Pre-Production: Camera Research/Test Shoot

Cannon C300

Although the kit provided at university is really great quality and is a kit I have mastered over the years, I was very keen to learn more about other cameras out there to see what would be best fitting to our documentary. The Cannon C300 is a typical documentary camera used with high end companies such as the BBC for documentaries and various VT Sequences. This is mainly for the naturalistic look it gives and the way it responds to natural light. "the Canon C300 Mark II is the gold standard. Here are the top three reasons why I’m using it on my next documentary shoot."(Shinnik, 2018)




I don't think I will be using this camera as I don't believe it has the cinematic qualities I would like for this documentary as it's too natural looking. Whilst I want the documentary to be natural, a cinematic look from inspired documentaries on Vimeo (Finding Serenity) and Netflix (Time: The Khalief Browder Story) I want this documentary to really push for other cinematic styles being put into their not so typical genres.
The C300 is also the camera we used for Project Walk To Talk (Link to blog post). As you can see from the interview shots, it came out really well and crisp. It is a camera perfect for interviews so may be worth considering. However, the only drawback would be if I was to use the rhino slider to film the interviews as I don't think it would take the weight of the C300 to what the DSLR Cannon 5D would.



Cannon 5D Mark 4

The Canon 5D Mark 4 is the latest model of the 5D Range. This is their most expensive and professional Wide Frame DSLR and with this I would be accompanied with a 35mm lens and a 200mm Lens. I can shoot in 4K which is something I really want to push for. The auto focus on this is really good but for the shooting we will be doing focus will be manual as I feel that's always best: "there are times when manual focus is indeed your best option. Autofocus in Canon DSLRs works well when there is enough contrast (the difference between light tones) on or between subject matter that the camera is able to detect. There are times when subject matter lacks enough contrast for the autofocus to work properly, leaving you with a lens—and really a camera—searching for focus. Low-light situations, such as dimly lit concerts or nighttime landscapes, come to mind (Figure 1.7). In these instances, flicking the switch on the lens to manual focus puts you in full control of the lens’s focal plane." (Foster, 2018)


Panasonic DVX200
The Panasonic DVX 200 is the available from our tech store on Television Production. The camera shoots with 4K capability with V-Log and also a built in OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation). I've used this camera for various projects including the FIRM Awards and it came out really well with some very cinematic. qualities. It's user friendly and what you see is what you get. Adjustments are made through he menu. However, its capability is limited with its single built in lens which doesn't cater for add-ons. Whilst 4K isn't available on many devices and platforms it has a certain look and style to it the UHD (1080x1920) doesn't have. This is something I ironically learned form the video for the Panasonic 4K cameras we were shown at the start of second year in a workshop when they were first introduced.


Below is an example piece of freelance work myself and Jack filmed for The Firm Awards Ceremony using a DJI Maverick Drone and Panasonic DVX200:



Panasonic Vs Cannon 5D

After struggling between the Panasonic and Cannon 5D, I decided to take both cameras along on a test shoot to see which would work better with the aesthetic of or film. 


After analysing this footage side by side I have learned quite a lot about what camera would be best for our project. Both cameras are amazing and both seemed to adapt fairly well to the lack of lighting. 
In terms of colour the Cannon has high contrast so I brought it down and also brought the orange tint down to more blue. 
On shoot we did ask if we could have lighting setup but because of the nature of the event (audience was there and would be dazzled by extreme lighting. After some negotiation halfway through the day we were allowed to turn on the lighting at the front which gave us better lighting and worked out well in the end. When setting up the cameras initially there were lines of light going down the screen because of the artificial lighting, the camera detected this. In order to remove it I played around with the gain and iso, and managed to find a perfect mid point where it wasn't visible. 



With the cannon I need a DJI Ronin-MX Gimbal Stabiliser for sure. I used a mechanical gimbal which  wasn't very stable due to the weight of the lens. Counterbalancing wasn't possible with the weights provided. Having an electric one will. be more beneficial. Panasonic had the benefits of OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) whereas the DSLR doesn't.  The DSLR had an orange colour before grading, which didn't look as bad on the camera screen as it does in the edit. This indicates the screen build in has poor colour correcting so next time I would consider using an additional monitor. 


In conclusion to this I have decided with cameras are effective for different things and with research and test shooting I have come to realise using both cameras could be a feasible option. For cutaways like scene recreations and following peoples activity we will use the Panasonic and for Interview Setups we will Use the 5D for its adaptability in terms of lenses. The Panasonic is restricted in a sense. Whilst it has a macro built into the lens for close ups, it suffers in quality at times. 



References:

Foster, J. (2018). 3. Autofocus vs. Manual Focus | Top Seven Considerations for Choosing Canon Lenses | Peachpit. [online] Peachpit.com. Available at: http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2264647&seqNum=6 [Accessed 2 Dec. 2018].

Shinnik, T. (2018). Why the Canon C300 Mark II Is the Gold Standard for Documentaries. [online] The Beat: A Blog by PremiumBeat. Available at: https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/c300-mark-ii-for-documentaries/ [Accessed 1 Dec. 2018].

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