You’ve already learned about what archive you need for your tapeless workflow, that you need a beast of a computer and what software to put on that computer along with the necessity for redundant online storage. Now we get to move on to everyone’s favorite topic: What Camera do I chose?!

It’s not that simple

Unfortunately, the questions isn’t that simple to answer. It would be great if I could tell you which camera to get and then send you on your merry way, but it just isn’t. So here are three things to look for when choosing the camera for your situation:

#1 Quality

Does this camera produce good quality images? Don’t look at the specs; go hold one, go read a review, go download some raw footage. Quality is a relative term and most all newly produced cameras provide good quality output when set up correctly, but make sure it is going to work in your situation.

Look at how gracefully the camera handles bright lights and dark shadows. Look at how noisy the gain is at each setting so you know where your limits are. Check and see what recording formats there are in camera. 30p? 24p?

Be choosy, you have a lot of options.

#2 Features

This is an intimately personal question. If you use the camera for more than deposition video, you need to be sure that the features match up with your style of shooting. You can get by with a lot less of the bells and whistles at a depo than you can at a wedding.

Bottom line, XLR inputs with manual audio controls plus manual focus, iris, shutter and gain are absolutely necessary. The ability to output standard definition video through RCA/S-Video/HDMI is also necessary for recording to your on-site backup. Does that output include time/date stamp? Does it have the option of 4:3 on the standard definition output?

Check to see if the time and date stamp record onto the video in the camera as well. I’m not talking about in a data track that can be turned on and off, but on the video like older VHS cameras.

Get the features you need for your workflow. If you don’t find exactly what you need, consider reworking your workflow. You might just find a better solution.

#3 Recording Format

What recording format the camera uses is strictly pertinent to what software you intend to use for encoding. Make sure the two work together, or else you’re going to be hunting for a workaround until the engineers decide to put out a fix.

This isn’t much of a problem any more with standards being settled upon, but be wary of brand new recording formats.

What do you use?

I get this question a lot, and I’ll have a more detailed explanation/review up later, but to answer the question now: I shoot all of my depositions and any other legal video projects using Panasonic’s AG-HMC150 camera. I spent a lot of time doing research, testing out processes and working out the idiosyncrasies of each part of my workflow. Now, I have a well-oiled machine. I’ve owned the camera since January of 2009 and have yet to have a problem with anything that it has recorded.

It handles deposition subjects beautifully, can make the jump easily to more dramatic video for D-I-L and advertising and does a great job at handling low light situations.

Get what you need

It’s hard when you want to be sure you’re making the right decision, but ultimately it comes down to your needs as to what camera you should choose.