What’s the best camera for music on the market in 2019? You might be trying to find a camera for music videos, live performances, lessons, or rehearsals. The cameras covered in this article are: Zoom Q8, Zoom Q4n, Zoom Q2N, GoPro HERO 5 Black, GoPro HERO 5 Session, and Sony HDR MV1. I also looked at mobile phone options such as the Shure MV88, Rode iXYL, and Zoom iQ7.
If you require top of the line video or audio, none of these cameras will work for you.
Truly pro-grade video or audio requires an investment of at least several hundred dollars. None of these cameras, despite some having 4k specs, are able to record pro-grade video. None of the cameras, even the Zoom Q8 that has two XLR inputs is able to record pro-grade audio.
However, these options do offer decent quality video with decent quality sound. They’re also easy to use, requiring very setup time and little to no adjustments. Perhaps most of all, they’re very affordable when compared to pro-grade video and audio options.
Do you value video or audio quality? In general the Zoom cameras sound better, while the GoPros tend to look better. If you’re going to be focusing more on the sound, go with the Zoom. If you would rather have decent video, go with the GoPro.
How else do you plan on using the camera? All Zoom and GoPro models in this article can be used as a webcam. In this case, you might lean towards the Zoom because of the better audio quality. On the other hand, GoPros have many uses such as outdoors, sports, etc.
How much stuff do you want to carry? The advantage of the mobile options is that you only have to carry the mic. You can probably get away without even using a tripod. Not the case with the Zoom and GoPros.
