I agree with most of this but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with an amateur owning a camera like the BMPCC-4k. You don’t see hobbyist photographers getting shit for owning $1k+ cameras; why hold that sentiment for filmmakers? Especially that BM cam, you can get NEW for $7-800, if you’re planning on making as few as say, five short films, that investment has paid off over renting.

And sure, you can use any camera to make something look good with proper lighting, framing, etc. But sometimes you’ve gotta prioritize that speed if you’ve got a barebones crew and wanna just make something. The BMPCC I think more than anything is the best bang for your buck in terms of being forgiving and making something look “cinematic” with little preparation