GEAR
BUYING USED
HOW TO BUY USED If saving every penny is a must, private sales from Ebay or social media groups can be OK. For professional filmmakers, this wouldn’t be recommended – it’s your business and reputation on the line if kit fails on a shoot. It makes sense to go to a dealer as the kit will be checked and include some sort of guarantee. If you are buying a used mirrorless or DSLR camera or lens, there are loads of options. Photo dealers often have stocks of equipment that has been cherished by amateurs. For professional video equipment, look at retailers like CVP or specialist dealers like MPB, which has a website where you can buy kit and sell back old gear to help fund your purchase with an online valuation tool. If you want something either more exotic – or perhaps from businesses going into liquidation – specialist auctions are well worth checking out. Prices might be low, but the kit will most likely not come with any sort of warranty.
CINEMA LENS: FUJINON MK18-55MM T2.9
which each feature a consistent and very fast T2.9 speed right through the whole zoom range, ideal for creating a shallow depth-of-field. They are available in Sony E-mount and Fujifilm X Mount to cover Super 35 sensors. The 18-55mm hit the shops first and is the most usable for a wide range of subjects, helped by low distortion and excellent optical performance right across the whole image through the zoom range. It comes bundled with a zoom lever for fast adjustment of focal length and a dedicated lens hood, available used from around £2000/$2200.
Fujifilm is famous for its mirrorless cameras and range of high-end Fujinon cine lenses beloved worldwide for shooting feature films and commercials. Marrying the two technologies to target the growing band of independent filmmakers who use DSLR-based lenses for cine applications, the firm launched a pair of cinema-style zooms aimed at transforming both image quality and usability. They retain the optical quality of Fujifilm’s premium lenses, but everything else is reduced to make them more suitable for smaller productions. Namely, these are the MK18-55mm and MK50-135mm,
“The 18-55mm hit the shops first and is the most usable for a wide range of subjects”
ZOOM STAR As many cameras have gone full-frame, demand for the Fujifilm MK range has reduced – and prices are low
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