Blog post # 8 - Best camera

I find this particular blog post a bit tricky. The thing is it calls for detailing the best camera, but at this point, we all should know that the answer is not absolute. That is one of the big details that has been demonstrated through the course: the answer is purely situational. What makes the best camera? Depends. What is the best camera? Depends. The answer is completely dependent on the needs of the project. As a cinematographer, if the production needs a camera that is small, lightweight, inexpensive(relative), and fairly easy to pick up and use; perhaps, a DSLR with a couple of lenses would be perfectly suitable for the job. If the project has a large budget and setup is not a constraint, perhaps one of the premiere 35mm Arriflex, Mitchell, or Panavision cameras would be perfect. What if the production wants digital? Again, if the budget allows for it, one might choose an Arri Alexa or maybe a RED camera. What if you are wanting to shoot a full 6K digital image. There's the newer RED Dragon. The "best" camera is what serves the story best. It's just another tool used to serve the written word. In that regard, the term "best" can be entirely different for each cameraman. If I am referring specifically to what we have available within the department, then my choice would be the Sony F3. It is the highest quality camera we have available. It is a piece of professional equipment used regularly in the industry and provides a fantastic quality that the others can't match in my opinion. However, with that said, that doesn't mean it is definitively the best camera every time. Not every situation calls for a camera like F3.