Canon C300 Sample Test Footage

Here is some C300 Mk II sample footage. Pay attention in particular to the C300’s shallow depth of field, color, low light situations, and slow motion. This video also highlights some nice bokeh effects.

Sony FS7 Sample Test Footage

Here is some FS7 II sample footage. This video has some silhouettes and timelapse examples in addition to FS7 slow motion examples, shallow depth of field, color handling, low light situations, and slow motion.

Canon C300 vs Sony FS7 Tech Specs Compared

Below we’ll compare the technical capabilities of both the Canon C300 Mk II and the FS7 II cameras. How much do these two cameras overlap and how much is different?

Specification	Sony FS7 II	Canon C300 Mk II
Sensor Type:	CMOS	CMOS
Max Resolution:	4K (4096 x 2160)	4K (4096 x 2160)
Max ISO:	ISO 2,000	ISO 25,600
Max Framerate:	60fps (4K), 180fps (1080p)	30fps (4K), 60fps (2K), 120fps (1080p)
ND Filters	5 Settings	3 Settings
LCD Monitor	8.8cm	10.1cm
Video Format(s)	XAVC, MPEG-4 H.264/AVC	MPEG-4 AVC/H.264
Max Bitrate	600Mbps (4k)	160Mbps (4K)
Media Type	XQD Card (Example price)	CFast Card (Example price)
Weight without lens	4.4lbs (2.0kg)	3.9lbs (1.7kg)
Shoulder Mount?	Included, detachable	Requires kit
RAW/Log Modes?	Yes & Yes	Yes & Yes
Price	Check Price	Check Price

Bottom line on technical comparison between the FS7 and the C300: Both cameras are capable of shooting extremely high quality video in resolutions up to 4K. The FS7 can record higher frame rate 4K video at a higher frame rate than the C300, and at a higher maximum bitrate, but it’s also bigger and heavier (comparing both cameras before adding lenses). Both cameras have pretty different form factors which needs to be taken into consideration as well, which brings us to our next section…

Ergonomics of the Sony FS7 vs the Canon C300

While these two cameras record similar quality footage, one key difference between the C300 and the FS7 is that they have slightly different form factors. The Canon camera, perhaps owing to the still camera ancestory, is configured a bit closer to a chunky (but still small) DSLR than a video camera. Meanwhile the Sony, perhaps because of its own video camera heritage, has a form factor that’s more like a traditional video camera.

While both cameras can be set up with rigs to work in any way you desire, it’s worth considering whether this form factor difference will impact your decision to buy either the Canon C300 or the Sony FS7. The FS7 for instance comes with a detachable Smart Grip with rec recording control as well as a zoom controller and more.

What type of media cards do the Sony FS7 & Canon C300 use? Video out options?

The Sony FS7 has two slots for XQD memory cards. The FS7 also has an SD card slot but that’s only used to copy configuration settings from one camera to another (the FS7 cannot record video to SD cards).

Meanwhile, the Canon C300 Mark II has two CF card slots for recording to CFast cards and one memory card slot for SD cards (which are not fast enough to record at the highest quality settings).

In addition, both cameras have HD-SDI video out and HDMI output ports, allowing you to connect an external hard drive for high quality recording to solid state drives, etc. Both cameras can also output a feed to a range of high quality external monitors. Here are the technical specifications of the video output port options on each camera.

C300 Video Out Ports:
2X HD-SDI MON. terminal, REC OUT terminal, HDMI OUT terminal, headphones terminal, SYNC OUT terminal (also serves as GENLOCK terminal), TIME CODE terminal (input/output switching), VIDEO terminal

FS7 Video Out Ports:
BNC(x2), switchable with 3G-SDI/HD-SDI, SMTPE292M/424M/425M, HDMI

What lens mounts do the C300 and FS7 use?

Here’s what the Sony website says about FS7 lens options:

Sony’s α mount lens system offers unsurpassed compatibility with both Sony and third-party lenses. The FS7’s E-Mount can take Cinema lenses and SLR lenses with a third party adaptor, as well as Sony’s E-mount and A-mount lenses. So whether buying new lenses, or making use of lenses you’ve already purchased, the FS7 makes it easy.

Here’s what the Canon website says about C300 lens options:

Expand your creative options by shooting with more than 90 of Canon’s current interchangeable EF and EF Cinema lenses. Servo zoom support further increases shooting versatility. The camera’s EF lens mount can be switched to EF mount with Cinema Lock or to PL mount, and back again by an approved Canon service centre.

Both cameras can also use lens mount adapters to attach other types of lenses.

How much do the FS7 and the C300 cost? Where to buy the FS7/C300

Amazon offers fast shipping and a great return policy on camera equipment.

The post Sony FS7 vs Canon C300: Video Camera Specs, Sample Footage & More (Which pro video camera to buy?) appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

Here are the best high quality action cameras for pro filmmakers

Sony RX0 II 1″ Sensor Ultra-Compact Camera

Sony’s new entrant into the action camera category is an update to its RXO model. The ultra-compact RX0 II comes in a robust, waterproof body perfect for any extreme shooting situation. The biggest upgrade is you can now shoot 4K video internally (3840×2160 24p/30p). This is a mountable compact video camera aimed squarely at the professional filmmaker: it has options for S-Log2, MF assist, picture profiles and more. The Sony RX0’s slow-motion settings allow you to record up to 120 frames per second in HD with a Zeiss f/4 lens and a 1-inch sensor (15.3 megapixels). Capture captivating time-lapse with built-in interval recording between 1 and 60 seconds. Use the mini microphone jack with your favorite external microphone.

Like most action cameras, it’s also waterproof to 33ft (10 meters), shockproof (drops up to 6.5ft/2m), extremely durable, and has wireless controls. Check out some jaw-dropping demo footage that was shot with this tiny action camera:

Vloggers will love the LCD screen that tilts up 180 degrees and down 90 degrees so you can get the perfect selfie angles for Youtube or Instagram videos.

Comes with a rechargeable battery pack, AC adapter, micro USB cable, wrist strap, memory card protector and instruction manual. There’s also a vlogger bundle option that comes with a selfie grip.

GoPro Hero 8 Black

The GoPro wasn’t the first compact action camera but it was the camera that redefined the category. By bringing high-quality imagery to the masses at a low cost and simple controls, the GoPro has become quite common even on some film and TV sets. The latest iteration of the top-of-the-line GoPro Hero Black packs a powerful punch for pros. It records 4K video at up to 60 frames per second and can be cranked all the way up to 240 frames per second at 1080p.

And, importantly, the GoPro Hero Black also features a picture profile called ProTune which allows for advanced color correction (it’s a little like shooting ungraded RAW footage instead of the super-saturated consumer-oriented video modes of many lower-end action cameras). This model is waterproof up to 33 feet (10 meters) without a housing and has a remarkably mature ecosystem for mounts and accessories. Features wifi recording controls for your cell phone.

The built-in camera mount means it’s ready to go with all kinds of GoPro accessories you may already own. If you’re a vlogger or Youtuber, the 1080p live streaming feature is perfect for broadcasting to your followers from anywhere.

Check out this GoPro Hero 8 Black sample footage:

If you’re considering getting a GoPro but you don’t want the pro Hero Black model, see this GoPro comparison chart.

Blackmagic Design Micro Cinema Camera

BlackMagic Design has been coming out with an array of really interesting pro filmmaking cameras lately and the Micro Cinema Camera is no exception. It’s an interchangeable lens camera (you can buy it bundled with a Micro Four Thirds lens here) that doesn’t have a build in LCD. Instead you’ll need to use an external HDMI field monitor or a wireless HDMI solution for setup and operation.

The BlackMagic Micro Cinema Camera is slightly larger in size than a GoPro but it features a pretty incredible 13 stops of dynamic range with a Super 16 size sensor and internal native Cinema DNG RAW and ProRes recording at 1080P. It also has an ISO up to 1600 for low lighting environments.

Check out this test footage shot with the BlackMagic Cinema Camera:

Frequently asked questions about professional action cameras & GoPros

What format does the GoPro shoot in? GoPros record H.264 and H.265 MP4 files that range in resolution from 4K (3840 x 2160) all the way down to 1080p. The top of the line GoPro Hero 8 Black records frame rates up to a full 60 frames per second. Lower resolutions like 2.7K can record at 120 frames per second or an astonishing 240 frames per second in 1080P mode for silky smooth extreme slow-motion effects.

What other types of specialty action camera uses are popular? In addition to action camera use by filmmakers, there are a number of other popular action camera applications these days. are popular, as are cat camera collars/dog collar cameras. Action cameras are also being used with motorcycle helmet camera mounts and the best makeup cameras are also popular among YouTube vloggers.

Why don’t some action cameras have 4K recording onboard? Overheating is always a risk with compact mountable action cameras. Some cameras deal with this by imposing recording time limits and others require the use of external recorders for super high-quality 4K recording modes. Another limitation to recording 4K video is whether or not the media can actually write fast enough– low-speed SDHC memory cards, for instance, may lag or drop frames or corrupt data when trying to record 4K video, so external video recorders that record to SSDs for external video recorders which have very fast write speeds are necessary.

Fortunately, as the technology gets better, we are beginning to see internal 4K recording on more professional action camera models.

Related: External GoPro Microphones

The post The Best Mountable Professional Action Cameras & GoPros for Filmmakers appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

In this article we’re going to break down several different types of specialty video cameras and still camera types, explaining what each one is used for.

Sports video cameras – video cameras for sports have great fast autofocus features and often the ability to shoot video at high frame rates which can feel more lifelike for fast action. High frame rates like 60 frames per second or 120fps can be slowed down during playback for smooth slow-motion effects. For more, see this related article on the best video cameras for shooting sports.

GoPros & Small Mountable Action Cameras

Action cameras – Action cameras like GoPros are small high quality mountable cameras that can go anywhere. For instance they might be mounted to a dirtbiking helmet or even the underside of a skateboard. For more about action cameras, check out these articles: GoPro comparison chart, Which is the Best Go Pro Camera to Get? Which GoPro Should You Get? A Buyers Guide

Mountable professional action cameras & GoPros for filmmakers – These more expensive action cameras shoot high quality video and they’re used by filmmakers and TV camera operators to capture timelapses, POV shots and more. Think of them as ultra-professional GoPros.

Cheap action cameras – A variety of companies have been working to replicate high quality GoPro action cameras for a cheaper price. These cheap GoPro style cameras often shoot high quality video for a fraction of the price of their higher priced name brand competitor. See this related article What is The Best Action Camera Under $100? for more.

Action cameras for kids – Kids action cameras tend to be cheaper because, well, kids are pretty great at breaking stuff. They’re also often waterproof and designed in an easy-to-use way that’s simpler to operate than higher quality action cameras for adults. Check out this related article on kids action cameras for more.

Firefighter helmet cameras – Firefighters sometimes mount cameras to their helmets to capture footage of them doing search & rescue work. The specialized cameras that are used for this purpose have to withstand both heat and water as well as be quite rugged. For more, visit this article on fire helmet cameras.

Dog, Cat & Pet Collar Cameras – Pet video cameras are tiny, light and can typically be attached to a cat or dog’s collar. More information: What are the best dog & cat camera collars & pet cameras? | Best GoPro Dog Mount and GoPro Pet Mounts

Motorcycle helmet camera mounts – Helmet cameras are increasingly popular both for novelty purposes and also as a motorcycle version of car dash cameras that are becoming more and more popular. See this article for additional info: The best motorcycle helmet camera & helmet mounts

Cameras for Specialized Use Cases

Timelapse cameras – Timelapse cameras essentially take one photograph at long intervals and stitch them together into a video, hence timelapse or “interval recording.” This results in “fast motion” video. Timelapse cameras can often be configured to record at different speeds and often can be mounted on tripods.

Underwater cameras – Cameras for underwater use can often go 100 feet deep and can be used for snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, surfing use and more. Waterproof cameras are usually not waterproof because they themselves resist water but rather because they fit into waterproof camera housings. True waterproof cameras are slowly becoming more popular though like the newest GoPro cameras. See this related article about cameras for scuba and surfing use: What is the Best GoPro Underwater Camera?

The best camera for makeup artists is often a DSLR because it’s easy to operate and can provide shallow depth of field. These are useful for beauty vloggers. See this article on the best makeup camera.

360 Cameras – 360 degree cameras capture video in an especially wide field of view– 360 degrees! This is becoming increasingly popular for virtual reality or “VR” use. These cameras often work by combining two or more wide angle lenses on opposite sides of the camera body. For more on how they work, see this article: 360 Degree Videos & Photos

Drone cameras – Drones are like mini-helicopters that typically use several rotor blades that spin. They are remote controlled and often have cameras mounted on them to get “aerial” photography or video capture. Some advanced drones have cameras that simulatenously transmit video to the remote control so you can see the drone’s eye view as you fly it. The Best Cheap Drones with Camera for Under $100.

Professional Video Cameras

Pro video cameras – Professional video cameras are used by filmmakers and documentarians to capture high quality images with a variety of exposure settings, manual controls and high quality audio inputs (XLR inputs). See our related article on the best documentary cameras.

Documentary film DSLRs – Some documentary filmmakers use DSLR cameras because they are cheap and can capture beautiful images with their large sensors (plus they can shoot great high resolution still photos too). For more, see this article on Best DSLRs for documentary filmmaking.

4K Video cameras – 4K video cameras capture extremely high resolution video, roughly double the size of normal 1080p high definition video. 4K video can be useful for high end video distribution in movies and television and it can also be cropped if it’s being delivered in 1800p mode, allowing the editor to “zoom” in after the footage has been shot. See our related articles on the cheapest 4K video cameras and DSLRs that shoot 4K video.

Consumer Video Cameras

Camcorders – Camcorders are small and easy to use video cameras for personal use. People use camcorders to record kids soccer games or opening presents on Christmas morning.

Driving & Dash Cameras – Dashboard cameras are video cameras that are mounted inside your car pointing to record the driver’s view as they travel. Dash cams are especially popular in Russia where car insurance works a bit differently but they’re becoming increasingly popular in places like the United States as well.

Outdoor Video Cameras for Hunting

Action cameras for hunting – Hunting cameras often attach directly to rifles or bows. Some work with night vision and high speed recording modes and will come with their own mounting gear. More: What is the best action camera for hunting?

Deer cameras & trail cameras – Trail cameras typically attach to a tree and are left out in the woods for days at a time. Advanced deer cameras can be set to only record when there is motion (motion activated) and can be used to figure out where game is located for hunt planning later.

Security Cameras

Security cameras – Security cameras, some of which are wireless, others of which are IP cameras, can be set up mounted on walls and other surfaces to record whatever happens in a room or outdoors. These cameras are not typically very high quality since they have to store recordings for a long period of time but newer security cameras including security cameras for home use can record in color 1080p. Others types of security cameras might be night vision cameras.

Related:
Complete Documentary Filmmaking Equipment List

The Complete Microphone & Audio For Film/Video Guide

The post The Complete Guide to Specialty Cameras & Video Camera Types appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

If you want to skip down the page straight to our recommended ball joint tripods, click here ↓.

But first, let’s define our terms.

What is a ball joint tripod or ball head tripod?

A tripod with ball head is a specific type of video tripod or tripod for still photography that uses a ball joint instead of a traditional pan and tilt head. With a high quality ball tripod mount you can still pan and tilt as you would with a normal tripod, but you also have the ability to adjust your camera to a virtually unlimited number of odd angles in addition.

Advantages of ball joint tripod heads for still photographers & video shooters

Different people prefer different types of tripod styles. What’s great for one person might not be perfect for everyone or every individual shooting situation. With that said, here are some advantages that using a tripod with ball head might provide you with, regardless of whether you’re a still photographer or a filmmaker:

• Ball tripods can be very quick and easy to set up because you can “level” them (often with a built in bubble level) rapidly, making them ideal for fast-paced run and gun shooting
• Tripods with ball joints are easy to deploy on uneven surfaces such as hills or outdoors because they can adjust to virtually any custom angle, which may not be as easy with pan and tilt tripods
• Using a ball head tripod may make it easier to “follow” a subject that is moving around (e.g. at sports events or as a person paces around a room)

With that said, let’s take a look at some options for the best ball head tripods.

The best tripods with ball heads

K&F Lightweight Aluminum DSLR Tripod

If you’re looking for the best ball head tripod under $100, this model could be a good fit. It’s one of the best budget ball head tripods with a quick release plate for easy deployment and it weighs a mere 2.5 pounds. Fully extended it reaches up to 62 inches (just over 5 feet or 1.5 meters), and collapsed it measures only 18 inches. Because it uses a ball head tripod head, it can achieve all sorts of odd angles that you might not easily reach with a regular old pan and tilt head tripod. The ball joint head on this tripod also has a bubble level which lets you judge whether or not it’s straight, even on un-even surfaces. Its maximum load capacity is an astonishing 22 pounds (10 kilograms), so it’s heavy duty despite being lightweight itself. This also makes it a solid travel tripod.

Manfrotto Element Traveler Lightweight Tripod

If you’re looking for a very high quality ball head tripod for DSLRs or other light cameras, this tripod might fit the bill perfectly. It weighs a mere 3.5 pounds (!) and can handle a maximum load of more than 17 pounds. Its folded length is just 16 inches but it expands to a height of 57 inches, or over four feet. This is a great travel tripod with a ball head and it’s size is ideal for still photographers who need a sturdy professional grade set of sticks. Like other pro level tripods, this one features a quick release lock system that allows you to mount and unmount your camera on and off the tripod with just a swift click of a single latch, instead of endless twisting around a mount screw. The Manfrotto Element Traveler tripod is one of the best ball head tripods under $200. (Its lack of a handle grip for panning will make it not ideal for video shooting however. Keep scrolling down if you need a ball head tripod with a pan handle for shooting video.)

Manfrotto MVH502A + 546BK-1 Professional Fluid Video System with Aluminum Legs and Mid Spreader (Black)

This professional level Manfrotto ball-head tripod is extremely solid and able to support cameras that weigh up to 15 pounds. Featuring reinforced legs, this tripod also has a detachable mid-height spreader which helps you rapidly deploy or fold up the tripod without having to fumble with individual legs. The MVH502A head and the 546BK-1 legs combine to make a fluid tripod system provides silky smooth motion when you’re panning, tilting, or following a subject as they move. It also has a generous pan handle with a padded grip and sturdy feet.

Like other high quality ball head tripod for video this model has adjustable drag on nearly all of its moving parts so you can control how quick or smooth your pans and tilts are (on a scale from whip fast when they’re set to loose to molasses slow when the tension knobs and dials are set to tight). The legs are two stage and fold into a surprisingly compact length of about 33 inches. The maximum height of this ball joint tripod is 66 inches, or about 5’6″.

Sachtler 1001 Ace Fluid Head Tripod

The Sachtler 1001 camera tripod with ball head is a very sturdy pro level tripod with pan bar. It features a mid-height spreader which makes these sticks quick to deploy and fold up without stooping too far down. It weighs an astonishingly light 3.7 pounds, it can accommodate up to about 8 pounds, so small DSLRs and similar cameras are perfectly sized. With adjustable levels of drag you can pan and tilt and do other camera movements in either a silky slow smooth motion or a fast whip-like jerk and anywhere in between.

Sachtler Ace XL Tripod System

If you need a heavy duty tripod with a ball joint head to support a heavy camera, consider this pro level Sachtler model. It can support almost 20 pounds (the tripod itself weighs about 9 pounds so it’s quite sturdy). It folds into 34 inches when it’s collapsed into its included tripod carrying case and can expand up to 68 inches tall (5’8″ or 172 centimeters). The fluid head on this ball joint tripod allows for smooth precise camera motions and the generously sized pan handle makes camera movement easy to control. The Sachtler Ace XL also comes fitted with a detachable ground spreader which you can use to quickly deploy or retract making it a great ENG tripod for news reporters in fast paced run and gun style shooting situations.

Frequently asked questions about ball head tripods

Can you adjust the level of drag on a tripod with ball head?

Yes! At least you can on professional level ball head tripods. Cheaper models of ball tripods may not have pro features like adjustable pan or tilt drag or tightness/looseness on the ball joint itself, but high end tripods like the Manfrotto or Sachtler models listed above do allow for extensive customization of drag levels which let you choose how rapidly or slowly you want to make camera movements.

What is the difference between a tripod for still photography vs a video tripod?

There are a few differences between tripods meant for video vs tripods meant for still photography. The most obvious may be the weight class of camera that the tripod is designed to support. Video cameras traditionally have been heavier and larger than still cameras so video tripods usually can accommodate heavier payloads, whereas photo tripods haven’t needed to be quite as sturdy (although some pro still DSLRs can get pretty heavy when you attach long telephoto lenses like you see at pro sporting events).

Similarly, photo tripods tend to be thinner and more slender whereas video tripods are often more chunky, heavier and bigger.

Another difference between still camera tripods and tripods for filming or video is that video tripods are designed to allow smooth camera motions. Movements like pans from side to side or tilts up and down can be jerky on a cheaper still photography tripod because the manufacturers of those tripods assume their users are going to be taking photos so it doesn’t matter. But tripods that are intended for video use fluid heads that make motion smooth. Higher end fluid head tripods have adjustable levels of drag or resistance that can make pans or tilts faster or slower but still smooth.

What is the best lightweight ball head tripod?

For still photo use, we love the Manfrotto Element tripod. If you’re shooting video within a budget, we’d go with the Manfrotto MVH502A. If budget is no object and you’re shooting video, we might consider the Sachtler Ace XL for its sturdy build quality and good warranty.

The post What is a ball head tripod? What are the best tripods with ball joints? appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

Best HDMI & HD-SDI External Video Recorders for Pro Cameras – High End

Atomos Shogun Flame 4K HDMI/SDI Recording Monitor

The Atomos Shogun Flame is an extremely high end two in one product. It both provides a 7 inch external display monitor that is so bright it doesn’t need a sun hood, as well as high quality SSD recording capabilities from either HDMI or HD-SDI inputs directly from your professional video camera or even DSLR. It can write to disk 4K/HD 10-bit Apple ProRes/Avid DNxHR, Sony & Canon Raw to ProRes/DNxHR as serve as a pass through conversion device, translating one format to another on the fly like pulldown removal, etc. The Atomos Shogun Flame is capable of recording 4K and 2K at up to 30 frames per second and 1080P at up to 120 frames per second. Can record on 2.5″ SSDs at up to uncompressed true 10-bit or 8-bit 422 as well as various Sony SLOG, Canon CLog Arri Log C Panasonic Vlog JVC JLog and Red LogFilm.

Ports: HDMI in & out, HD-SDI in & out, includes two XLR audio inputs as well. Runs off of Sony NP batteries or DC power. Additional specsheet here. Also available in kit format with mounting accessories, HDMI cables and more. Note: If you’ll be connecting to your camera via HDMI only and you don’t need additional SDI in and outputs, consider the lower priced Ninja Flame.

Atomos Shogun Flame 4K HDMI/SDI Recording Monitor

In a nutshell, the Atomos Ninja Blade and Samurai Blade SSD field recorders are a lower-end version of the Shogun Flame and Ninja Flame products. The difference is that they don’t support 4K recording as the other higher-end models do. The Ninja Blade supports HDMI recording while the Samurai Blade supports HD-SDI input recording so what type of outputs your camera has will determine which model is more appropriate for your use. If you don’t need 4K recording, these are solid choice recorders with many of the same features as the higher-end 4K models at a fraction of the price. Key differences besides the lack of 4K: the touchscreen is two inches smaller (only 5″ instead of 7″), and it doesn’t support the various Log formats that the Flame SSD recorders do. (Related: Best 2.5″ Solid State Drives (SSDs) for Atomos Ninja & Blackmagic Hyperdeck Video Recorders)

Blackmagic Design Video Assist 4K, 7″ High Resolution Monitor with Ultra HD Recorder

Blackmagic Design’s entrant into the high-resolution external video recorder market is the Video Assist 4K which features a high quality 7 inch touch screen and records 10-Bit ProRes and DNxHD or DNxHR footage at 4:2:2. Unlike the Atomos models, the Blackmagic version records on SDHC memory cards, and receives signals from either HD-SDI input or HDMI (it also features an “out” port for each of these, making four video ports in total). Also includes two XLR audio inputs as well as a headphone port for confidence monitoring. Runs off of two Canon DSLR batteries. If you don’t need 4K video recording, also consider the little brother model: the Blackmagic Design Video Assist at about half the price.

Best HDMI & HD-SDI External Video Recorders for Pro Cameras – Budget Friendly

Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Shuttle 2 SSD Video Recorder

The Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Shuttle 2 is a great cheap external video recorder that writes high bitrate ProRes and DNxHD to 2.5″ hard drives. Unlike most of the Atomos products, the Blackmagic HyperDeck doesn’t include a monitor which might be a benefit to you since it is able to be lighter and smaller as a result.

The Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Shuttle 2 also records with either HDMI or SDI input and provides HDMI and SDI out so it can be used as a passthrough recorder to feed into an external monitor; it’s not just a dead end. Like other HDMI external video recorders, the HyperDeck Shuttle 2 allows you to bypass your camera’s low bitrate compression (i.e. AVCHD or MPEG compression) at around, say, 30mb/S and record barely-compressed 220mb/s edit-ready ProRes or DNxHD. Comes with an internal battery.

Atomos Ninja Star Pocket-Size ProRes Recorder & Deck with Atomos 64GB C-Fast Card

The Ninja Star is the Atomos answer to Blackmagic’s HyperDeck Shuttle 2, which lacks a screen. Despite being around the same price (only a $40 price difference at the time of this writing) are some key differences between the two models, however. For one, the Blackmagic external video recorder accepts HDMI and SDI input, while the cheaper Ninja Star only accepts HDMI. Second, the Ninja Star only records ProRes, not Avid formats like DNxHD. And thirdly, the Atomos Ninja Star DSLR video recorder is quite a bit smaller than the HyperDeck Shuttle 2, owing to the fact that it records on CFast cards (you might know them as high capacity, high-speed Compact Flash cards) instead of 2.5″ hard drives which the Shuttle 2 uses. Runs off an internal battery.

Factors to consider when choosing an external Video Recorder

Which video codecs does this professional video solid-state recorder offer? You may be using a ProRes workflow or you might be using an AVID codec workflow, but making sure your video recorder is compatible with your intended Post-production workflow is an obvious first step. And of course, you’ll also want to check the frames per second and resolution options like 4K and high-speed recording too.

What kind of batteries does this recorder use? Most of the Atomos external video recorders use Sony NP batteries which are cheap and easy to use, while the cheap external video recorders in this article have internal batteries.

How much do size and weight matter to me? Will you be running and gunning with this system or will you mostly be shooting on a tripod with plenty of space for an expansive rig?

Do I need an additional external video monitor? Some external SSD video recorders like the Atomos Flame models provide larger LCD screens that your camera will, can you kill two birds with one stone by combining your video monitor with your recorder?

How will I connect and mount the field video recorder on my camera? Browse for mounts, HDMI cables and BNC video cables.

Which SSD (solid state drive) should I use with this video recorder? Check our article: Best 2.5″ Solid State Drives (SSDs) for Atomos Ninja & Blackmagic Hyperdeck Video Recorders

The post Best HDMI & SDI External Video Field Recorders for Pro Cameras appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

Best 2.5″ Solid State Disks (SSDs) for Atomos Ninja & Blackmagic Hyperdeck Video Recorders

SanDisk Extreme Pro Solid State Drive SSD, Sata 3.0

The SanDisk Extreme Pro series is their top of the line performance model 2.5 inch SSD targeted towards media professionals. It’s optimized for extremely fast recording and reliability, rated at a sequential write speed of up to 515MB/s, a read speed of slightly faster, and a transfer rate of 6GB/s so getting media on and off this SSD is extremely fast. This SSD is available in three sizes: 240GB, 480GB and 960GB. The SanDisk Extreme Pro has gotten extraordinarily good reviews and is one of the industry-standard choices for SSDs to use with external hard disk video recorders, and is supported by both the Blackmagic Design Hyperdeck as well as the Atomos recorders in up to 4K.

Samsung 850 Pro 2.5 inch SSD, Sata 3.0

The Samsung 850 line includes several SSDs appropriate for external video recording with an HDMI or HDSDI device like an Atomos Ninja or Blackjmagic Design Hyperdeck recorder. It is rated slightly faster than the SanDisk Extreme Pro at 520MB/s rather than 515, and comes in more size options: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and even a new 2TB option. Note that the Samsung 850 Pro model is only suggested for HD recording to devices like the Atomos Shogun Flame, Ninja Flame and Ninja Assassin models, not 4K. The Hyperdeck gives this model thumbs up to record uncompressed 10-bit video using its Hyperdeck.

Intel 530 Series Solid State Drives, SATA 3.0

Although Intel is better known for making computer processors, it’s also got an impressive SSD business. Intel’s 530 Series SSDs are quite well reviewed and rated by both Atomos and Blackmagic to work with their video recording products.

The 530 Series offers drives in sizes ranging from 120GB to 240GB and are considered an affordable choice for SSD video recorders. Writes at up to 490MB/S.

Angelbird AV Pro MKII Professional SSD, Sata 3.1 500 GB Drive

The lesser known Angelbird also provides a range of SSDs certified to work with several SSD video recorders like those made by Atomos and Blackmagic. The AV Pro line, intended for video recording in mind is available in up to 500 gigabytes and writes at up to 430MB/S. Their WRK line of SSDs is also certified to work with many video recorders and comes in other size options up to 1TB.

Factors to consider when choosing an SSD for an external HDMI or HDSDI video recorder

The Size of the SSD: This isn’t a clear cut argument in favor of larger SSDs– there’s an old DP maxim that the larger the recording medium (be it tape, memory card or SSD), the more data that gets lost if something goes wrong. In other words, if there’s an equipment failure it’d be better to only lose 30 minutes of footage on a smaller SSD rather than an entire day’s worth of footage on a giant one. On the other hand, if you’re recording at a particularly high data rate, you might decide you want the largest disk you can get. And of course, there are other reasons to go big, like if you need to capture an uninterrupted event over a span of several hours, or if you’re using it as a backup while also recording internally on your camera’s memory cards as well.

The Cost of the SSD: If you only have a limited budget, you’ll have to choose wisely how to spend it. Even though these are all fairly reliable drives, we’d probably rather get two smaller SSDs instead of only one giant SSD.

The Write-speed of the SSD: Not all SSDs are created equal. And even among two SSDs that have the same listed write speed, the performance of one may not be the same as the other. For instance, SanDisk confusingly makes both Ultra II SSDs and Extreme Pro SSDs that are rated for 515mb/s write speed, though the Extreme Pro performs more reliably and faster in a real-world environment. Samsung has a similar gap between its consumer-focused 850 Evo SSD line and its 850 Pro line (the Pro lineup has faster write speeds and is predicted to last longer over time and be more reliable, though it’s slightly more expensive).

How will I know if the SSD I’m considering will work with my recorder? Blackmagic publishes a list of hard disks that work with its Hyperdeck recorders, as does Atomos.

The post Best 2.5″ Solid State Drives (SSDs) for Atomos Ninja & Blackmagic Hyperdeck Video Recorders appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

The best small mountable action camera for shooting sports

If you’re interested in buying a small camera that you can mount to shoot sports– say, a camera to attach to the back of a soccer goal, or above a basketball hoop, or even on the end of a hockey stick, a GoPro Hero is a natural choice. You can mount their cameras on poles, goals, handlebars, helmets and even your chest using their action camera mounting kits.

GoPro has made a name for itself as being the ultimate small action camera, plus they’re waterproof, dust-proof, and shock-proof when you put them inside their (included) cases! They’re definitely one of the best video cameras for sports, and the latest GoPro action cameras are smaller and lighter than ever, delivering incredible quality video and still images. They’re also rugged and shoot up to 4K video and HD at high frame rates which allows you to slow the video down afterward for unbelievable time-stopping slow-motion effects which can be especially fun for dramatic sports moments.

You may also be interested in considering cheap GoPro alternatives. See also: Which GoPro Should You Get?

The Best Cheap Camcorder for Sports

The Sony HD Video Recording HDRCX405 Handycam Camcorder is a terrific choice if you’re interested in a traditional handheld camcorder to shoot sports with that won’t break the bank. Here’s what we love about it: it’s small and light, shoots on ubiquitous and cheap high capacity Micro SD cards, offers good battery life, and most importantly, it shoots in full 1080P HD at 60 frames per second. Have you ever noticed how sports look different when you’re watching them on broadcast television, versus movies? That’s because the best video cameras for sports that the pros use shoot at 60 frames per second, about double the frame rate of scripted fictional content like movies. Shooting sports is all about capturing fast motion and high frame rates can capture all that detail.

The Best Semi-Pro Video Camera for Sports Shooting

The Panasonic HC-X1000 4K Ultra HD 60p/50p Professional Camcorder is an excellent video camera for sports shooting. Why? Let’s tick off the features: high frame rate recording at 60P for smooth fast motion and slow-motion? Check. Ability to shoot in 4K ultra-high definition? Check (even at high frame rates!). Super long-lasting battery life? Check. Long 20x zoom capability? Check. Super-good autofocus? Check. Manual exposure controls and great audio? Check and check. Those are all the components of the best video camera for sports in our opinion, and the Panasonic HC-1000 passes with flying colors.

Also, consider reading our Panasonic DVX 200 review of a bigger brother camera to the HC-X1000 which offers an even better lens and the ability to capture even more gorgeous cinematic video.

Common questions about finding the best video camera for sports

How do I shoot slow motion like the instant replays I see on television?

For great-looking slow-motion footage, you’ll need to shoot at 60 frames per second. Once you’ve loaded the footage on your computer, you can use a video editing program to slow that footage down by about half the speed (or more, or less, depending on your desired effect). If you’re using a GoPro you can use the free downloadable GoPro editing software to slow down your footage.

What is the best still camera for shooting sports?

You may want to consult this page of still cameras for shooting sports photos to find a great still camera for photographing sports events. You’ll probably want to pick a camera that has a long zoom lens (if it doesn’t have interchangeable lenses), as well as the ability to shoot many still photos per second (burst mode) to capture fast action so you can choose the best action shots later.

What is the best video camera for extreme sports?

For capturing extreme sports where a rugged mountable is needed like mountain biking or white water rafting, we’d recommend getting a GoPro Hero or GoPro Session camera. The GoPro Session is a new smaller version of the GoPro which is cube-shaped instead of rectangular and is even smaller and lighter than the original GoPro action camera, but still shoots in several high-quality modes. One other benefit of shooting with a GoPro is that they also offer a wide field of view, allowing you to capture a lot of action close up such as mounted on a helmet or chest.

Any other tips for sports shooting?

Regardless of what camera you choose, be sure to purchase additional memory cards and rechargeable batteries, because you never know how long an event might end up being, and you don’t want to miss the end of it just because you ran out of battery power or memory space to capture it all (in some cases you might also want to spend a bit extra to get especially large memory cards so you can capture, say, the entire first half of a fast-moving basketball game without needing to swap cards and then swap cards during half-time). Additionally, a tripod can enhance just about any sports video as well as save your arms (if you’re shooting your kid’s entire football game you probably know what we mean by that). Specifically, we’d recommend getting a fluid head tripod which will allow you to easily pan in a smooth fashion, unlike cheaper tripods meant for still photography. Fluid head tripods are only slightly more expensive but will result in much better video. If a tripod seems too much or if you feel too awkward lugging one to a game, you could also consider a monopod instead, which has only one pole but will still save your arms by the end of a long game.

Related:

Best Video Tripods for Filmmakers

What is the best documentary filmmaking software?

The best royalty free production music?

The post What is the Best Video Camera for Sports Shooting? appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

The Panasonic DVX 200 (check current price on Amazon) is out now and people are wondering: is it worth it? Although the DVX200 looks a lot like many other traditional pro video cameras, it’s actually a brand new type of camera under the hood. We’ll go over some of the differences and similarities between the DVX 200 and other cameras, and we’ll also look at the bottom line: is it worth the money?

What makes the Panasonic DVX 200 special?

For years now we’ve seen a fierce competition between DSLR type cameras, with large sensors capable of capturing shallow depth of field and otherwise “cinematic” images (like better color management) on the one side, and run and gun documentary filmmakers and videographers who demand a more traditional pro video camera features like manual controls and quick setup on the other side. Examine the following still frame from a short film below:

If you had to guess, you’d probably guess at first glance that it was shot on a DSLR with a large sensor and an interchangeable lens, or at the least something like a pricey Canon C300 hybrid camera and a lens worth a few grand too. But in reality, this is actually a still frame from a short film shot with a traditional body video camera: the Panasonic DVX200.

Watch the full film below, and then continue to read our analysis.

The Panasonic DVX 200 is the first camera out there to combine a long zoom lens with a large sensor format. In other words, it combines the excellent run and gun manual features that documentary filmmakers look for (so you won’t be fiddling around in menu systems forever) with the cinematic image quality of a DSLR or other large sensor type camera. Although its lens is fixed (non-interchangeable, its zoom is the equivalent of 29mm to 384mm on a 35mm camera (!).

The DVX200 also has quite good low light ability including F2.8, 18db of gain and high ISO.

Of course we would be remiss if we didn’t mention that due to its mixed lineage, the DVX 200 has excellent autofocus: perhaps the best autofocus of a large sensor camera priced at under $10,000 yet.

Key Panasonic DVX200 Features:

– Shoots in 4K, 1080P up to 60P for silky smooth slow motion even at high resolutions

– Frame rates up to 120FPS for impossibly slow “time just stopped” motion

– 12 stops of dynamic range (you probably noticed the short film above was shot with available light)
– V-Log for excellent color reproduction

– Dual XLR audio inputs

– HDMI and BNC video out for use with external pro video recorders at even higher quality

– Shoots on cheap SDXC memory cards

– Records in MP4 or MOV format at an extremely high bitrate of approximately 150mb/s

Things to note

Impressively, the camera weighs just 6 pounds. That may not sound that impressive but it begins to sound even better when you start to count up the weights of all the accessories you don’t need: like a complicated DSLR stabilization rig or rails. And the Panasonic DVX 200 has built in ergonomic features as well: like a top handle with mini zoom rocker for carrying and low angle shots and a comfortable side handle grip are already built in.

What else can come from this interesting marriage of the large sensor and traditional pro video camera? Well, the Panasonic DVX200 also has incredibly good image stabilization capabilities which are much more common in traditional pro video cameras than in large sensor DSLR type cameras (image stabilization has recently been catching up on DSLRs but is still well behind that of larger traditional video cameras). And of course it also comes with a zoom rocker, for super smooth zooms at adjustable speeds (if you’re used to shooting on DSLRs and trying to zoom without a focus puller accessory that probably made your mouth water a bit).

Another feature the Panasonic DVX 200 features is built in neutral density (ND) filters for bright shooting environments or shooting wide open to get shallow depth of field even on bright days. (ND filters are of course another feature missing on DSLR cameras that require screw on filters which take up much more time to set up and dismantle, whereas when they’re built into a camera like the DVX200 you can manually flip them on and off at the flip of a conveniently placed lever on the side of the camera body). This camera also has a special macro close up mode for getting detailed insert shots or extreme close ups.

Of course we’d always recommend buying multiple extra batteries for any camera you use (get them for the DVX 200 here), but we’ve been impressed by how long the included battery lasts: up to three hours on a single charge (try getting that on a DSLR battery).

The bottom line on the Panasonic DVX200

We’re quite impressed with both the footage quality and unique hybrid features of the Panasonic DVX200. Like the Panasonic HVX 200 that proceeded it years ago and was the first HD camera popular with indie filmmakers, we wouldn’t be surprised if the DVX 200 turns out to be the first truly popular 4K video camera for indie filmmakers and documentary filmmakers.

The high bitrate HD and 4K footage quality coming out of this camera and its ability to capture cinematic footage in a wide range of shooting conditions from run and gun to formal sit down interview setups is formidable. Is it worth it? It would be compelling even at $6,000 or more but at a price point well below that, it’s hard for us to say no to the DVX200. Our bottom line on this camera is that it’s extremely flexible and well suited to a wide range of shooting needs and styles for both right now and well into the future. We expect other future cameras to follow the pattern it’s set.

Where to buy the Panasonic DVX 200?

We’ve scouted all the usual camera sites and it looks like the best price can be found on Amazon, about $500 below list price as of the time of this writing. (And of course Amazon also has the most buyer-friendly return policy on the net in case you decide the Panasonic DVX200 isn’t what you want.)

Related:

Best Documentary Filmmaking Cameras in 2019

The post Is the Panasonic DVX 200 worth it? appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

A documentary filmmaking video camera

You can’t really have much of a documentary film without the film part. These days documentary filmmakers usually shoot on one of two types of cameras: either a professional video camera, with full sized manual controls and audio inputs, or a documentary film DSLR— basically a still camera that also shoots video and captures beautiful video that can look more cinematic than a traditional pro video camera. Both have benefits and drawbacks and we’d encourage you to consider each carefully. Here are our quick picks:

Quick Picks:

If you’re looking for a great traditional pro video camera, consider the Panasonic HC-X1000:

If you’re looking for a great documentary film DSLR, consider the Panasonic GH4:

If you’re looking for a budget documentary film camera, consider the Canon VIXIA HFG20:

Read our related articles for more about choosing a documentary film camera: What is the Best Cheap Documentary Camera for Filmmaking in 2016? Best Documentary Film DSLRs 5 Best Cameras for Documentary Filmmaking Best Traditional Pro Video Cameras

XLR audio adapters

With video out of the way, it’s time to think about audio. Most professional documentary filmmakers don’t rely on their camera’s onboard microphone for the simple reason that it’s not powerful enough to pick up many sounds.

Full sized professional video cameras have XLR audio inputs allowing them to accept the large input professional audio accessories that documentary filmmakers often use– things like boom microphones or lavalier microphones that clip on to a person’s shirt. If you chose a video camera that doesn’t have XLR audio inputs– say a DSLR or a camcorder, you’ll either need to use special shotgun microphones that work with DSLRs and/or lavalier microphones that work with DSLRs, or you’re going to need a DSLR XLR audio adapter. If your video camera has XLR inputs, you can skip this item.

Quick Pick:

If you’re looking for a great DSLR/camcorder XLR audio adapter, consider the BeachTek DXA-2T:

Lavalier Microphones

Lavalier, lav mics or lapel microphones are used extremely frequently in documentary films– much more so than Hollywood’s fiction films (though they sometimes use lavs too). Lavalier microphones clip on to your documentary film subject’s clothing and capture audio wirelessly while you’re shooting them from across the room. They’re also useful in sit down interview setups or when shooting any other event where you need to be physically separate from the person you’re filming.

Quick Picks:

If you’re looking for a great wireless lav that the pros use, consider the Sennheiser G3/G4:

If you’re looking for a cheaper lavalier that won’t break the budget, consider the Movo WMIC70:

Read our Related articles for more about choosing a wireless lavalier microphone:
Lavaliere Microphones for Documentary Film
The Best Lav Mics For DSLR Cameras

Boom Microphones, Boom Poles, Shock Mounts, & XLR cables

In order to pick up great sound from people who aren’t wearing lavalier microphones, documentary filmmakers often rely on a sound technician who is holding a long boom pole with a microphone affixed to the end of it. When there are multiple audio sources to juggle– say a wireless lavalier or two as well as a boom pole, that sound technician will also be wearing a portable sound mixer (like this one) which divides these inputs before plugging into the camera.

If you’re looking for a great kit including boom pole, boom microphone, mic shock mount & and XLR with XLR cable coiled inside it, consider this Rode NTG-3 kit:

Filmmaking Headphones

Having a good microphone is important but it will only get you so far unless you have a great pair of headphones to monitor the sounds being recorded for your documentary film. The Sony MDR-7506 headphones first came out more than 20 years ago and today are the defacto standard on film sets.

If you’re looking for a great pair of filmmaking headphones, consider the Sony MDR-7506s:

Alternatively check out some of the other best headphones for filmmakers & editors.

A Tripod

Even documentaries that consist of a lot of “run and gun” footage where time is limited and you’re shooting as you follow events rely on tripods a lot of the time. For instance documentary filmmakers use tripods when shooting sit down interviews or getting nice stable establishing shots of the outside of buildings before they go inside. Fluid head tripods allow you to get smooth pan and tilt shots without jerky reframing, unlike smaller and cheaper photo tripods.

If you’re looking for a great affordable video tripod, consider the Magnus VT-4000 Fluid Head Tripod:

Learn more about this tripod

For more about tripods, read our related article: What is the best video tripod for filmmaking?

Extra Memory Cards & Batteries

A professional documentary filmmaker never goes on a shoot without several more fully charged camera batteries and several more memory cards than they think they could ever possibly need. Documentaries capture real life and sometimes real life runs long unexpectedly. You never know when you’ll need extra SDHC memory cards for your camera, camcorder batteries or AA batteries for your lav mic because of a shoot that ran long, and there’s no worse feeling than having to wrap before you want to because you’re out of batteries or out of memory cards. Every documentarian has probably run into this situation at least once and vows to never run into it ever again.

Get extra memory cards, extra batteries, and a memory card carrying wallet case.

Equipment bags & Carrying Cases

Equipment bags or cases may not be sexy but they’re extremely necessary to protect all your equipment. If you’re a first time filmmaker you might ask yourself “Wait, can I really afford to buy an expensive camera case on top of my already expensive camera?” But pros know to ask themselves “Can I afford not to have an expensive camera case to protect my expensive camera?”

Browse the best film/video hard equipment cases, soft camera bags and backpacks, and tripod carrying cases.

Interview lighting kit

Most documentary films have at least one formal sit down interview, and often have many. A good documentary film interview lighting kit is important to get interview footage that doesn’t embarrass you.

If you’re looking for a great cheap interview lighting kit, consider the DayFlo EZ Lite 3-Fixture Lighting Kit:

Learn more about this lighting kit

Reflectors & on Camera Lights

Of course, you can’t always bring a nice big lighting kit everywhere you go when you’re shooting a documentary film. This isn’t a Hollywood movie after all. If you’re shooting outdoors, reflectors are extremely useful when doing stand-up interviews. They allow you to bounce the light from the sun on to your subject’s face and provide more even lighting than the sun would provide (and also help to even out shadows). For indoors, having a small and lightweight camera mounted light can save the day and turn an otherwise unusable shooting situation into something usable.

Consider this five in one handheld reflector kit and this on camera light.

Hard Drives & RAID systems for Video Editing

Once you’ve shot your film, you’ll need to edit it and make sure it’s backed up properly on multiple external hard drives so even if your computer crashes you won’t be out of luck. We always say that you should consider the value of the hard drive with your footage on it not just the few hundred dollars you paid for it– but the cost of the total budget of your film. In other words, that hard drive isn’t worth just the $500 you paid for it– it’s worth however many thousands of dollars your entire budget is because that’s how much it would cost to recreate your film if the footage was lost!

Consider this hard drive and this portable rugged drive.

Learn more about these hard drives

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Hopefully you found this list of documentary filmmaking equipment useful. It’s a starting place and many other documentaries use specialty items like action cameras or other filmmaking accessories, but for a generic documentary film, this is the minimum filmmaking equipment kit list we’d recommend starting with.

The Complete Microphone & Audio For Film/Video Guide

Guide to the Types of Video Cameras

The post The Complete Documentary Filmmaking Equipment List appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

]]> https://documentarycameras.com/best-cheap-documentary-camera-filmmaking/ Sat, 02 Apr 2016 02:36:36 +0000 https://documentarycameras.com/?page_id=690 If you’ve got an excellent subject for a documentary film but a not so excellent budget, you’re probably wondering: what is the best cheap documentary camera? Filmmakers make hundreds, perhaps thousands of documentary films each year, and their budgets range from virtually nothing on the low end (think: short films

The post What is the Best Cheap Documentary Camera for Filmmaking in 2024? appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

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Camera:
Canon Vixia G50

Image:

Max. Resolution:
4K

Max. Framerate:
Up to 60fps @ 1080, up to 30fps @ 4K

Notes:
Compact HQ 4K camera with some manual controls

Price:

Camera:
Canon XA11

Image:

Max. Resolution:
1080p

Max. Framerate:
60fps

Notes:
Has pro XLR audio inputs in a compact size

Price:

Camera:
Besteker Camcorder

Image:

Max. Resolution:
1080p

Max. Framerate:
30fps

Notes:
Comes with external microphone

Price:

Camera:
Canon XA15

Image:

Max. Resolution:
1080p

Max. Framerate:
60fps

Notes:
XLR inputs & manual controls

Price:

Camera:
Sony FDRAX33

Image:

Max. Resolution:
4K

Max. Framerate:
30fps

Notes:
Compact 4K/2K camcorder with some manual controls

Price:

Camera:
Panasonic HC-X1000

Image:

Max. Resolution:
4K

Max. Framerate:
60fps

Notes:
XLR inputs & manual controls

Price:

If you’ve got an excellent subject for a documentary film but a not so excellent budget, you’re probably wondering: what is the best cheap documentary camera? Filmmakers make hundreds, perhaps thousands of documentary films each year, and their budgets range from virtually nothing on the low end (think: short films shot on iPhones and uploaded to YouTube) to hundreds of thousands of dollars (and even occasionally a million or more dollars) on the high end. And pro filmmaking cameras themselves can cost $10,000 and upwards, quite easily. So with that said, we’ve put together a list of the best documentary film cameras for the money this year:

Best Cheap Documentary Cameras

For our purposes, there are two basic types of low budget documentary filmmaking cameras. The first type is a regular handheld camcorder video camera. These tend to shoot in HD, have great autofocus, and comfortable hand grips. The second type is DSLR cameras for documentary filmmaking (think: cameras that look like pro-level still cameras). When you set these DSLR cameras in movie mode, they can also shoot in HD but because they have large lenses and sensors, they are able to capture images with what’s called a shallow depth of field (or a blurry background), which can look pleasing and “cinematic.” The downside to DSLRs for documentary filmmaking though is that their autofocus tends to be not as good as traditional video cameras, so you might end up manually focusing a lot.

Imagine this bottle of hot sauce was a person you’re interviewing for your film. The image on the left was shot with a traditional camcorder, the image on the right was shot with a DSLR.

How to Choose Between DSLRs and Camcorders for Documentary Filmmaking

If you’re shooting a lot of fast-paced action footage like a sports documentary or something else that’s “run and gun” where there’s not a lot of time to set up shots, a traditional camcorder might be a better choice. Why? Because you won’t risk “losing the shot” due to the time it takes to manually focus with a DSLR.

If your documentary is going to have a lot of traditional sit-down interviews in it, a DSLR might be a great camera choice. Why? Because you won’t have to refocus much if your interviewees are mostly sitting still and talking, and you can make the background look blurry and pretty quite easily. DSLRs sometimes also have better color accuracy.

Left: a still frame from the 2010 documentary Tabloid, which is made up mostly of sit down interviews. Right: a still frame from the 2012 documentary Head Games, which features plenty of sports footage.

The bottom line is, if you have the time to take to set up shots carefully, a DSLR can produce more visually pleasing results. But on the other hand, if you don’t have that time or don’t want to have to think about focusing manually, a camcorder can be a better option. And of course, you could combine footage shot with both types of cameras (say, interviews shot with a DSLR and action footage shot with a camcorder).

Next, we’ll look at a few of the best cheap documentary cameras for filmmakers on a tight budget: both camcorders and DSLRs.

The Best Cheap Documentary Filmmaking Camcorders

Camcorders are a hell of a lot better today than they were in the 1990s when they first started becoming popular. Here are three of the best cheap traditional video cameras for documentary filmmakers:

Canon VIXIA HF G40 Full HD Camcorder

Great documentary film cameras aren’t cheap. The other two camcorders in this list are over $1,000, but if you’re just looking for something you can pick up and shoot immediately that isn’t going to break the bank, we’d recommend the Canon VIXIA G40 in a heartbeat. What do you get? Well, a fantastic camcorder that can produce excellent images, good low light performance, and even the ability to set manual exposure, normally a pro camera feature (the only difference is with the G40 you set exposure in a touch screen menu system whereas with more expensive pro cameras you often get a dedicated physical wheel for that). What this camera doesn’t offer is pro XLR inputs, so you’ll either have to get a DSLR/camcorder audio adapter, or use wireless lavaliere microphones that already work with DSLRs/camcorders out of the box. This cheap documentary camera can record up to 60 frames per second in 1080p with a wide color gamut. Also available in a kit with other gear like a tripod, extra memory card, carrying case, etc. (If you’re looking for a super cheap 4K camcorder instead of a 1080p video camera, we’d recommend instead the Sony FDRAX33.)

Check Price on Amazon

Besteker 1080P HD Camcorder with External Microphone

This basic cheap camcorder for extremely tight budgets can do the trick if you just need a camera to document things that are higher quality than your cell phone. It records in 1080P full HD at 30 frames per second, and comes with an external microphone which you attach to the top of the camera to get higher quality sound than an onboard mic would capture. It also comes with a detachable wide-angle lens attachment for optional use. The included battery lasts about two and a half hours. You’ll also need an SD memory card to record on (not included). It also has a “night vision” mode and wifi mode to access the photos/videos on your phone wirelessly.

Check Price on Amazon

Canon XA11 Professional Camcorder

The Canon XA11 is a fantastic pro camcorder. It records on cheap and commonly available SDHC or SDXC memory cards and offers dual card slots for these, so you can record super long events without stopping by auto-spanning from one card to the other. It also features a detachable handle for convenient carrying, and it’s the only camera on this list that has pro-level XLR audio inputs– meaning you can use pro-quality audio gear like wireless lavaliere interview microphones out of the box without the need for a DSLR/camcorder audio adapter. Out of the box, this cheap documentary film camera has a built-in stereo microphone and a headphone jack so you can monitor audio as you record (something some cheap video cameras don’t offer). Shoots in full 1080p HD.

Check Price on Amazon

Canon XF100 (Check reviews & prices)
Documentary filmmakers looking for small, light cameras capable of capturing high quality images will likely be interested in the Canon XF100, which weights in at only 2.2 pounds. With a size that small and a weight that light, this versatile camera can be carried into unpredictable situations. It also features a high bitrate 50Mbps recording mode with an MPEG-2 codec, meaning you don’t have to transcode your footage before editing it (as is sometimes the case with other codecs).

Check Price on Amazon

Panasonic HC-X1000 Pro Video Camera

If you’re looking for an inexpensive professional video camera that shoots in 4K and accepts XLR pro audio inputs, the Panasonic HC-X1000 is a great choice (if you don’t care about the audio inputs, check out this younger cousin model from Panasonic that also shoots in 4K at a cheaper price). The Panasonic HC-X1000 shoots at up to 60 frames per second in 4K or 1080p High Definition, meaning you can slow it down to a normal frame rate when you edit it, resulting in silky smooth slow motion (instead of slightly jerky slow motion like when you try to slow down video that’s shot at only 30 or 24 frames per second). We’d recommend this camera highly to anyone looking for a highly capable cheap run and gun documentary camera with excellent autofocus and great visuals. You can even remotely monitor the video that your camera is shooting with the Panasonic Image App for iPhones or Android– a cheap way to replicate what would normally be a multi-thousand dollar remote video monitor.

Check Price on Amazon

The Best Cheap Documentary Filmmaking DSLRs

DSLRs are the up and coming way for indie doc filmmakers to get great visuals on a tight budget. Here are our top three picks for best cheap DSLRs:

Canon EOS Rebel T6i DSLR

The T6 is the newest of Canon’s Rebel line of entry-level DSLR shooters (the less expensive T5 is also still available). The T6 seen here comes with a kit that includes an 18-55mm zoom lens, two other lenses, a tripod, memory cards, carrying case, and a bunch of other goodies. The T6 gives you the benefits of shooting with a DSLR, like the ability to shoot with shallow depth of field for a cinematic look, within a low budget. Note that the one thing it doesn’t come with is a microphone suitable for filmmaking. Read our related articles: Shotgun Mics for DSLRs and The Best Lav Mics For DSLR Cameras for that.

Check Price on Amazon

Canon 7D Mark II DSLR

This is one of the absolute most popular cheap documentary filmmaking DSLRs out there today. One step up from the T6i is Canon 7D Mark II which comes with more pro features and even better video capabilities. It features better low light performance and an HDMI out option, just like pro film cameras have (so you can attach larger external displays during interviews or external video recorders to capture footage at a higher quality than the camera can write to a memory card). The 7D MII also has better autofocus than its younger cousin, the T6i, and records video at up to 60 frames per second for better slow motion in post-production (the T6i does only 24 or 30 maximum). The 7D MII kit linked here also comes with a ton of other goodies. Note: you’ll still probably want the DSLR audio gear linked above.

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Panasonic GH4 DSLR Kit

Panasonic revolutionized the DSLR filmmaking game with its GH2 camera several years ago. A few models later, the GH4 is a great low budget but high-quality DSLR for filmmaking. It features extraordinary low light performance, shoots in 4K and records video at the high data rates (i.e. high image quality) that filmmakers want to be able to record at. It isn’t quite as cheap as the other two DSLRs in this list but the upgrade is worth it if you’re interested in 4K DSLR filmmaking on a budget. The GH4 also has advanced image stabilization tech with Panasonic’s newer lenses that greatly reduces camera shake from handheld shooting. The kit linked here comes with a bunch of goodies, including an exceptional 12-35mm lens that works with the GH4’s special image stabilization technology. Note: if you like the features of the GH4, you may also want to check out the earlier GH3 model, which has many of the same features but does not offer 4K recording (1080p only). A newer model — the Panasonic GH5 DSLR is available too, but is more expensive. While you can order a first-party XLR audio adapter from Panasonic, we’d recommend getting a much cheaper third party DSLR audio adapter if you’re going to want to plug in pro XLR microphones.

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Related:

How to Make a Low Budget Documentary Film

The post What is the Best Cheap Documentary Camera for Filmmaking in 2024? appeared first on Documentary Film Cameras.

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