There are 2 goals in this article:
Alleviate some of the anxiety that comes when buying a camera
Provide some direction in what camera will work best for you
Have you spent hours browsing pouring over cameras and lenses and lights and microphones and…?
You get the point. I’m not even looking to buy anything, I just love looking at gear! But when I do want to buy something, I can be splitting hairs for hours trying to figure out what the hell I’m going to buy. If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re in the same boat.
Well, when it comes to buying a new camera body, I’ve got good news and bad news!
Bad news: There are a TON of cameras to look at. Like, oh my god, why are there so many!?
Good news: Almost all of them are FANTASTIC!
Seriously, if you picked up a camera in the last three years, you’re going to be able to shoot some awesome video. There is so much competition between camera manufacturers that they literally can’t afford to put out a bad model. Some cameras might have additional or improved features over others, but if you can’t shoot quality video with a modern DLSR or mirrorless camera, it’s not the camera’s fault.
Let’s revisit the question from earlier:
Which is the best one for YOU?
Take a look at what you’ve been shooting recently and think about what you’re going to be shooting next. What features have the potential to streamline your production process or open up your creative possibilities? You need to think about what your own needs are, not what others are telling you is the best camera on the market.
Consider these questions:
Autofocus capability: For years, autofocus in video was thought to be a frivolous addition and a skilled focus puller would always be superior. That remains true, but by a much smaller margin. AF has improved across the board and in some systems, provides value that a focus puller cannot. While Panasonic lags a bit behind in this area, Canon and Sony have made huge innovative leaps forward. If you’re a single shooter or work with a small crew, prime AF features can give you a creative edge and give you more confidence when shooting.
Image Stabilization: Are you going to be doing handheld work that In Body Image Stabilization (IBIS) will help with? Do you prefer prime or vintage lenses that don’t have IS built into them? If you’re mainly shooting on a tripod with limited handheld, IBIS might not be a huge factor to consider. But if you are going to be shooting run and gun, IBIS can offer significant improvements to your shots.
Codecs: Do you need 10 bit color in your codec? Is an intraframe codec that is edit ready right of the camera vital to your post-production? Do you also need a lightweight 8 bit codec? What about slow motion? While a lot of cameras are offering 10 bit now, it might not be a feature you actually need. On the other hand, being able to deliver 10 bit might open your available market and what standards you can deliver to.
Sensor Size: Ultimately, I think people make too big of a deal out of this. But it’s still something to consider. Full frame cameras are almost always more expensive and are usually a little bit larger (but not by much with a mirrorless system). If you’ve used APS-C and Micro 4/3rd sensors and want the features and aesthetics of a FF camera, it might be time to make the switch. (Personal Rant: A FF camera will not make your footage more “cinematic”. This will be achieved through lighting, production design, location… pretty much putting thought into every single decision you make into the production process.)
Lens Ecosystem: If you’ve already bought into a camera line, it can be a big decision to switch. It could make sense to stick with a camera line just because you’ve bought into a lens line and it’s too expensive to switch. Cases where I would recommend switching is if you’re work would excel with an additional feature from a different camera model, or you’re switching from a DSLR to a mirrorless system. For example, if you shot with a Canon 5D mkIII and wanted to switch to a Sony mirrorless camera, all you would have to do is buy an adapter for your lenses and then you would be set.
Hopefully thinking through these different questions helps point you in the right direction. Do your research, talk to people who have used the model your looking at, rent first if you can, but don’t put so much pressure on yourself to find the perfect camera! Whatever you get, I guarantee it will be capable of making great images!
If you need help figuring out what camera would be best for you, I’d be more than happy to help! Drop a comment or shoot me a message.