When you decide to start a freelance or larger business, there are many concerns. How to build a demo reel. How to find business. What equipment do I need?
When you get your first job, depending on the budget, you’ll have a choice: hire a shooter or be the shooter.
This of course depending on what your personal specialty or aspiration is.
Some people are writers, some editors, some are lighting specialists, and then there’s the videographer, responsible for the primary content of the video.
If you plan on being the shooter, you need a camera. You can rent a big rig, which may cost you a couple of hundred dollars a day, or you can take your shooting budget and buy an asset: a camera.
Congratulations: Your company now has an asset, and a net worth.
But what to buy?
I‘m a bang for the buck kind of guy. I know there’s a sweet spot where I can get the results of bigger rigs for less money and a similar quality output.
The camera I recommend for early stage shooters looks a little simple, but boy does it have the features and quality you need!
The Panasonic HC-VX1 is an affordable camera with a good looking image, better than average low light performance and UHD 4K recording. It retails for $797 on Amazon.com (affiliate link) and other retailers.
It has a couple of must-have features: 4K capability, a microphone input (for interviews), and a 360 degree articulated monitor (for vlogging).
Other features:
- 4K Cinema-Like recording experience with advanced in-camera capture options.
- LEICA DICOMAR 24X optical zoom lens (25-600mm, F1.8-4.0), and large 1/2.5” BSI MOS Sensor for impressive capture even in low light.
- Three Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) technologies work together for impressive stability under many shooting conditions; 5-Axis Hybrid O.I.S. Plus, Ball O.I.S., and Adaptive O.I.S.
- Wireless Multi-Camera captures multiple scenes simultaneously by connecting up to two smartphones.
- For a more natural looking image, a new Active Contrast feature equalizes contrast, and the HDR Movie mode enables a wider dynamic range between dark and bright areas.
Overall, with a top resolution of UHD 4K at 30 fps and the ability to capture up to 26-megapixel stills, Panasonic crams a lot of value into the HC-VX1.
Yes it’s small, but the size disguises a lot of oomph. You’ll know you’ll look good when you review what you’ve shot. In brightly lit places, you might not need lights, except for specialty close up work. In more challenging environments, you’ll want to bring a lighting kit yo make sure the camera gives you the color range you desire without any grain.
After your next few jobs, you can upgrade if you want and keep this camera for two camera shoots!
