Selecting the right camera for live streaming with Solo
By Jim Bask
From LiveU
Budget: What’s in your wallet?
One of the biggest ways to narrow your camera search is deciding on a budget. You don’t want to waste your time sifting through tech and spec on 100 different cameras when only 20 of them fit in your budget. This also helps you really think about what is important to your streams. If you don’t have the biggest budget you may have to compromise some component of the camera in order to stay within your means. For example, “good enough” might win over “perfect” when it comes to all the bells and whistles (especially when budget is the deciding factor). In most cases you will have the
chance to add on better mics, lighting or other accessories later that will more than make up for a special built-in filter.
Making the (use) case
Once a budget is established, you need to think about how you’re going to use the camera. Where will you be streaming and what is your camera setup? Will you be in-studio and have the camera mounted on a tripod? Will you be outside the studio but stationary? Or will you be moving in and around a location or event for your live videos? For example, if the camera screen can flip around you can also use it as a “confidence monitor” when streaming yourself – important feature if you will be both behind the camera sometimes and on camera other times. If you are doing sporting events you may want a camera that has a great zoom and can skip the one that has a shoe mount to add a light. Once you know how you want to use the camera, you can decide what features are key to invest in. However, if it fits in your budget, having features such as the ability to add an external mic, are good ideas to get now so the camera you choose can grow with you as your production needs and style changes. Regardless, always make sure you have room in your budget for accessories – your use case will dictate what ELSE you need: extra batteries, cables, tripods, lights, etc. We have a streaming toolkit blog about some ideas on this too. Whatever you decide to get, whether it’s a camera or accessories, make sure your skill level matches the equipment. You don’t want to spend that hard-earned money on gear that you aren’t comfortable using. You want to be able to utilize your gear and be comfortable using it in all situations…read more