My next camera would have to be the Scarlet - right?

[Ron Little]

I have been considering the Sony EX3. Does anyone have an opinion on it?

[Perrone Ford]

Sure. Lot's of opinions. Head over to the Sony XdcamEX section. Plenty to read there.

[Jay Kavi]

I'm not one making a living off of production work, but it seems like buying a new camera is not the smartest idea from a business point of view. It's an expense, so it would force you to raise prices to keep your cash flow the same, unless you had a pot of money saved for the purchase or your camera is so outdated its costing you work. But, if your getting customers solely based on what your shooting with, your work must not be that impressive imo.

[Jacques E. Bouchard]

Originally Posted by Dennis Stevens

Comparing the capabilities, it seems unwise to get anything but the Scarlet. However, I'm sure there are a lot more costs in extra equipment to really use the Scarlet properly. I guess my main issue is I need to do a lot more research on the RED world, which I know nothing about.

Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts? I'm posting in this forum, because I'm trying to look at it from the filmmaker's perspective, not necessarily the dp, the event videographer, etc.

I can certainly understand the appeal of a RED camera to filmmakers. I drool with envy when I look at new toys. But frankly, unless you're a cameraman first (and a filmmaker second) and intend to hire yourself out to other productions, it's just not a smart financial move for a fimmmaker to get started down this slippery acquisition slope.

Trying to go the "bargain" route with a RED is like trying to buy a cheap Ferrari: if you want anything but the name tag, you'll end up spending a lot more than you originally intended.

I helped out on a shoot last Friday. Everyone was either volunteering for food and credit, returning favours or getting paid much (MUCH) below scale. The cameraman/DOP has a RED camera, although I couldn't tell you the exact model. However, even though this is his full-time job, he still shares ownership of the camera with a colleague (I'm guessing the whole kit cost them $40,000 more or less). And we're not even talking about the periodical upgrades you have to do to stay competitive.

My point is, I can invest the cost of a RED camera and equipment into a film, and hire the cameraman and equipment for next to nothing (or less on no-budget projects). Even at union scale, I'm saving huge amounts of money. Not only that, but the operator knows his camera RIGHT NOW, whereas you'll need time to learn to fully exploit its potential (which means more lost revenues).

BTW, by the end of the day I already had a standing offer from him to help out on my next shoot, on which I will probably take him up soon. I get the image quality of a RED camera and his experience, and I won't have to shell out a sizeable portion of my annual income.


J.