Why the Sony FX6 & RED Helium are my favourite cameras to use
Nowadays nearly every camera offering can give you beautiful images, so really it comes down to usability and personal preference.
Over the years I’ve used many different camera systems and the three cameras I’ve used most are the Sony FX6, Sony A7Siii and RED DSMC2 cameras.
All amazing cameras in their own rights below I detail which option suits different project requirements best.
Sony FX6 & A7Siii - My preferred choice for online ads, corporate content and most projects
The Sony FX6 in my opinion is the nicest, fastest most fun camera system to operate - it has a great image, professional audio inputs, electronic variable ND (think of sunglasses for the camera) and reliable autofocus. it’s a joy to use as you can really focus on the subject and enjoy the shooting process fully. It runs all day off one battery, is lightweight, amazing in low light and can be operated by just one person.
It doesn’t have quite the flexibility in image as a RED but it still looks beautiful and will fulfil the needs of most projects except higher budget shoots where VFX may be needed or if having the absolute best quality is a MUST.
The other camera I use in conjunction with the FX6 is the small and light Sony A7Siii - it has the exact same sensor as the FX6 so matches it perfectly. It’s great to use when a second angle is needed or if I want to quickly throw it on a gimbal or mount it on a car - in short it’s a super flexible, tiny, light camera with just as good an image as the FX6.
For the above reasons the Sony FX6 & A7siii combination is my go to set up for most projects.
Our preferred camera for most projects - the Sony FX6 4K Cinema Camera
The Sony A7siii - ideal to pair with the FX6 for a second angle or on a gimbal
RED Helium DSMC2 - My choice for TV commercials
Whenever shooting a project with a larger crew, and higher budgets RED cameras are the obvious choice - they have amazing dynamic range, 8K resolution and the RAW image is a joy to colour grade. For those reasons you can often find them on Hollywood movie sets and high end TV dramas.
It’s a camera system you really need a team around you to operate but it gives the best in terms of image quality and flexibility. The downsides are that it’s somewhat slow to work with - it’s heavy, uses lots of power, data and really needs an operator, a camera assistant and a focus puller all working together to work efficiently. You also need more light than the Sony cams which means you often need more expensive lights / lighting crew which all adds to the budget.
It’s a system I used to own and have shot over 70 TV commercials on, I adore the image it gives but hate the hassle when you need to work fast or do things on a lower budget. I still often choose to use on big projects but lately often find myself going for the Sony FX6 instead whenever it suits the job.
RED DSMC2 EPIC-W Helium - RED cameras are ideal for high end projects
