Cameras used for shooting wedding films have come along way since I shot my first wedding video in 1995. Since shooting that day on a family members VHS camcorder we have made substantial jumps in camera quality.  We upgraded to high-definition in 2006 and have upgraded cameras a few times since then.

Today’s wedding videographer has a few options when it comes to selecting cameras to shoot a wedding with.  I will break down a few bennifits of each camera system and how it equates to your completed wedding film.

Lets look at DSLR cameras first.  These are Digital Single Lens Reflect cameras. Yea it will be the same thing a professional photographer is carrying to a wedding. Most shooters are using the same lenses and the same camera.

Canon dorky camera setup

Canon 5D MKII Cinema Rig

DSLR Pros

  • 1080p high-definition footage
  • Small and compact
  • No one knows you are shooting video
  • Achieves a shallow depth of field look

DSLR Cons

  • Can not record an entire wedding service limits of 22 minutes or less
  • Bad audio quality without extra audio gear
  • Most lenses used are for photography and are not cinema lenses
  • Video codec is not professional
  • Very hard to zoom – If you can zoom your lens doesn’t stay in focus.

The other wedding video standard is the 3CCd / 3COMS or three chip video camera. These are on the decline due to the popularity of DSLR shooting, but they still have some very powerful benefits.

Sony 3Cmos Camera for Wedding Video

Sony 3 Cmos camera setup

3CCD / 3CMOS Pros

  • 1080p high-definition footage
  • Long record times of an hour or more
  • Built in professional audio
  • Great in low light situations
  • Capability of zooming

3CCD / 3CMOS Cons

  • Hard to get shallow depth of field look
  • Big and bulky to some, just right for others

In the last few years companies like Sony have looked at the explosion of Canon DSLR popularity and redesigned their camera setup. The end product is the best of both worlds. The new cameras have the shallow depth of field capabilities of a DSLR but have the real world capabilities that make the 3ccd so great. We purchased on of Sony’s FS-100u in August 2012.  We have been really impressed with the quality and capabilities these cameras have. This camera is know as a super 35. The sensor is great in low light and has the capabilities of mounting any lens

Sony FS100u

Sony Super 35mm FS100u

We have shot a lot of weddings with the FS-100u. If you would like to see the first wedding film we produced with this film please view below.
[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/58769152 w=600&h=337]

Shelby & Wes Wedding Highlight – Gage Hotel from Big Box Pro Video Productions on Vimeo.

Marathon, Texas wedding highlight film. Shelby and Wes wanted their closest friends and family to enjoy West https://vimeo.com/58769152/settings/embedTexas and the Big Bend. These two had a beautiful wedding day.
Church – First Methodist Church – Marathon, Texas
Reception – Gardens at the Gage Hotel in Marathon, Texas

Music Selections
West Texas Moon – by Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers. Used with permission. http://azpeacemakers.com/
Sparks – Instrumental by LIGHTS & MOTION. Licensing with – The Music Bed

So if you take all the previous Pros listed above for both types of cameras they can be combined for the total list of Pros for the Sony Super 35. The only con I have seen is the lcd screen can not be seen when you are shooting wedding video over your head.

Thanks for reading

Derrick Perrin
Big Box Pro Wedding Video


deeperrin

Derrick Perrin owner of Big Box Pro Wedding Video. I love to hike and camp. I'm also a big fan of woodworking and running.