Choosing the right camera for Wedding Videography can be difficult. This article goes over what you should consider when shopping for a camera and a few of our suggestions.
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What to Consider in a Wedding Videography Camera
Dual Purpose - Are you going to do photography and videography or just videography? Some cameras like the Black Magic cameras or RED cameras are geared exclusively toward video. Other brands like Sony sometimes make different versions of their cameras geared towards one or the other.
Lenses - Will the lenses you want to use work on your camera? Do you already own some lenses? While adapters exist they can be very expensive and may limit the capabilities of your setup.
Image Capabilities - 4K is a minimum now. You don’t want to buy a camera that shoots in less than 4K and you’ll likely want to look at cameras that shoot higher resolutions than that. You should also consider the speeds the camera will shoot at. Our photographers typically shoot everything at 60 fps which gives the video a buttery look.
Size - Do you want a mirrorless or a DSLR camera? Both can be equally capable, but mirrorless cameras are typically smaller and lighter. This makes them easier to hold and carry around during an 8-hour wedding.
Cost - You’ll want to consider the cost. You can purchase cameras anywhere from $900 up to $9,000.
Types of Wedding Videos
There are two main types of wedding videos that videographers make: Documentary Style and Highlight style.
Documentary-style wedding videos are longer. They will typically have a lot of audio recordings, interviews, multiple cameras, and a much longer edit. These videos often require at least two videographers if not 3 and multiple cameras. Because of this, videographers will typically charge much more for a documentary style.
Highlight-style wedding videos are shorter and may only require one camera and one videographer. These videos are typically shorter shots put to music or voiceovers. These videos are beautiful and celebrate the couple’s day without being too long or expensive.
Our camera choices should give you the option to create all kinds of wedding videos, but we’ll be focused on highlight-style videos.
Best Cameras for Wedding Videography in 2023
Writers Choice: Sony a7III
The Sony a7III is one of the most popular cameras among wedding videographers. The camera is compact, has all of the features you need, and is excellent for low light. Sony also makes great lenses that are compatible with most of their cameras with their e-mount system.
This is the camera I have used the most for my wedding photography and videography and I love it.
If you have a bit more to spend you should also look into the Sony a7sIII which has a few more video features and will be a little more capable than the a7III.
Canon EOS R6
This is one of the best camera bodies from Canon. The R6 will shoot 4k at 60 fps and has great colors. One of the biggest benefits of going with Canon though is their lenses. You will get excellent picture quality with this camera.
Lumix S5
The Lumix S5 is a newer camera from Panasonic that is rivaling Sony as one of the favorite cameras for video creators. The S5 shoots in 4k 60 fps, has great autofocus and has in-body image stabilization.
One of the great things that this camera has is the anamorphic mode. This enables you to shoot in a 4:3 aspect ratio that converts well to widescreen 16:9 video or vertical video. Youtuber Chris Hau goes over the benefits of that, but essentially you can make a gorgeous wedding video and get your social media videos from the same shots. With many other cameras, you would need to get separate shots or have poor-quality vertical videos.
Budget Pick: Lumix GH5
The GH5 is several years old now and shouldn’t be your first choice in a camera body if you’re serious about becoming a wedding videographer. That said if you’re someone who isn’t committed to being a videographer long term yet or if you just really can’t swing the more expensive cameras on this list yet the GH5 could be a great choice.
This camera shoots in 4k at 60 fps and it has In-Body Image Stabilization which is a big plus for videographers. You can also find it used and new for a lot cheaper than many of the cameras above.
Other Essential Equipment
Lenses
Having good lenses is arguably more important than the camera body you have. Expect to invest a decent amount into lenses as you progress.
For your first few weddings, these are the minimum lenses you should have:
50 mm Prime Lens- one of the best lenses you can get for wedding shots. This lens is essential.
24 - 70 mm Zoom Lens- You should have at least one zoom lens that you can use at the wedding. At times throughout the wedding you may not be able to stand in the exact right spot. A zoom lens lets you adapt.
35 mm Prime Lens- You can shoot a wedding with just the other two, but this is a nice lens to have.
As you improve your skills you’ll find other lenses you want to work with, but these are our recommendations for starting out as a wedding videographer.
Stabilizer
While the shaky cam style worked for the Jason Borne films, shaky video is not likely to thrill your wedding clients. A stabilizer of some sort is essential for your wedding videography.
Zhiyun- Zhiyun makes both their crane and weebill gimbals to help videographers capture smooth video. The gimbals are high quality and in the past have been a bit more affordable than DJI. I use the Zhiyun Weebill with my Sony cameras all the time and love it.
DJI- DJI is best known for their Drones, but they also make excellent Gimbals. Their Ronin gimbals are an excellent choice.
Monopod- Some videographers chose to just use a monopod for stabilization. This is by far the cheapest option, but getting smooth high-quality video takes a lot more practice and a lot more experience with a monopod. A monopod also doesn’t work well with moving shots. Ideally, you should learn how to use both options, but if you’re starting out we recommend going with a gimbal.
As a side note, if your camera has in-body image stabilization like the Lumix cameras, you still need a gimbal or a monopod for moving shots. IBIS can work in a pinch, but it can’t fix your arms shaking while moving around. Since weddings have a lot of moments that can’t be recreated you need to be sure to get it right the first time. IBIS isn’t reliable enough for that.
If you're a wedding videographer and want to work on a team that will help you fill your schedule, make connections, and perfect your craft. Contact us by emailing contact@starrphotovideo.com.
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