At a crossroads! Help!

[Rob Curd]

Hi guys,

I find myself at a bit of a crossroads.

I have recently made the decision to follow my passion and make a career from videography and photography.

I have been using my 60d for a while now and shooting raw has given it a new lease of life. Even if the 60d has possibly the worst buffer!

I have been building up my business at evenings and weekends and have started to bring in some money.

The camera is sufficient for my photography needs apart from really wide angle stuff. I feel the video quality let's me down however.

I know that there is more to video quality and that story, audio, lighting etc make a huge difference which I am aiming to improve.

I have started to invest in my lenses starting with a 24-70 f2.8 L and a samyang 14mm t2.2.

My requirements are:

* Good low light capabilities
* Great 1080p image, 4K would be great but not a necessity
* Slo motion capability, 120fps ideal but can get by with 60.
* Autofocus is not essential but I have recently started making tutorials like this https://youtu.be/R0VutMsL7iY and would be handy.

I want the business to self sustain itself so my question is do I save a little more and buy a 5d3 with a view of shooting raw or do I borrow the money at 0% for something like a 5d4 or another suggestion you may have?

Thanks in advance

Rob

[Levas]

As a business decision I would go for a used 5d3
In business you need good quality for non expensive price.

[Rob Curd]

As a business decision I would go for a used 5d3
In business you need good quality for non expensive price.

Hi, thank you for your opinion


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[IDA_ML]

Hello Rob,

I'll tell you what I would do if I was in your shoes.  I would go back to university/college and study engineering.  You are young, knowledgeable, full of energy and enthusiasm and this highly interesting and rewarding study will not be that hard for you.  Moreover, once you complete it, you will not only easily find a highly respected and well paid job, (engineers are rare these days) but you will also have all the freedom that you need to practice your current passion - photo and videography. 

The reason why I am suggesting this is because it is very hard to make a living as a photographer nowadays.  I know many young people who were just as enthusiastic as you about it, some even went ahead and studied photography at the university.  Now, they have to do something completely different for living because it is extremely difficult to find a job as a photographer.  Frankly speaking, when I was at your age, I went through a very similar dilemma.   I was passionate about photography and wanted to do this professionally.  God, I am so grateful that I didn't.  I listened to my father and did exactly what I am suggesting to you.  Now I can do both - my job as a scientist which I am also very passionate about and also my hobby - photography and videography.

And a final advice: Never mess up passion with profession!  These are two completely different things.

Good luck!

[dfort]

Hi Rob -- Your hyperlapse footage is right up there with the best. Keep up the good work.

Never mess up passion with profession!  These are two completely different things.

I'm going to give you the completely opposite advice--make your passion your profession.

It is very hard to make a living--period. Why spend your time doing something that you don't love. Because I pays better? Let me tell you who is making the big bucks in Hollywood, people working the creative fields like actors, directors and photographers. Sure it is tough but it is also very rewarding.

Good equipment is important but don't obsess over it. There's an old saying that if you aren't in debt your equipment is out of date. I was a photographer for over 20 years and some of my most successful photographer friends had rather simple equipment.

I also spent the last 20+ years in the film industry and can give you some advice there. Rent! Good cine equipment is very expensive and technology is progressing at a rapid pace. Sure, a 5D4 or a 5D3 with Magic Lantern is pretty impressive and can serve dual purpose as a still/movie camera but there's a reason why most cinematographers choose to work with "real" cine cameras.

[kyrobb]

As a photographer, you'll definitely need your own gear. But gear that's great for photography and great for videography are rarely the same.

In the $4000 dollar range, the new GH5s looks amazing for video. With a proper 10 bit 4:2:2 codec, it's true broadcast quality 4k video. Lowlight performance is also top notch.

In the $10,000 dollar range there are quite a few lightweight cinema cameras that have become popular. If you want RAW, Canon's C200 is great. Panasonic's EVA1 and Sony's FS7 are also great options.

For photography on the other hand, I'd definitely lean more towards a full-frame Canon or Nikon.

Honestly though, depending on the type of video projects you plan on shooting, renting different gear to suit each project may make more sense. This is fairly standard in video production. It allows you to pick your gear based on the project's unique needs and budget. Maybe one project calls for a 5D4 and another a RED Epic.

If a career in film production interests you, I'd recommend finding your closest IATSE office and applying for a work permit. You may need to take a few short courses, but you may be surprised at how easy it is to get work on large budget TV shows and movies. You won't be doing your ideal job, but getting to watch the pros in action really is an invaluable experience. The pay isn't bad either.

[Rob Curd]

And a final advice: Never mess up passion with profession!  These are two completely different things.

Good luck!

Hi,

Thank you for your advice. I appreciate your practical advice. I totally understand where you are coming from.

I feel like even if I fail I need to give it a shot. At least I can say I tried!

Thank you

[Rob Curd]

Hi Rob -- Your hyperlapse footage is right up there with the best. Keep up the good work.

I'm going to give you the completely opposite advice--make your passion your profession.

It is very hard to make a living--period. Why spend your time doing something that you don't love. Because I pays better? Let me tell you who is making the big bucks in Hollywood, people working the creative fields like actors, directors and photographers. Sure it is tough but it is also very rewarding.

Good equipment is important but don't obsess over it. There's an old saying that if you aren't in debt your equipment is out of date. I was a photographer for over 20 years and some of my most successful photographer friends had rather simple equipment.

I also spent the last 20+ years in the film industry and can give you some advice there. Rent! Good cine equipment is very expensive and technology is progressing at a rapid pace. Sure, a 5D4 or a 5D3 with Magic Lantern is pretty impressive and can serve dual purpose as a still/movie camera but there's a reason why most cinematographers choose to work with "real" cine cameras.

Thank you for the sound advice! I agree, it's just as hard to earn a living in another industry, may as well struggle in one you love.

Maybe then for my personal projects and smaller budget shoots I run a 5D3 and rent when the budget warrants it.

Thanks again

[Rob Curd]

As a photographer, you'll definitely need your own gear. But gear that's great for photography and great for videography are rarely the same.

In the $4000 dollar range, the new GH5s looks amazing for video. With a proper 10 bit 4:2:2 codec, it's true broadcast quality 4k video. Lowlight performance is also top notch.

In the $10,000 dollar range there are quite a few lightweight cinema cameras that have become popular. If you want RAW, Canon's C200 is great. Panasonic's EVA1 and Sony's FS7 are also great options.

For photography on the other hand, I'd definitely lean more towards a full-frame Canon or Nikon.

Honestly though, depending on the type of video projects you plan on shooting, renting different gear to suit each project may make more sense. This is fairly standard in video production. It allows you to pick your gear based on the project's unique needs and budget. Maybe one project calls for a 5D4 and another a RED Epic.

If a career in film production interests you, I'd recommend finding your closest IATSE office and applying for a work permit. You may need to take a few short courses, but you may be surprised at how easy it is to get work on large budget TV shows and movies. You won't be doing your ideal job, but getting to watch the pros in action really is an invaluable experience. The pay isn't bad either.

Hi,

Thank you for this, I do love what Panasonic offer but would mean changing my current lenses.

As I said to dfort I think I will run with the 5d3 for personal and small budget and rent for larger scale projects.

Thanks for the tip, are they worldwide do you know?

[kyrobb]

Yes to use your current lenses on Panasonic you'd need a metabones adapter or speedbooster, which loses autofocus control.

IATSE is a worldwide film crew union yes. They have different locals for different locations however. In some places Camera department and other departments are separate locals, with camera being under ICG (International Cinematographers Guild). The Director's Guilds may be looking into as well. Where are you located?

[dfort]

Yes to use your current lenses on Panasonic you'd need a metabones adapter or speedbooster, which loses autofocus control.

Still, Canon lenses are a good investment. If you rent a cine camera like the Panasonic EVA-1, Arri Amira, several Black Magic cameras and of course the Canon cine cameras can be ordered with Canon EF mount. That will save you a bit over renting PL mount lenses.

IATSE stands for International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. You need to be a member to work on a union job. It is big here the Los Angeles area where I live but even here there aren't many workshops available--especially for non-members. Better to find a working professional in your area and see if he/she is willing to meet with you. Hint--feed their ego, most directors, cinematographers, etc. have big egos.

[kyrobb]

Depending on where you are, IATSE is more or less approachable. I've heard LA can be tough.

I work up in Canada, out of Calgary and Vancouver. It's much easier here. They run courses for non-members and grant work permits until you qualify for full membership.

I think with the ICG, two locals cover the entire US. The same goes for Canada. It's also a branch of IATSE.

I only bring this all up as I've seen a great improvement in my skills as an independent filmmaker since seeing the pros at work. You get to learn some pretty great tricks of the trade. It can be a lot of fun working on a big movie too. Although sometimes... not so much.

[Rob Curd]

Thanks guys, I appreciate your help. Yea I have been in touch with a few different people and has actually got me work too


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