Help selecting camera for videography.

AnAverageName · March 29, 2016

Hey, guys!

I'm looking for a new camera that will be used primarily for shooting video. I'm looking to spend approximately $700-$1200 on it. This would preferably include storage media, lenses you feel are necessary for shooting video, and a microphone. My budget is flexible so if you feel like there's an option that costs a bit more and is a lot better feel free to throw it in. Please let me know if you need any more details.

Thanks!

Infernal Burrito · March 29, 2016

I just bought an a6300 from Sony, granted it was for both photo and video. I can't speak for its quality personally just yet (goddamn shipping times to Canada), but from what I've read in reviews, and I've read a lot of reviews, it is pretty much ideal for its budget except for rolling shutter and no headphone jack. In USD, you can get a power zoom kit lens included for $1150. Storage media is pretty cheap, I just ordered 2 32gb (fast enough for 4k xavc-s I hope) sd cards for the equivalent of $30 USD.

ALwin · March 29, 2016

1 hour ago, AnAverageName said:

used primarily for shooting video

What kind of video? Because there are so many different cameras capable of recording video and different types require a bit of different ways of working with the camera.

My advice is if you don't know anything about working with video, get a camcorder. Or go learn.

1 hour ago, Infernal Burrito said:

Storage media is pretty cheap, I just ordered 2 32gb (fast enough for 4k xavc-s I hope) sd cards for the equivalent of $30 USD

You might want to buy some higher capacity cards or just several more 32GB ones, even 4K XAVC-S will eat up storage space fast. Granted your camera is much smaller and lighter than mine, and you could probably take a thin laptop (e.g. MacBook Air style thin) with large capacity external drive for storage, if you're out all day to record various footage 64GB will not be sufficient.

I have 3x 128GB of storage (each card costs around $500) for my video camera, and even that's not enough if I am filming for a day. Each card can only hold around 30minutes of 4K 50/60p or one hour of 4K 24/25/30p footage.

And which speed did you get? Even if the A6300 only records UHD 30fps max @ 100Mbps you should get one with a fairly decent speed.