r/cinematography

Hi there! 👋

I'm in the lucky position of planning a solo world trip, and I'm currently trying to lock in my camera setup. After going back and forth for a while, I still can't quite make a final decision on my main camera and lenses – so I figured I'd ask here.

My current gear:

• Fuji X100VI
• DJI Osmo Pocket 3 (could be sold if needed)
• Sigma 10–18mm for Fuji (could be sold if needed)

What I'm going for:

My usage will be roughly 50% photo / 50% video. The primary goal is cinematic, high-quality travel footage – but since this will be my only camera, solid photo capability is a must as well. I'm not planning to post content on YouTube or anywhere else; this is purely for myself and my family to look back on.

My inspo were some creators whose style I'm going for (most of them are using some high end stuff, but thats way out of my budget 😉):

• https://www.youtube.com/@RyanShirley
• https://www.youtube.com/@oetyler
• https://www.youtube.com/@JuliaKursten

FF vs. APS-C:

Weight and size differences between full-frame and APS-C aren't a dealbreaker for me – but I'm genuinely unsure whether the quality boost from FF actually justifies the extra bulk and cost for a travel setup like this.

Budget:

Alright, let's talk money. It really hurts spending that much money, but my actual hard limit is somewhere around 3,000–3,500€ for the whole setup.

Setups I’m currently considering:

Camera	Standard Zoom	Wide Angle	Total Price
X-H2s 2200€	Sigma 18-50 500€	Sigma 10-18 0€	~2700€
X-H2s 2200€	Fuji 16-55 1300€	Sigma 10-18 0€	~3400€
A6700 1189€	Sony E 16-55mm 799€	Sigma 10-18mm Used 599€	~2600€
A7CII 1699 €	Sony 24-70 GM I 1249€	Sigma 16-28 879€	~3800€
A7CII 1699 €	Sigma 28-70 679€	Sigma 16-28 879€	~3200€
A7IV 2119 €	Sony 24-70 GM I 1249€	Sigma 16-28 879€	~4250€
A7IV 2119 €	Sigma 28-70 679€	Sigma 16-28 879€	~3700€

Most of the prices are for new gear, but i'm totally up for saving some money by buying used, provided that i can find suitable offers somewhere.

Honorable mentions also to the X-S20 that came across my research.

Puhh, longer than i expected 🫣

Would love to hear what you’d pick - or if there’s something I’m overlooking 🙌

https://youtu.be/g56T\_e1Ed2c

A few frames from a short cinematic project I recently finished in Blender. Would appreciate your thoughts. Hope you enjoy!

short film link

Hey! I'm trying to seek more opinions, views and engagement on a friend's original short film

Link is given above!

Why posting it here?

Cuz the story/script has been written by the same guy who has also acted, directed, edited and everything in between- in this short film! (one man army lol)

Background- This guy is a proper cinephile (a close friend of mine), grew up watching movies alone in the theatres, saving money to buy tickets, sneaking and bunking classes to watch his favourite films. He taught himself everything about cinematography and filmmaking from scratch- in short a very passionate and hardworking individual.

- he has worked previously in various metropolitan cities, now trying to make something of his own!

Motive to post it here-

I'm not just seeking engagement on his channel, but also genuine reviews and comments, criticism and constructive criticism alike.

Feel free to drop your opinion!

comment in case you want to connect with him on instagram.

Hey everyone, I recently tried setting up a book light for an interview and was really happy with how soft the key turned out.

That being said, I’m still trying to master and truly understand roll-off and shadow transition. On a recent faster-paced shoot with a shorter setup window, a producer mentioned that the shadow on the side of the talent's face felt a bit too harsh.

To fix that next time, should I be leaning toward physically larger sources to get more wrap-around, or is it better to just manage it by introducing a bounce on the shadow side to lift the contrast?

Would love to hear how you all manage roll-off when you're fighting the clock on set!

Attaching two light image help me understand how image 1 light was place which creating soft cinematic look. while testing same in image 2 I am getting hard light.

I'm working on a short film that is essentially a cannibal love story between cannibal and victim (based on a true story in Germany) and love the dreamy look and quality of The Substance. I'm pretty sure the glass used was the Leitz Thalia Primes and I would want to use a Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K (which I can get access to). I'm not sure if I will have time to do an actual lens test but have been looking around before committing. Has anyone used these lenses and are they worth it to get that look of The Substance? I saw this lens test and wondering if there are any others like it?

Leitz Thalia Prime Lens Test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_0eQIkdeJA

Hello everyone! I’m a 23 year old film director and I thought I’d share my new reel. It’s primarily a directors reel, but most of the clips were also edited/colored/shot by me as well.

I would love to get everyone’s thoughts on it, and any notes about pacing. Would also love to see how this reel comes off to people in terms of branding/aesthetic. :)

Would love and appreciate any feedback!

I beleve its some kind effect coming from low shutter speed and long exposures, but i cant fully wrap my head around this, especially the final shot with the cigarette "light painting fx".

Heyaaa!!

I’m an India-based filmmaker, and I created a solo spec commercial for Blue Tokai coffee. Since I was working all alone, I ended up wearing all the hats—writing, lighting, shooting, editing, and even acting in it myself.

Given my limited resources, my main goal was to see how much production value and mood I could squeeze out of a very small setup. I really tried to focus on intentional framing, cinematic lighting, and visual storytelling to set the right atmosphere.

Here is a quick look at the tools I used to bring it together:

The Gear:

Nikon Z6III paired with a 28-75mm f/2.8 lens.

Kept the lighting simple with a Godox SL60W and a tiny Hiffin 7W.

The Look (Post-Production):

Cut and finished entirely in DaVinci Resolve.

Used Dehancer for the color grade, aiming for a cinematic feel with a Fujifilm 3513 emulation.

I’m really looking to grow as a visual storyteller, so I would genuinely love to hear your thoughts. Whether it’s about the lighting choices, the pacing, or the overall vibe—please don't hold back on the constructive criticism!

Click here to watch the full ad on youtube

(I've also attached a few of my favorite stills above so you can see the framing!)

ps- This isn't my work. I posted this on behalf of u/date_007. He's new to reddit, doesn't have enough karma and still finding his way through this app (I mean- reddit can be intimidating for beginners- there's just so much going on hehe). So I figured that I'd post for him :). Happy watching!

Now I don’t want the people who say you gotta care about lighting, set design etc. I know that boys and I’ll be caring much more about those as well, I just need help getting the same kind of image from my camera.