How to Choose a Streaming Camera

Whether it is for meeting with a colleague to discuss an upcoming project or to connect with friends and family, live streaming and a streaming camera have become part of our everyday lives.

Cameraland has put together a list of features to look for when buying your next camera for live streaming.

Flip Screen

You want to be able to see yourself on camera. If you choose a camera without a Flip Screen you will have to purchase an external monitor.

Auto Shut off deactivation

Some cameras automatically shut off after a period of inactivity. Automatic shutoff could interrupt your Live Stream at a critical time. Check your camera settings to make sure you can switch off the automatic shut off.

Clean HDMI Out

Some cameras will have the user interface (UI) elements visible on the display. It will show things like battery life, exposure, aperture, and shutter speed on the display while you are recording. This will be disturbing to our audience. Make sure that your camera has a clean HDMI out option in the menu. This will all allow you to live stream without the user interface elements visible.

AC Adapter Port

Most camera batteries only last for 40 minutes. You do not want to be in the position where you must stop your Live Stream to replace camera batteries. To be considered a streaming camera a camera must be able to take an AC adapter.

Fast and Quite Autofocus

If you are moving about in the shot, you want the camera to refocus fast. You also do not want the autofocus to interfere with your sound. Make sure that your camera is not noisy when autofocusing.

Mic Input

Sound is as important as video. I high-quality external mic will always be better than the camera’s internal microphone. A good streaming camera will have a mic input.

Let us know what features are important to you in a streaming camera in the comments below.