Sony A7s II
The Sony A7s II is definitely the current king of cameras for run and gun directors. It can handle almost ANY lighting situation, even moonlight. It can shoot in 4k, up to 120fps for slow motion in 1080HD and produces some of the sharpest, nicely colored video of any other camera out there. It’s also smaller and lighter than our next favorite camera, which is always a plus. Really the only drawback’s to this camera are its low resolution display and absolutely minuscule battery which, if you’re lucky, will give you about an hour of shoot time each. But that hasn’t stopped this camera being picked up by directors and camera crews alike from 88rising & The Org to Nassacre, Cody LaPlant, LVTR Kevin & Toinne, Directed by Max, Chris Simmons, SoVisuals & Cole Bennett.
Canon 5d Mark III
Canon was the real pioneer into the HD video market with the release of the 5D Mark II. The updated version, the 5D Mark III, added the ability to shoot at 60fps in 720HD giving directors the opportunity to use slow motion in their videos. The camera saw a ton of notable adopters like DGainz, A Zae Productions, SoVisuals, Pablo Vasquez, Nassacre, myself included and really propelled their careers forward. Since then we’ve seen one new addition to the line, the 5D Mark IV, which featured nominal improvements to megapixels, image quality and added 4k and 60fps filming in 1080HD. You’ll have to decided if the extra $1k is worth it for you.
Panasonic Lumix GH4
The real draw to the Panasonic Lumix GH4 is it’s ability to produce quality 4k at a very low price. However that 4K is only being recorded by a Four Thirds sensor, which is about 1/3 of the size of a full frame sensor. You’re basically getting a high resolution but cropped image, meaning you’ll see less of your scene. None the less, this inexpensive option is a favorite go-to among guys like WhyLoneWolf, Yakub Films & Directed By Max. If you want to spend a few extra bucks you can alternatively pickup the latest edition the Panasonic Lumix GH5 which brings improved image quality, 60fps in 4k and a couple more megapixels.
Panasonic Lumix GH4 – $1,497.99
Panasonic Lumix GH5 – $1,997.99
Other Equipment
DJI Ronin-M – $999.00
Pickup a digital stabilizer to get those buttery smooth shots. http://amzn.to/2yeDvxp
DJI Mavick Pro – $1,148.95
Crystal clear video from a compact, collapsable drone with about 20 minutes of fly time. For some amazing areal shots. http://amzn.to/2zoGkgJ
DJI Phantom 4 Pro – $1,295.00
Slightly improved flight time, video quality and slow motion capabilities but not as portable as the Mavick Pro. http://amzn.to/2yEepfA
Bare Bones Beginner Favorites
These are our ABSOLUTE MINIMUM camera’s we would recommend to start shooting music videos.
Canon 80D – $1,099.00 http://amzn.to/2yEKwMc
Canon 70D – $795.00 http://amzn.to/2zptkak