The great camera conundrum

Andrew Marchard

Any videographer who enjoys film-making during their spare time or does it as a freelance gig, will be faced with a question sooner or later during their creative career: what kind of camera should I buy?

For most casual filmmakers such as the typical YouTube blogger, they should invest in lower-end HD drive cameras for ease of use and portability. However, avid film makers should look to higher-end modes without buying professional grade cameras.

Luckily we creative types are in an era of technology where we’re offered a brand of camera in between consume and professional makes. The prosumer camera sits somewhere in between the scale.  It has the portability and affordability of a consumer camera but the specifications and workability of a professional brand.

Unfortunately when faced with the question of what brand, make and model to buy, a budding videographer will be faced with another question: DSLR or ENG.

Canon has spearheaded the campaign to bring full HD video to their line of DSLRs with one of their more popular models being the EOS 5D MkIII. The full specifications for this camera can be found online through any camera retailer but there are some key features that set it apart from other DSLRs.  Not only does it take stunning photos, but it also has full HD video recording and encodes each file at a standard MPEG-4/h.264 codec for easy file use. The body has a Canon EF Lens mount coupled with a 35mm full frame CMOS Censor. An 8 GB card in this camera will record up to 32 minutes in full HD and has a variable frame rate setting of 24-60 frames per second.

This may seem like a lot of technical jargon, but essentially it means that the camera is versatile, produces amazing image and allows for ease of editing. On the other hand we have a similar camera though ENG style from Sony.

The Sony NEX-VG900 is a full frame camera with interchangeable lenses which form an E mount. This means it operates much like a Canon but with a more laid out, uncompressed fashion. In fact, the VG900 produces full HD uncompressed footage in a 24, 60i and 60p frame rate. Because this camera focuses on video shooting it processes information faster than the Canon.

Where the Canon can run at 11 mbps the Sony operates at over double that anywhere between 24 and 28 mbps. That’s not to say that the Canon is a slower camera, but because it’s main focus is photography that’s where its strengths lies. The Sony can take both photos and video but the ISO is only operable in still mode. The Canon, however, can change the ISO during video shooting which means a boon to anyone who is filming in the dark or low lighting locals. Technical spec wise, both of these cameras tend to be on a pretty level playing field where they beat each other in their own respected fields: Sony with video and Canon with photography.

A good voice piece is nothing if it does not have good audio and the Sony features a built in 5.1 Dolby microphone which allows you to film soundscapes with no outside recording equipment. Canon isn’t without its audio features, though the uses are limited with the only feature being able to set the recording level. If one is still stuck on which camera to choose, there’s always the deciding factor of price.

The Canon EOS 5D MkIII sits at an MSPR of about $3,400, depending where you shop. The Sony NEX-VG900 comes in just a hair under the Canon at $3,299.99. Because these prices are so close, the contributing factors come down to the preference. As a videographer who has trained on ENG cameras, I feel more comfortable using the Sony, where someone who has a photography background would no doubt feel at home with the Canon.