What camera do I need
The question everyone asks when they start. The short answer: you probably already have a good enough camera in your pocket. The long one: what improves your videos most usually isn't the camera, but the sound, the light and a good lens.
Before you buy: the order of priorities
If you have around $300 to improve your videos, it almost always goes further spent like this than on a new camera:
- Sound: a lavalier mic or a shotgun mic. A video with so-so picture and good sound gets watched; one with beautiful picture and bad sound gets abandoned.
- Light: an LED panel with a diffuser, or learning to use a window, which is free.
- Support: a video tripod with a fluid head or a gimbal.
- Lens: a fast prime (for example a 35mm f/1.8) changes the image more than upgrading from one camera to the next.
- Camera.
Three tiers of gear
| Phone | Mirrorless | Cinema camera | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | The one you already have | $700–2,500 with a lens | From $2,000 for the body alone |
| Strengths | Always with you, excellent stabilization, instant editing | Interchangeable lenses, real background blur, good low-light performance | High-quality codecs, XLR audio, internal NDs, cooling for hours of recording |
| Limitations | Small sensor, little control, heavy processing | Overheating on long takes with some models, limited audio | Weight, price, expensive accessories |
| Ideal for | Social media, vlogging, learning | Almost everything: YouTube, weddings, interviews, short films | Professional productions |
Among mirrorless cameras, for video look for: uncropped 4K or only a slight crop, 10-bit, a log profile, in-body stabilization, a front-flipping screen (if you'll be filming yourself), a mic input and headphone output, and no overheating shutdowns on long takes.
Full frame, APS-C and Micro Four Thirds are all fine for professional video. APS-C is the sweet spot of price, size and quality for most people. Full frame gives more background blur and performs better in low light, but its lenses are bigger and more expensive.
Lenses: which ones first
- A stabilized standard zoom (the classic 18-50 or a 24-70 equivalent): versatility.
- A 35 or 50mm equivalent prime, f/1.8 or faster: interviews and shots with a blurred background.
- A wide-angle lens (16–24mm equivalent): vlogging, small interiors, wide shots.
Small pancake lenses make it easy to carry the camera with you all the time, although they're usually slower.
On an APS-C sensor, multiply the focal length by roughly 1.5 to know how it would look on full frame. A 23mm on APS-C frames like a 35mm. On Micro Four Thirds, multiply by 2.
The minimum kit I recommend
| Item | What for | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Wireless lavalier mic | Clean voice for interviews, vlogs and podcasts | High |
| Tripod with a fluid head | Static shots and smooth pans | High |
| LED panel with a diffuser (or a softbox) | A controllable key light | Medium |
| Fast cards (V30 or higher) and spare batteries | So the recording never cuts out | High |
| Variable ND filter | Exteriors with a wide aperture | Medium |
| Closed-back headphones | Hearing what's really being recorded | Medium |
| External drive and backup | Never losing your footage | High |
Shoot ten videos with what you have. By the tenth you'll know exactly what's holding you back: sound, background blur, light or weight. That's the right purchase.
- Sound, light and support first; then the camera.
- Your phone is a valid camera for learning and for social media.
- In a mirrorless camera, look for 4K, 10-bit, stabilization and a mic input.
- A fast prime transforms the image more than a new body.
Your turn: inventory and diagnosis
Make a list of all your gear: camera or phone, lenses, microphones, lights and supports.
- Record one minute of yourself talking to camera with what you have.
- Watch it with headphones and note what's worst: sound, light, focus, stability?
- That's your next upgrade. Before buying, see if you can fix it for free (a window, a blanket for the echo).