Choose your weapon, or lens. Or camera.

[Andrew Dease]

Shooting a low budget video upcoming, asked rental house for Sony a7 PL and Cooke anamorphic 50mm.

They recommend Black Magic PCC6K and Atlas 50 anamorphic.

What would y’all choose. I have little interest in the BM6K or Atlas but I can see the Atlas growing on me for a modern look.

Sensor size on the a7 would yield more of an image, regardless what anamorphic.

First choose would be RED but that ain’t happening most likely, with the budget. Or maybe it will but either way this is what is available.

Atlas don’t even look anamorphic to my eyes half the time, maybe they are rear Ana only or something?

I am torn though since they do look modern where the cooks look... vintage. I have used them a few times.

I have never really liked the image from the BMP6K but as seeing with Komodo, that’s probably bass on color correction.

My Helium was perfect all the time, every time. Mostly.

I think Sony a7 image is closer to helium. BM camera just looks hazy. I know that’s the ‘style’ with cinematography these days but I am skeptical. Either way.

[Karim D. Ghantous]

i wish I could say something here. But the A7 probably has terrible rolling shutter. Maybe a Fuji X-H1? That camera is terrific value if you're shooting manual focus. I don't know about rolling shutter there, though. And I don't know what options you have or want.

[Andrew Dease]

i wish I could say something here. But the A7 probably has terrible rolling shutter. Maybe a Fuji X-H1? That camera is terrific value if you're shooting manual focus. I don't know about rolling shutter there, though. And I don't know what options you have or want.

I was forced for budgetary reasons to use an a7. Unless your whip panningor handheld (how often is this the case?)

Anyway it looked phenomenal full frame. Really phenomenal.

For normal narrative shooting rolling shutter has never been an issue with any camera. And when it has, especially and only with red, it worked in the shots.

That said I don’t know how the choice between a7 and Bmpcc6k would go over for someone who has used reds.

Maybe I am missing something grand abou the 6k. I think with anamorphic, the more the better lens wise. Smaller sensors lock you into that ultra wide 2x anamorphic look which is pretty extreme.

However maybe bmpcc6k blows away the a7 in a way I’m missing,

Much like the Orion is not desirable next to a Cooke anamorphic, but perhaps I am missing as he not used the Orion either.

[Sergio Perez]

From my experience the Blackmagic 6K files are the best camera we used in the price range to intercut with our REDS- Monstro, Helium, Dragon and MX sensors. It blows the canon 1DX Mark II completely out of the water, for example and I would assume the Sony too. The key here is the Blackmagic Internal CODECS and also color science. They really are good.

I would say with Komodos now out in the wild why not shoot this in a Komodo? That would be the best option In the price point.

[Andrew Dease]

Bumping as the shoot nears

[Satsuki Murashige]

You can’t shoot tests at the rental house? That would be the most sensible option, then you have something concrete to show the director. And you may learn something new about the gear.

If not, then it sounds like you know what you want, so why not stick to your guns if it’s not a budget issue? I can see from the rental perspective that they would rather you take out an $8K lens rather than a $30K lens on a low budget job, especially if it breaks up a lucrative lens set for them. But if they’re willing to do it for you, then why not take it? Personally, I’ve never regretted going with my intuition on this kind of thing. Can’t say the same about the reverse.

[Andrew Dease]

You can’t shoot tests at the rental house? That would be the most sensible option, then you have something concrete to show the director. And you may learn something new about the gear.

If not, then it sounds like you know what you want, so why not stick to your guns if it’s not a budget issue? I can see from the rental perspective that they would rather you take out an $8K lens rather than a $30K lens on a low budget job, especially if it breaks up a lucrative lens set for them. But if they’re willing to do it for you, then why not take it? Personally, I’ve never regretted going with my intuition on this kind of thing. Can’t say the same about the reverse.

What an incredible response.

I may just go with whatever at this point, but your response and thinking is fantastic advice.

[Misha Engel]

A7 has a crappy codec compared to BRAW on the BM6k .
We only use our A7SII for low-light situations.
The sensor size is not really relevant for the look.
Helium 7k is easy to match with BMD 4.6k (I don't know about the BM6k, we have never used it).

[Andrew Dease]

A7 has a crappy codec compared to BRAW on the BM6k .
We only use our A7SII for low-light situations.
The sensor size is not really relevant for the look.
Helium 7k is easy to match with BMD 4.6k (I don't know about the BM6k, we have never used it).

Sensor size is relevant if you're desqueezing a 2x anamorphic.

16x9 doesn't cut it.


An a7 being FF gives you the full image of the Anamorphic.


So now you have the toss up of a crappy codec to a full vision of the anamorphic.

[David Peterson]

Shooting a low budget video upcoming, asked rental house for Sony a7 PL and Cooke anamorphic 50mm.

They recommend Black Magic PCC6K and Atlas 50 anamorphic.

Why not get the P6K + Cooke 50mm? I'd much more prefer that combo.

Or P6K + Cooke 32mm (if you want the closest FoV match to 50mm on FF)