Video
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Almost every camera shoots video now, but the features that make a good video camera aren't the ones on the front of the box.
What matters
- Stabilisation. In-body stabilisation plus an electronic mode makes handheld and walking footage usable. For smooth movement, a gimbal still does better.
- Recording limits and overheating. Some small bodies stop recording after a while in 4K, especially in the heat. If you film long talks, events or interviews, check real-world reports on how long a camera records before it stops.
- 10-bit and log profiles. These give you room to grade colour later without banding. If you won't colour grade, a good standard profile is fine and saves a lot of work.
- Rolling shutter. A slow sensor readout makes fast pans wobble and bends vertical lines. Faster readout, or a smaller sensor crop, reduces it.
- Autofocus in video. Smooth, reliable face tracking matters more than in stills, because you can't retake the moment when focus hunts.
For vlogging
- A screen that flips to the front, so you can see yourself.
- A wide lens: around 16-20mm full-frame equivalent at arm's length, because a 24mm view crops you tight once stabilisation crops in further.
- A microphone input, and a small on-camera microphone. Bad audio ruins more videos than soft focus.
- Light weight, because you hold it at arm's length for minutes.
A small APS-C or 1-inch vlogging camera with a wide lens is the classic setup. Many people also do very well with a phone plus a good microphone.
For filmmaking
- A body with full-width 4K (no heavy crop), 10-bit recording, and a headphone jack.
- Fast primes or constant-aperture zooms, so exposure doesn't change as you zoom.
- ND filters, because to keep the shutter at about twice the frame rate (1/50s at 25 frames a second) in daylight with a wide aperture, you need to cut light.
Audio
Budget for sound from the start: an on-camera shotgun microphone, or a pair of small wireless microphones for interviews. Monitor with headphones whenever you can.
