The right camera for shooting Bahama Blue in 4K IS…

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Last week, Kate Webb interviewed Bahama Blue DOP Sean F. White about the three cameras he was considering to shoot wildlife series Bahama Blue in 4K. This week he revealed his choice, and the winner is… The Red Epic-X!

Size, cost, lens compatibility and frame rate were all important factors in Sean’s decision on the camera he will to take with him to the Bahamas when filming begins next month.

But ultimately, the Red’s speed and flexibility was too tantalizing too resist.

“At the end of the day, it’s something that’s going to serve all our needs and more,” says Sean.

“That’s the camera that I knew will need a lot of accessories and data storage, but is going to give us flexibility; in our frame rates, in our resolution, and in our compression rate, so that we can manage the size of the data. That’s a very overlooked feature.”

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The Red can easily be configured to fit inside underwater DOP Peter Zuccarini‘s state-of-the-art underwater housing, and is a proven wildlife camera capable of shooting up to 280 frames per second.

Looks like this little Red is in for an exciting ride! From expeditions through mangrove creeks to dives in deep-water trenches, it will have to withstand exposure to some of the Bahamas’ fiercest elements and biggest predators.

Here’s hoping the sharks don’t like the taste of it.

Shooting a nature doc in 4K: Which camera is best?

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Image of diver in Canary Islands shot on Canon EOS-1D C. Credit: Peter Zuccarini

Parallax researcher Kate Webb interviewed Bahama Blue DOP Sean F. White about the cameras he is considering to shoot this groundbreaking wildlife series in 4K.

Buying a camera is always a big decision, but picking one compact enough to haul through swamps and jungles to shoot wildlife in ultra-high definition presents a dizzying array of considerations for cinematographer Sean White.

“I think the hardest part is comparing the different features of these cameras and scrutinizing them with a fine-toothed comb, and then really going back and trying to visualize whether it’s the right tool for the job,” he said.

Sean will primarily be using his camera to shoot creatures on the topside, such as flamingos, parrots and iguanas, but he also plans to swap gear while crisscrossing the tropical archipelago with acclaimed underwater cinematographer Peter Zuccarini, who already uses a Canon EOS-1D C.
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