Why I Chose CANON over ARRI for my Feature Film

[@CBCFilms]

I choose the Pocket 4K as my camera because it is hands down the best camera, I mean who needs a "ARRI Alexa" or "RED" or "Canon C500" anyway, right? Pfft. Yeah, I don't even want it! * silently cries to self in broke college student *

[@chrisw5742]

Got ya beat with my EOS-M in cheapness. :-P

[@FilmConvert]

Great points - any modern cinema camera can capture enough dynamic range and color information to be color graded in any style you like, the color science of the individual camera doesn't need to be a consideration any more

[@jamycine]

My first choice is Alexa mini Lf and my 2nd choice is Alexa Mini. If i can't get Arri then Red system or any capable camera Canon/ Sony/ Panasonic will do. It all depends on budget, number of crew and speed. Alexa is a very easy and safe camera and the cinematic motion is unparallel. Canon produces as beautiful image as Arri , but the "cinematic cadence" is not like Alexa... Though Audience can't find the difference between the motion of the two cameras. Alexa mini is closest to the film negative than other systems. But at last, content overpowers everything :) All the best!

[@nicholasboule5134]

I’m with you. Something is in the motion of that sensor read speed.

[@Nooely]

My first choice would be 35 and 16 mm film, for the rest I completely agree with you

[@orteganism]

ARRI and CANON make my two favorite digital cinema cameras although I love the Black Magic ecosystem and price point. One day I hope to shoot on film!

[@_FrontFootFilms_]

The only reason I'd believe you chose Canon of Arri is so you could get the camera rental. No sane person would choose Canon over Arri if all things are equal. And I am the owner of 3 Canon cinema cameras.

[@Owlbot]

I think "our crew was smaller" is a sane reason to pick Canon over Arri. A C500 has way more useful in-body features than the Mini/LF. Tons more.

[@shridexdigi1982]

Bro every one has their opinion and preference. Shooting with big cine camera s can really be stressful and it's not so much about the camera as much as who is behind it and every other thing used in creating the film. Esp lighting

[@frontfoot1035]

@@Owlbot he owns the canon and wanted the rental. Simple as that. Then made this video to get ad bucks off his decision.

[@Owlbot]

@@frontfoot1035 I'm sure that's a factor, I'm just saying there are "sane" reasons to pick a C500mkII over a Mini.

[@BradleyWentzel]

Sobering points here (even though I'm a little biased as a Canon user since '99) and love that you reiterated what I feel I'm always telling others about being able to shuffle the budget around to get good glass. Glad I found you recently, Rubidium - just finished your Masterclass for the R5C...keep up the great work!

[@dennislubbers4614]

I'm sorry to say....But the shot at 5:12 looks super digital and not cinematic at all... Can't believe I am the first one putting this in the comments.

[@9192jgopi]

Agreed

[@pierrejoseph8065]

You are absolutely right.

[@romana8203]

Having shot on both the brand new Canon C series cameras and ARRI Alexas, let me say if you're bringing on any crew at all, you'll save time with an Alexa. Every single change you could ever make to the settings will be faster on an Alexa even if you've only recently learned to use it. You'll save time and money when it comes to utilizing the Alexa within a proper crewed environment, every time. Now, that said Alexa also still has a nicer image. Even if it didn't save you time you'd get a much nicer image where skin tones are concerned. The Alexa is so simple to operate, to use and the image is so good it's easy to see why it's chosen more often than not. Unless you already own a Canon and can save money on rental, there's not really a reason to use it for a feature all things being equal

[@C.C.Cope220]

Yeah I think the reasoning of choosing better lenses over camera is the big one for me. if I was working on this kind of shoot with this size crew I would opt for the Alexa since for me it’s the easiest camera to use and setup along with having the best image quality overall. However if it’s cost forced me to loose out on the lenses or lighting rentals I want, well then I would choose the lenses or lighting always.

[@strandhanton]

I definitely think you can do great stuff with any camera and i kind of don't like the bustle about which camera is better then the other! On the other hand i see problems with teaching people to not try new stuff just because "i'm used to" something. I think you should try every camera there is to know which one you like and wanna go for, for the particular project. I think you should do stuff that you are not comfortable with to progress with your craft, if you stay with what's comfortable you are unfortunately not progressing. You don't need the expertise to learn something, you'll be an expert after you do something over and over again.

[@C.C.Cope220]

Yeah absolutely. I was recently shooting second unit for a feature and had to use a model of RED I wasn’t really familiar with. (Along with generally not having much experience with red) So I took a quick deep dive online to learn the system and had a meeting with the main unit DP and had him import the A cam settings and monitor LUT so we could match. Long story short the camera worked great for the shoot and the only mistake I made with it was not knowing the high FPS increase the compression ratio. So two shots are 14:1, also had to get use to keeping the camera cool in the heat. And this was a not smooth shoot by any means, it was very hectic and stressful. Now I can comfortably walk on to pretty much any shoot with a Red and have a lot more confidence.

[@christiangrant2931]

I definitely don't disagree with the idea of trying new things. But when you're working on your first feature I definitely don't have a problem with sticking with the system you're more comfortable with. Try new things, but do it when the stakes aren't super high. Experiment with shorts and paid commercial work and such.

[@glebv]

It's only semantics - but if you couldn't afford the other stuff you thought was important AND get the more expensive camera - you just couldn't afford the more expensive camera. At least that's the way a producer would think about it. "Could afford" means all other things are being equal.

[@imranqureshi7076]

I agree with you that familiarity with the camera, knowing the camera inside and out is superior to the "better" camera. I know I can get the images from an alexa out of a c300mk2 and I am more familiar with the camera so why not just shoot with that is comfortable for you? With that being said it all depends on the project. I love the Arri LF and would probably opt for that given the chance to have time to test the capabilities in pre production.

[@Crimsonengine]

Sounds like its the right camera for you, Imran. Everyone has a different level of expertise and a different budget. I chose the Canon and was super glad I did.

[@shridexdigi1982]

@@Crimsonengine I am a Fujifilm xt3 shooter. And I think you should check out my KZbin channel and Color grades to see what is achievable

[@tackhershey5672]

I own c300mkiii and love the camera in terms of its versatility, but sometimes I feel like the canon camera system tends to give a documentary look rather than film look. I wonder how easily Arri or RED outputs film looks.

[@FilmConvert]

Nearly the entirety of the "look" of these cameras can changed in color grading and tools like CineMatch, there's no reason to select a camera based on color science any more

[@sixsoxsex1]

Ci sono alcuni importanti brevetti nelle fotocamere Arri che non possono essere aggirati dai concorrenti. Doppio sensore di guadagno, sistema di riduzione delle alte luci, grana della pellicola... Questi brevetti rendono Arri molto più cinematografico e vicino al film rispetto ad altri.

[@roscosart1888]

@abcd Yes, there is a difference in image quality and dynamic range with Arri Alexa but it's really a "Subjective cinematic look" compared to RED, canon, Sony Cinealta, Panavision and black magic cameras. Lights, lenses, diffusion, post film grain, location etc.. play a role in "Cinematic", let's not forget. A pro colorist can match some mirrorless cameras to an Arri alexa so well these days and unless your a professional pixel peeper, the average people watching content on KZbin or theatre won't care.

[@ImagenStudios]

Awesome insight, I love that you say no camera is perfect or the best. I have blackmagic and z cam cinema cameras but when I want skin tones then I pull out my trusty C100. Thank you once again for the terrific insight and knowledge share. BTW I love the colors of this video they seem a little different than before any changes you wish to share? Regardless, I'm glad I've been a long time subscriber and Keep Creating!

[@Crimsonengine]

Right on! Thanks for the support. I'm glad you like the colors. I'm always changing my setup to experiment.

[@shridexdigi1982]

Just curious have anyone here really used a Fujifilm xt3 with cine lenses both in controlled lighting & outdoor. When it comes to skin tone Fuji is king!

[@elliotalderson2479]

Yup I’ve seen red footage that looks like trash. “Old sensor” is not an excuse for the terrible images I have seen when the red one shot plenty of films that don’t look as bad as the shots these KZbin creators shot on newer red sensors.

[@retroelectrical]

Brah, you can't f'up things with the Arri. It's literally bulletbroof. The Canon C500, although a good camera is nowhere in the same league as the Arri.

[@Crimsonengine]

The image is rock solid, no argument. But if you break your budget renting it and leave nothing for your actors, sets or crew is not a smart move.

[@arsenymun2028]

Why not film?

[@Crimsonengine]

Good question. Lots of reason, apart from the expense. Much less light sensitivity, hard to tell what the result will be on set, hard to match with B and C cams, and need for dedicated crew positions.

[@liamriley9816]

Among other things, distribution is a nightmare, more lighting would be required, and you would need a larger crew. He made the right choice for his production.

[@arsenymun2028]

@@Crimsonengine Totally understandable. Digital is a super convenient tool.

[@DRACOFURY]

*Because it's cheaper and affordable*

[@Jaydexterphoto]

Why not just own a Arri camera?

[@robertm3951]

Certain ARRI cameras are rental only. The rest are very expensive.

[@C.C.Cope220]

@@robertm3951 yeah unless you can rent it out a bunch or work like crazy it really had to justify buying an arri.

[@B3LOVXD]

WOW🤯

[@dominiquebrown2890]

Simple answer. Canon's endorsement check was bigger

[@Crimsonengine]

Man, I wish Canon was paying me. The amount of camera's I've sold for them you think they'd at least call me.

[@parliamentpictures2217]

10% or 5% better image quality!?!? Lol 😂 false

[@JeffBodeanCinema]

I've never seen you stutter and stumble over your dialog so much in one of your videos. Your hand movements are nervous and unnatural. You sound like a man explaining to an upset wife why you never came home last night. Tell us what you really think, Rubidium.

[@Crimsonengine]

You've uncovered a conspiracy! 😂This about it like this: If you are spending your own money, would you want a camera that costs 5 times the price but is only 10% better? The insurance on the Mini LF alone would have lost as a shoot day.

[@JeffBodeanCinema]

Hostage video aside, you can apply these same principles to the C500. Why not save a bunch of money with the less expensive C300? Or keep going down to the Sigma FP? And on the other end of the spectrum, Arri can make the same argument to use them over the cost of Panavision cameras and film. All that said, these far-east camera companies have still not been able to nail down the Arri look. Your "only 10% better" claim is ludicrous. If that were true, Hollywood would save billions by moving to Canon and Canon would use this new lucre to develop a C1000. My old Alexa XT+ still looks 500% better than my brand-new C300 M3. As far as operating the Alexa, I can do fine on my own without the need for others, though admittedly, its sheer weight does require help getting it up on the mount. In any case, many of your points are valid. But that still doesn't change the fact that Canon merely outputs pleasing video while Arri renders actual cinema.