The Beginner Videography Buyer's Guide for 2017

With so many options available on the market today, choosing the right beginner equipment for video production can definitely be a challenge. We’ve compiled some of the best options and created a “videography starter pack” for beginners to help you decide on a few options so you can achieve high quality results at the best value.

Panasonic Lumix G7 4K Camera

One of the best value cameras current available is the Panasonic Lumix G7. This mirrorless camera allows for 4K video recording at 30 frames per second at 100Mbit/s, all on a micro four thirds system that allows for interchangeable lenses. This camera can also shoot at 60 frames per second while in 1080p mode, allowing the footage to be slowed down in post. This makes motion appear more smooth and can give your footage a cinematic look while filming. However, this camera does not include in-body stabilization, so if you’re planning on shooting video without the use of a tripod or gimbal, it’s worth checking out the Panasonic Lumix G85 instead. In either case, all footage will be recorded onto an SD card which is not included. To ensure you have a good quality card with fast write speeds, we recommend going with a high quality card such as the SanDisk Extreme PRO.

Zoom H4N Pro Audio Recorder

While a good quality camera to capture nice-looking video is highly important, that’s not the end of the story for videographers. A big part of creating professional content is clean, high quality audio. Whether you’re recording voice using a lavalier microphone, shotgun microphone, or just picking up background noise in a room, you should consider an audio recorder such as the Zoom H4N PRO. This will allow for both XLR and 3.5mm microphones to be connected directly to the recorder. You can then record audio on the recorder itself, or send the audio through to your camera’s 3.5mm microphone input and use the audio recorder as an improvement to the camera’s built-in (noisy) preamps. Additionally, the Zoom H4n Pro has its own microphones, so it’s not necessary to use external ones for every situation. One of the nice things about using a portable audio recorder, is you can connect the lavalier to it, and hide it in a pocket. That way all the audio is recorded, without the need for a cable to the camera or an expensive wireless system.

Viltrox L116T LED Light Panel

To achieve those perfect shots, you’ll also need to use appropriate lighting. For budget videographers just getting started, a good bet is to check out the Viltrox L116T. This lighting system has adjustable color temperature from 3300K to 5600K, as well as a built-in brightness control. It can be powered by standard NP-style batteries for portable use, or by power adapter. The Viltrox L116T can be easily mounted on top of the camera with a cold-shoe mount, or on a standard light stand.

Finally, a solid base and smooth motion is essential to videography. When getting started, it’s worth getting a high quality professional video tripod such as the Davis & Sanford ProVista 7518B. This tripod is very well built with a fluid head on a 75mm bowl mount, allowing the head to be easily leveled. Additionally, the 75mm bowl mount allows for the head to be upgraded in the future to something like a Manfrotto MVH502A head without requiring an entire new tripod to be purchased. To learn more about this tripod, check out our review of it here.