Camera gear for churches
Camera gear for churches can be a loaded question at times because it all depends on what kind of videos will be created. Will the church create short films, video announcements, live streaming, and the list can go on. What I want to attempt to present are some options to cover most, if not all bases, that will accomplish a list of types of videos made.
Overall, I am a Sony mirrorless camera fan. Sony cameras work the best in low light situations, have a good lens selection, and get many jobs done. Many of these cameras can also be used for photography, which deems the camera as a hybrid camera (good for photos and video).
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Live streaming
All the videos below can be used for live streaming because they have HDMI connections. I would recommend getting the following for live streaming setups.
Blackmagic ATEM Mini Pro - HDMI switcher that you can live stream from and have great controls for video, audio, and graphics presentations.
Hollyland wireless HMDI - attach this to a camera and cut out wires. Great for a 2nd angle that doesn’t need to be tethered to the main system. Just put the receiver with the ATEM Mini Pro and you’re golden.
Ecamm - live streaming software and encoder.
A simple setup that gets the job done is the Mevo Start. One camera that can make it look like there are multiple cameras and only costs $399.
If money isn’t a factor
Camera
The new Sony A7SIII was just announced and it’s a video BEAST! At the time of this post, it is on pre-order status. Highlights to consider, up to 4k 120p - meaning 4k slow motion options. Flip out screen which is great for creators who need to film themselves. Dual memory card slots for redundancy. Digital audio interface hot shoe - to connect XLR inputs. IBIS aka in-body image stabilization. Full frame sensor. There are plenty of more great attributes of this camera. In a nutshell, this is like a cinema camera in a mirrorless camera body.
Lenses
Best overall, get the Sony 24-70mm GM. It’s one of those lenses that if I could only use one lens, this is what I would pick each time.
If you need extra zoom or have another camera body for a 2nd angle, get the 70-200mm GM.
Complete the lens set and get what’s called the trinity of lenses with the 16-35mm GM.
Budget friendlier options
I’m going to work my way down on this one. Budget is in the eye of the beholder, but consider that in the world of photography and videography, you get what you pay for.
Camera(s)
Sony A7III - this has been one of the best hybrid cameras on the market for a couple of years now. You can pair the listed lenses above and get some amazing results. I use this camera for weddings and corporate work all the time. Highlights, 4k 24p (good for real-time capturing) and 1080p 120p (your slow-mo quality). Dual memory card slots. Great battery life. IBIS. Full frame sensor.
Sony a6600 - Honestly, I would go for this camera over the A7III for a few reasons. The port doors are SO much better. Small form factor. Flip-up screen. There are some updated features like object tracking and focus system that is faster.
Just keep in mind that this is an APS-C sized sensor which is a little smaller than full-frame. So if you get full-frame lenses, the crop factor is x2. Meaning the 16-35mm becomes a 24-70mm lens.
Something to consider, you could get two a6600s for the price of the A7SIII and still have some room for a good lens. I would rather have two cameras than one, but that’s for my needs and wants.
Lenses
If you can, go for the list above, but if you need to cut some corners try the following.
You can’t go wrong with the Tamron trinity. They are a few hundred bucks cheaper than the GM lenses, but still very good quality.
Audio
Can’t forget about audio. There are various ways to capture audio. Your church already might have some options with mics and sound systems, but if you need anything that helps with getting audio with the camera, take a look here.
Rode Wireless Go - one of my favorite pieces of gear in my kit. Adds nice simple audio into the camera.
Tascam Recorder - external recording.
Shotgun mic - Can be used as an on-camera mic or boom mic.
Software and computers
Now, this is the kicker, you have to have a computer and software package to keep up with cameras. The latest and greatest is definitely the way to go if you can. If you are a Mac user, I would go for the new iMac that was just released with a nice graphics card and RAM.
Computers wise, the rule of thumb is to get the latest processor with 32gb of RAM, and good graphics card.
Apple 27" iMac with Retina 5K Display, 3.8GHz 8-Core Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT 8GB, Mid 2020. Save money and upgrade your RAM yourself. Get the RAM here.
32GB RAM Kit for 2020 5K iMac
64GB Ram Kit for 2020 5K iMac (order 2x)
128GB Ram Kit for 2020 5K iMac (order 4x)
Software-wise, make sure to edit off of an SSD hard drive and use proxies.
I prefer Adobe Premiere Pro, but that is because that is where I started in regards to editing professional work. If you are a macOS user, Final Cut Pro works great. Many editors are switching to Davinci Resolve which has a free version but you’ll want to get the paid version at some point.
For light edits, I would go with the Adobe Photography package that comes with Premiere Rush (a lighter video editing program). It all boils down to how deep you want to go in your edits.
Coaching
If you need further help, please feel free to set up an appointment. Glad to help where I can.
Also, there are some more “cinema” options I could go over, but at that point, it would be best to talk it over to see what your needs are and cover skill sets.