3 Unique Cinema Cameras To Change The Way You Shoot

First, we have to burst your bubble. No one camera will make you a better shooter. But having the right tool can help you overcome obstacles and help you focus on being creative instead of worrying about your gear.

For this week’s “Deals of the Week,” we look into Panasonic, Canon, and Blackmagic Design. All three companies make some fantastic gear, but these specific cameras have some unique features to get you out of a creative slump.

Panasonic Lumix BS1H

The Panasonic S1H was a hit during its initial release. So much so that creatives demanded the same camera in a box-style body, and Panasonic was more than happy to oblige. Its Varicam series is a popular tool for narrative and documentary cinematographers, making the S1H and BS1H an affordable alternative or companion to the Varicam system.

Panasonic Lumix BS1H

Compact and suitable for drones, remote setups, and expandable for cine work, the Panasonic Lumix BS1H is a modular full-frame digital cinema camera with a small form factor. It features a 24.2MP sensor, a Leica L lens mount, and a wide 14+-stop dynamic range to accommodate extreme lighting changes when recording in V-Log. It records video with resolutions up to 5.9K as well as C4K (4096 x 2160) and UHD4K, and it incorporates VariCam Look workflows.

Canon EOS R5 C

Canon revolutionized how creatives shoot video and film when it released the Canon 5D and 7D. Yet the company has yet to create the same frenzy with its new releases. But while other companies toed the line between photo and video, Canon dove head first into the hybrid world, creating a camera system that combined the cinema features of the Canon C70 and the photography tools of the Canon EOS R5.

Canon EOS R5 C

The R5 C enhances a number of features in comparison to its siblings the R5 and C70, including 4K120 recording, HDMI RAW output, Canon Log 3 HLG/PQ support, unlimited recording time, a timecode port, Dual Pixel CMOS AF with eye detection, an active cooling system, a high-power LP-E6NH battery, 13 reassignable buttons, and a multi-function shoe for XLR adapters.

Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 12K OLPF

Much like Canon, Blackmagic Design has been a disrupter, offering creatives some of the most affordable cinematic tools on the market. While there have been growing pains, the image quality every BMD camera has produced has made them hot commodities. When the URSA Mini Pro 12K came out, the industry was shocked and confused by the resolution, yet the symmetrical sensor of 12K continues to be a hidden gem among its feature set. The OLPF version just makes the whole kit that much better.

Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 12K OLPF

The URSA Mini Pro 12K Digital Cinema Camera with OLPF uses a 12,288 x 6480 12K Super35 sensor, a new color science, and up to 14 stops of dynamic range to produce extraordinarily detailed images. The URSA Mini Pro 12K OLPF uses an optical low pass filter that minimizes unwanted image interference when shooting in virtual production environments and also offers updated IR filtering..