn and landing page inserts.
So, to summarise. Chances are, you don’t need that FX5.
If an FX30, a C70, a BMPCC4K or an S5 are “hindering you” from doing your best work, you’re either not skilled enough, or you’re delusional.
That being said, God willing, I am going to buy an FX5 one day, because it’s the most sensible thing to do for me as a mobile working professional.
But I need to break my FX30 first.
