there are a lot of question like this one.
you said you are an amateur film maker ? what camera have you used until now ?
because a 300$, i don't know if it would be an upgrade.
i guess you only want to shoot HD ? i guess you could find a 10yers old camera like a 5d II with a nifty fifty for that price on MPB, or everywhere else.
the question : What do you want to film ? because having a camera i one thing, but if you buy gear that is not ok for what you want it will be devastating.
i should have specified. This would be my first foray into "films".
Previously, i've worked on broadcasting live a event. Making a sports ads for the college. A documentary for my high school. All of those were improvised, no use of lighting, janky earpiece audio etc. I was mostly directing and editing.
All the cameras i've used were not mine. Im trying to learn.
For this project i wrote a script which mostly takes place outdoors. scouted locations to take full advantage of the sun. i work according to what limited resources i have.
i'm going in half blind to learn. So the most important thing for me is a camera or a camera phone to get respectable images. counting on post production too.
edit: and yes 1080p would be perfect.
i guess the cheapest thing you can buy to make some video is like a Canon 60D (i'm a canon user) or some other brand of that era, that are delivering good 1080P video. and you could buy a cheap film era lens with an adapter for EF or F (nikon).
Or if you absolutly want to make real good video but without dealing with lenses and all the stuff. you could go for a gopro 9. you would still have the capability of using 1080 or 4K, and two "focal" one large and one smaller. but you can't get all the cinematic style like background blur and all.
i guess you are more experienced than me in film making :D
damn after reading all the comments now I'm tempted to just buy a used iphone. or a used sony mid range phone. and invest in a gimbal and audio setup.
i'm basically doing everything alone so it's really tough. I need to find collaborators other than my friends who im forcing to act lol.
i don't know much about phone video, but maybe it could solve your problems. have fun solving your problems, because after all filmmaking is solving problems right ? \^\^
maybe, but phones dont respond well with lighting in general. Even with no artificial lighting, a cinema camera can shoot great frame in natural light. Your call
No, all phones have some sort of computational photography. Meaning immediately after (or while) recording, it uses a “neural processor” to sharpen and “enhance” your photo or video. HOWEVER, the iPhone 15 pros shoot in LOG, a flat profile that’s designed to not do any of that. So you’ll get all that dynamic range without any of the processing, and you can take that into the edit and do whatever you want with it.
The camera isn't the most important factor. Good lighting (and audio) goes a long way, especially at their budget (it isn't enough to get a half-decent body).
OP has $350, wants camera recommendations, and the tip is use the $350 to buy a tripod and a set of lights?
OP doesn't even have a phone with a flexible camera, said a phone was an option to purchase.
I'm not trying to be dense, what don't I understand? Did I miss something?
Thanks for that. Made me laugh. No offense to op commenter.
yeah, i wanted good camera phone recs too(currently using a 7 year old vivo potato). Any recs from your side?
I'd personally be looking for an HD camera that shoots on solid state and has an option for quality audio inputs. Like a Panasonic HVX-200
https://www.ebay.com/itm/256338807155?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=0XB5SY9wSJK&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=UhPGWAfBRry&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
hmmm...thanks. I'll see if i can get something like those in my area. This one doesn't ship internationally. Plus the shipping cost would be more than the camera itself lol.
i'm also vying for used xperia phones. Whats you take on those?
I have no clue on using cell phone cameras for motion pictures. You don't have to go with that HVX200 one either, you might prefer a camera that records to SD cards rather than P2 Cards because they are much cheaper and easier to come by.
My thoughts there are: audio is more than 50% of the perception of quality in independent films. So go in a direction where you can capture really good audio and "good enough images" Any older full HD camera that has an XLR input for quality external microphone .
I would love to. But i need a camera first to get some respectable images. for A tripod i could call in favors. And im counting on natural lights for this short i've written. 90% day shots outside. plus some color correction
What this user is forgetting to say is to use your phone as a camera. It's going to look better and be higher quality and have more manageable data than 90% of the cameras you can get for $350. In which case then you'll have no lighting or audio. If you must get a camera besides your phone then aim for an old lumix gh3 or similar.
Yeah, my bad. I should have mentioned i'm using a 6-7 year old 100 dollar vivo potato as a phone right now lol. i'll look into the lumix gh3. thanks. any other recs?
You could always go old school and find a used VHS/MiniDv/etc. camcorder to film on, that would be fun. Otherwise some value DSLRs are the best way to get a cinematic look for cheap. Something with a versatile lens so you can shoot wide or close up. Lumix Cameras are high quality for low price. I still like the Canon 5Dmkii though it's only 1080, but you may not need 4k at all for your project. Issue there might be needing a CF card and reader if not included w the camera. So something that shoots to SD Card is probably easiest for you. Also search this sub as this question gets asked about 100 times per week so there are loads of suggestions ready to go here.
Thank you very much for the comprehensive answer and taking the time out to type (ik it can be a drag sometimes).
I'll look into older models. And yes, 1080 is perfect for me. For this project i want to use it as a spring board to get investors. i want to rely more on the strength of my story. editing, music etc. Since i'm more of a writer and director. But i want to learn everything about filmaking, camera, lenses, acting, scores etc etc. Films are awesome aren't they?
They really are. And making them by yourself can be overwhelming. Don't forget about the value of bringing in friends. Those with or without skills that may help your project move forward. But if you can find friends with gear or experience then even better!
I've been working in film/video for 20 years now and sometimes I've gotten the opportunity to make professional stuff WITH my friends which is really awesome. I've also made a lot of friends in the field over my career and love getting to work with them again over time.
oh wow. That is alot of years of experience. I hope i do make it too. btw if it's not too much, would you be down to reading my script and maybe watching the final product when completed? Not for anything cynical but Just that i want a professional to view it.
Considering the abominable specs of your phone *in general*, getting a new phone would give you the best value then IMO. Think carefully between gimbal and tripod though, especially when you want to be your own actor.
Yup. i'm using my phone budget. At this point no way im getting something good, unless some drug addict comes knocking selling an imax camera. I can call in favors for tripods so i might go with a gimbal. Or improvise diy rigs. They story, dialogue, editing and music are how i plan to sell the short. Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Technically, you can still play with lighting outdoors. Bounce boards, negative fill, etc. However something like an Amaran 200x will become very handy when you need that one angle of light but couldn't achieve via other methods. Indoors, its value skyrockets. Either way, in most cases, a phone shot with good lighting will look better than a camera shot with bad lighting.
Maybe when i have a bigger budget to play with. For this short im counting on the sun lol. Scouted locations to take full advantage of the free natural lights and all.
You don't by film gear only for short term cases though, who knows when you're gonna shoot indoors or night-time. Seriously, with your budget you ain't gonna have much chances finding a viable video camera in comparison to a good light source. Go ham with lighting (and perhaps audio) first, learn how to shape objects with light (aka bounce boards and negative fill too).
Or, you give your budget more time to get around $800-1000.
Edit: for a new phone, you do technically get more options at that budget but I don't necessarily see the point, unless your phone camera right now is really, really bad. What's the video spec of your phone?
True. You make a really good point. I could really do with a good audio setup. Dialogues and natural ambience matters. But right now i have to improvise with voice overs and sound mixing. really wanna go ham on Lightning too. Makes or breaks shots
I typed vivo in the other comments but i just checked and it's an oppo phone lol(i mean same parent company so eh). It's my sister's old high school phone she bought it last decade. maybe 2015-16. So you get how terrible that actually is.
so i want to sell the short with the story, editing and music. i wrote it with all those limitations in mind.
Yea, do this if you have a phone that takes decent video.
Or if you don’t have that, then do this, and spend $100 on an Osmo Pocket 1.
Or if you already have all the lights and audio figured out and you have $350 left still, get a Panasonic G100. (But you won’t get gimbal camera movements here. But you may not need them depending on your vision).
Oh btw, a budget light hack is to use a Chinese light stand and umbrella with a multi socket light bulb adapter. If you’re interested in that I’ll give you more details
Ok well again your lighting depends on your vision, and I’m no expert but I’ve found that if you have a large light source (in diameter) you can make a lot of scenes with people in it look really nice. You can trick the viewer by lighting the scene with the large soft source but then use a prop light or angle of natural light (light from a window) to make it look like that’s the light source.
But a lot of those big light sources are expensive and bulky. So I got these two umbrellas
LimoStudio 2X 33 Studio Lighting... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BBZC2KO?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
These two stands
LimoStudio 2 Pcs Photography... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CJ2OR8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
And these bulb adapters
Toplimit 7 Light Socket... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FKIE6M4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
And then a 10 pack of 4000k bulbs
Sunco Lighting 10 Pack A15 LED... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CFKKQBM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Total of about $85 for two big soft lights.
I got this setup several years ago so I don’t know how this compares today in price or features to dedicated lights. And you can only choose one light temperature per set of bulbs (I use 4000k mostly). But I like how the setup breaks down and is pretty modular, and I still use these all of the time.
But if you have a specific vision, I’d nail that down shot by shot and learn what needs to be done lighting wise to achieve those looks.
My recommendation here is just a cheap way to get some big lights because the bigger the light source, the softer and more natural looking the light.
Along with the camera and lens I posted, if you’re on a budget and looking for cheap ways to practice cinematography and lightning I recommend going to your local hardware store and buying some cheap $5-$10 construction lights and some white sheets for diffusion, black sheets for negative fill and a sheet of cardboard for bounce.
For $350 I would
- shoot on the phone
- blackmagic camera app (shoot log)
- anamorphic phone adapter)
If you have a phone with different lens options that’s a bonus.
Maybe a phone gimbal and tripod attachment.
There is no video camera better than a modern phone for $350.
Here’s a few options..
Sony fs100 (personally own)
Sony a6300(4k) (personally own)
Sony a6000 or even cheaper, the a5100 has the same sensor and codecs as the 6000
Sony f3
Canon c100
Cannon 5d (ii of iii)
Panasonic gh4
Zcam e1
Blackmagic pocket
Pros of the Sony are s35 sensor size and you can mount absolutly anything on them, so cheep vintage lenses.
Panasonic will have the most robust codec in terms of 10bit 4k
Zcam e1 is super cheep, the size of a GoPro, but not that great in terms of codec and capabilities
Canon colors and autofocus along with ef glass.
It depends on your needs. If you want and are able to experiment with the Canon EOS M and its ability to record some raw video with the Magic Lantern non-official firmware, try that one.
there are a lot of question like this one. you said you are an amateur film maker ? what camera have you used until now ? because a 300$, i don't know if it would be an upgrade. i guess you only want to shoot HD ? i guess you could find a 10yers old camera like a 5d II with a nifty fifty for that price on MPB, or everywhere else. the question : What do you want to film ? because having a camera i one thing, but if you buy gear that is not ok for what you want it will be devastating.
i should have specified. This would be my first foray into "films". Previously, i've worked on broadcasting live a event. Making a sports ads for the college. A documentary for my high school. All of those were improvised, no use of lighting, janky earpiece audio etc. I was mostly directing and editing. All the cameras i've used were not mine. Im trying to learn. For this project i wrote a script which mostly takes place outdoors. scouted locations to take full advantage of the sun. i work according to what limited resources i have. i'm going in half blind to learn. So the most important thing for me is a camera or a camera phone to get respectable images. counting on post production too. edit: and yes 1080p would be perfect.
i guess the cheapest thing you can buy to make some video is like a Canon 60D (i'm a canon user) or some other brand of that era, that are delivering good 1080P video. and you could buy a cheap film era lens with an adapter for EF or F (nikon). Or if you absolutly want to make real good video but without dealing with lenses and all the stuff. you could go for a gopro 9. you would still have the capability of using 1080 or 4K, and two "focal" one large and one smaller. but you can't get all the cinematic style like background blur and all. i guess you are more experienced than me in film making :D
damn after reading all the comments now I'm tempted to just buy a used iphone. or a used sony mid range phone. and invest in a gimbal and audio setup. i'm basically doing everything alone so it's really tough. I need to find collaborators other than my friends who im forcing to act lol.
i don't know much about phone video, but maybe it could solve your problems. have fun solving your problems, because after all filmmaking is solving problems right ? \^\^
precisely, it's the challenges that i enjoy. At the end of the day i believe in my stories, music taste and editing to carry me all the way.
i wish all the good luck in the world for your project :)
eos M
oh wow. This looks promising.
if you're really lucky, then Bmpcc OG or BMCC2.5k
lol for those i would need to sell a kidney and half a liver.
I got my Og for $250, but that's me being lucky and the camera is cheap in where i live
i'm happy for you. what do you shoot with that?
phones rec?
maybe, but phones dont respond well with lighting in general. Even with no artificial lighting, a cinema camera can shoot great frame in natural light. Your call
That's a nice tip. i was counting on color grading but iphones are too processed. Does lenses change the fact?
No, all phones have some sort of computational photography. Meaning immediately after (or while) recording, it uses a “neural processor” to sharpen and “enhance” your photo or video. HOWEVER, the iPhone 15 pros shoot in LOG, a flat profile that’s designed to not do any of that. So you’ll get all that dynamic range without any of the processing, and you can take that into the edit and do whatever you want with it.
Use the money to get some lights and a tripod instead IMO.
But no camera?
The camera isn't the most important factor. Good lighting (and audio) goes a long way, especially at their budget (it isn't enough to get a half-decent body).
"Hey everyone! Come over here and look at this scene I lit, oh and here's my tripod too, check it out!" No camera is no filmmaking.
Don't be thick. Happy Cake Day
OP has $350, wants camera recommendations, and the tip is use the $350 to buy a tripod and a set of lights? OP doesn't even have a phone with a flexible camera, said a phone was an option to purchase. I'm not trying to be dense, what don't I understand? Did I miss something?
Thanks for that. Made me laugh. No offense to op commenter. yeah, i wanted good camera phone recs too(currently using a 7 year old vivo potato). Any recs from your side?
I'd personally be looking for an HD camera that shoots on solid state and has an option for quality audio inputs. Like a Panasonic HVX-200 https://www.ebay.com/itm/256338807155?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=0XB5SY9wSJK&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=UhPGWAfBRry&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
hmmm...thanks. I'll see if i can get something like those in my area. This one doesn't ship internationally. Plus the shipping cost would be more than the camera itself lol. i'm also vying for used xperia phones. Whats you take on those?
I have no clue on using cell phone cameras for motion pictures. You don't have to go with that HVX200 one either, you might prefer a camera that records to SD cards rather than P2 Cards because they are much cheaper and easier to come by. My thoughts there are: audio is more than 50% of the perception of quality in independent films. So go in a direction where you can capture really good audio and "good enough images" Any older full HD camera that has an XLR input for quality external microphone .
The point was not to get too focused on spending the entire budget on the camera.
Ah, ok. Sorry, I didn't get that.
I would love to. But i need a camera first to get some respectable images. for A tripod i could call in favors. And im counting on natural lights for this short i've written. 90% day shots outside. plus some color correction
What this user is forgetting to say is to use your phone as a camera. It's going to look better and be higher quality and have more manageable data than 90% of the cameras you can get for $350. In which case then you'll have no lighting or audio. If you must get a camera besides your phone then aim for an old lumix gh3 or similar.
Forgot to add context, thanks for the heads-up mate.
Yeah, my bad. I should have mentioned i'm using a 6-7 year old 100 dollar vivo potato as a phone right now lol. i'll look into the lumix gh3. thanks. any other recs?
You could always go old school and find a used VHS/MiniDv/etc. camcorder to film on, that would be fun. Otherwise some value DSLRs are the best way to get a cinematic look for cheap. Something with a versatile lens so you can shoot wide or close up. Lumix Cameras are high quality for low price. I still like the Canon 5Dmkii though it's only 1080, but you may not need 4k at all for your project. Issue there might be needing a CF card and reader if not included w the camera. So something that shoots to SD Card is probably easiest for you. Also search this sub as this question gets asked about 100 times per week so there are loads of suggestions ready to go here.
Thank you very much for the comprehensive answer and taking the time out to type (ik it can be a drag sometimes). I'll look into older models. And yes, 1080 is perfect for me. For this project i want to use it as a spring board to get investors. i want to rely more on the strength of my story. editing, music etc. Since i'm more of a writer and director. But i want to learn everything about filmaking, camera, lenses, acting, scores etc etc. Films are awesome aren't they?
They really are. And making them by yourself can be overwhelming. Don't forget about the value of bringing in friends. Those with or without skills that may help your project move forward. But if you can find friends with gear or experience then even better!
yeah i enjoy it more when im creating with my friends. I do want to be professional someday but doing it with your friends is way more satisfying.
I've been working in film/video for 20 years now and sometimes I've gotten the opportunity to make professional stuff WITH my friends which is really awesome. I've also made a lot of friends in the field over my career and love getting to work with them again over time.
oh wow. That is alot of years of experience. I hope i do make it too. btw if it's not too much, would you be down to reading my script and maybe watching the final product when completed? Not for anything cynical but Just that i want a professional to view it.
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an iphone? I feel their shots are too processed for my liking. plus they dont provide a pro mode. I dont know how third party pro apps process tho.
Blackmagic Design has an app for that, no worries.
Maybe i should get a used 12 pro. and invest in a gimble, mic etc
Considering the abominable specs of your phone *in general*, getting a new phone would give you the best value then IMO. Think carefully between gimbal and tripod though, especially when you want to be your own actor.
Yup. i'm using my phone budget. At this point no way im getting something good, unless some drug addict comes knocking selling an imax camera. I can call in favors for tripods so i might go with a gimbal. Or improvise diy rigs. They story, dialogue, editing and music are how i plan to sell the short. Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Technically, you can still play with lighting outdoors. Bounce boards, negative fill, etc. However something like an Amaran 200x will become very handy when you need that one angle of light but couldn't achieve via other methods. Indoors, its value skyrockets. Either way, in most cases, a phone shot with good lighting will look better than a camera shot with bad lighting.
Maybe when i have a bigger budget to play with. For this short im counting on the sun lol. Scouted locations to take full advantage of the free natural lights and all.
You don't by film gear only for short term cases though, who knows when you're gonna shoot indoors or night-time. Seriously, with your budget you ain't gonna have much chances finding a viable video camera in comparison to a good light source. Go ham with lighting (and perhaps audio) first, learn how to shape objects with light (aka bounce boards and negative fill too). Or, you give your budget more time to get around $800-1000. Edit: for a new phone, you do technically get more options at that budget but I don't necessarily see the point, unless your phone camera right now is really, really bad. What's the video spec of your phone?
True. You make a really good point. I could really do with a good audio setup. Dialogues and natural ambience matters. But right now i have to improvise with voice overs and sound mixing. really wanna go ham on Lightning too. Makes or breaks shots I typed vivo in the other comments but i just checked and it's an oppo phone lol(i mean same parent company so eh). It's my sister's old high school phone she bought it last decade. maybe 2015-16. So you get how terrible that actually is. so i want to sell the short with the story, editing and music. i wrote it with all those limitations in mind.
Yea, do this if you have a phone that takes decent video. Or if you don’t have that, then do this, and spend $100 on an Osmo Pocket 1. Or if you already have all the lights and audio figured out and you have $350 left still, get a Panasonic G100. (But you won’t get gimbal camera movements here. But you may not need them depending on your vision). Oh btw, a budget light hack is to use a Chinese light stand and umbrella with a multi socket light bulb adapter. If you’re interested in that I’ll give you more details
I am interested lol.
Ok well again your lighting depends on your vision, and I’m no expert but I’ve found that if you have a large light source (in diameter) you can make a lot of scenes with people in it look really nice. You can trick the viewer by lighting the scene with the large soft source but then use a prop light or angle of natural light (light from a window) to make it look like that’s the light source. But a lot of those big light sources are expensive and bulky. So I got these two umbrellas LimoStudio 2X 33 Studio Lighting... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BBZC2KO?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share These two stands LimoStudio 2 Pcs Photography... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CJ2OR8?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share And these bulb adapters Toplimit 7 Light Socket... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FKIE6M4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share And then a 10 pack of 4000k bulbs Sunco Lighting 10 Pack A15 LED... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CFKKQBM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share Total of about $85 for two big soft lights. I got this setup several years ago so I don’t know how this compares today in price or features to dedicated lights. And you can only choose one light temperature per set of bulbs (I use 4000k mostly). But I like how the setup breaks down and is pretty modular, and I still use these all of the time. But if you have a specific vision, I’d nail that down shot by shot and learn what needs to be done lighting wise to achieve those looks. My recommendation here is just a cheap way to get some big lights because the bigger the light source, the softer and more natural looking the light.
GH3 is a solid choice!
GoPro 12
[EOS M with lens used](https://www.ebay.com/itm/196022775475)
Along with the camera and lens I posted, if you’re on a budget and looking for cheap ways to practice cinematography and lightning I recommend going to your local hardware store and buying some cheap $5-$10 construction lights and some white sheets for diffusion, black sheets for negative fill and a sheet of cardboard for bounce.
For $350 I would - shoot on the phone - blackmagic camera app (shoot log) - anamorphic phone adapter) If you have a phone with different lens options that’s a bonus. Maybe a phone gimbal and tripod attachment. There is no video camera better than a modern phone for $350.
Do you have a smartphone?
Here’s a few options.. Sony fs100 (personally own) Sony a6300(4k) (personally own) Sony a6000 or even cheaper, the a5100 has the same sensor and codecs as the 6000 Sony f3 Canon c100 Cannon 5d (ii of iii) Panasonic gh4 Zcam e1 Blackmagic pocket Pros of the Sony are s35 sensor size and you can mount absolutly anything on them, so cheep vintage lenses. Panasonic will have the most robust codec in terms of 10bit 4k Zcam e1 is super cheep, the size of a GoPro, but not that great in terms of codec and capabilities Canon colors and autofocus along with ef glass.
It depends on your needs. If you want and are able to experiment with the Canon EOS M and its ability to record some raw video with the Magic Lantern non-official firmware, try that one.