Best cinema camera on Reddit

191 reviews from r/cinematography, r/videography, r/weddingvideography and 5 more subreddits

191 reviews from
and
By Brand
/
By Product
#1

Sony

4.1
(40)
"The FX3 offers pure performance in a small body, making it an excellent choice for production."
·
"GM lenses are Sony's best, providing excellent autofocus performance."
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"Cheaper, lighter, easier to use, more flexible, and near identical ergonomics."
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"It's Netflix approved (with the firmware 2.0 update) and an absolute workhorse."
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"Sony is one of the best all around options for documentary."
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"The Sony F55 is an honorable mention for documentary shooting."
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"The FX6 is a great option for those looking for a small camera with advanced features."
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"I personally think the fx9 is one of the best documentary cameras out there. Super versatile"
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"It’s a beast!"
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"Lights & audio should be very high on the list, check Sony FX3, CineD did a video review on it with documentary style sample footage."
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#2

Blackmagic

4.2
(32)
"The Blackmagic Micro Studio Camera 4K G2 is amazing for tight spaces."
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"The BMPCC 4K excels in color science, allowing for stunning images that outperform typical stills cameras."
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"BMPCC4 and 6K have in-camera desqueeze."
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"The BMPCC 4K captures more information, allowing for greater latitude in post-processing."
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"The BMPCC 6K records at high bitrates without overheating, thanks to its solid sensor mounting."
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"The BMPCC 4K offers unmatched image quality for its price range."
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"The 6K version also provides excellent value and image quality."
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"The URSA Mini Pro 12K is a great upgrade path for serious filmmakers."
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"Black magic is certainly the most camera for the money."
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"I've had 0 camera malfunctions on the field and I've been shooting on the pocket 4K for 3 years."
·
#3

Blackmagic Design

4.2
(22)
"Great advice and support from the community."
·
"Amazing color and codec, best camera UI, stupid cheap."
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"The BMPCC 6K is top notch without spending a lot more money."
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"The BMPCC 6K image is fantastic and spending any money on a bigger body wouldn’t yield any better results than what you have."
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"Just go for a used bmpcc 4k"
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"The image quality is outstanding, making it worth using a cinema camera for wedding videography."
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"Braw is way easier to edit than h264/h264 plus the benefits of raw."
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"Highly recommend getting a gimbal for amazing video quality."
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"The Pocket Cinema 4K offers great features for a reasonable price."
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"The dynamic range is impressive and it's affordable, but battery life is a concern."
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#4

Canon

4.3
(20)
"Canon is also a great all around option for documentary."
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"The Amira is the best large sensor doc cam around. It's easy to use and the image quality is excellent."
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"Wonderful to have the same sensor in two packages. Much prefer images out of these compared to Sony equivalents."
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"Wonderful to have the same sensor in two packages. Much prefer images out of these compared to Sony equivalents."
·
"Absolutely love my C500mkii, would definitely go with it again"
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"The MKII is a great alternative if you want a newer model."
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"The C100 MKI with DPAF upgrade is a robust cinema camera for the price."
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"Canons are preferred for weddings due to their IBIS, autofocus, and simple setup."
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"Super reliable, never had any trouble with it."
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"The C300 Mark III is a significant upgrade and ideal for challenging shoots."
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#5

Panasonic

4.2
(19)
"Really lovely little camera in my opinion."
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"The look was absolutely amazing with great ergonomics and usability."
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"Panasonic cameras are rugged and reliable."
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"One of the cheapest and best cinema cameras."
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"Good photo, good video, and full frame."
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"I love my S5"
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"Something like a GH5, blackmagic pocket cinema or Even a Sony ZV-E1 could do alot"
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"Panasonic Lumix S5."
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"Maybe look into Panasonic GH5s or GH5M2 if your looking for a more budget camera."
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"Maybe look into Panasonic GH5s or GH5M2 if your looking for a more budget camera."
·
#6

Sigma

4.8
(4)
"Sigma FP."
·
"Excellent choice for versatility with the BMPCC 6K Pro."
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"Great lens for the BMPCC 6K Pro."
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"Sigma 24-70f2.8 is heavier but wider."
#7

Tamron

4.3
(4)
"Image stabilized version is excellent for video."
·
"Love the lens, but frustrated with the camera system."
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"Tamron 28-70f2.8 is a capable & somewhat affordable lens."
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"The Tamron 28-75mm lens is versatile and offers great image quality."
#8

Z CAM

5.0
(3)
"It's almost perfect for doc work because it's so small."
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"This is the best low light internal RAW setup you can buy and stay within a $5K budget."
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"The M4 is the best value-for-money cinema camera between $1,000 and $2,000."
#9

Meike

5.0
(3)
"The GH5 + 12 & 25 Meike is my favorite combo of all time. It's the steadiest and easiest handheld gear with solid color and okay low light."
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"A great addition to the camera setup."
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"Excellent lens for cinematic shots."
#10

Arri

4.7
(3)
"The Arri Amira is a wonderful tool for documentary shooting."
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"You can find used Amira's for sub $20K. It's an Arri, you almost can't screw it up."
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"The Alexa Mini is a great upgrade option for filming."
#11

Samsung

4.7
(3)
"Great storage solution for the M4."
·
"Best for sustained speed."
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"The Samsung T5 SSD is a cost-effective solution for high bitrate storage."
#12

Pocket

4.3
(3)
"All in all I'd say Pocket Cinema 4k"
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"I love my pocket 4k. It's the biggest selling point to me."
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"The pocket 4k is good but be prepared to buy a lot of extra goodies to get it up and running well."
#13

Fujifilm

4.3
(3)
"Did everyone forget about the F55? Still a great camera with ND built in. Can be found for 5K-ish. Greatest deal ever."
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"Fujifilm cameras also provide great quality."
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"The used Fuji X-T3 provides 10-bit color and 4K DCI while maintaining familiarity with crop sensor."
#14

DJI

4.5
(2)
"The DJI Ronin 4D is an all-in-one camera with excellent stabilization and a range of codecs."
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"The DJI Ronin 4D is capable of some really really cool doc stuff for a cheap price."
#15

Fuji

4.0
(2)
"There's the Fuji X and xt series, the Sony A74 and of course the new Canon R series which I think are all better suited."
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"Fuji cameras are appreciated for their quality."
#16

Cinema Camera

4.0
(2)
"Great for high dynamic range scenes."
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"Renting a low-end cinema camera for shoots provides valuable professional experience."
#17

SmallRig

5.0
(1)
"Essential for protecting the camera."
#18

NP-970

5.0
(1)
"Good battery life for extended shooting."
#19

Viltrox

5.0
(1)
"Great addition for enhancing lens performance."
#20

Adobe

5.0
(1)
"Free plugin that enhances editing capabilities."
#21

PortKeys

5.0
(1)
"Excellent monitor with waveform for better shooting."
#22

Cooke

5.0
(1)
"The bmpcc is great as is."
#23

C

5.0
(1)
"The C100mkII is an excellent choice for filmmakers."
#24

Silicon Power

5.0
(1)
"Great storage option for the Blackmagic camera."
#25

Ronin

5.0
(1)
"I really like the Ronin 4D—especially with the recent Flex release."
#26

Rokinon

5.0
(1)
"You liked the Rokinon?? I have a 35mm cine you can have."
#27

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K

4.0
(1)
"BMPCC6k and Sony A7siii are both great cameras, your money is better spent on the lighting package."
#28

Fujifilm X-T3

4.0
(1)
"Go with something like a XT3 or bmpcc 4k."
#29

Panasonic Lumix GH4

4.0
(1)
"Panasonic GH4 maybe?"
#30

Sony PXW-FS5

4.0
(1)
"I got the fs5 for the internal variable nd, internal 10bit 1080p, internal 4K."
#31

Red

4.0
(1)
"You could probably pick up a second hand red komodo for that price"
#32

K&F

4.0
(1)
"Good quality for the price."
#33

Schneider-Kreuznach

4.0
(1)
"The lens has a lot of character and produces beautiful vintage flares."
#34

MFT to Nikon F

4.0
(1)
"I have a mft to nikon f speedbooster for sale at pretty cheap if you're interested."
#35

Quasar

4.0
(1)
"Investing in lighting like the RGB Quasar set can significantly enhance your cinematography."
#36

ARRI

4.0
(1)
"The LUTs are precise at emulating the ARRI Alexa color science."
#37

Vintage Lenses

4.0
(1)
"Shooting with vintage lenses can produce a unique and artistic image quality."
#38

Cinema Glass

4.0
(1)
"Renting cinema glass improves footage quality significantly."
#39

BMMCC

4.0
(1)
"It has 13 stops DR vs 11. I would go with it unless you really need 4K."
#40

Sony A7S III

3.0
(1)
"A7s3, low light to no light is a pretty frustrating condition to be in."
#41

Panavision

2.0
(1)
"Panavision cameras are not well suited for solo documentary shooting."
#42

bm

2.0
(1)
"It's so run and gun that having a reliable auto focus is way more important than anything else."

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