Best professional video cameras according to redditors

Hi /u/squeeeeenis - the best solution in your price range would probably be a [$1999 Sony PXW-X70] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NPAJH8I/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00NPAJH8I&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20) professional camcorder.

This camera has a relatively large 1" sensor, pro XLR mic inputs, records to a broadcast quality 10-bit 4:2:2 codec, has an SDI out connection and a [$499 paid upgrade path] (http://adorama.evyy.net/c/60286/51926/1036?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adorama.com%2Fsocbkzx70fx.html) to 3840x2160p Ultra High Definition "4K" resolution.

In addition, the X70's optical steady shot system makes for very stable handheld shots, as seen in the walking shots in this travel piece: [San Blas Islands of Panama. December 2014.] (http://player.vimeo.com/video/119601178)

Here are a few more examples:

Documentary

• [Classic Days - Schloss Dyck 2015] (https://vimeo.com/135595246)
  
  
• [Documentary - Life of street performer from Japan] (https://vimeo.com/139793673) (intercut with the Canon T3i)
  
  Musical Performance
  
  
• [Chris August sings The Maker] (https://vimeo.com/118133998) (intercut with the Panasonic GH4)
  
  Here is the image quality this camera can produce after the 4K upgrade (please watch at 2160p and your monitor's highest resolution):
  
  
• [Test Sony PXW-X70 in 4K by magazinevideo] (https://youtu.be/iQDiCeoZwP4)
  
  
• [Sony pxw-x70 test 4K - Night view of Seoul, Korea by yoonkee sung] (https://youtu.be/MAYWXxBdWZQ)
  
  In my view, the X70 with the 4K upgrade is best all-in-one (power zoom lens included) 4K video solution you can get below $3000.
  
  Hope this is helpful, good luck with finding the right camera and best of the holidays!

Sony Nex-VG30. Full HD recording onto an APS-C sensor, purpose built (but still interchangeable) lens for video. Grabs full sensor stills.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-NEX-VG30H-Handycam/dp/B0097CXFJU

> "I guess my question is, what's the best camera I can buy with a 2000$ budget?"

Sadly, it's hard to find a VG30 (with the power zoom lens) for less than $2000

But I guess you could put together a [$1798 VG30 body] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0097G4TZU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0097G4TZU&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20), a [$199 Sigma 19mm f2.8 lens for E mount] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BPZD0M4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BPZD0M4&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20) and a [$17 Hosa XLR to 3.5mm adapter/transformer] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002IAJ2O/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002IAJ2O&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20) for just over $2000 - but for that kind of money, I would just go ahead and get a [$1698 Panasonic GH4] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I9GYG8O/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00I9GYG8O&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20), a [Sigma 19mm ] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BPZCYK8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BPZCYK8&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20) and the [Hosa XLR adapter] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002IAJ2O/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002IAJ2O&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20). With its cinematic 4K output, the GH4 is a much more capable camera than the VG30.

Hi /u/thegeekist - welcome back! The AC90 is a great camera, but time has passed it by.

In this price class, you may want to consider the new [$2250 Sony PXW-X70] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NPAJH8I/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00NPAJH8I&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20) (a [little less from 6th Ave Express via eBay] (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5575034783&toolid=10001&campid=5337235943&customid=&icep_item=321551232221&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg)).

The X70 has a great 12x zoom, a relatively large 1" sensor, a professional 10-bit 4:2:2 XAVC codec (much better than the AC90's 8-bit 4:2:0 AVCHD), built in pro XLR mic inputs, a built-in ND filter plus HD-SDI out in addition to HDMI.

Since the codec is so new, you will need to download Sony Catalyst Browse (download free [here] (http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/images/products/catalyst/downloadnow.png)) to transcode it to something your NLE can use.

Here is what this camera can do:



http://vimeo.com/104434534



And here's a nice hands-on review from Philip Johnston, the HD Warrior:



http://vimeo.com/107308927



Hope this is helpful, and good luck with your decision!

I think the term you're looking for is wireless transmission, not streaming.

Streaming implies encoded video is sent over the internet to a streaming server (usually via RTSP or RTMP.)

What you want to do is wirelessly transmit your video to your computer, yes?

If you want to stream to the internet, like Facebook live, YouTube live, Livestream, Ustream, Twitch etc. then you need either a camera that had built-in functionality to do that, or a separate video encoder.

A lot of JVC cameras have built-in web streaming, requiring only a WiFi or LTE dongle. The $5,495 JVC GY-HM660, the [$2595 4K JVC GY-LS300] (https://www.amazon.com/JVC-GY-LS300CHU-Ultra-Camcorder-Handle/dp/B00USBVISE/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1486961846&sr=1-1&keywords=jvc+ls300) and the $1,700 GY-HM200 all have this feature. (beat that /u/hybridcamrev!)

If you're looking to wirelessly transmit the video to your computer, Teradek has you covered. The Bolt is a transmitter and receiver pair that takes SDI or HDMI signals, and can transmit up to 2000 ft.

The Cube is an encoder, but the stream can be viewed by something like VLC or OBS. You can also use it to broadcast directly to any of those online platforms.

The VidiU is an encoder that connects to those platforms directly, through a variety of network connections (wired, WiFi, and cell.)

You're right, edited it. I checked, and those cameras are Panasonic AG-AF 100 plus lenses, so that shit is expensive. Though maybe they bought them used, then it would be about half the price.

They use three-camera-set-ups for Half in the Bag and Best of the Worst discussions with this type of camera (my best guess based on seeing glimpses of the camera in some Best of the Worst episodes):

http://www.amazon.com/AG-AF100-Professional-Micro-HD-Camcorder/dp/B004LV68IC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417556452&sr=8-1&keywords=panasonic+af+100

Don't know what they use for VFX and animations.

It sounds like what I was recommending is a reasonable starter and you can look at adding and improving the video kit as you gain experience.

Have a look at some beginner tutorials on youtube how to use room lighting, how to frame a shot and how to set your audio levels.

Without knowing budget, it's a bit hard to know what to look at recommending equipment wise. Order of priority for spend would be camera 1st, audio 2nd, tripod 3rd. You will need all of these, however value for money will change with different size budgets.

If you are willing to buy 2nd hand, you could make the budget go further, but some business might not want to do this.

Here's a quick budget as an starter example only, you can go cheaper and you can go more expensive and you can add more items (bags etc) as you need to.

Camera + storage card $1000-1500 Canon XA11 (Amazon link)

Mic $450-600 Sennheiser G3 wireless lav mic (Amazon link)

Tripod $100-200 Ravelli video tripod (Amazon link)

The linked items are for illustration purposes to give you a starting point, there may be better options - go read/watch reviews as this is a fast changing market. If you are in the US, B&H are a well known and respected video retail brand (I am not affiliated with them at all), give them a call and get their advice for your budget, then go and research their suggestions.

If you do go with a wireless mic solution make sure you buy a set which transmits on a frequency suitable for your country as this does change around the world and check if you need a licence (there are usually some frequencies which are free to use, but might be more prone to interference).

Actually, for video, the Panasonic AG-AF100 is a better micro four thirds camera than the GH2.

The Sony PXW-x70 has everything you need, new it's about $2000 but there are used available on Amazon for $1,500 or so:

https://smile.amazon.com/Sony-PXWX70-HD422-Camcorder-3-5-Inch/dp/B00NPAJH8I

Also, a used Panasonic HPX-170 would be perfect for your setup:

https://smile.amazon.com/Panasonic-AG-HPX170-High-Definition-Camcorder-Optical/dp/B001E96LGI

It looks like those are going for about $1,600 used on Amazon. (No HDMI out on this one, but a $50 converter would get you by until you can get your switcher.)

I would have to agree with most others here saying it a problem of the cam op and not of the camera you are dealing with. Auto settings is a thing of middle school video productions where I live. That being said, HybridCamRev's suggestion of the Sony PXW-X70 with the 4k upgrade is a great option. If you want to stick to canon, the Canon XC-15 would also be an option. Definitely look into reviews and footage from each camera you are considering before you purchase. Let me if you have more questions!

I'd go FS5 and A7iii wide angle will be much better for real estate, and the colours out of the FS5 will rival the black magic with some grading, which i assume you're doing anyway if you're considering BM. amazon referral links included

I think you should keep the 70d for your photography, and perhaps look at a different brand for a video camera. Canon does have good quality cameras, a lot of other companies like Sony and Panasonic are beating them out in the <$3000 price range. I would definitely say 4K is an important feature at this point, especially due to the stabilization. I understand your dislike for the digital viewfinders, but you'll definitely want to be using a monitor or something for doing video work.

Consider using something like a Blackmagic URSA Mini 4k for your video. You can get it with the EF mount and use all your lenses from your Canon camera, that way you don't need to buy all new glass.

wasn't the AF100 sensor the same one in the GH2? with a new Fs100 being as low as $1,500 in some places and blowing this thing out of the water in every way, B&H is gonna need to do a little bit more to get rid of their backstock of AF100's

Have you looked into the Panasonic AF100?

I agree, manual exposure would have been the best way to go. With our two-camera setup though, we usually leave the back camera unmanned (so we set it with everything on auto), and the front camera operator is often too busy with zooming and panning to worry about manual exposure.

Is face-detect auto-exposure a thing? Also, the product page for the Canon XA35 seems to suggest that it has auto modes that can help with overexposure:

> For natural and realistic-looking image capture that faithfully represents the scene at hand, the XA35 Professional Camcorder features a Wide DR Gamma mode. By suppressing overexposure in high brightness areas of the composition, this mode helps achieve a wide dynamic range of 600% to produce seamless tone gradations, resulting in smooth detail, accurate color and virtually no blown-out highlights.

I believe this has live streaming ability built in:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UNIKU2M/?coliid=I17SN4G6OXX95M&colid=1H5U1BY8G71JM&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

By video camera, they probably mean things specifically designed for video that tend to be huge.

You should be fine with a DSLR so long as it isn't attached to a large lens like a 70-200 f/4 or the like.

Hey there. I posted in the last weekly thread about needing a camera to record seminars for our organization (recording a large projected screen and the presenter in the same image, from about 40-50 feet away in dim lighting for at least an hour at a time) I got some good recommendations for DSLR style cameras but I think a camcorder would be better suited to our needs-mainly because of recording length and the fact that none of us are skilled videographers/photographers. I've gone through and looked at the newest options from Sony, Panasonic and Canon and I've divided them up by price because we still don't know how much we'll be able to spend on this. So I've split them up into "Around $500", "Around $1000" and "Around $2000+" I was wondering if someone could take a look at my picks and help me narrow it down to one or two options per price point





$500 | $1000 | $2000+
------|--------|-------
$547 - Panasonic HC-V800K | $897 - Panasonic HC-WXF1K | $1997 - Panasonic HC-X1000
$347 - Panasonic HC-W580K | $998 - Sony AX53 4K Handycam (FDR-AX53) | $2697 - Panasonic HC-X1
$498 - Sony CX675 Handycam (HDR-CX675) | $1299 - Canon XA11 Camcorder | $4149 - Sony AX1 4K Professional HandyCam (FDR-AX1)
$349 - Canon VIXIA HF R82 | $1099 - Canon VIXIA HF G50 | $1898 - Sony AX700 4K Expert HandyCam (FDR-AX700)
| | $3199 - Canon XF405 UHD Camcorder


Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer

Buy the old Panasonic AF100! It's showing it's age but I believe it does everything you need. They can be bought really cheap if you keep your eye open.