If you’ve ever Googled “What’s the best video camera?” then you’ll know that there are hundreds of different answers to this question. Even if you qualify your search with “For Beginners” or “On a Budget” there are still so many conflicting opinions out there that you’ll often end up more confused than where you started.

So let’s make it a bit easier shall we? What is the best camera?

As with any choice, picking the right camera is all about weighing the pros and cons for your specific circumstances. Ultimately, a camera is a tool. Depending on what you're trying to create, you might be suited to a different tool than another artist.

So while we can't tell you which camera is the best, we can help break down the different types of cameras and point you towards some considerations to keep in mind when deciding which camera is the best for you.

Considerations#

What’s my budget?#

For many DIY filmmakers this is the limiting factor. Even if you can’t pick a camera based solely on cost, you can certainly narrow it down to a few options that fall in your price range.

However, it’s worth remembering that the camera itself will not be your only expense. You’ll have to consider what other equipment you need to create your film. Trust us, a film shot with a mid-range camera with great lighting and sound is going to seem a heck of a lot more professional than a film shot on a high-end camera with minimal lighting and bad audio.

So when building your budget, we recommend taking a peak at these other posts as well.

• For an introduction to lenses, gimbals, and dollies, check out: Using Your Camera to Achieve a Cinematic Look
• For some advice on picking out your lighting equipment, may we suggest: Lighting
• And for a starter’s guide to microphones, head on over to: Sound Design for Beginners

What am I shooting?#

What makes any tool “good” will differ depending on what you need that tool to do. Are you planning to film yourself sitting at a desk five feet from the lens? Or are you hoping to film cheetahs chasing down antelopes under a bright African sun?

Below are some practical considerations that go hand in hand with what you’re going to shoot.

Camera Size#

Firstly, transporting a heavy camera is logistically trickier than having something tiny you can put in your backpack. If you’re planning to shoot deep in nature or out in public—or if you want to move between locations quickly—then a lighter camera may be the pick for you.

Camera size becomes even more important during the actual shooting process. Tiny cameras are far easier to place in unexpected locations or perform complicated movements with. However, there’s a trade-off, because small cameras will also capture the imperfections in your movement more readily. A tiny shake of your hands will barely register while operating a large camera but could read like an earthquake on an iPhone.

Battery Life#

If you're going to shoot for short bursts of time while staying predominately inside, then battery life isn't a huge concern for you. On the other hand, if you're planning to shoot for long periods of time in the outdoors away from electrical outlets, then you need either a bigger battery or multiple batteries.

“I have no idea what I’m going to shoot with this!”#

First off, it’s okay to have this answer.

There are two kinds of people who will read this post: Those that have something specific in mind that they want to film and those who are excited to film things in general. If you fall into the first camp, you may have an easier time selecting your camera as you can decide what sorts of features and capabilities are most important for your project. Do you need a zoom lens? How about the ability to shoot in low light settings? You already know the answers to these questions.

However, if you fall into the second camp, it can be a bit harder to make your dream-camera checklist. Our advice? Consider getting something inexpensive and all-purpose that will allow you to experiment with different visual styles cheaply. After all, the camera that is top-of-the-line right now is going to be woefully out of date in two years’ time. So if you’re just excited to film anything, then take your time to master an introductory camera.

Video Format and Storage#

Next, you need to ask yourself: "What am I going to do with my footage?" Perhaps one of the most boring aspects of modern digital filmmaking is also one of the most important. What format you're going to shoot in– and what formats your camera is even capable of shooting in– will have far-reaching implications like:

• How much storage space do you need?
• What does your post-production workflow look like?
• Where is this project going to end up? Is it heading to Instagram or will it be projected on a massive screen?

As with so many artistic endeavors, this is all about finding the intersection between practicality and quality. While your initial inclination might be to shoot in the "best" format possible, higher quality footage takes up more storage space, is more difficult to edit with, and often has to be compressed anyway to be uploaded to the internet .

Here’s some things you should keep in mind when looking at a camera’s tech specs:

Resolution#

The resolution of your footage refers to the number of pixels in each frame. Higher resolution means better-quality images, but it also means bigger files which are difficult to store and play back. For the most part, you're going to shoot your footage in one of the following three resolutions:

• 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels)
• 2K (2560 x 1440 pixels)
• 4K (3840 x 2160).

If you shoot in anything lower than that, the image will look noticeably inferior on a modern screen. Likewise, most screens can’t show anything in a higher resolution than 4K anyway so no need to use 8K or 12K unless you have a specific reason to do so.

Compression, Codecs, and Containers#

Compression is the process of encoding a video file so that the file takes up less space. This will make the file more manageable, but will also lessen the quality of your image. At some point during your filmmaking process, your file will be compressed. It's unavoidable! The questions you have to consider are how many times will it happen and how much will be lost.

Codecs and containers are the two main ways that your footage is organized and compressed in a file. See our posts on Video Codecs and Container Formats for more information on how your camera's codec and container will affect your storage and post-production workflow.

A Note on Transcoding#

This is the process of converting your video files from one format to another. This can be done for a number of reasons from the ease of editing to preparing your project for delivery. Note that when footage is transcoded into a lossy format, quality is lost.

Hey, this all sounds like a post-production concern! Why are we talking about it when I'm just trying to learn about cameras?

The first and most pressing reason is that if your video files are too big to store on your budget, then this is going to become a problem well before you even get to post-production. If you have nowhere to put new footage (most commonly because you ran out of hard drive space), then you're going to have to stop filming then and there.

But beyond storage, the reason things like video format and resolution are crucial to consider even while picking your camera is that you need to ensure you have a workflow that makes sense all the way through to the end. For example, if you know you want to do a lot of re-sizing or VFX work, then that will call for shooting in a higher resolution. Or maybe you’d like to use a post-production software that is only compatible with certain video formats. Perhaps most important is the consideration of where your footage will ultimately end up. (For information on how to format your videos for everywhere from YouTube to Instagram check out our post on delivery: LINK).

Put simply, don’t shell out for the camera that can shoot in 8K RAW if you only ever need your footage to be in 2K ProRes.

Types of Camera#

Cameras You (Probably) Won’t Pick#

Before we get into the three main camera options to consider, let’s state upfront that there are two types of camera we won’t be talking about here.

Film Cameras: The days of needing film to get a professional-looking image are long behind us. Film is expensive, complicated, and cumbersome. While many big-time directors still prefer to use it for aesthetic reasons, film likely will not be your starting place for your first projects.

High-End Digital Cameras: Here I'm talking about the sorts of digital cameras frequently used for big budget Hollywood movies, things like the ARRI Alexa or the RED Weapon. Put simply, if you need to consult this guide, best to get a bit of experience under your belt before trying to use a camera that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Now, to be clear: Just because we're taking the most expensive options out of consideration does not mean we've given up on creating a good-looking image. All three types of cameras below have been used to make professional, successful, feature-length films.

Cinema Cameras#

Above: Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro as seen on https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/

These are digital cameras designed specifically for shooting things in motion and not for still photography. They’re made by companies like Blackmagic, Canon, and Sony.

PROS: These cameras are designed to capture moving images so they tend to have large sensors, can often shoot in 4K or better, and have the greatest flexibility for adjusting your image in post-production (color grading, visual effects, or even a lot of re-sizing).

CONS: These cameras are usually a good deal bigger and heavier than the other options. Furthermore, they are expensive and usually cost between $3 and $6 thousand.

EXAMPLES: Blackmagic URSA mini pro ($5,995), Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera ($1,295), Sony FX6 ($5,998), Canon EOS C200 ($5,499, the C300 is more expensive; the C100 is less so).

Mirrorless Cameras and DSLRs#

Above: Sony Alpha 7 III as seen on https://electronics.sony.com

While “Mirrorless” and “DSLRs” are two different types of camera, we're going to include them in the same section since they tend to have similar capabilities and prices. While they’re built with still photography in mind, YouTube is filled with instances of people using these cameras to make astounding moving images. For most budding filmmakers, one of these will be their first camera.

PROS: These are a good deal cheaper and more lightweight than the cinema cameras we just talked about. This is ideal for a filmmaker on the move or with minimal crew or time.

CONS: While certainly less expensive than the cinema cameras, these aren't exactly cheap. A top-notch DSLR or mirrorless camera can cost in the $1 to $3 thousand dollar range. Additionally, while these cameras can make gorgeous images, you tend to have far less flexibility with those images in post-production (due to encoding format) and can occasionally find yourself dealing with issues like moiré (a weird "glitch-y" pattern that sometimes appears around certain textures).

EXAMPLES (Mirrorless): FujiFilm X-T4 ($1,709.95), Sony A7 iii ($2,000), Panasonic Lumix X5 ($1,697.99)

EXAMPLES (DSLR): Canon EOS Rebel SL3 ($648), CanonEOS 5D Mark IV ($2,579), Nikon D850 ($2,474)

Your Phone#

Above: The FiLMiC Pro App in action as seen on https://www.filmicpro.com/

Wait! Hold on! Before you run away screaming that “you wanted your videos to look better than phone footage is the reason you came here in the first place,” hear us out.

We're not talking about whipping out your phone and pushing record on the built-in camera app. Here, we're talking about the FiLMiC Pro app ($14.99 + an additional $6.99 for the "cinematographer's kit") which allows you to take control of the aspects of your phone's camera that are usually locked on “auto.” With this app, you’ll be able to make adjustments to things like white balance, frame rate, shutter speed, ISO, and focus just like you would on any other digital camera.

PROS: Clearly, this is by far the least expensive option. Rather than spending your whole kit budget on a camera, you can supplement your phone with external lenses (check out Moment lenses), quality microphones, and maybe even a gimbal.

CONS: While the cameras get better with every new model, these devices still have limitations stemming from the fact that they are designed first and foremost to work as mobile phones rather than as movie cameras. Accordingly, the sensor is relatively small and the aperture is fixed.

In Conclusion...#

Buying a camera is always a daunting task so hopefully this post helped ease some of the stress and gave you some useful things to ponder. Consider what your financial constraints are, what you logistically want to do with your camera, and what you want to do with your footage once you’ve shot it. The intersection of these categories will tell you which camera is right for you.

We’ll leave you with this. At the end of the day, what camera was used on a project is never as important as who was behind that camera. When digital cameras were just hitting the scene, directors like Michael Mann and Danny Boyle broke new ground by filming entire big-budget movies with them. Today the images in those movies may look “low quality” to modern viewers, but they are still great films. The same is true of modern films shot on iPhones by directors like Sean Baker and Steven Soderbergh. You can tell the camera is cheap, but a good movie is a good movie.

So yes, we know picking a camera can be an agonizing process... But remember it’s what you do with that camera that counts.