The 7 Best Church Cameras For Live Streaming 2024
The camera landscape is incredibly competitive.
Which is an excellent thing for your church!
Because it means more manufacturers are putting more amazing features in more camera bodies for less cost.
In this article, I'll make my picks for the Best Church Cameras Of 2024 across the following categories:
Best Overall Mirrorless Camera
Best Mirrorless Camera Money Can Buy
Best Micro Four-Thirds Mirrorless Camera
Best Overall PTZ Camera
Best PTZ Camera Money Can Buy
Best Overall Camcorder
Best Camcorder Money Can Buy
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The Best Church Cameras Of 2024: A comprehensive catalog of the best 14 camera options for churches across all categories and price points.
When I first began working in church fifteen years ago and had a Canon Rebel T3i in my hands, I thought I was in heaven.
But that camera's specs and image quality are just flat-out embarrassing relative to what is available today at a similar price point.
Now, as for this year's best-of list, we have an emphasis on live streaming capabilities, as always.
But I'm a big fan of an all-around camera:
Cameras that can live stream but also shoot photos *and* cinematic video are the ideal for me - because of their versatility.
And to help me with this year's crop of contenders, I've enlisted the advice and expertise of someone I've trusted for many years in this space, Joel W. Smith.
Joel's been in live production for close to 25 years. A camera operator for broadcast television networks, including ABC, FOX Sports, and Speed.
He's spent thousands of hours with countless cameras doing corporate events, concerts, sports, theater, classroom work, and churches.
Most importantly for you, though, he's spent the last decade running a fantastic website, joelwsmith.com, listing all his camera and production gear picks.
So, I've taken a ton of his input to inject into this blog.
This means you're getting his history, expertise, along with my own to give you the best recommendations.
Let's dive in.
Category #1: The Best Overall Mirrorless Camera
Panasonic S5
Price Point: $1,197 USD
It really should come as no surprise, because Panasonic has long been the king of value amongst camera manufacturers.
I'll never forget my first Panasonic - a GH2 from back in the early 2010s.
This camera was famous for a hack that you could download online to unlock features in the camera that the manufacturer didn't allow out of the box.
We've come so far from having to jailbreak cameras in church offices.
One of the hallmarks of a Panasonic camera is that they just work.
For example, they never overheat - something that has become a big problem with many cameras these days.
As we shove more and more outstanding features into these very small camera bodies, the consequences have often been overheating.
Not the Panasonics, though.
You can be confident this baby will continue to run through even the most unscripted, 'seems like it will never end' Charismatic church service.
But it's not just that.
The S5 has an impressive spec list:
A 24.2MP full-frame sensor
More than 12 stops of usable dynamic range (which is incredibly useful in church auditoriums with less-than-ideal lighting conditions)
Up to 6.5 stops of image stabilization, internal recording up to 4096 x 2160 at 59.94 fps
4:2:2 10-bit internal recording up to 4096 x 2160 at 29.97 fps (that 10-bit is huge for accurate colors and fewer nasty compression artifacts)
V-Log pre-installed (no extra license required - back in the day, you had to pay extra for that, people)
Unlimited video recording in a variety of formats
It has clean HDMI output, including raw 12-bit.
Just wild.
What's even more crazy?
This camera is also commonly sold for under $1,000 USD!
So we get a full-frame camera that rivals the performance of the premium pick in this post, and all for less than 30% of the price.
Thank you, Panasonic.
Pros & Cons for this camera:
The Pros:
Dynamic range and image quality to rival more expensive flagship cameras
Unlimited video recording times in most major formats
Dual SD card slots for redundant recording.
The Cons:
The L-mount lens selection is limited compared to more popular mounts
Only one SD card slot supports UHS-II speeds
The Micro HDMI ports are fragile
On to our next category.
Category #2: The Best Mirrorless Camera Money Can Buy
Sony A7S III
Price Point: $3,498 USD
I've got one myself.
But I don't even use this camera for live streaming.
I use it for cinematic work. It's just that good in a variety of environments.
Spec List:
Full-frame sensor
12.4 stops of usable dynamic range, and importantly, 11.9 stops of dynamic range at ISO 16,000
And this is why the A7S III and many Sony cameras are so attractive to many churches- their low-light performance just can't be beat.
If your church's sanctuary lighting challenges your camera, investing in a premium camera with superior low-light capabilities can significantly enhance your stream's quality.
The A7S III also boasts 4:2:2 10-bit recording up to 4096 x 2160 at 119.88 fps
16-bit Raw HDMI output up to 4264 x 2408 at 59.94 fps
Dual CFexpress Type A or SDXC memory card slots
S-Cinetone and S-Log formats
Plus, a full-size HDMI output
Pros & Cons for this camera:
The Pros:
Overall image quality and dynamic range
Fully articulating monitor
Dual card slots support both CFexpress Type A and UHS-II SD memory cards.
The Cons:
Overheating is still a slight concern with high-quality recording or warmer environments, but this can be avoided by selecting the correct format to record in (it's not as dummy-proof as the S5)
The 12MP sensor is not the best for photography
No synchro scan or fine shutter speed options
Moving now to…
Category #3: The Best Micro Four Thirds Mirrorless Camera
Panasonic GH6
Price Point: $1,697 US
Just a few of the highlights from this monster of a camera:
25.2MP Micro Four Thirds sensor
7.5 stops of image stabilization
Internal ProRes recording up to 5728 x 3024 at 29.97 fps
4:2:2 10-bit recording up to 4096 x 2160 at 59.94 fps
High-speed recording up to 1920 x 1080 at 300 fps
Unlimited recording in all formats
V-Log pre-installed
Full-size HDMI output
Plus an Internal cooling fan
No problems with overheating whatsoever.
The tradeoff is that you're not getting that full-frame sensor, which means low-light performance won't be quite as good.
But if you're looking for a camera that handles video and photography equally well, is incredibly versatile, and is just a workhorse at an affordable price, it's hard to look past the GH6.
It also comes from a long line of GH cameras from Panasonic.
I already mentioned the GH2 back in the day as a huge camera on the scene.
The GH4 was another game-changer.
Panasonic has a significant legacy here, and the GH6 just adds to it.
Pros & Cons for this camera:
The Pros:
Unlimited video recording time
Excellent photo and video performance for a Micro Four Thirds camera
Internal ProRes recording, Internal active cooling fan
Good lens selection at more reasonable prices compared to APS-C and full-frame
Record to a variety of different storage media formats.
The Cons:
Micro Four-Thirds can't perform as well as larger sensors (as we already mentioned)
Weak autofocus
Different memory card slots (so you can't record to matching memory cards).
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The Best Church Cameras Of 2024: A comprehensive catalog of the best 14 camera options for churches across all categories and price points.
Category #4: The Best Overall PTZ Camera
Canon CR-N300
Price Point: $2,399 USD
Canon has taken the same image quality, lensing, and features of their pro camcorders and put them in a matching PTZ lineup.
And they hit it out of the park with this one.
Spec List:
The CR-N300 has a smooth pan and tilt performance
A wide variety of communication protocols
Plus, a built-in auto-tracking capability that only requires a one-time (and reasonably priced) license add-on purchase
It also uses the same sensor as the top overall camcorder that you'll see later in this video
Not only do those two cameras share the same sensor, but also the same 20x optical zoom lens, same 3G-SDI and HDMI outputs, same output formats, and the same excellent image quality
When it comes to image quality and features for the price, the Canon CR-N300 is hard to beat.
Pros & Cons for this camera:
The Pros:
3G-SDI output, 20x optical zoom
Good auto-tracking built-in (with no additional hardware/software required)
A perfect match to the top pick camcorder option coming later in this post if you wanted to pair them together in a multi-cam setup
The Cons:
Weak low light performance
4K HDMI output disables the SDI output
The USB-C webcam doesn't do full frame rates
Category#5: The Best PTZ Camera Money Can Buy
Canon CR-N700
Price Point: $9,699 USD
Spec List:
Top-notch image quality
Fast and accurate dual-pixel autofocus
12G-SDI and 3G-SDI outputs
Genlock and timecode ports
Plus auto-tracking
Canon also improved the CR-N700's internal streaming protocols and quality compared to their camcorder lineup, so this becomes a perfect fit for single-camera setups that require a simple turnkey live streaming solution with excellent image quality
This is the one if you're looking for the best PTZ solution right out of the box.
Pros & Cons for this camera:
The Pros:
12G-SDI output plus an additional 3G-SDI output
No output format limitations
Dual-pixel autofocus with eye detection
Face priority, touch AF
Live stream via SRT, RTMP, or RTMPS
The Cons:
15x optical zoom may not be enough for some
No full bandwidth NDI support
No USB ports
Up until this moment…
We've looked at mirrorless and PTZ cameras.
For our last two contenders on the list of Best Church Cameras for 2024, we're moving to a new category of camera:
Camcorders.
Bottom line: Camcorder releases are not innovating the way PTZ and especially mirrorless cameras are.
Camcorders still offer a great solution for many live stream applications at a reasonable price point, but this camera category is declining.
When manufacturers start pouring their resources into other categories of cameras, that tells you where the market is headed.
Nevertheless, we've got some good options for you here.
Category #6: The Best Overall Camcorder
Canon XA65
Price Point: $2,099 USD
The Canon XA models have long been great options for church live streaming, and the XA65 is no exception.
Notable features include:
20x optical zoom
Internal recording up to 2160p 29.97 or 1080p59.94
3G-SDI output
Dual XLR audio inputs
Dual SD memory card slots
And USB-C webcam output up to 1080p30.
As previously mentioned, this camera also makes for a great match with the Canon CR-N300 PTZ camera.
Pros & Cons for this camcorder:
The Pros:
3G-SDI output
20x optical zoom
USB-C webcam output
Dual SD memory card slots.
The Cons:
Weak low light performance
HDMI and SDI outputs cannot be used simultaneously.
And finally, our last camera on the list…
Category #7: The Best Camcorder Money Can Buy
Canon XF605
Price Point: $4,299 USD
What sets this apart from other camcorders is the top-notch image quality (relative to a camcorder) and 12G-SDI output.
Other notable features include:
Dual pixel autofocus
Internal recording and output up to 2160p59.94
4:2:2 10-bit internal recording
Canon Log 3 (I love that C-Log)
Custom LUT support
Dual SD memory card slots
A plethora of wired and wireless remote control features, internal SRT streaming, and separate genlock and timecode ports
It's probably the most feature-rich camcorder for live production available.
That being said, it's limited to 15X optical zoom.
Which might be a deal breaker for some churches.
Pros & Cons for this camcorder:
The Pros:
Image quality
Simultaneous HDMI and 12G-SDI output
Clear scan shutter adjustment helps minimize flicker/banding from lighting and LED walls
The Cons:
15x optical zoom will be limiting for some
The webcam output is very low quality
If you want to investigate any of these cameras further, I'll point you to joelwsmith.com.
Moreover, if you're looking for live stream cameras, you might also be looking for the best switchers, cards, and cables, and Joel has buying guides and 'best of' lists for all of those as well!
He's a wealth of information and gives it all away freely.
And he keeps it updated year after year.
We're fortunate to have him so check out all of those resources.
Free Bonus
The Best Church Cameras Of 2024: A comprehensive catalog of the best 14 camera options for churches across all categories and price points.
Conclusion
As for what's next… you may have noticed some glaring omissions in my camera categories for this year.
For example - there were no categories specifically dedicated to budget options.
That's not to say that none of the cameras in this video make for great budget options, like the S5 or the GH6, both from Panasonic.
But what if you're looking for more options or even more affordable options?
I wanted to dedicate a separate blog specifically to budget options because I know how important that is to so many churches. We will put the link right here so you can click through and explore those options.
Thanks as always for your time, attention, and trust - we'll talk real soon.
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