7 Best Camera for Music Videos 2024 Reviewed
Which is the best camera for music videos? Professional-level music videos never come easy. It depends on the quality of the cameras you use to shoot the videos like the one-shot music video.
A quality video is what builds your reputation as a great filmmaker – maybe a Mac for music production. These cameras will perform great for wildlife, sports, or landscape photography.
1. Canon EOS Full-Frame 5D Mark IV Digital SLR Camera -#1 Pick
This 5D Mark IV is a mainstream pro-SLR, LCD screen (high resolution), 30MP sensor, and 7 frames_per_second shooting. It has great autofocus and can shoot your 4K music videos internally – for videographers and photographers.
On design and controls, the full-frame body 5D Mark IV weighs 1.8 pounds plus it’s moderately sized (4.6 * 5.9 * 3.0 inches). It has no vertical shooting grip such as that in Nikon D5 but you can add a battery grip (BG-E20).
Sneak Peek:
- The sleek, modern and unique camera body design
- Offers 4K UHD 2160p of Video Capture Resolution
- 30.4 MP as the Optical Sensor Resolution
- 30.4 mp as the Max Resolution
- Reliable, durable, and offers top-performance
- Provides continuous shooting at 7fps
- Has a 3:2 Aspect ratio with its versatile CMOS sensor (30.4 MP full-frame)
The 5D Mark IV has an optical viewfinder that is both clear and bright (thanks to the glass pentaprism build) plus it’ll cover the whole frame. The touchscreen is responsive and fast – you can tape to adjust your focus point when shooting video.
Many creative videographers say that it’s versatile and will help shoot highly refined images. It allows digital-to-analog conversion (on-chip) to enhance a sound recording. Also, check the photography drones.
It has mic and headphone jacks, which allows better audio control. You can also record in 1080/50,60p – an excellent feature for slow-motion and broadcasting. I love that the camera has a superior (AF) Autofocus system and can film 4K videos (DCI 4K – 4096×2160 ) internally even in harshly lighted places.
It has both the DIGIC 6+ & the DIGIC 6 processors (that allow continuous shooting – about 7.0 fps) – where the later doing metering and the following do all other tasks such as the AF system (61-point) – for greater focus accuracy.
With the AF system’s sensitive being downed to -3EV (and being -4EV for Live View), you’ll have no problem getting focus with poor light. It has innovative sensor technology that’s also used in 80D and has ISO100-32000 native sensitivity.
Read Also: Best Camera for Concerts
2. Blackmagic 4K Cinema Camera Pocket Design – #2 Pick
Blackmagic 4K combines Blackmagic RAW, excellent low-light performance, and its high dynamic range to make it a perfect camera for shooting music videos. With just a few years in the camera industry, Blackmagic competes well with popular brands.
Blackmagic 4K is an excellent Pocket Cinema Cameras for your live studio camera if combined with the ATEM Mini. The HDMI connection will give you access to video plus control. You can easily adjust the shutter speed, gain, focus, and color tint.
Sneak Peek:
- Has 4 built-in mics plus a 5-inch touchscreen LCD
- Uses Black magic powerful OS great for music videos
- Its composite body is made from sturdy carbon fiber
- Will short HD at 120fps, RAW in addition to and 4K at a rate of 60fps with no sensor cropping
- Has a 4096*2160 resolution and 3 sensor
- Allow ProRes, Rec. 709, or LOG recording
- Has (mini)XLR and phantom power input
Videographers and producers such as Ben Hausdorff working with the Pentatonix love this Blackmagic 4K for music videos including using it as a YouTube camera and for concert videos. It shoots 120 fps for its windowed HD mode.
Hausdorff used the camera for shooting the viral evolution of the Ariana Grande music video with incredible harmonies. The Blackmagic 4K Pocket with a large monitor (at the rear) gave him an excellent recording time plus great 4K images.
At the core of its performance is the 4/3 sensor, which can be used with a wide range of lenses. It has a resolution of 4096 x 2160 that’s ideal for shooting 4K videos at 60fps. It won’t introduce a crop factor, which may need further processing.
The duo ISO configuration allows you to choose the camera sensitivity depending on the current lighting conditions and thus reduces noise at the higher ISOs. Produces excellent DCI 4K-RAW videos plus you’ll love its simple-to-use menu.
Blackmagic features a five-inch full HD touchscreen and control buttons just within reach of your fingers. Such a configuration facilitates a convenient and smooth operation of the camera.
It also fully equipped with several additional features that make video recording more convenient. These include HDMI port, XLR input, two card slots and USB-C support. You might also like the fact that this camera comes with Davinci Resolve, a high-end software for editing videos.
Related: Beginner Filming Camera
3. Nikon D500 DX-Format Digital SLR (Body Only) – #3 Pick
This Nikon D500 DSLR will do a great job of recording your high-quality music videos. With the ISO51200 (that’s even expandable to ISO1640000), the camera has top light sensitivity in addition to having a DX-format lens (20.9MP).
Sneak Peek:
- Shoots at 10 fps for about 200 Frames
- Has a 20.9MP effective Sensor
- Has Native ISO 51200 and the max setting is ISO 1640000
- Touchscreen LCD that’s tilting and measures diagonal 3.2 inches
- Records 4k UHD video at a rate of 30 fps
Nikon D500 DSLR will shoot the music videos in 4K plus has inputs for headphone socket or external mic for effective audio monitoring. The camera has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE to enhance connectivity between itself and different smart devices.
Further, it allows you to use both XQD and SDXC SD cards – thus allows you both the versatility of the SD and speed of the XQD. Also, with the 10FPS FPS, you’ll easily record a more significant number of frames per second.
Eye-level viewfinder (the pentaprism) allowing 100% horizontal coverage and 100% vertical coverage – thus, you’ll see what you’ve captured in the files. However, this camera lacks a Built-In Flash – that luckily provides for a low-profile hump. It has 153 Autofocus points’ works great in filming or photographing music videos.
Its touch LCD Screen can tilt, which simplifies viewing of mages – as you can simply pinch & stretch for fast zooming. It has a 10-pin port and a PC-sync socket for connecting your various devices. With its 10 FPS, you can take 200 frames of continuous shooting – which allows one to capture the small & fleeting moments in music video shots.
The camera showed top flexibility even for high ISO in cases that it would suffer on the RAW files’ elasticity. Its 20.9 MP DX sensor (for top detail) will give you a high resolution and maintaining a high pixel density to produce a lower amount of noise. Finally, down below is a camera captured on this fantastic Nikon D500 DSLR.
Read Also: Sound cards for music production
4. Panasonic 4K Lumix GH5 Digital Camera – #4
Lumix GH5 will match even the professional-level video shooting cameras. It’s built for both 4K videos and photography; this camera comes with no crop functionality, which eliminates the need post-editing.
It’s bundled with numerous video-making features that promise to take our music video recording to professional levels. A 20.3MP sensor and the Venus Engine processor make up the best part of Lumix GH5.
Sneak Peek:
- Ports and connections; HDMI port (full-size), USB 3.0, audio port (3.5 mm), and UHS-II U3 SD-card slots.
- Micro four-thirds sensor (20.3 Megapixel) for professional video and photos with artifact-free and great dynamic range.
- Has a Freeze-proof magnesium-alloy build up to about 10 degrees that’s equally durable. Further, weather sealing for each button, dial, and joint makes the camera dust- and splash-proof.
- Allows 4K capture for your music videos besides 6K photos with 60Fps
Such as a combination results in quality images and faster processing times. This allows you to capture both no crop 4K videos as well as full HD videos with continuous shooting. Lumix GH5 reaches a maximum sensitivity of ISO25600, which makes it possible to shoot videos at varying levels of lighting conditions.
The electronic viewfinder now entails 0.76x magnification and 3680000-dot resolution, which is an improvement from its predecessor. This camera also features an autofocus configuration with up to 9fps continuous shooting ability.
The 5-axis stabilization sensor provides a means for correcting shaking during video or photo shooting. Thus you can operate in the camera in a handheld position and still get quality images.
Also featured in Lumix GH5 is NFC and built-in Wi-Fi which provides a means for transferring videos to your smartphone. Plus there’s a HDMI port for enabling live video output.
Related: Point and Shoot Camera Under $100
5. Canon Mark IV EOS 5D – DSLR Camera – #5
The evolution of the 5D series of the camera has seen significant improvements since the release of the EOS 5D. And with Mark IV, you have a very active camera for shooting music videos. It comes with a 30.4MP sensor which is a notable upgrade from the 22.3MP in the Mark III.
It has a full-frame sensor and thus gives you the leverage to work on a wide range of tasks, including shooting music videos, wildlife videos, and so on. It’s ideal for both 4K and still videos, which allow easy and effective post-processing.
Sneak Peek:
- Change the device into your top-quality webcam
- Amazing performance offering fps plus great image quality
- Quality 30.4 Megapixel allowing versatile music video shooting at most lighting conditions with the ISO0-range being 100-32000
- Excellent touch-screen LCD monitor
- Allows about 120p HD and 60p Full HD video options.
The performance of the sensor is further complimented by the 61-point AF system and the optical viewfinder. The upgraded AF system now covers a wide tracking area to ensure all actions are captured. You also get very sharp focusing even in poor lighting conditions.
Mark IV utilizes DIGIC 6+ and DIGIC 6 processors, which enhances the performance of the former. Thus, you’re able to enjoy continuous shooting (7.0 fps). This camera boasts of ISO100-32000 sensitivity, which can further be expanded ISO50-102400. This will be great for music recording, which requires minimal noise from the background.
What’s more, Mark IV comes with an easy to use LCD screen to make your work easy and enjoyable. Plus it comes with Wi-Fi connectivity to allow quick file sharing and live streaming.
6. Nikon (24.1 MP) D5200 DSLR Camera
In terms of performance, Nikon D5200 strikes a perfect balance between Nikon D3200 and Nikon D7100. Although it makes use of a 24.1MP sensor like in the D3200, it’s marketed as having better performance.
If you’re looking for a camera for your music videos, then you won’t go wrong with this one. It comes with the Expeed 3 processor which is ideal for full HD recording. The viewfinder allows you to quickly focus on the scene which results in accurate shooting.
Sneak Peek:
- Its GPS compatible and Wi-Fi for easy remote control and file sharing
- The LCD measures 3 inches and can tilt into different angles.
- Its ISO range is 100-6400 but can be expanded to 25,600
- Its continuous shooting is about 5 fps (frames per second)
- Its CMOS sensor is 24 MP (DX-format)
With the Autofocus system, the camera is able to detect the eyes of about 35 individuals faces in a group. This results in sharp and accurate shooting.
The D4 processing power, combined with the 5fps frame rate, allows you to capture fasting moving scenes instantly. The sensitivity of this camera is ISO 100-6400. However, you can expand it to 25600. This will enable you to shoot music videos with minimal noise levels.
D5200 is also equipped with special effects which give you the freedom to customize images. What’s more, presence of built-in Wi-Fi makes file sharing easy and convenient.
7. Canon Mirrorless Camera (EOS) M10
Budget constraints should not limit your indulgence in music video recording. Canon makes budget-friendly cameras while maintaining the quality you might find in high-end cameras.
With EOS M10, you’ll be able to enjoy all the features of an efficient music video camera. EOS M10 uses an 18.0MP sensor, which gives you full HD video recording capability.
Sneak Peek:
- Easy and fast transfer of videos and images to devices such as tablets or smartphones through NFC or Wi-Fi
- Through Creative Assist, you can readily adjust the video and image settings such as warmth, contrast, color vividness, background blur, and brightness.
- Its 3.0 LCD monitor is a touch screen and highly intuitive plus you can tilt it by about 180° and thus great for shooting and focusing for music videos
- Its ISO range is 100-12800 that you can expand to 25600 with the 18.0 MP APS-C CMOS sensor that’ll readily capture music videos and photos in harsh lighting.
It comes with ISO 100-12,800 sensitivity, which can further be expanded to ISO 25600. This enables the camera to capture fine details with minimal noise.
The image processor for this camera is the DIGIC 6, which allows you to capture high-quality videos even in low lighting conditions. It’s also responsible for high camera speed and image stabilization.
EOS M10 features an AF II system which is equipped with a face detection configuration. This hastens the speed and accuracy with which you shoot images. Together with the 4.0fps, this feature allows continuous shooting even on fast-moving scenes.
The 3 inch touch screen allows easy navigation and can be tilted to 180° to enable vertical shooting. What’s more, EOS M10 comes with NFC and Wi-Fi configuration to make file sharing easy and convenient.
8. Nikon D3300 – 24.2 MP DSLR
If you’re novice in shooting music videos, you can begin with Nikon D3300. It’s an entry-level camera with great ease-of-use and superb functionality in both photography and filming.
The most notable feature in this camera is the 24.2MP sensor which sets it on top among cameras in this class.
Sneak Peek:
- Its Optical Zoom is 3x plus the autofocus is facilitated by the AF S Lens and has Lens Compatibility
- Its ISO range is 100 12800 and can expand to 25600
- The 3d tracking allowable with the 11 AF points
- Allows 5fps for continuous shooting
- Its CMOS sensor is 24.2 MP (DX-format)
The camera sensor lacks a low-pass filter, which enables it to capture more detailed images. The camera sensitivity stands at ISO100-12800 with an option to expand to ISO25600. This makes it possible to shoot videos at varying levels of lighting conditions.
Nikon D3300 utilizes the EXPEED 4 processor, which gives you full HD video shooting capability. With the 5.0fps, you get to enjoy continuous shooting to allow comprehensive coverage of fast-moving scenes.
This camera also features a viewfinder which detects human eyes. This gives you quick and accurate focusing. Though not a 100% viewfinder, you won’t find unintended stuff into your captured frames.
Last but no least is the 3 inch LCD screen which entails 921000 dot resolution. Although it’s not touchscreen, it gives you a preview of how the effects blend with the scene before pressing the trigger.
9. Canon 90D (EOS) DSLR Camera
A great addition to your music recording studio. EOS 80D is by far a great improvement from the previous EOS 80D DSLR camera. Though they look similar from an outward look, the new edition now comes with an incredible 32.5MP sensor.
This gives you high-resolution images that can be zoomed and cropped without affecting the image quality. With the DIGIC 8 processor, you’re guaranteed to get UHD 4K videos and different forms of full HD videos.
Sneak Peek:
- Suitable for capturing high-quality music videos and high-speed events in sports with the 32.5 MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- Allows 10 fps for continuous shooting (high-speed) plus it has limited time Lag
- Allows 120P video ( Full-HD) and 30P for the 4K UHD
- The high-quality and durable webcam
EOS 90D features a highly effective AF system that works with the 220,000-pixel metering sensor in the viewfinder mode to improve face detection ability. AF focus works with both videos and still imaging.
This camera also boasts of an incredible 10fps when in the autofocus mode. That means it is possible to shoot fast-moving images without compromising on their quality.
EOS 90D makes use of USB 2.0 for wired file transfer and Bluetooth/Wi-Fi for wireless transfer. What’s more, EOS 90D allows joystick control which is enjoyable especially when focusing.
10. Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Digital Camera 24.3MP
The Sony Alpha a6000 comes with a NEX shape and has a Bionz-X processor that will give you better processing power. The Bionz X processor and its 99 phase-detect points allow one to shoot 11 fps continuously while tracking the musicians and band members.
You can shoot in hi-speed burst mode (11fps), after a quick start-up with the 0.06 seconds autofocus. In addition, the camera in its small in size has an OLED electronic viewfinder, in addition to an LCD screen that can tilt.
Sneak Peek:
- Its NP FW50 Battery is rechargeable plus it has Micro-USB cable, Eyepiece cup, and shoulder strap
- The 0.39 in-type viewfinder (electronic) plus the tilting LCD is 3-inch
- The music video camera allows continuous shooting at a rate of 11 FPS plus 1200-zone Metering Type
- Its ISO-rage is 100-25600 and can ex[and to 51200
Sony Alpha a6000 is a small-sized camera making it very excellent for handling – this is mainly because the main camera settings are readily accessible around your hand.
Sony A6000 has 2 control dials that provide great control with great image quality both for Raw and JPEG. It has a rugged body that makes it sturdy and it’s also very portable. It high-quality digital viewfinder makes it great for video shooting.
It also has an automatic focus that’s great for sporting events and wildlife photography equally thanks to the burst mode of 11fps for high-action video and photo shooting.
Filming your music videos using this a600 is an excellent experience plus produce crisp and professional videos. The camera has a compact body size makes it easy to carry or simply throw it into your laptop case or backpack.
This mirrorless camera has an interchangeable lens. Further, its faster processor will give you a higher number of images for its battery size. It also has a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, which allows you to transfer to other portable devices.
You can expand the camera’s ISO 100-25600 to IS51200 will give you superior light sensitivity in addition to the higher resolution. Sony A6000 will record HD Video – 1080p (60 frames/ sec).
11. Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Zoom
Next up is the Lumix Camera DMC-LX5 that comes with a superior optical zoom range and a better multi-aspect sensor. I love this camera for filming in low-light environments, and its aspect sensor allows great panoramic.
With the 10.1 megapixels lens, you can shoot your music videos in almost any light condition all year round. On ergonomics, this one scores very highly, and I advise you to take it if that’s what you’re shopping for. This Panasonic allows the high-quality 720p video shooting.
Sneak Peek:
- Stores the image or video to your SDHC/SD memory cards
- Simple accessorization with the camera’s hot shoe
- The 3.0-inch LCD is Intelligent plus the Creative film mode
- Offers CCD captures with the 10.1 MP sensor
Fujifilm X-T2 Mirrorless can shoot top-quality 4K videos, excellent JPEGs, and Raw images with its better autofocus. It comes with the 24.3MP CMOS sensor in addition to other great features that’ll give you quality music videos while doing away with false colors.
It has an ergonomic build (with its 63-point weather-sealing) and can withstand different harsh weather climatic conditions. The OLED system and 11 FPS allows quick viewfinder action in addition to excellent magnifying, while its LCD screen can also tilt for great ergonomic operation.
Fujifilm X-T2 is a compact music video camera whose speed has been increased through the X-Processor Pro that includes both the predictive AF and phase-detection autofocus (AF).
Considerations in Choosing the Best Camera for Music Videos
1. Camera Sensor and Autofocus
The performance of a camera will highly depend on the type and size of the sensor. Of course, higher pixels combined with the large-sized sensor results in better resolution. That’s because they can capture more details in an instance compared to those with low resolution.
The advantage of high resolution is that it allows you to crop your images without diminishing their quality. So, you should consider the camera sensor configuration depending on your desired level of resolution.
Autofocus, usually written as the AF system, is a technology that is gaining a lot of popularity in camera making technologies. AF system enables you to focus on the targeted scene with better accuracy.
2. Viewfinder and Image Stabilization
Sometimes, it’s common to concentrate on the camera’s pixels and forget the viewfinder. A viewfinder allows you to select and capture the intended details only. In this, you choose the subject using a frame.
An adequate viewfinder will capture only the selected features and block everything outside the frame. So, when choosing your camera to ensure it comes with a viewfinder sufficient to ensure you get the desired results.
This is a technology built into a mirrorless camera or lens to help reduce blurs that occur due to camera motion. It works by automatically adjusting the position of the camera lens to compensate for the tilt and pan induced by a shaky camera. Thus, you can shoot videos while holding the camera with your hands and still get high-quality images.
Conclusion
To get many YouTube subscribers, you require a camera with a larger sensor, interchangeable lenses, fast Auto-focus speed, & better depth of field/focus for different music video shots.
It’s never easy to choose the best camera for shooting music videos. Cameras come in different qualities, ease-of-use, robustness, and budget. Most of the high-end cameras come at higher prices because of their premium build and superb performance.
However, there’re middle-level cameras that will give you quality performance with a little pinch in your pocket. Whichever your choice, ensure what you’re getting matches the quality of music videos you want to produce.
