2020 Camera Releases: What’s Right for Your Church?
2020 has been an incredible year for camera releases, in case you haven’t been following the news. While the early part of the year was quite difficult with production slowdowns in Asia, most manufacturers have recovered enough product stock to roll out their new offerings, and there are some real gems on the way.
In this post, I’m going to do a quick synopsis of each major camera release from this year, and give you my thoughts on whether or not you should look into it for your church’s video production needs.
While some of these models have incredible specs, the bigger question is whether or not they’re the best investment for your church’s video production needs. The write-ups below should help make sense of what’s actually worth paying for.
To Buy or Not To Buy…
To start off, we’ll look at what Canon brought to the table this year… which is a lot.
Courtesy: bhphotovideo.com
Canon C100 Mark II
A less-heralded release earlier this year, the C100 finally got an upgrade. It still only shoots in 1080p HD, but the new DIG!C DV4 processor, plus a true 4K sensor, uses some cool new technology to simulate a 3-chip processor like those in major broadcast media. The result is better color and fewer compression artifacts, like moire and false colors.
It records to AVCHD by default, which is efficient (but pretty low data rate/quality), but now has the option to record to .mp4 as well. A big upgrade is the ability to send uncompressed 4:2:2 video over HDMI to an external recorder if you want a more editable file. Since streaming in 4K is still a ways off (mainly due to bandwidth restrictions online), getting this camera won’t hold you back from having a high-quality online feed.
For those of you who want to use Canon for the great Dual-Pixel AF, great lens options, and great color science, the C100 II is your best option for joining the party, and will work great for both streaming and standard video production.
Price: $2,700 (in-stock)
Courtesy: bhphotovideo.com
Canon R5
The good: This camera has unbelievable video capability for a mirrorless camera. 8K RAW and 4K 120 10-bit 4:2:2 recording internally, 5-axis image stabilization, Dual-Pixel AF, and a full-frame sensor make this an incredible feat of engineering.
The bad: They don’t really tell you that it accomplishes these feats of resolution by over-compressing everything into H.265, and that the camera itself overheats even just filming 4K 24p after about 20 minutes.
Essentially , it’s a great full-frame stills camera that has amazing top-end video capability, but not the hardware or design necessary to make this a video-first camera; at least, not one for long-form productions. For churches who needs live-streaming capability and also the ability to produce and record good stories like testimonies (that might take more than 10 minutes to tell), I would steer you in another direction.
Price: $3,900 (backordered)
Courtesy: bhphotovideo.com
Canon C70
The C70 is an exciting release for Canon-lovers and anyone else looking to get into the Canon 4K lineup. The C70 is a mirrorless-style body, with cinema functionality, which is a spot in Canon’s lineup that has been missing (unless you count the R5, which I won’t since it has some serious video-related issues). It sports a Super-35 sensor, which is slightly smaller than full-frame (but accepts standard full-frame lenses).
The C70 can shoot up to 4K 60p in 10-bit 4:2:2, and comes with a wide variety of codec options. It also records to dual SD card slots, or external recorders via HDMI. Sporting internal ND filters and XLR-inputs, this camera is essentially an upgraded C200 in a smaller body. The Dual-Pixel AF, which Canon is famous for, means this camera can find and follow focus as fast as anything out there.
Is it a good fit for your church? If you like Canon and/or are already in the Canon ecosystem, then this is a great option for both streaming and production video work. With 4K capability, you’re getting a more future-proof camera for streaming and tapping into some of Canon’s most cutting-edge camera and sensor technology, for a lot less than that typically costs.
Price: $5,500 (pre-order only)
Courtesy: bhphotovideo.com
Canon C300 Mark III
Ok, so this probably isn’t in your budget. But- it’s an exciting camera, so let’s look at it!
A Super-35 sensor with new Dual Gain Output technology means each pixel on the sensor has 2 readings: low-noise priority for dark areas, or saturation-priority for bright areas. The result is a more color-rich and low-noise image than previously possible in one shot. The DIG!C DV7 processor handles the raw 4K data from the sensor and processes it according to what is needed: RAW output, high-frame rates, HDR, or the electronic image stabilization.
You can shoot internally to CFast cards in Cinema Raw Light or XF-AVC codecs up to 4K 120fps, and a 12G-SDI allows for ultra-fast data rates to external recorders or 4K broadcast equipment. The 16 stops of dynamic range are pushing the boundaries for modern cinema cameras and allows for true HDR recording.
Even for churches with (nearly) unlimited resources, the C300 Mark III is designed for cinematic video productions first and foremost. If you want to shoot incredible bumper videos, promos, and testimonies, this camera won’t hold you back… but at a pretty steep price tag of $11,000 (not including lenses and media), it *probably* isn’t the camera for you. HOWEVER, this might be a good option to rent from a local rep if you want to do a special project, and the same goes for all of the upper-tier cameras on this list.
Price: $11,000 (pre-order only)
Courtesy: bhphotovideo.com
Panasonic S5
The little-brother in Panasonic’s new full-frame lineup, the S5 packs a great punch for being half the price of the S1H. The main thing you lose is 6K recording, but you can still shoot 4K in 60p 10-bit, and you still have 14 stops of dynamic range. The S5 also has the much-loved 5-axis internal stabilizer, allowing you to shoot handheld without every slight twitch of the camera making it onto your footage.
To get image quality of this magnitude for about $2,000 is a great deal, and I would give this a strong look for your setup if you want an “A” camera for work outside of live-streaming (but that also works for your Sunday feed). If I had to name a camera i’m mostly likely to upgrade to from my GH5’s next year, it would be this one.
Price: $2,000 (pre-order only)
Courtesy: bhphotovideo.com
Panasonic BGH-1
This little guy hit the market just a few weeks ago, and it’s a very interesting camera release. Modeled after the Z-Cam body style (basically, a cube), the BGH-1 is a modular cinema-style camera with a micro 4/3 mount. It can shoot up to 4K 60p 10-bit 4:2:0, and has 13-stops of dynamic range, 1 more than the GH5-S.
It’s designed as much for broadcast work as it is for recording, which makes this a very intriguing prospect for churches. It’s got built-in SDI and HDMI output, and can be both powered and controlled remotely over USB-C or Ethernet. A future firmware update promises power, video output, tally, and genlock all over Ethernet (via PoE+)… meaning you could basically plug a Cat-5 into the camera and do everything you need for broadcast.
Early reviews have noted the fast and reliable AF, always an issue with Panasonic cameras, so for churches out there looking for a good streaming camera that also has high-quality recording available for other projects, I think this could become a pretty popular item.
Price: $2,000 (pre-order only)
Courtesy: bhphotovideo.com
Panasonic S1H
The S1H is the biggest, baddest, top-of-the-line video camera from Panasonic that still maintains a mirrorless form-factor. Featuring a full-frame sensor, it can shoot 3:2 6K video internally up to 30p in 10-bit 4:2:0, 4K at 30p in 10-bit 4:2:2, and if you drop down to a Super 35 sensor crop, you can shoot 4K60p in 10-bit 4:2:2.
In other words, not only does this camera up the ante on recording quality and capability over the GH-series, but it does so with a full-frame sensor for the first time. With 14-stops of dynamic range, dual-native ISO, and true V-Log (not V-Log L), Panasonic has squeezed cinema-class features into a mirrorless body style that can also take great stills.
There are other great features with this camera, but I won’t go into all of them here. Bottom line, should you buy this camera for your church? As much as i’m impressed with its features, this is another camera that’s probably best rented for special projects.
Price: $4,000 (in-stock)
Courtesy: bhphotovideo.com
Sony a7S III
Sony has long had great AF and great dynamic range in their cameras, but fell behind a bit when it came to internal 4K recording to cameras like the GH5. That is no longer the case.
The new a7S III is a full-frame camera with the ability to record in 4K 120p 4:2:2 10-bit internally, which is quite an accomplishment, though it is in H.265. In the slightly-less compressed H.264, it can do 4K 60p 4:2:2 10-bit. Something not many cinema cameras can accomplish, this camera is also able to send 16-bit RAW video externally via HDMI.
This camera will give you all the flexibility you could ask for in traditional production projects, but also works well for live-streaming over HDMI. With Sony’s reputation for reliable face-detection and tracking, and great performance in difficult stage lighting, this is worth a look as an “A” camera for your broadcast setup.
Price: $3,500 (back-ordered)
Courtesy: bhphotovideo.com
Nikon Z7
Nikon, the beloved contrarian, has come out with an updated version of their full-frame mirrorless, the Z7. Nikon was actually the first major manufacturer to roll out with a mirrorless full-frame camera that was 4K capable last year, and now they’ve made it better.
The Z7 offers 4K 60p internal recording, and the ability to send 10-bit 4K over HDMI. A base ISO of only 64 (yes, 64) creates really deep color and super low-noise images. There’s also the 5-axis IBIS that makes handheld shooting and recording realistic without a rig or gimbal.
Nikon remains a company fully-fixed in still photography, but if you like using them, this camera more than gets the job done for streaming and video production.
Price: $3,000 (pre-order only)
That’s a pretty big list, and it’s only October! We’ll see if anyone else has some major surprises up their sleeve over the next couple of months.
What camera is most appealing to you? Which one should I try and get my hands on for an in-depth review? Did I leave anything out?
Let me know in the comments below!
*note to readers: If you purchase an item through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. This does not impact our reviews or recommendations, and this post is not sponsored.
