5 Affordable and Best cameras for film students [beginners guide] – (2024)

If you are in search of affordable and best cameras for film students then this blog is going to be very helpful for you. Camera is the most important equipment for film making. Especially if you are a beginner in this field then you should select your camera very wisely and carefully. The best selection is which provides you best product without bothering your pocket. Always aim for a camera which has the capability to work best in your whole study course instead of changing it every year.

I would recommend that before buying your camera you should be briefly awared of all the requirements and features of your camera. The important features you need in a camera are 4k HD, afs, fps, resolution, image quality, recording time, camera software, lense, zoom range etc.

In this blog I will share some best cameras for film students which will cover their all requirements during filmmaking. Here you will find the best picks from the top camera making companies.

Types of best cameras for film students

With so many features there are also many types in cameras eg. SLR, DSLR, Mirrorless, Compact, Action, Bridge cameras. Mirrorless cameras are thought to be the best option among others. If budget is no issue for you then always go for a Mirrorless camera. A beginner should always select a camera which is reliable enough to go on well during his complete course.

List of best cameras for film students

Panasonic Lumix GH5

Pnasonic is considered among the electronics brands due to it,s versatile, durable and advanced products. It, s GH series cameras are considered among the best picks for both videomaking and still shots. Lumix GH5 is the best option for the beginners as it offers best performance in photography and filmmaking.

It has a venus engine processor with built in Bluetooth and WIFI. It has a dual image stability system which helps during camera-shaking. It has a mirrorless camera with faster autofocus. It, s touchscreen is 3.2 inches with 1, 620, 000 dots resolution. It, s water, weather and freeze proof camera which makes it easier to shoot at higher areas.

It has good battery timing allowing you to capture up to 400 shots. One of the best thing is that there is no specific or fixed timing to record video. You can record until your memory gets full. It supports all video formats eg; AVCHD, MP4, MOV. It has matte black finish with dimensions (3.9 by 5.5 by 3.4) and weight 1.6 pounds.

On it, s right front it has a Fn6 button which is the Programmer showing you the depth of field with it, s single, continuous, and self timer options on it, s top plates. It has also 2 different points for 4k and 6k mode. With these points you can capture pictures in 2 modes ie; for 4K at up to 60 fps and for 8k it can capture at up to 30fps.

If you enable it, s post focus function it will help to shoot many images with changed autofocus point for your each shot. This tool helps in macrofocus stacking. It has a flat, comfortable command dial to navigate different menus providing you a directional control. It, s 3 inch LCD is also comfortable to navigate menus. It has a price of up to $1999 at Amazon.

It is one of the most affordable and durable camera among the list of best cameras for film students.

Sonny A7 iii

Sony A7 iii is considered as the most versatile, affordable and allrounder camera with full frame. Due to these specialities, experts consider it among the best cameras for film students. It, s low price does,not mean it has low quality. It, s all rounder specifications make it the best option for new photographers and filmmakers.

Although having low price, it offers a 24 mp resolution, powerful AF system10 fps impressive shooting and uncropped 4k video shooting. It, s also overall used by professional photographers for wedding photography. It, s 693 autofocus point makes it a good mirrorless camera for filmmaking. It, s half megapixel count is on it, s sensor which helps in it, s increased batterylife.

Sony provides you with a variety of lenses to choose. It means that at any time you can upgrade the lense of your Sony camera according to your requirements. It comes with a 2280mAh capacity battery which makes it capable to take 710 shots on single charge.

It has the ability to give wonderful results even in the low light or night shoot. It also has a 24 mp full frame BSI AMOS sensor. Two of its plus points are it, s 693 phase detection points and 425 contrast auto focus points which enables it to cover 90% of the imaging area. It, s price is up to $1698 at Amazon.

If you are low at budget but still want to buy a good camera which works well throughout your filmmaking course or study then Sony A7 iii is a good option.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6k

It stands between the traditional cameras and high end professional cameras. One of it, s most prominent features is it, s ability to shoot 6k videos with such low price.

It comes with a 35mm sensor which is all time favourite for film makers. There, s also a completely free copy of Davinci resolve app ( a colour grading software) which is worth 300 Dollars. No doubt with such free accessories and low price Black Magic is highly affordable.

It, s body is smooth and easy to grip. There are buttons on it, s rear for the adjustment of focus and aperture. You can control these buttons with your right thumb. It can crop up to 120 fps. It, s colour feature frame guides and LUT buttons are programmableand are at the top.

Another best quality in this camera is that there are minimum buttons in it and most of the controls are performed through touch screen. You can adjust the ISO, White Balance, Shutter speed, frame rate and f stop with the touch screen.

It also contains a feature “RGB Histogram” which shows you the distribution of RGB colours. There is a light up indicator on the right side of histogram to indicate the clipping of a colour channel. It has 3 built in ND filters which can be adjusted by 2 specific buttons. It has a NP-F 3500 mAh battery which can last for one hour. You can also upgrade your battery up to 3 hours. It has a price of $2,062 at Amazon.

It,s a pro level camera with low price so you can consider it among the best cameras for film students.

Fujifilm X-S 10

This camera is a great mixture of affordability, features and speed. Fujifilm X-S 10 is a 4k video shooter with 26 MP lense camera. It comes with small frame but good image quality. It, s reccomended for both, beginners and professionals.

It has an “auto film stimulation mode” in which you have to further select between 3 options, according to the scene. They are called Standard(Provia), Vivid(velvia) and Seft(Astia). You will also get an option of Raw shooting in it for the comfort of Photographers.

It has a focus lever known as Joystick, which on pressing punches inward. By moving this Joystick you can select your focus point. It can capture up to 325 shots with single charge. It comes with a BSI-CMOS Sensor which is 26 MP. This camera comes with features like phase detection and image stability having a crop factor of 1.5x. Accessories like WIFI ,USB slot, Bluetooth and card slot are also present in it. Raw shooting mode is also available in it.

It has solid build and grip making it easy to handle. It comes with a viewfinder (OLED) with 2.36 million dots and a boost mode. It has NP-126s battery which lasts up to 4 hours with active shooting. It has dimensions of 3.4 by 5 by 2.6 with a weight of 465 g. It comes with a price of $999 at Amazon

Having all these qualities we have added this in the affordable list of best cameras for film students.

Fujifilm X-T4

This is a top class camera by the company. According to some people it, s a replacement of their x-T3 model but it, s not true. Instead it, s somehow better than this.

It,s a mirrorless, 4 k camera with 26MP. It has in body image stabilization with up to 6.5EV correction ability. It, s wonderful sensor is a CMOS BSI 26MP sensor. It can shoot at 20fps with autofocus. It has amazing options for video shooting ie. 4k video at 60p.

It has a rear touchscreen with 3.68 OLED view finder having a refresh rate up to 100 fps. It, s battery time i is amazing with a NP-W 235 batter having ability to capture up to 500 shots in one single charge.

It has powerful Hybrid AF 425 point system and a 3 inches touchscreen having 1.6 million dots in it. On its top there are special dials to control and set shutter speed, drive and ISO, EV. You can also lock these dials with a clicking button. It has an on screen q menu to customize up to 16 functions. You can adjust its focus modes up to 7 levels with a rear eight way joystick. It comes with a price of $1700 at Amazon

This camera has all the capabilities which are needed in best cameras for film students.

FAQS

What are the main types of cameras?

They are SLR, DSLR, Mirrorless, Compact, Action, Bridge cameras.

What specifications are required in filmmaking cameras for beginners?

They are 4k HD, afs, fps, resolution, image quality, recording time, camera software, lense, zoom range.

Which type of camera is considered best for filmmaking nowadays?

Mirrorless cameras are the best options.

Which lens is considered to be most versatile?

A 35mm lense is considered as the most versatile lense by experts.

Which camera is known as best budget 6k camera?

Blackmagic Cinema pocket camera is the most affordable 6k camera.