Should you be investing in kit or wanting to hire the most common used camera systems in the UK then we thought we would share this list of top 8 rented cameras with you. You need to bare in mind that each offering has its own pros, cons and uses for the space were it sits the market. Give us a call or email if you want more advice about your shoot and what camera is best suited to your project.
If we look at the top 8 models we see only 4 brands dominate the market and no appearance from Red or Blackmagic. So why are these cameras so popular?
Sonys work horse of the television industry the PXW FS7 comes out on top with almost all lifestyle content being produced on this camera now and replacing there F5 and F55 models in this market. Its form factor and super 35mm sensor makes it easy to get great results when shooting putting it at the top of our list.
The Sony A7s MkII has come in second the darling of the small corporate production company as well as being great on a gimbal and in low light, its does slow-mo and its a great compliment to a PXW FS7 as a second camera on shoots, so don't be swayed by its size its a mighty movie offering for something so small.
In third and seventh place are those really versatile go anywhere action cams the GoPro Hero Blacks, now on its 8th reincarnation it really is a camera that gets hired out not just as one unit but 2, 4 or 6 units at a time. Great for getting those shots a conventional camera would struggle to get because of its size. The latest Hero 8 comes with a digital lens that in HD can do Superview, wide, liner and narrow. Hypersmooth stabilisation, Liveburst were you can captures 1.5 seconds before and after you hit the shutter, so you can pick the perfect shot from 90 still images. Or, share a 3-second 4K video clip. It also has timewarp where you can adjust the speed of your clip, timelapes as well as being completely water proof completely waterproof down to 33ft (10m), what more do you want from such a small package no wonder it appears on our list.
In at number four and the first entry for Canon and its ever popular 5D now on its 4th generation this game changer for videographers was the forerunner to the C300 we see in places 6 and 8 on our chart. Great at stills as well as video but with the downside its functionally when shooting, no ND's built in and no XLR audio inputs, if going out to shoot video we would recommend a C100 or C300 for your project.
In 5th place and not surprisingly on a list of most hired cameras is the Arri Alexa mini very rarely an owner operator camera because of its cost to buy, with all the bits you need to make it work you could be looking at shelling out more then £40,000 before you even go into record on it. The Alexa sensor is loved by drama and commercial Producers and DOP's across the world, although beware the Sony venice is hot on its heals and we would not be surprised to see it in next years list.
Finally filling positions 6 and 8 are Canons most beloved video cameras the C300. We see the C300 MkII taking over from the original version in our list, with its ability to do a higher frame rate and record 4K internally a popular choice for producer and directors that want a great 4K image and a shallow depth of field for that cinematic look.
We hope this has help you if you want to hire a camera, and remember we are here with a wealth of knowledge and experience and are always happy to advice you on your camera choice for your latest project.