5 Criteria to choose your camera
For any videography enthusiast, one of the hardest choices is which camera to buy. In the best of all possible worlds, with sufficient funds, this choice would be directly to cameras designed for cinema such as Red or Arri cameras. These cameras are almost perfect but cost a fortune.
With the popularization of videography, many competent video devices have been created to accommodate all budgets. It is important to know certain criteria before choosing one.
Here are 5 technical criteria that will guide you to make the best choice according to your use.
- Resolution
The resolution of an image is the number of pixels per inch it contains. The higher the resolution, the more detailed the image.
The standard in resolution (number of pixels) for modern devices is Full HD (1080p), however 4K (3840p) is rising in popularity but is not yet the industry standard. Shooting in 4K offers a more detailed image and more room in post production. It should be noted that 4K files are heavy and require powerful computers for post-production.
2. Frame rate per second
How many frames can the camera shoot per second? The standard is 24 frames per second. To make a slow motion effect, you need to shoot in 60 frames per second. The higher the number of frames per second, the more detailed and slow-motion images can be produced. The more powerful a camera is, the more it will be able to film at a high number of frames per second while maintaining good image quality.
If slow motion is important to the buyer then frame rate is a critical factor.
3. Sensor size
Measured in mm, the sensor is the part of the camera that captures light and converts it into an image. The larger the sensor, the better the image quality, the better the camera will perform in low light and the better the depth of field. A laptop, camcorder, or drone can shoot in 4K but due to the small size of their sensors, the quality of their 4K images will not be comparable to 4K images from a cinema camera. In the same way, the size of the sensors varies from one camera to another, it also determines the type of lenses that the camera can use.
4. Low light performance
ISO is the unit of measurement for the light sensitivity of a camera. The ISO can be changed in low light situations. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the camera is to light. However, a high ISO degrades the quality of the image. Some cameras allow you to increase the ISO without losing image quality, which allows them to perform well in low light situations. However, it is advisable to keep the ISO low and use lights to compensate for the lack of light.
5. Colors
Two factors are to be taken into account, the science of the colors and the number of colors (in bits/pixel). Each camera manufacturer has a different color science (way to display colors). Some cameras have better color science than others. In post-production, colors can be changed.
The possibilities of modification depend on the number of colors that the device can display per pixel. For most devices this number is 8 bits (8 bits of color per pixel). The more bits a device has, the more color information it will have and the more possibilities for color modification. The number of bits is therefore an important factor for users who intend to make many changes to the colors of their images.
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