6 Best Video Camera for Musicians

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Best Camera for recording music is a topic that requires some genuine thinking. If you are seriously interested in building your music career, you can look for platforms such as YouTube or TikTok instead of the conventional process. But that requires a quality camera too.

Yes, smartphones can satisfy your hobby, but they cannot provide you with facilities such as recording the audio from an external mic or some beautiful zoomed shots. Cameras add professionalism and confidence to your hard work. The world is competitive, and at least we do not suggest you risking your talent if you can give it the best.

When we list action cameras or wedding photography cameras, we can do it with ease. But recording music is somewhat a topic that requires keen study and research. Based on singers and music artists’ general opinions, we have listed a few best cameras for recording music.

Here are the 6 Best Video Camera for Musicians:

 Panasonic 4K : Best Camera for Recording Music

Key Features : 18.91MegaPixels; 4K ultra HD Resolution; 20x Optical zoom; 14.2 ounces weight

The Panasonic 4K camera weighs 14.2 ounces for lightweight purposes. Video recording quality is 4k at 60fps, which is the best feature you can derive from this camera. You can shoot with multiple angles and get equally good videos from each angle.

If you mind investing in a tripod stand, the 5 Axis hybrid image stabilization does the job because it stabilizes the camera from 5 sides. It becomes essential to record the singer’s facial expressions while the singer is singing or playing music, and this camera comes with a 20x optical zoom.

So that is going to help you in capturing every minute expression of the musician or the artist. That adds to the emotional connection with the audience. Other than all this, you have USB, HDMI, and Wi-Fi connectivity options. The 3 inch LCD screen is good enough; you can attach an external viewfinder to save the battery. 

Pros:

• 20x optical zoom
• 5 axis Hybrid Image Stabilization
• Weighs only 14.2 ounces 
• HDMI, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity
• 4K videos at 60 fps

Cons:

• Almost none

Canon VIXIA HF R800

Key Features: 3.28MP; 1080p Full-HD Resolution; 32xOptical zoom; 1lbs weight

Speaking about Canon VIXIA HF R800, it is a wonderful camera with a battery life of two and a half hours, which is enough for recording a music video. You will be using a tripod, but then the camera’s weight is just 1 pound, which is very lightweight, so you wouldn’t have any problem holding the camera and recording.

The same zooming feature of smartphones is slightly different from that of cameras. When we want to focus on a particular subject, we can zoom any object we want to focus on and capture the image keeping the background in ignorance.

You will get a 32X optical zoom, which is great for recording the video’s close-ups. The CMOS sensor captures some highly detailed images with a Digic DV4 image processor. With this, you can be sure that you will get amazing photos with maximum sharpness and clarity even in low light effects.

Generally, when we record a video on the camera, we are concerned about sharing the video for editing purposes. We have Wi-Fi and NFC connections over here, along with Bluetooth, HDMI, and Wifi.

We have a microphone which is built with a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The 3 inch LCD touchscreen comes with optical image stabilization and highlight mode, which lights up any subject you particularly want to be noticed.

You can record yourself playing instruments like guitar or a piano with the auto mode too. However, for only recording guitar videos, we recommend that you go through our list of the best cameras for recording guitar videos.

All these features together combine to make a perfect camera for your music videos. They add professionalism to your videos. You should consider purchasing this camera if you can.

Pros:

• 32x optical zoom
• Amazing Image Stabilization
• Weighs only 1 pound
•  HDMI, Bluetooth, NFC, and Wi-Fi connectivity
• Digic DV4 image processor
• CMOS sensor

Cons:

• No 4K video option

 Sony Alpha a6000

Key Features: 24.3 mp; 1080p HD Resolution; 3xOptical zoom with 18-55mm lens; 0.76lbs weight

Next, we have a mirrorless camera with a flip screen in the list that resembles a DSLR. We don’t want to keep you unaware of the only major drawback: it lacks a 4K video quality. It weighs 0.75 lbs of weight.

It has Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity to share your videos on YouTube without any hassle or fuss. However, if you want to do live streams on youtube, go with a camcorder specially made for Youtube.

Instead of equipping the camera with many modes, it gives you an option to download a Play memories camera app and use several modes like low light mode, macro fireworks, and so on.

You are getting an optical LED viewfinder, bionz x image processor, an ISO limit of 25600 – 12800, USB port, and 1.5 hours of continuous shooting. If you are shooting a full HD video that would last up to 40 minutes upon one charging session.

Pros:

• 3x Optical Zoom with 18-55mm lens
• Image Stabilization
• It weighs only 0.76 lbs 
• HDMI, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity
• Access to various modes through the app
• Good battery life

Cons:

• No 4K video

Canon EOS M50

Key Features : 24MP; 4K UHD 2160p Resolution; 13x Optical zoom; 0.86 lbs weight

Canon is a very trusted brand when it comes to camera collection. And this camera of canon weighs 0.86 lbs. For live shoot and self-recording, this camera comes with a remote control so that you can connect it with your smartphone and control the camera. It has NFC, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity options. It is double the $300 priced cameras for vlogging, but the quality is unmatched compared to more affordable options.

This also an excellent camera for making podcasting videos too. Speaking about the video quality, it can record a 4K ultra HD video at 24 FPS, which is a great deal in itself. The camera comes with a dual pixel CMOS sensor, making it great for recording in the absence of proper light.

The feature of eye-tracking helps it focus on the eyes of the artist while recording. Coming to the battery life, even if you are recording a 4K video, this camera will last up to an hour upon one charging session.

Pros:

• 13x Optical zoom
• Image Stabilization
• Weighs only 0.86 lbs 
• HDMI, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity
• 4K UHD 2160p videos
• Lightweight

Cons:

• The dual pixel CMOS sensor works only for photos

Nikon D850

Key Features: 47MP; 4K UHD 2160p Resolution; 1x Optical zoom; 2.2 lbs weight

Nikon d850 weighs 2.2 pounds, which makes it quite a heavier option in the list, but anyway, we will record a music video with a tripod stand, so the weight doesn’t matter much.

It comes with 8k time-lapse, 32 ISO support; the famous do not disturb mode and subject lock mode. It comes with an EXPEED image processor. You are going to have a high-resolution image quality at 9 fps with a Full HD 1080 resolution.

It has many required ports like a microphone port, a headphone jack port, USB, HDMI, and AV. What else can you expect from a camera that can take one and a half hours of 2080 pixel shoot? The tiltable LCD screen is not small either, as it is 3 inches in size.

Pros:

• 1 x Optical zoom
• Image Stabilization
• HDMI, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity
• 4K UHD 2160p videos
• High-end DSLR
• EXPEED image processor

Cons:

• Costly

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

(Key features : 30.4 mp ; 4K UHD 2160p Resolution; RAW +IR Sensor ; 1.76 lbs weight )

We have another great camera from Canon weighing 1.76 lbs. Now the features are great, and you get a year’s warranty too. Also, you can record 4K video at 30 fps or 240 fps. You can record 1080 pixel video at 60fps or 720p video at 120 fps. There is Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity option too.

The camera carries 61 autofocus points and a 4K resolution that can help you record the artists’ minute expressions. It captures brilliant images. An exceptional feature is getting the dual pixel RAW format to help you edit part of your videos, an important place in music videos.

It comes with a Canon CMOS sensor and Digic 6 plus image processor. The ports have a microphone port, HDMI port, USB port flash port, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. In addition to all these features, you get a long battery life, which is about 2 hours of a video shoot.

Pros:

• Image Stabilization
• HDMI, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity
• 4K at 30 fps
• Digic 6 plus image processor
• RAW +IR Sensor

Cons:

• Lacks tiltable screen

That’s all about the cameras and their features. We are here revealing a few secret equipment and tips to boost your audio and video quality. Let’s look into these tips and tricks to make the videos cage the attention of as many people as possible.

3 Must-Have Requirements for Recording a Music Video :

Here are three crucial pieces of equipment for recording music videos.

1. External mic: We understand when you occasionally record your audio using the inbuilt microphone of the camera. But if you are making that a habit, it is going to ruin your audio quality. You want to have the full interest of the audience. For that, you cannot let your voice fade away with a blowing breeze. This would drop the enthusiasm in the audience. Hence, always look for a standard External mic. We don’t recommend using lavalier mics or any other affordable vlogging microphones. Invest in a good quality external mic, as sound will be something that your audience will be mainly looking at!
2. Tripod Stand: No matter how hard you try to maintain your posture, a human body is liable to be in motion. Thus, while recording a video, you should make use of a tripod stand.
3. Added Lights: Yes, music videos have to create your audience’s mood. Lack of proper lights will make your videos look dull and dim. As a result, your audience will lack interest in your videos. Hence, look for at least one source of external light.

3 Added Tips for Recording Music Videos:

Now let’s look at these three tips for recording a quality music videos:

1. Look for mics that come with Fur Protection or Foam Protection. This way, you save the internal system of the mic from outdoor moisture and background noise.
2. Shoot in RAW format for an easy editing process because editing becomes a crucial part of music videos.
3. Look for locations that suit your theme of the music. This adds emotional touch and reality to your videos. Try avoiding night sky setting based videos. If at all, go for a camera that can provide you with a longer exposure. You can find our suggestions here. They can do great for night sky based cover photos. For videos, consider investing in lights for better results.

What features matter the most for a Good Music Recording Camera?

1. Image stabilization: You might wish to skip a tripod at times; in such circumstances, you need a camera with good image stabilization.
2. Battery life: Music videos are generally short. But recording requires enough time. Look for cameras with good battery life.
3. Good Optical Zoom: This is an important feature to take good close-ups of the music player’s facial expressions or the singer.
4. 4K Resolution: Even if you don’t want high-Resolution videos up to 4K resolution, still invest in a high-resolution camera to achieve high-quality filmography and be future proof.
5. Connectivity: If your camera has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, HDMI, and USB ports, or a few of these are also enough for sharing and uploading videos.
6. Microphone: There might be days you want to shoot a video using the camera’s built-in microphone. For such days, make sure your camera has a microphone.