If you need to capture a moment forever it is important that you have the best equipment available to record the event as most occasions that you may want to video only happen once in your life.
Therefore when choosing the right video camera hire package it is important you gain an insight into what is available and how to get the best results so we hope the information contained here will help.
The consequences in getting things wrong can be embarrassing or even worse when you let a client or friend down. You will find here some useful tips and advice that we have pulled together from years of experience that will help you select the correct equipment from the myriad of offerings available.
Should I rent or buy?
Video cameras have no set life span. However technology does move very rapidly and you will find that people from all walks of life, from wedding photographers through to well known professionals choose to rent as a way of keeping costs down. With video camera rental you will also benefit from using the latest technology too.
Remember the way a piece of equipment is used also influences how long the equipment will last. A simple formula to use is to divide the capital price of the camera by the amount of times you imagine you would use it over two years; the chances are you would be better off to always have the latest equipment if you chose video camera hire as opposed to purchasing.
Would you like the latest equipment for every shoot? Would the cost of new technology be hard to justify? Is your current equipment not up to the job? Do you feel your current camera is not bringing out the best in you?
If the answer to these questions is yes then look at video camera hire as an easy option to achieve the results you deserve.
What's the best video camera?
The answer is not simple and there is no one answer, as you need to look at the best equipment for the job you have in hand.
For example, wildlife and fashion would ideally require different set ups and optimized settings.
What should I consider when choosing which video camera?
You need to consider the following areas when looking at video camera hire:
What will the footage be used for - standard DVD recordings would be fine for a fun day or something to be recorded that would be used for reference, however a wedding would require something more advanced.
High Definition or Standard Definition - most new cameras now support HD and the chances are you would look to shoot in HD, the only downside of HD is the associated large file size.
Tape or Solid State - Camcorders are now capable of recording onto cards or hard drives as opposed to tapes. There are benefits to both however recording onto tapes does mean you will need to log the files later.
Size - Size plays an important role. Hand held cameras are small but can become cumbersome and heavy, you will note professional cameramen tend to use shoulder mount cameras as this makes the camera much easier to hold for long periods of time and helps keep the camera stable.
Watch our Video Camera hire guides:
Sony Z1E Overview
Sony A1E Overview
Sony 1000E Overview
Canon XH A1 Overview
Canon XL H1 Overview
What sort of video cameras does Camerent hire?
Camerent stock a complete range of video camera rental packages. Choose from Canon, Sony and Panasonic models which should cover any requirement:
Tape based HDV
Traditional tape based systems will allow a reliable means of capturing footage and an easy way to maintain the original footage.
The models of video camera hire available that will record on HDV tapes are as follows, click on one to see a video overview.
The latest advance in capturing includes recording to CF cards, XD cards and other solid-state devices, the benefit being the speedy transfer of footage from camera to computer.
Most of the HDV video cameras available to hire can shoot in standard definition, which is known as DV. The other option would be to shoot in HDV and output the files to your computer in DV, allowing smaller file sizes and the beauty of having captured in the best possible resolution.
DV - offers a tape based recording format for standard definition footage.
HDV - Is also a tape-based system however this format can be recorded in High Definition.
XDCAM EX - Was developed by Sony and has been adopted by Panasonic, it utilises SxS cards and has the benefit of a tapeless workflow that makes the need to log footage redundant.
DVCAM - Is very similar to HDV and was again developed by Sony. The DVCAM mode runs the tape 50% faster to alleviate the chances of dropout.
DIGI BETA - Offers a very popular tape based recording format used in the broadcast industry. There are two common standards; S tapes which last up to 40 minutes and L tapes which last up to 124 minutes.
As a quick guide to video camera rental we have made the following recommendations based on our experience:
To get the best results from your video camera hire you should take advantage of suitable accessories such as tripods, lighting, lenses and audio equipment. You can see further advice and information on these areas under the relevant headings.
Watch our video camera hire pointers videos that will ensure you get the best results on the day and avoid the common pitfalls.
Logging footage once you have finished shooting
Audio tips and how to be sure you are capturing the best quality sound
Setting your white balance
Lighting and what you should watch out for
Batteries and how to get the best from them
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
All online videos are copyright of Camerent please do not re publish these files without prior written permission, This information is provided solely to help and may not be relied upon, Camerent will not be held responsible for any consequences howsoever caused by the use of this advice or the online content contained within, it is simply provided to assist with booking of your video camera hire.
