Product Roundup: 10 Video Cameras to Suit Your Needs, Wallet and Skill Level

Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera
Pocket Cinema Camera is an apt name for this 5-inch long, 12.5-ounce camera from Blackmagic Design. This little guy features a Super 16-size sensor, which is a little smaller than a Micro Four Thirds sensor, and, according to Blackmagic, delivers up to an impressive 13 stops of dynamic range. You actually get a choice of two dynamic range settings: Film Log (to record the sensor’s full dynamic range) or REC709 (which records a color space optimized for HDTV). The BMPCC can capture Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) and lossless CinemaDNG RAW files, and save them directly to a fast SDXC/SDHC card for convenient offloading of footage. 

Better yet, the camera is compatible with Micro Four Thirds lenses and can be used with PL mount and other lenses via an adapter. Although it lacks a viewfinder, the camera sports a 3.5-inch high-resolution LCD and integrated stereo microphones. You’ll also find a micro HDMI out, mini jack headphone socket for audio monitoring and more, including a LANC control input for remote operation. Added flexibility comes from a wide range of accessories, so you can build the system you need or go stealth with a low-profile lens. A copy of DaVinci Resolve Lite (also available as a free download) is included with the camera.
Price: $995

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Canon XA10
It’s not as small as the Pocket Cinema Camera, but the Canon XA10 is considered “ultra compact” in camcorder parlance, measuring 3.0 x 3.0 x 6.3 inches and weighing about 1.8 pounds fully loaded. Built around a 2.37-megapixel, 1/3-inch CMOS sensor, the XA10 can capture 1920 x 1080 full HD video as well as still images. Its image-stabilized 10x optical zoom offers a 35mm-equivalent focal length of 30.4-305mm with a maximum f-stop of f/1.8-2.8.

You may be happy with the standard full HD, but the XA10 has a special Cinema Shooting Mode with nine different filters (Sepia, anyone?), each with user-controllable brightness adjustments. Infrared Mode is great for low- or no-light recording, and easy HD-to-SD conversion leaves your HD files intact. Canon provides a nice bundle with the camcorder, including cables, a stylus pen for the 3.5-inch monitor, software and a wireless controller.
Price: $1,699

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iON Air Pro 3 Wi-Fi
We’d be remiss if we didn’t include an action camera like the iON Air Pro 3 Wi-Fi. This durable little camera, which is constructed of a one-piece aluminum barrel, measures a petite 1.55 x 1.55 x 4.14 inches and weighs only 5 ounces. That doesn’t influence its performance, though. The iON Air Pro 3 can capture HD video up to 1080p at 30 and 60 fps, as well as 720p at 30, 60 and 120 fps. It has a fixed f/2.8 aperture lens with a 160-degree field of view.

The Air Pro 3 is waterproof to a depth of 49 feet right out of the box; no housing required. And, because of its one-piece construction, the lens won’t fog if you take the camera for a dip in the ocean or pool. In addition to video, the Air Pro 3 captures 12-megapixel stills, has timelapse and burst modes, plus real-time shoot-and-share functionality. Battery life is an impressive 2.5 hours of recording time. In addition to its internal (and waterproof) microphone, a 3.5mm jack accommodates an external microphone for dry-land recording. The iON bundle will get you started and each purchase comes with 8GB of free cloud storage. All you need is a microSD card up to 64GB. If you have a few extra dollars, check out iON’s many accessories and mounts for your next adventure or shoot.
Price: $349

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JVC GY-HM170U
This 4K camcorder from JVC is outfitted with a 12x, f/1.2-3.5 image-stabilized optical zoom with a focal range of 29.5-354mm (35mm-equivalent). The camera weighs 2.45 pounds and measures 6.02 x 4.41 x 11.77 inches, so you won’t be able to tuck it away quite as easily as some other cameras, but, for its class and capabilities, it’s still relatively small. Capable of shooting 4:2:2 full HD up to 60p at 50 Mbps, footage can be recorded directly to dual SDHC/SDXC cards. Much like high-end DSLRs with dual card slots, this JVC model can either record simultaneously to both cards so you have an automatic backup or utilize the second card for additional storage. A built-in HDMI connector provides live 4K output for external monitors. If you need lower-res files (480 x 270p or 960 x 650p) in addition to full HD, the two sizes can be recorded at the same time.

Other features of note include a built-in, two-position ND filter, which may come in handy when shooting outdoors, along with a built-in stereo microphone. Wired remote control is supported, and the camera features a 3.5-inch LCD along with a 0.24-inch color viewfinder. You can even pick up a remote lens control device for $375.
Price: $2,195

GoPro HERO4 Black Edition
You don’t have to ski down a mountain or surf the gnarliest wave to integrate the GoPro HERO4 Black Edition into your shoots. It’s small enough to be unobtrusive at weddings, and with the popularity of aerial quadcopter videography, the HERO4 may be the perfect fit for your current—or future—needs. The tiny camera shoots 4K at up to 30 fps and 1920 x 1080 at a motion-slowing 120 fps, plus you can grab 12-megapixel stills at up to 30 fps.

Pair the camera, which has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, with the GoPro app to get full remote control. The HERO4 comes with an underwater housing, allowing you to shoot at a maximum depth of 131 feet (perfect if you’re a certified diver, of course). With housing, the camera weighs 5.4 ounces, or a mere 3.1 ounces out of the underwater case. The HERO4 offers a ton of features and even more accessories. It’s small, cute and, best of all, versatile.
Price: $500

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Sony PXW-X70
The Sony PXW-X70 hand-held camcorder features a 1-inch type Exmor R CMOS sensor with 14.2 million effective pixels. An f/2.8-4.5, 12x optical Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lens with a lens ring provides an equivalent focal range of 29-348mm (16:9 aspect ratio) or 35.5-426mm (4:3 aspect ratio). Offering multi-format recording, the camera can capture full HD 1920 x 1080 at multiple frame rates with a maximum bit rate of 50 Mbps. Sony plans to unlock 4K recording in this camera in a future firmware upgrade.

Dual media slots (Memory Stick; SDHC/SDXC) are available for simultaneous recording or automatic overflow recording to the second card. Other features of note include built-in clear and four-stop ND filters and 99 custom camera profiles. The latter can be copied between PXW-X70 cameras to ensure continuity of settings, which can also be saved for each scene. Relatively compact, the camera measures 4.86 x 4.13 x 10.86 inches and weighs 3 pounds, 1 ounce fully loaded. Multiple input and output ports/jacks are available.
Price: $2,599

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Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II
The Olympus’ OM-D E-M5 II is designed for double-duty. This Micro Four Thirds model offers a solid option for capturing still images, but with its vari-angle LCD (and, more importantly, its excellent five-axis image stabilization), the E-M5 Mark II is great for shooting video as well. With that kind of stabilization, you can shoot hand-held, avoiding the hassle and extra weight of a stabilizing rig. Although its resolution maxes out at 1080/60p and not 4K, the E-M5 Mark II offers a number of pro-level video features. In addition to high bit rate, multi-frame rate and the ability to set time codes, an external monitor or recorder can be attached via the HDMI port. Focus peaking is available in four colors, with adjustable intensity for easier and more accurate focusing.

Attach an Olympus IC recorder to the microphone jack for high-quality audio. And, while you’re looking at accessories, consider the optional HLD-8G camera grip, which comes with a headphone jack to monitor audio while you’re shooting. Stack on a battery grip (HLD-6P or HLD-6) to get extra recording time (the camera will switch over to the designated secondary battery when the first runs out of juice). Wi-Fi is built in and a free app is available for smartphones and tablets. The E-M5 Mark II is splash-proof and dust-proof so it’s ready to go wherever your shoot takes you.
Price: $1,100 (body only)

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4
Since its release last year, the 16-megapixel Lumix GH4 has made its mark among photographers and videographers. The camera offers 4K cinematic video (4096 x 2160 at 24 fps) as well as 4K UHD (3840 x 2160 at up to 30 fps in MOV/MP4) with high dynamic range. Ultra-high bit rate recording at 200 Mbps is available using the ALL-Intra codec, or at 100 Mbps when recording in IPB. You have the option of outputting a 10-bit file for monitoring while simultaneously recording an 8-bit video file internally to SD cards.

While the vari-angle LCD is convenient for hand-held recording, you can also attach an external monitor via HDMI. Other ports include 3.5mm microphone and headphone jacks. The camera also offers AV outputs, a flash sync terminal and a 2.5mm jack for a remote controller. New firmware, rolled out at the end of January, delivers time code output via HDMI, plus improved 4K video playback.
Price: $1,700 (body only)

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Nikon D750/D810 Cinema Filmmaker’s Kits
Nikon has made it easy to outfit your DSLR for filmmaking with its Cinema Filmmaker’s kits. Available for both the D750 and the D810, the kits contain a complete set of gear so you can just about start shooting out of the box. The kit consists of either camera, along with the Atomos Ninja-2 Smart Production Recorder. You can record full HD 1080p (at 60, 50, 30, 25 or 24p) to the camera’s memory cards in H.264 and, simultaneously, uncompressed 1080/30p files to the Atomos Ninja-2 via the camera’s HDMI port. With the Ninja-2 you can watch the video while you’re recording. The recorder also offers playback and edit functionality.

In addition to the HDMI cable for connecting the recorder to the camera, the kit includes three fast (f/1.8) prime lenses: the AF-S NIKKOR 35mm ED, 50mm and 85mm. A matching set of Tiffen Variable ND filters rounds out the optical portion of the kit. You also get the ME-1 stereo microphone, which sits on the camera’s hot shoe and plugs into the D750/D810’s 3.5mm mic jack. Two extra batteries will keep the camera rolling. As an extra bonus, the kit also includes custom foam inserts for stowing all this gear safely into a hard case (not included).
Prices: $4,000 (d750 kit); $5,000 (d810 kit)

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Samsung NX1
Built around a 28.2-megapixel BSI (back side illuminated) APS-C CMOS sensor, the Samsung NX1’s 4K video capabilities recently got an important firmware boost in January. One of the improvements revolves around tonal control in movie capture. With this firmware update, users now have gamma, master black level and luminance level control options, plus the ability to adjust ISO and audio levels during movie capture. Adjusting and applying these settings in-camera cuts down on post-processing time, which—as we all know—is a goal whether you’re shooting stills or motion.

NX1 users can also control the AF system during video recording, to shift more slowly when moving the focus from one person to another. To accomplish this, the NX1 now allows toggling between AF and manual focus, and control over the AF’s responsiveness. Other improvements range from customization of some buttons/dials, as well as the availability of exposure compensation (EVC) in manual mode. A couple of other enhancements are also included in this update.
Price: $1,500 (body only)

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