Question:
What video camera is best for wedding videography?
anonymous
2013-11-22 23:44:23 UTC
I am trying to get a videography business in Chicago started and wanted to know from people with experiance or who know a bit about cameras which one of these cameras would be best to use, or if you have a better one that would work for a small business. I am looking for something with great quality, easy to manuver around with, high proficiency, and nice looking. Any other advice would be great! Thank you
Four answers:
Mmm J
2013-11-23 09:22:21 UTC
I agree with iridflare and lare... before you jump in, we hope you realize that the video capture is a part of the "system". You will likely also want to add to your list:



1) More than one camera. Three is a good start.



2) Tripods and other "steadying" devices. Since capturing handheld is not a good idea, then some sort of shoulder mount or a vest system with articulated, counterbalanced arm - like a Steadycam system. I know a few who use camera cranes. I like Kessler cranes on their Hercules head + K-Pod tripod.



3) Lighting. This will be both ways: camera-mounted LED lights are very useful - and for those poorly lit venues, a couple of light trees and a bunch of PAR56 cans (LEDs are preferred, but incandescent lights still work (they get hot - they are usually for stage lighting) with dimmers or DMX controllers. Perhaps a couple of large LED panels on stands. LitePanels are good. PAR cans, light trees, trusses and lighting controls are available from GuitarCenter and several other places.



3) Power supplies - if you want portability, then high capacity batteries from the camcorder manufacturer or battery belts for the cameras/lights.



4) Cases. Pelican makes great gear to protect the expensive electronics. Anvil makes great wood cases for the lighting and other stuff.



5) Cables for power and audio. And storage boxes cases for transport. Lots of gaffer's tape. DO NOT use duct tape as it can leave a gummy residue that will cost you LOTS of money to pay out for cleaning/repair.



6) Mics: There is no single "best" mic. Use a good wireless lavalier for vows - Sennheiser, Audio Technica, Sony (pro), EV and a few others... the systems with a portable base station to mount to a camera or take up small space when connected to a standalone audio recorder. If more than two mics are used, then a small mixer will be needed. A couple of good handheld mics for "toasts" and other speeches. These can be wired or wireless. You can get wireless modules that turn the (formerly) wired mic into a wireless mic. My Sennheiser G2 and G3 systems have them. A couple of of shotgun mics with fuzzies or blimps for windy outdoor ceremonies...



7) A separate audio recorder. Depending on the requirement, this can be as simple as a Zoom H2n or H4n or a Fostex field recorder... or as complex as a ProTools rig front-ending a computer for multi-track audio. A 4-8 channel Mackie mixer is handy to have around.



8) Other accessories: Headphones for monitoring the audio during capture (one per camera - you don't want to shake the camera plugging-in/unplugging); on-camera monitors; if multiple people are staffing the cameras, then a wireless intercom communications system so everyone can communicate is *really* useful. Good cameras have a wired LANC port - use of LANC units are strongly recommended - these can control power, zoom, focus... so the camera does not shake when these adjustments are made. The LANC attaches to a tripod handle or can be handheld.



There's more, but this is a good starting point... And we haven't gotten to the computer(s), editing applications, DVD authoring applications, printer capable of printing on to the DVD (no stickers), archiving the video...



And don't even think about using a dSLR - unless you have several. Anything under about $1,800 will overheat after about 20 minutes of continuous video capture (so while one is in use, the others are cooling down). dSLRs are great for still image capture and b-roll video capture.



If you have already thought through the above and this really is about video capture only, suggested devices (remember, more than one):

Entry level: Sony HDR-FX1000, Sony NEX-EA50UH; Blackmagic Design pocket cinema cam

Step up: Sony HVR-Z5; Canon XF300

Step up: Canon EOS Cinema Cam C500; Panasonic AG-AF100; Blackmagic Design cinema cam. There are LOTS of others that are equally good - even better.



I do not understand what a camcorder has to do with "high proficiency" - it is up to the camera operator to be proficient. A"nice looking" camcorder has zero to do with video capture/edit video quality.
Yadira
2015-08-07 04:45:09 UTC
This Site Might Help You.



RE:

What video camera is best for wedding videography?

I am trying to get a videography business in Chicago started and wanted to know from people with experiance or who know a bit about cameras which one of these cameras would be best to use, or if you have a better one that would work for a small business. I am looking for something with great...
lare
2013-11-23 06:19:30 UTC
you need to design your business around the requirements of your target clients. what will they want as a product? for one thing the buyer of video service is normally the mother of the bride. it is extremely unlikely she will want HD or blu-ray or anything that is cutting edge. she might even want VHS. if you find that to be true, then avoid any camera with AVCHD coding because it does not convert gracefully to other formats and is a ***** to edit.



the most common end product for a videographer in general is movie DVD. far and away the best way to source DVD is from miniDV format. it is easy to edit and has the proper pixel layout to avoid interpolation. if you want HD capability, then stick with MPEG2 encoding, that is the same as used for HDTV broadcast yet mixes down to movie DVD reasonably well. That would be HDV tape and a few HDD cameras. MPEG2 is only found on professional grade gear unless you are savvy enough to look at older pro-sumer models that used it as well.



the best video cameras are the 3 CCD type. that will give you the sharpest color resolution. stay clear of dSLR cameras, which besides using AVCHD use a single chip imager with Beyer pseudo random color filter. they are optimum for still photography, but not suited for video which is scanned images.
Iridflare
2013-11-23 02:11:42 UTC
You haven't told us which camcorders you're looking at.



"or who know a bit about cameras"

I'm guessing from that that you don't - sorry to sound snotty, but why would I entrust the videoing of perhaps the most important day of my life to someone with little or no experience?


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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