I agree with a lot of what you say, except on a few points.
Yes on certain levels with certain clients there is less payout for the digital "package".
We all knew it was coming when all of these new digital labs came into the market with grand plans to rake it in, some charging huge fees and now my mailbox is full of all of them making deals and offers.
The good ones will survive, the bad ones will go back to being first, second or third assistants.
Keep in mind, I'm not spreading doom and gloom and don't believe that it's time to start selling off your medium format cameras, but for future purchases, if
some of our clients are tightening what they pay out and requring more, we have to tighten up what we offer, or find a way to do it where it's less time consuming and less expensive.
In other words the medium format guys need to pull in some of their prices, or offer something that we really can't do without. The can't do without would be good for all of us.
Personally, I don't like equipment rentals of any type and I know I'm in the minority on that, but I'd rather invest $40,000 knowing it will take a period to recoup the costs than just pay out $40,000 that really goes to nobody but another photographic rental company.
I also just don't like the process of renting. Usually things are fine, but I'm not comfortable unless I know that what I use is in good shape, will work, is backed up and I know it front to back.
Now in regards to the Red all of this is interesting. Especially how a real Cinema camera build from the ground up can come it at close to the prices of a still medium format digital system.
Either the Red has very deep pockets and willing to take a loss, or medium format really does neet to revisit their pricing structure.
I also know that there will be more convergence. Everytime I write this somebody tells me that's not possible due to shutter speed, or fps, or something, but the thing is I shoot video and stills in parallel with my projects and I know it has a good return and is worth offering.
Since magazine viewership is down at least 5%, internet viewership is up 8% in the last year, that tells you that the demand for moving imagery will increase.
Whether that happens today (maybe it's already happened) or happens in 5 years we all know it's coming.
JR
The new backs should focus on usability and price before we start getting all psyched about 6x6 sensors and 60mpx.
I'd agree with 203 and James, the prices are just stupid for what are imperfect products. What I mean by imperfect is that the backs are all too slow, they all suffer from lockups every once in a while, the screens are aweful , and the cameras we have to attach them to, for the most part, are FAR from perfect, although the Hy6 and 6008 are close, neither will accept my P30+, and the lenses are, again, stupidly expensive. Add to that the price tag and the lack of transperancy in terms of pricing, its a wonder anyone buys MFDB's aside from rental houses and studios.
And for those who think that just because you make $400k means that you should not be bothered by the cost are correct only if an MFDB is necessary to do business. Its not, in most cases. I did well last year, renting MFDB and owning Canon. I stil felt strange about buying a back when I was pretty happy renting.
The IQ is steller but not noticed by clients, most of the time. Cosmetics and products, they notice. Fashion and magazine work, not so much. As much as I love my P30+, I know that I would equally well served with a 1ds3 most, but not all, of the time.
The reason I shoot MF is the format and the look of the lenses. Its just different from the Canon. I think the argument against the Canon is that EVERYONE has one, and EVERYONE is shooting the same L lenses, which can lead to a certain sameness I see in the flood of crap on the web.
I would feel better about the price tag if it translated into a better rate, but as James pointed out, it doesn't. At these price points (above $10k) it would be better to rent these things than to buy, but there is a real advantage to owning your equipment. Its taken me about 5,000 frames on my P30 to get a feel for it under all types of light. The best bet is to buy then rent it out, because the people making the bucks off of MFDB are rental houses, and to a certain extent the post houses.
While I'm on a rant, I'm on a catalogue shoot. I've been in the woods for a few days, now we shoot the interiors and the accessories. We had a videographer shooting video using a Red 1. He makes more money off of a set up that is similar in cost to a P30+ - AFD - set up than I do. His back up to the Red is a Sony Cine Alta something or rather, which runs about $8k. Usability on the Red and the Sony was outstanding, great LCDs, Amazing quality images, including the frame pulls. While looking at the video I realized that this is the future. Stills for a dwindling number of magazines which will increasingly be high end affairs, and the web. Video for EVERYTHING else, inclusing TV, POS displays, walls, posters, etc. as the price of LCD's come down and down. I think that fashion shoots will increasingly be done by one photographer/videographer with an integrated camera, like a Red that also shoots higher res stills. That being said, time to break out those Arri 1k's I have in storage and rethink the business plan.
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