Finding the Best Value Cinema Camera for Cash-Strapped Filmmakers

A filmmaker with tight cash can still buy a camera good enough for cinema. Four bodies now sit at the top of that value pile:

• Sony FX30 (Amazon, B&H)
• Sony FX2 (Amazon, B&H)
• Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 (Amazon, B&H), and
• RED Komodo 6K (B&H)

Each camera costs less than $3,000 for the bare body. Price tags hide media, batteries, audio, and service. This article breaks down some of the most hidden costs so you know what you are really buying.

What Makes a “Cheap” Cinema Camera?

“Cheap” here means the lowest price that:

• Still records UHD 4K or better,
• shoots in 10-bit 4:2:2 ALL-I or compressed RAW;
• shoots in Log;
• gives at least 13 stops of dynamic range;
• accepts interchangeable lenses; and
• has a full-size HDMI or SDI port for monitoring.

Anything that misses one of those points fails the baseline.

What about Netflix specs? They do not matter, really. If your movie is good enough for them Netflix will buy it, no matter what it was shot on. What matters is the footage shouldn’t fall apart when projected in a decent-sized multiplex via DCP.

Let’s get to it, then.

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Comparison of Specs

Here are the most important specs:

Should We Even Talk About Image Quality?

All four cameras deliver crisp oversampled 4K.

The FX2 holds a small lead in highlight roll-off. The Komodo wins for perfect motion thanks to its global shutter. The Blackmagic trails in latitude but gives true 12-bit RAW that grades better. The FX30 looks identical to the FX2 in normal video modes, but would be ‘worst’ in this list.

Really, at this price point, the cameras are better than what you’re able to provide your production – so they will all deliver respectable theater-screen-worthy footage. You’ll barely see any artifacts due to the better codecs and oversampled 4K.

Most DCPs still show 2K, so your problems will lie elsewhere. However, if I had to pick one, I’d pick the Komodo. The DR and global shutter cannot be beat.

What about Rolling Shutter Artifacts

The Komodo has none! The rest show skew on whip pans or handheld work.

The fix is free:

• Use a tripod, pan slow, tilt slow,
• Hold shutter angle near one eighty degrees, and
• Avoid highly compressed codecs.

If you must shoot handheld action, get the Komodo or live with some wobble in quick flashes. Avoid heavily compressed codecs at all costs, because the interframe compression really creates new motion artifacts.

You’re going to be having this problem even with higher-priced cinema camera bodies. The biggest issue is that most cash-starved filmmakers only see their footage on the back LCD, a cheap external monitor, or a crappy gaming display.

None of these will show you motion artifacts correctly. So, you’d better learn some good shooting habits!

What Lens mount is Best?

At this price point it doesn’t matter. What matters more is what are the best lenses you can afford – because this will make a huge difference to how your footage looks and feels.

Sony E-mount glass ranges from cheap photo primes to pricey cinema zooms. Blackmagic’s EF mount taps the used market; older Canon L zooms are cheap, sharp, and plentiful. The Komodo’s RF mount needs an adapter for EF but also supports newer Canon RF glass.

If I had to pick based on options, you can’t really beat the Sony E-mount’s options.

Codecs and Data Rates

The Sony bodies shoot XAVC-I at up to 600 Mbps. That is heavy but still edits straight off a laptop SSD. The Blackmagic G2 writes constant-quality BRAW that starts near 400 Mbps in Q5 and scales up with fast scenes. Redcode at HQ can reach 280 MB/s, so storage balloons fast.

Storage costs do add up. On the whole I must give this to BRAW or R3D. The data rates are higher, but you have options to limit it. The most important thing is these codecs are easier to edit with in post over any form of H.264 and definitely H.265.

CFexpress Type A cards run about $2 per GB. A 320 GB day needs two cards for $400. CFast 2.0 costs roughly one dollar per GB. Two 512 GB cards for Blackmagic or Red land near $900. The Blackmagic can record to a USB-C SSD for a $100 per terabyte, making it the cheapest path if you can rig the cable safely. In any case, cards don’t vary much in pricing to matter in any practical sense.

Batteries

This is an area with hidden costs.

Sony’s NP-FZ100 lasts ninety minutes per pack. Three packs and a charger cost about $300. Blackmagic uses smaller NP-F570 packs that last under an hour; most owners buy the battery grip, so you’re spending a lot more than the Sony.

Komodo runs two Canon BP-955 packs that together last seventy minutes. Three packs and a charger cost a lot. The Red Komodo draws a terrible amount of power for a camera that doesn’t have an LCD or viewfinder.

USB-C power banks can feed the Sony cameras on long shoots; but they cannot feed the Komodo.

The Sonys destroy the others here, though if you have the budget I’d go for the Komodo for its hot-swapping abilities.

Audio

The Blackmagic Pocket G2 is ready-to-shoot with two mini-XLR ports and phantom power. The Sony bodies need the XLR-H1 handle for balanced audio, another $400 or so. The Komodo offers only a 3.5 mm jack. Plan on an external mixer or recorder if you choose Red.

Bad audio kills more low budget films than bad images, so budget here first.

Want to Use a Gimbal?

The FX30 (Amazon, B&H) and FX2 (Amazon, B&H) both balance on a one-hand gimbal with a prime or zoom lens.

The Komodo with batteries, adapter, and monitor pushes weight beyond cheap gimbal’s limits; you’d probably need a full-size stabilizer (depends on the lens and setup).

The Blackmagic rig with an EF zoom also tips two kilos and strains smaller gimbals.

Is Your Camera Indestructible?

No, which is why you need to care about service and support.

Sony runs pro service centers worldwide. No one beats that.

Blackmagic’s support is slower, and has fewer parts hubs. Red’s service centers sit in major cities only; shipping a camera and waiting can kill a schedule. If you own just one body, proximity to service should play an important role in your decision-making.

The Total Cost

This is one area where you don’t really need to be a math wizard. The Red Komodo is definitely the most expensive in this list. The Sonys are the cheapest.

The real question is, how cash-starved are you? And, if you saved some money, would it be better utilized elsewhere?

The answer to the second question is almost always yes. It is foolish to spend money on a camera you can’t take full advantage of because your production can’t match it.

Which is the Best Cheap Cinema Camera?

Here’s a look at the winner in each segment:

If you can, pick up the Red Komodo for its current price. It’s an incredible deal as long as you know it will be serviced. If you’re buying it from B&H you can opt for their support plans.

If that is out of the question due to whatever reason, I’d pick the Blackmagic Pocket 6K G2, though it’s not the cheapest. By the time you rig up the G2, and find a solution to manually focusing it precisely, you’re almost near Komodo pricing. It’s hard to recommend at its current pricing.

The absolutest cheapest is the Sony FX30 (Amazon, B&H). It’s great for a first-time director who shoots mostly controlled dialogue scenes, needs autofocus, and has to stretch every dollar to lights and sound. I would avoid the FX2 – it’s too expensive for what it offers.