Reddit reviews Kastar NP-F570 Battery Replacement for Sony NP-F550 NP-F330 Digital Camera Battery and Sony DCR-SD1000 DCR-SR40 DCR-TRV900 DCR-VX2000 DCR-VX2100 DCR-VX2200 HVR-HD1000 HVR-V1 HVR-Z1 HVR-Z5 HVR-Z7

I have one, and if your budget includes $995 for the camera and about $375 more to get it up and running (batteries, LCD viewfinder, etc.), the BMPCC is still a great camera for beginning cinematographers.

If you really want to learn cinematography - and you don't need a still camera, I recommend the BMPCC. It is the least expensive interchangeable lens camera you can buy that has 13+ stops of dynamic range, a built-in 3.5mm headphone jack, can record 12-bit RAW and 10-bit ProRes straight out of the box and sets the shutter in degrees instead of fractions of a second (cinema cameras use degrees, still cameras use seconds).

DSLRs in this price class have about 10 stops of DR, no headphone jack, record to low bit rate h.264 codecs and you have to set their shutters by dividing 360 by the desired shutter angle, multiplying the answer by the frame rate and then taking the inverse. It's less complicated than it sounds, but it's a pain.

Here is what this little powerhouse cinema camera can do:

Narrative

http://vimeo.com/89563847

http://vimeo.com/94798326

http://vimeo.com/101576471

Documentary

http://vimeo.com/83284391

Music Video

http://vimeo.com/88103618

Travel/Low Light

http://vimeo.com/79531723

Wedding

https://vimeo.com/148634178

There are lots more examples in the [Pocket Cinema Camera group] (https://vimeo.com/groups/pocketcamera) I moderate over on Vimeo.

This camera is terrific, but its ergonomics and battery capacity leave a lot to be desired. You will also need to address the camera's high data rate storage requirements (especially for RAW).

But it doesn't have to cost a lot of money to get started. Here's the setup I use [Referral Links]:

• [Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera - $995] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CWLSHUK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CWLSHUK&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20)
  
  
• [Ikan BMPCC-PWR-BC-S Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Belt Clip DV Power Kit for Sony L - $69.95] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LPJ1FJ0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00LPJ1FJ0&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20)
  
  
• [2 x Sony NP-F550 batteries - $19.76] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007Q9PWQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0007Q9PWQ&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20)
  
  
• [Dual Battery Charger - $25] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FYXLSYU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00FYXLSYU&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20)
  
  
• [SanDisk Extreme PRO SDSDXPA-064G-X46 SDXC Flash Memory Card with up to 95MB/s - $42.97] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007NDL54C/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007NDL54C&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20)
  
  
• [Kinotehnik LCDVFBM LCD Viewfinder for Blackmagic Pocket Camera (LCDVFBM) - $152] (http://adorama.evyy.net/c/60286/51926/1036?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adorama.com%2FLCDVF3C.html)
  
  
• [Fotasy HRDV Ergo Handle Pistol Grip and Cleaning Cloth for Sony Camcorders (Black) - $31.74] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NA797JU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00NA797JU&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20)
  
  
• [ALZO Cold Shoe Mount for Blackmagic Cinema Cameras and Pocket Cinema Camera - $9.59] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HQPF7PU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00HQPF7PU&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20)
  
  For about $1375 plus lenses, you should be able to get everything you need to get started.
  
  Here's what my setup looks like, ready to shoot: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-f3hbYYV_y8o/VHDp77GMxoI/AAAAAAAAJF8/xnHRvNcCm5o/w724-h543-no/P1020575.JPG
  
  With the pistol grip and LCD viewfinder, the BMPCC becomes a very handy little camera.
  
  Although it has a steeper learning curve than a consumer DSLR, and color grading in post is pretty much mandatory - in my view, this is the best filmmakers' camera in this price range and well worth the money for someone who is just starting out.
  
  Hope this is helpful and best of the holidays!
  

Hi /u/picrh - Here's a great review/tutorial on what you can achieve with a 3 point ring light setup using the Diva Ring Light: http://www.lafcpug.org/reviews/review_diva_ring.html

But instead of Divas, you might want to consider three battery powered F&V R-300s with stands instead.

You can get three [F&V ring lights with soft boxes for $269.99 each at Adorama] (http://www.adorama.com/FVSBBRLR300.html?KBID=66297).

Three ring lights, with 3 stands ([2 for $22] (http://amzn.to/1vjJXtl) and a [single for $15] (http://amzn.to/1tlfUDo)), 3 [$10 Sony FP-batteries] (http://amzn.to/1vjKvQ1) and an [$18.50 dual battery charger] (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575034783&toolid=10001&campid=5337235943&customid=&icep_item=111315155908&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg) will give you a great 3 point lighting setup for less than $900.

The great thing about the R-300 is that you can put it on your rig with a [$40 rail mount] (http://www.adorama.com/FV15RMR300.html?KBID=66297), as seen here: https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rhqiHavOnGM/U1J4paO2vRI/AAAAAAAAIrk/eW1mhniD0gY/w724-h543-no/P1120708.JPG

This is something you cannot do with the Diva.

I have both the Diva and the R-300, and they both put out a lot of cool, even light, but the F&Vs are much more portable (because they are so much smaller) and more flexible (because they can be AC or DC powered). Here's a pic of both lights in my studio: https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jrqsQtPN3TU/U1sjz3-jwnI/AAAAAAAAIt4/k2WveyQeO4o/w724-h543-no/P1120732.JPG

Good luck!

Hi /u/kmichael500 - I would recommend two [$199 F&V ring lights] (http://amzn.to/1uK6m7O), [two light stands for $27.75] (http://amzn.to/1vwUkLK), two [$9 Sony NP-F550 batteries] (http://amzn.to/1pAfXY4) and a [dual battery charger for $19] (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575034783&toolid=10001&campid=5337235943&customid=&icep_item=321347920244&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg).

Ring lights are extremely flattering - in an emergency, when you only have one, you can shoot through the middle of the ring and still get even lighting - plus the F&V puts out a lot of light for its size while remaining cool to the touch.

Please take a look at this Diva Ring Light review to see what you can do with one, two or three ring lights: http://www.lafcpug.org/reviews/review_diva_ring.html

I own both the F&V and a Diva (see picture below) and they are the best lighting investments I've made in 40 years of video and filmmaking.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jrqsQtPN3TU/U1sjz3-jwnI/AAAAAAAAIt4/k2WveyQeO4o/w724-h543-no/P1120732.JPG

Good luck with your projects!

Bill

This very well may have been my friends, as we usually extend our sessions after the sun goes down.

We have a couple of these headlamps. Cheap, and super bright. They have a zoom function so you can concentrate the light as needed:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QAAZY00?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

Then we use these as floodlights. Not super durable, but very bright and cheap, and the brightness is adjustable via dial.

http://www.amazon.com/NEEWER%C2%AE-Dimmable-Digital-Camcorder-Panasonic/dp/B004TJ6JH6/ref=pd_bxgy_421_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0BFHGB0K90J2N6SASFDM

http://www.amazon.com/Generic-Replacement-NP-F550-Digital-Battery/dp/B0007Q9PWQ/ref=pd_sim_421_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51DW8ndgtKL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1QD2ST71K4MTG47GN6J7

http://www.amazon.com/niceEshop-NP-FM50-Np-f330-Np-f550-Np-f570/dp/B000OPB4U6/ref=pd_bxgy_421_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0BFHGB0K90J2N6SASFDM

Two is enough to light up anything but really big problems. We combine those with the headlamps and have been able to light up things like High Plains Drifter enough to get good video in the middle of the night.

Trust me, this is what you want. Most of the people who have climbed with us end up asking me later what lights we were using so they can buy some for themselves.

I have the Neewer CN-160 which are LED fixtures for only $27.95 on Amazon. Of course these are cheap and have a color cast. They do, however, operate off of NP-F550 batteries so if you plan on filming on a location without wall outputs, you can easily use these. Although, just as HybridCamRev said, The F&V R-300 Ring Lights are great options but more expensive. They're brighter and can hang right over the lens of your camera or off on a light stand. These are great because you only need one to evenly lite your subject (in this case, yourself). It all just depends on your budget.