For many, wedding videography can seem like a mystical art. If other video productions require elaborate sets and days of production for even a single scene, how can we capture weddings, which are often epic in scope, in a single take on the day of? While there’s plenty to learn about working with people and honing your storytelling ability, among other things, knowing what you need in terms of the best wedding videography gear, as well as the things that are not needed, can make all the difference when shooting video for weddings.
Sure, having a full production setup will allow (or at least help) you to produce amazing quality, but it isn’t absolutely necessary. We’re going to break down the essentials for professional wedding videographers who primarily use high-quality mirrorless and DSLR cameras and prosumer gear from popular brands like Sony, Canon, DJI, and more. While cinema grade cameras are great for some professionals with the budget and skillset to maximize their capabilities, we will focus more on the “run-and-gun” style videographer, as most weddings require you to be efficient and quick on your feet, especially as a videographer.
Know Your Videography Style and Typical Wedding Environment
Before we dive into the best gear, it is important to understand your style and environment. If you are shooting in a church, you should prepare slightly differently than you would for a beach wedding, or mountain top elopement. Starting out, try different styles and environments to figure out what you enjoy, and where you fit best both creatively and professionally. This may also be dependent initially on your local market and also your willingness to travel. Now which equipment do you need? I could give you specific gear to buy, but with new releases and constant changes (along with your preference in style and brand) understanding the guidelines will allow you to make long-term investments that fit within your budget, preference, and existing setup if applicable. With that said, let’s dive into the fundamentals of wedding filmmaking equipment.
Best Wedding Videography Gear
- Camera Body Recommendations
- Lens Recommendations
- Stabilizer Recommendations
- Drone Recommendations
- Audio Recording Recommendations
Camera Body – What Do I Really Need as a Wedding Filmmaker?
With all of the amazing cameras on the market, finding a mid-range camera body with a trusted brand is a wise investment. If you go with an entry-level camera body, you may find yourself wanting to upgrade soon, and that may have a ripple effect into needing to upgrade other equipment like camera lenses.
Wedding Videography Camera Body Essentials
The thing with weddings is the locations always vary, as do weather conditions, unscheduled events, lighting situations, and so on. Having a highly portable camera equipped with fantastic in-camera colors, accurate (and fast) autofocus systems (depending on the shot), and a weather-sealed body is essential for successfully capturing a wedding. We must also remember the fact that weddings are a one-shot deal. This is also why having a camera body capable of dual recording is almost essential! If you only have one card available for recording and it becomes damaged, you could find yourself in a difficult situation.
Other Wedding Videography Camera Body Considerations
Other things to consider include the ability to shoot in more than 1080p, such as 4K 60p if you prefer a cinematic approach. These requirements, along with advanced codecs, require the ability to use performance SD and CFAST memory cards in order to capture that much information quickly enough.
Last, but not least, low-light performance is a key factor when considering both camera bodies and lenses. Most venues are poorly lit and most ceremonies happen in a church or outdoors before sunset, followed by wedding receptions that typically happen at night. Low-light capability is a must, along with supporting your subjects with additional off-camera and on-camera lighting solutions (such as simple bi-color LED options) to enhance your camera sensor’s capabilities, while simultaneously matching the color of the existing venue lighting.
Best Wedding Videography Gear | Camera Body Recommendations
To meet the demands listed above, many top wedding filmmakers now use mirrorless cameras. That said, here are some options to consider that are current with the wedding market for run-and-gun style videographers finding a balance between size, weight, performance, functionality, and cost:
High-End Options
Budget-Friendly Options
[Related Reading: Wedding Photography DSLR And Mirrorless Camera Bodies – The Complete Guide | 2019 Update]
Having the Right Glass Will Set You Apart from the Rest
Having amazing glass is just as important as the camera body itself. For weddings, you will want variety. You can get by with something as simple as a 24-70mm zoom lens, or adopt a 50mm prime or 35mm prime. Having a 70-200mm on hand as well may be a lifesaver when the ceremony crowd is large and makes it difficult to get close enough. The best filmmakers are able to mix up their lenses, but it’s not always about the glass. Leveraging the environment and getting creative with your lighting and composition can give one lens a lot of variety.
Other things to consider with lenses are switches built into the lens for easy access, native integration with the camera body’s focus system, and also again, having a lens that is weather-sealed. As for aperture, you will typically want a lens with at least a f/2.8 aperture. Personally, here at Dalton Young Films & Photography, we prefer a f/1.2-f/1.8 to really give a dreamy cinematic look and let in an exceptional amount of light for the camera body’s sensor when filming in dark locations. If you accompany that with a ⅛ mist filter, you will be in awe at the light blooms and glow you see in-camera. On the other hand, a great variable ND filter will help with bright situations and add another layer of protection for your lens.
The other reason for having an amazing aperture is that sometimes, you will not have the dreamiest of locations for a beautiful wedding or couples portraits, so having a lens that is capable of drawing focus onto your subjects as opposed to the distracting background is a win for both your clients and your portfolio!
Best Wedding Videography Gear | Camera Lens Recommendations
Here are some options to consider that are current with the wedding market for run-and-gun style videographers finding a balance between size, weight, performance, functionality, and cost:
High-End Options
Budget-Friendly Options
[Related Reading: 6 Must-Have Lenses For Wedding Photography (2021 Update)]
Steady Footage Makes for Elegant Wedding Footage
While having a beautiful image is a big piece of the puzzle, many have to decide how they would like to shoot their wedding day footage. Some may use a tripod, some may use a gimbal or stabilizer, others may simply go handheld. This is where you really have to dial in your skills and yoru style. For example, many brides do not prefer very shaky footage in a cinematic film, so using a tripod or gimbal will allow for that stability. Does that mean you always need a tripod or gimbal? Of course not. Some situations on the wedding day for videographers are very tight and going handheld makes it easier to squeeze in.
Also, you may even find going handheld, for example on the reception dance floor, gives it a high-energy, more natural feel. Find what works best for you and the creative image you are going for. This will be defined by trial and error. It is important to note though, you do not need the latest stabilizers to produce award-winning wedding films.
Best Wedding Videography Gear | Stabilizer Recommendations
Here are some options to consider that are current with the wedding market for run-and-gun style videographers finding a balance between size, weight, performance, functionality, and cost:
High-End Options
Budget-Friendly Options
Brides Love Drone Shots
Drones have come a long way and many brides prefer to have the sweeping cinematic views of their venue on the wedding day. So which one do you go with? Finding a drone is all about the right balance of technology and portability. You need one that can weather the elements and wind well, but also one that is portable enough to travel and make the most of its battery life. Keep in mind that you will also want a drone that can match your shooting settings (such as 4k footage in the latest 10-bit codec shot at 60FPS.) This will allow for consistency during your film editing!
Best Wedding Videography Gear | Drone Recommendations
Here are some options to consider that are current with the wedding market for run-and-gun style videographers finding a balance between size, weight, performance, functionality, and cost:
High-End Options
Budget-Friendly Options
Why Are Lav Mics & Audio Recording Important?
This is often the most neglected aspect by wedding cinematographers, yet half of what we see is also what we hear. Having clear, high-quality audio is crucial to balancing out any high-end production. A wedding is more than just what is seen. It is the emotions, the crying, the bridesmaid’s awes, and the vows and prayers throughout a day of unity that really tell the story of not only the wedding, but also the story for your films.
Having a high quality wired (or wireless) discreet lavalier microphone system is the winner for almost all weddings. Also, it is highly recommended that you have another high-quality recording source and a wide array of cables needed to record additional audio from the DJ, or speakers used at the event for additional redundancy.
Best Wedding Videography Gear | Audio Equipment Recommendations
Here are some options to consider that are current with the wedding market for run-and-gun style videographers finding a between size, weight, performance, functionality, and cost:
High-End Options
Budget-Friendly Option
So What Do You Really Need?
While it is easy to get wrapped up in the main equipment, there is so much to know about being a wedding videographer such as the smaller accessories that allow for a successful wedding day. With that said, the best way to learn what works best for you is to get out there and just start trying. Experience will teach you everything you need to know. Focus on mastering the equipment you have already, and then go from there. The bare minimum for most videographers is two cameras, two lavalier mics, and a tripod or stabilizer (unless you have very steady hands).
By getting your feet wet in the wedding videography industry, you will discover your own likes and dislikes, your style and creative needs, and allow you to truly finetune the tools that best match your vision for your wedding day films. You can also consider renting gear from your local camera store, a friend, or online rental store to test out new gear without fully-committing yourself to a large investment. So get out there, start creating, and start capturing those memories!
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