“Go to Panavision for professional cameras. Using non commercial cameras prove the fake filmmaker is an amateur”

Do you agree with the above comment? Where did it come from? Not from me I assure you. I’ll leave you to search out the accuser.

Here is the back story.

Some years back, I had an acquaintance who was a very good videographer. His problem was that digital scared the life out of him as he was “old school” brought up on tape machines and linear editing.

A bit later, I had another, who was stuck on his Sony BetaCam SD camera in 4:3. He did use an NLE, but the camera as far as I know, was never upgraded or replaced with something to suite modern times, ideas and resolutions.

Are they still in the industry? I suspect not, not in the way they could be at least.

Now I am the first to accept that if it works, why change it, just for the sake of it. I still use on occasion a Tandy Model 100 for typing stories in the field with its massive 16K (yes “K”) RAM. But I also acknowledge that the industry itself sometimes requires more, and if they are paying the bills, you need to acquiesce or die.

So, I was surprised today after a review I did on the new DJO ISMO Action Cam garnered this response from a user in a Facebook group dedicated to filmmakers and TV program creators.

“These cameras are NOT for filmmaking. Go to Panavision for professional cameras. Using non commercial cameras prove the fake filmmaker is an amateur (Indie”) and NOT part of the film industry.”

My response was, and still is, “The makers of BBC’s ‘Top Gear’ and Amazon’s ‘The Grand Tour’ et al would most likely disagree with you.”

I was then called some names that included “liar” and others I will not repeat here. It got worse after that, and if you want to pursue the thread, please feel free (assuming the moderator left it there as it got pretty personal which is why I baled out)

The fact is the current crop of hi–def camcorders, DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, action cameras and drones are all quite suitable for professional filmmaking, as long as their limitations are realised and the cameras used accordingly. As much as I dislike the use DSLR and mirrorless cameras personally for this area (and this is personal nothing to do with capability beyond their ergonomics for my preferences), these cameras have been used in many high budget, long form films, TV shows and documentaries.

To say they are nothing more than toys and look down your nose at them, I humbly suggest is at your peril.

You don’t agree? Convince me.

And if you need any convincing yourself, check out https://filmvideoandvirtualreality.wordpress.com/art-of-the-cut-top-gear-the-grand-tour/ by Steve Hullfish.

Tell him he’s a liar too.