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Picking the best camera for video is a delicate balance between features, value, and budget. This post is for marketing teams that are just starting to get into video and want something both economical and versatile all while providing quality video files to work with. In addition, it’s a good idea to find a kit that can be scalable if you decide to invest more into video down the line, something that a lot of marketing departments are doing (See More).
In my opinion, the current best camera for video is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G85. It’s a well designed micro four thirds digital camera that carries the features perfect for situations like event coverage, explainer videos, mini-docs, interviews, and more. This is all without mentioning any of its photographic features. It shoots 4K video and can do Full HD at 60p.
Internal Stabilization
If you think at any point you might want to use your camera handheld, then you will want to make sure to think about image stabilization. Small cameras like these are light and pick up the smallest vibrations. Having jittery video is distracting and immediately screams low-quality.
Many lenses these days come with stabilization. But not all cameras have what’s called internal stabilization. This is a feature of the camera sensor rather than on the lens. The positive here is that you will have stabilization with any lens you use. The Lumix DMC-G85 comes with Panasonic’s 5-Axis Sensor-Shift which will keep your video smooth even as you move around without a tripod.
Quality Video
The G85 supports AVCHD and MP4. AVCHD is a higher quality codec than MP4 and can be rare at this price point. At 4K, AVCHD is not an option but that’s by no means a dealbreaker and you’d be hard pressed to find a camera at this price point that will even offer AVCHD at all.
You can also do external recording at 4:2:2 8-bit which boils down to having more color information and flexibility in the edit room. External recording is not something you would dive into right away but it is an option if you are trying to get the highest quality image. You can always use the HDMI out to go to a bigger monitor for checking focus, this is a huge plus.
These features really boil down to what kind of editing you want to do. If you expect to tweak exposure and color, then you will want to use AVCHD. If you want to do a lot of re-cropping then having the extra resolution at 4K in MP4 will work better.
Full HD at 60p
The reason why this feature is important is because it allows you to do slow motion work. Shooting on 60p is my go-to for doing B-Roll because it adds to the “cinematic quality”. It’s also great for filming fast action scenarios like sports for example.
Scaleable
Any photographer or videographer will tell you that lenses are where it’s at when it comes to gear. Lenses hold their value for much longer than camera bodies. On top of that, when you buy a camera, you are buying into a system. As time goes on, you will want to buy gear that fits your needs. Lenses are a huge part of that.
Currently on B&H, there are 205 lenses that have the micro four thirds mount. That gives you plenty of choices for brand, focal length, and price as you expand your kit. There’s also 16 different cameras that have the same mount. If you think about upgrading your camera down the line or getting a second camera, you will have more flexibility and will be able to use any lenses you have accumulated.
Audio Support
Audio is a hugely under-appreciated part of video production. Viewers will take bad video before bad audio any day. It’s important to have an external shotgun mic or lavalier if you plan on capturing any audio with any camera. The Lumix G85 has an external audio jack that allows you to plug right in.
The biggest downfall of this camera to me is that it doesn’t have a headphone jack. However, the other features allow me to overlook this flaw. Some people have found workarounds that are quite cheap and the camera does have audio meters so you can see if your levels are set right.
Runners Up
Canon EOS M50 Mark II.
EF-M mount – Not scalable
No ACHD
Sony Zv-E10
No in-camera stabilization. No EVF. More slow-mo options. Headphone jack. Bigger sensor.
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