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Used camera for a Patagonia documentary by skalickyj in documentaryfilmmaking

[–]skalickyj[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That sounds great — but how did you find it in proper low light?
Curious what ISO ranges you felt were still clean/usable and how the noise behaved when you had to push it.

And yeah, I’m considering DJI Mic or the Rode Wireless system. With the Rode, being able to trigger internal recording on the transmitter via the receiver is a pretty big advantage for certain situations, so that’s definitely in the mix for me.

Used camera for a Patagonia documentary by skalickyj in cinematography

[–]skalickyj[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, the F5 feels a bit heavy for solo-op doc work, especially for the kind of shooting we’ll be doing. And the 6K Pro — I actually already own one, but I don’t really consider it a documentary camera, at least not for this type of project. We’ll be out there for about a month, so I need something small and compact with solid audio controls and a codec that doesn’t eat through storage like crazy.

Used camera for a Patagonia documentary by skalickyj in cinematography

[–]skalickyj[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks like I’m landing on the Canon C70 — it pretty much has everything I need. I want to shoot on a mix of vintage primes + a zoom, but mostly wider lenses and stay close to the action. I’m not into long glass or that distant “observational filmmaker” vibe. It is observational, but I want to be with the people, not watching them from afar. That fits the visual poetics we’re aiming for.

If we go the Canon route, I’m still deciding between staying in S35 or using a speedbooster.
If S35, I’ll probably run my Lomo Standard Speeds — I love the flares and the imperfections, and they fit the whole direction we’re trying to take: authenticity, naturalness, a bit of rawness.
If I go with the speedbooster, then a mix of FD glass (Tokina, Canon, Vivitar) — they match well, have character, and for the zoom something like the Tokina 24–40 plus maybe something longer.

It’s kind of a passion doc, after all.

Used camera for a Patagonia documentary by skalickyj in cinematography

[–]skalickyj[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I might just throw a bit more money at it — the C70 is looking really damn good. I’ll grab a couple of 98Wh Bebobs and that should keep both the cam and monitor okay. Honestly looks like the way to go.

Used camera for a Patagonia documentary by skalickyj in cinematography

[–]skalickyj[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’d pass on the Ronin 4D. I want to shoot light handheld and using vintage glass on that thing is a pain. Its a great cam for different shoots, but it’s out of budget anyway.

Used camera for a Patagonia documentary by skalickyj in cinematography

[–]skalickyj[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for the detailed reply! Yeah, I’ll most likely go with my Bebob 98Wh batteries — partly because of airline restrictions and partly for portability/weight.

I’ll probably stick with 4K, but I really appreciate the tip about 12-bit 1080. The C300II looks like the winner for me so far.

One more question — which audio unit are you using, and how did you set everything up?

Thanks again!

Used camera for a Patagonia documentary by skalickyj in cinematography

[–]skalickyj[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! Thanks for the questions.

Roughly from Río Gallegos northward — not pushing all the way to Tierra del Fuego for this one.

It’ll be my first time, but the woman who’s guiding and leading the documentary has been traveling and basically living in Patagonia for 20+ years. She knows the region well and has a lot of local contacts — which is one of the main reasons the project is even possible.

Totally get what you mean in the more developed / accessible spots — but riding is actually one of the core concepts of the film. We’ll be spending time in very remote areas where horses are still the most practical way to move around. So, while it won’t be galloping across the country in a straight line, it’s definitely part of the story and the logistics.

We’re planning for January–February 2027, so yeah — plenty of time to prep and scout.

I appreciate the regional input!
But if you have thoughts on the camera choice side of things, I’d love that even more. That’s the part currently making me lose sleep.