Is the camera you have

I know, I know, you probably didn’t come here to hear about how you can do things with your phone but hear me out. If you are just starting to record for your church and they had not planned on starting this project towards the end of last year you may be missed the budget. I don’t mean you got a small budget, I mean there is no budget for camera gear. If that is the case I am here to tell you something: The message is more important than the quality. That is why the best camera for beginners is the camera you have.

My church did plan a budget. They thought it was plenty but there were a lot of things they didn’t take into consideration. The cost of quality consumer-grade cameras is not cheap, and that is not the only link in the chain. There is a lot of small things that will add up over time and a few big things that just should not be skimped out on. That being said, if you have no budget you should try to help out and use what you have and if you can do so, lend or donate to the project. You can put money towards it for the church, but I would rather buy things that are needed. I also loaned a lot of my stuff. I am no photographer, but I have a camcorder and a tripod. You can also put out a request to the congregation to see if anyone has anything they would be willing to lend or donate to the project, but don’t take in the junk. Be specific on what you are looking for like “We are excepting donations Camcorders able to record full HD, Tripods and microphones.”

You want to record in 1080. If you can’t get a camera to do that it’s better to use a smartphone. If you can use a camera, it is an easier platform to use. If you don’t know much, start by using recommended settings on the camera rather than trying to adjust things manually. Remember this is whats the best camera for beginners, so were keeping it simple. It might not be perfect but they are usually pretty good.  Some things are more important than the camera where you will want to spend money if you have too. You are going to need a tripod for starters. Try to get one that is upgradable if you are using a phone, so you don’t need to buy a new one when you do get a real camera. If your church does not have a microphone system, you will need to get a microphone. If they do have a system, you might want to find a way to hook into that system. 

While using a phone might not be the most ideal way to record for most people, this is actually how I wish I had started. There are some upsides to doing it this way. For one thing, you can live stream the video instantly to wherever you want. This eliminates the hours of editing. Newer smartphones honestly have as good of a quality as the cheaper camcorders too so you won’t be sacrificing much to do it this way. 

Don’t be afraid to get out there and get started. It is worth your time and effort and it will be appreciated by those in your church.  That is why the best camera for beginners is the camera you have.