Contrary to popular belief, not all cameras are created equally, nor do they function well in all environments.
Cameras come in many different shapes, sizes, styles, and formats. And if that isn't confusing enough, they are usually designed with a specific purpose in mind. Typically, one of the main differentiating factors is the type of lens the camera uses and how it works.
HDSLR
If you haven't noticed the fact that many churches, creative agencies, and indy filmmakers are using Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras, you haven't paid enough attention to the market in the past decade. Not too long ago camera manufacturers began including video capability on their DSLRs—and the revolution that followed was incredible. It spawned a whole new breed of video cameras; the HDSLR or Hybrid Digital Single Reflex Lens camera.
PROS
HDSLRs are typically cost-effective. They can range in price from entry-level consumer to stalwart professional, and the differences are not as drastic as the price would indicate. They rely on larger sensors for the high mega pixel photos, resulting in great image quality. They also offer the opportunity to use photography lenses, which are fantastic for creating a shallow depth of field. The result is a more cinematic quality to the video, since these lenses creates a more aesthetically pleasing image. That benefit extends to the fact that they have interchangeable lens options, such as prime and zoom. A prime lens is a lens with a fixed focal length, say, for example, 35mm. A zoom lens has a variable focal length, for example 24-70mm. The fact that the HDSLR has access to both makes them very flexible.
CONS
There is a price to be paid for all this awesomeness. First, record times on HDSLRs are typically limited, either by time or file size. The result being that they typically can't record for long periods of time. Many will only record for 10-29 minutes, at which point they stop recording. Usually they can be started right back up, but repeating the startup continuously can cause some of them to overheat and require a full shutdown. Audio is also an issue for many of these cameras, because they are not usually equipped with XLR mic inputs. So external audio recording devices or additional hardware are required to get professional audio into the camera itself.
They are also not equipped with the proper video outputs or genlock, meaning they will not integrate with video production switchers. Because they use photography lenses, they require hands on the lens to zoom and focus. The result of this is that neither is easy to smoothly control. This can be fixed by adding an expensive rail system and follow focus. Usually, the HDSLRs cannot autofocus in video mode. There are exceptions to this rule, but generally the video mode disables the autofocus.
USES
In the church production world, HDSLRs are great for post-produced, in-house videos like interviews, cinematic stories, B-roll, or anything shot in a controlled shooting environment. Most of these videos tend to be shorter in length, so the limited recording time is not a factor. The shallow depth of field is also trickier to work with, so the HDSLR works best in situations where you can do multiple takes. They are not great for live event production such as IMAG or long-format recording. Since they aren't equipped with the proper ports for outputs and genlock, they are not useful in that environment. Many will also output Electronic View Finder (EVF) info on their outputs, rendering them useless except for monitoring. Typically, this also makes them useless for streaming.
Prosumer Camcorder/long Format
These cameras are used in many environments, and were the staple of video production, until the HDSLR revolution. Usually they cost more than the entry-level HDSLRs. The fixed lens is typically controlled by a servo motor. They also tend to run much larger in size than their HDSLR counterparts.
PROS
The fixed lens attributes to a wider depth of field, creating a very different looking image than HDSLRs. This wider depth of field allows the camera to be a little more forgiving when trying to quickly line up a shot. Most are equipped with mic inputs, so they will not require an external recorder or converter for audio and can record audio along with the video. Usually they will record until they run out of media, making them good for longer-format shoots. The servo lens allows for very smooth zoom control, making them great for live productions. In addition, most have some version of autofocus built in.
CONS
Fixed lenses make for a wider depth of field, and a different, some would say less-pleasing-looking, image. Other than that they are great all-purpose cameras, which is why they were such a staple in the video world until HDSLRs. There really are no real downsides to these cameras; they do a more-than-acceptable job in most environments.
USES
These cameras are good for documentary, post-production shoots, interviews, and B-roll—even if they don't produce the cinematic quality of HDSLRs. If they are equipped with the proper ports, they can pull duty as a live production IMAG camera. The servo lens is very useful in this environment where the camera will be zooming live. The long format of recording means they can be used to record worship services and messages as long as they have enough media. Their outputs are usually equipped with an option to output their signal without EVF info, so they are also great for streaming.
Cinema Cameras
Cinema cameras are a newer breed of camera. Essentially, they combine most benefits of the prosumer models with the benefits of the HDSLRs. They use standard photo lenses and, in some cases, more expensive cinema lenses. Cinema lenses are available in prime and zoom, although Canon recently created the Cine-Servo lens that functions like a cinema lens, but is servo-driven for smoother zooms.
PROS
Cinema cameras have long-format record times, as well as on-board mic inputs. They generate the aesthetic benefit due to the shallow depth of field of their lenses. Many will use DSLR lenses but also have access to the cinema lenses, as well. Typically, the cinema lenses have gears on the lens rings, allowing them to interface with a follow focus. All of this combines to make cinema cameras a solid attempt at the best of both worlds.
CONS
Obviously there was going to be a downside with all these pros. The only downside the cinema cameras have is price. Even the entry-level cinema cameras are more expensive than HDSLRs or most of the long-format cameras. In addition they are usually sold without lenses, making the entry cost even higher since the lens is going to be required. The interchangeable lenses are a benefit, but if you need three lenses for your camera to do the job, the cost can become prohibitive. The range of cost in the cinema market is huge. Depending on lenses and peripherals, it is possible for a full cinema rig to run into the tens of thousands of dollars easily. In fact, Canon's new Cine-servo lens alone retails for more than $25,000.
USES
The cinema cameras are great for pretty much everything. The shallow depth of field makes these cameras not as useful for live production and long-format shooting. That said, I have produced multiple live events using this style of camera. Some have the necessary outputs and genlock. Some do not. If they do not have the proper ports, they will require converters or adapters to be useful in the live event scenario. Like the HDSLR, they are best suited for controlled situations where multiple takes are an option. While they will work for streaming, the shallow depth of field makes them less useful for this application.
Selecting Lenses
The lens—and how it works—is one of the real differentiators between the cameras. The quality and style of the image is totally different between fixed lens cameras and HDSLR or cinema cameras. On the DSLR side, one of the main factors is the aperture, which affects the depth of field. On most standard zoom lenses the aperture is variable, for example a 80-200mm zoom lens will have an aperture of f/4.5-5.6. Meaning the lens may be f/4.5 at 80mm but zoomed into 200mm, where it is going to be f/5.6. The more expensive zoom lenses will maintain a constant aperture throughout, but are typically 10 times the cost of stock variable aperture zoom lenses.
Prime lenses also bring a different factor to the lens selection. Due to the fixed focal length, they benefit from very wide apertures, as wide as f/1.2, which is not achievable in a zoom lens. The depth a field with these wide apertures can be so narrow that you may have part of your subject in focus and part out of focus. This may be fine for a five second B-roll clip or as the second camera on an interview, but it is terrible for the main camera of a 45-minute sermon.
The type of video you want to produce is going to determine which camera is going to work best, and there are exceptions to the guidelines set forth in this article. There are churches that use cinema cameras for their IMAG. The results are very polished, but they have made substantial investments in tripods, rail systems, follow focus, output adapters and converters to make this work. They have also made a big investment in time, training their volunteers on how to use these cameras. In addition, they achieve a very professional-looking result, but they knew the score going in and decided the result was worth the investment. So when you are in the market for a camera, the most important question you should ask is this: “How am I going to use it?”
