We have reached a point in the early stages of the digital camera age where technology is developing so quickly it is getting harder and harder to keep up with what’s new and hot. Or you may even know what’s new and hot today, but by tomorrow it’s become old news. In fact, just a few years ago Panasonic DVX100 was the perfect, affordable, digital camera for small productions, but last week I saw one panhandling under the L in Kensington begging for work. The prosumer camera race is on and gaining speed. There are no signs of decelerating, plateauing, or anyone pulling ahead. Competition is finite and the market is growing: economic ideology for camera manufacturers. But what about the consumers? How do we keep up? How can we be certain that our equipment investments are safe?
The answer is, do your research. Know what it is you are looking for in a camera before you even begin looking. Maybe you can’t live without simple workflow, or maybe you lust a shallow depth of field, or perhaps it’s the range of color and chroma control that is the key to your cinematic heart. Whatever your preference may be, and whatever bizarre means you choose to express that preference, there is something in the market for you. As for the actual camera comparisons and research, there’s plenty of literary info out there, but what about real results? When it comes down to brass tacks, (which is a phrase totally void of etymology, btw. There’s no such thing as brass tacks. They’re all aluminum.) how does the actual footage of each camera match up to the competition? For results, look no further than our own backyard.
The Producer’s Guild of America (East) recently had an techy get-together to compare some of the top cameras in the market today. Rounding up cameras and operators from the local Philadelphia market, the PGA setup a side-by-side camera assessment and format comparison at Blue. DPs, Chris Landy, Paul Hazlett, Rob Parker, Kevin Ritchie and of course GK’s Kevin Hack were on hand, to compare the RED One MX, Canon 5D, Canon 7D, Sony EX3, Pani AF100, Pani HPX3700, and Pani HPX170. The comparison was to evaluate chroma keying, depth of field, and light sensitivity of each of the cameras. The results will be revealed on May 17th at the Camera Assesment and Format Comparison, also being held at Blue. It is an invitation only event, and the results will be properly disseminated from the event. For more details check out PGA’s event page.
