<p>This question is too broad and is difficult to answer.</p>
<p>Are you making some kind of real-life documentary and you are traveling to a rainforest or a Monzon propensity country?</p>
<p>Are you making a short film with fake rain and therefore your camera will be relatively dry?</p>
<p>Besides some obvious things like choosing some waterproof camera or casing in the case of a real-life scenario, the specs of the camera do not matter.</p>
<p>Any normal camera will capture what is in front of it... if it is well lit.</p>
<p>Light is the key to capturing water. That is why you have a car with the lamps on a rainy scene, or a street lamp, or bright lights from a store.</p>
<p>You need to look for some tutorials.</p>
<p>Hi-res or normal res, depending on your project. You will never say, &quot;you need a 4k camera or you can not film a rainy scene&quot; Do not choose the resolution of the camera based on the weather.</p>
<p>The same with the FPS. It could be the case you need a specific scene where droplets are in slow motion. But that is just one scene.</p>
<p>You probably could use an action camera, but you are not defining if the field of view works for you for example. They have slow-mo capabilities, are waterproof, they will work in a virtual walk... But we do not know anything else of the project.</p>
<p>Really, <strong>you need to make a more in-depth brief of your project</strong>.</p>
<hr />
<p>As you posted more info. Let me analyze your sample video:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Vqlf9.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Vqlf9.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<ol>
<li><p>You can see that the maximum resolution this video is streaming is &quot;only&quot; 1<strong>080P, and at 30 Fps</strong>. So, any modern Video camera is capable of that.</p>
</li>
<li><p>I can not tell, but probably it has a wide angle Probably an action will do.</p>
</li>
<li><p>The camera is protected against rain. So you do not really need it waterproof. Unless you want to walk in the rain.</p>
</li>
<li><p>The camera is streaming live, so, probably you need the camera connected 24/7. <strong>Probably a simple webcam can help you</strong>.</p>
</li>
<li><p>But as I said. The rain has some backlights. You can not really see the rain in the air, only hitting the floor, because you need a strong light pointing to the middle air.</p>
</li>
<li><p>One thing that is important to consider. The interesting part of the video is not the video, it is the audio (It is a really nice sound). <strong>You need a good mic</strong>.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<hr />
<p>About 30Fps vs 60Fps. If you can see the raindrops at 30Fps, yes, probably 60 will give you an extra something. If you can not light them to see them at 30, you will neither at 60.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-19T19:48:19.580Z
The main thing is making the viewer feel like they are actually there. Something like https://www.youtube.com/c/HelloKorea4K. I guess high res and high FPS would matter because the drops are small, so the high res would have a higher chance of capturing them, and FPS may matter because motion looks smoother with more frames (60fps)
zino
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-19T22:17:25.093Z
I added additional paragraphs. :)
Rafael
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-20T14:24:34.893Z
I would dispute *'motion looks smoother with more frames'*, especially when you're trying to capture something that really doesn't want to be captured, like rain. With a longer exposure per frame, you have the chance for individual raindrops to streak/blur, making them more visible. You still have to backlight it properly to have any chance at all. Note how the big drips from whatever is sheltering the camera show up far more than the actual rain. [btw, you're going to have to tilt that backwards so it doesn't drip.]
Tetsujin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-20T16:34:52.273Z
Yes, probably. I will try to make some tests with different FPS. But I need time to do it.
Rafael
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-19T19:36:53.970Z
2022-05-19T22:13:31.310Z
2022-05-19T22:13:31.310Z
Rafael
<p>I want to film two types of YouTube video:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<ol>
<li>Non moving shot, relatively close up. E.g under a lamp post capturing each failing droplet.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>
<ol start="2">
<li>Virtual walk.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Are there specific cameras that will let me capture the rain in life like realism, or is it generally “higher res, higher FPS”?</p>
<p>Which lenses should I be looking at?</p>
<p>I have about $1000 to spend. Looking at the Sony a6000.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-19T16:46:44.523Z
Welcome! I don't have a specific recommendation on a camera, but do keep in mind that in order to clearly capture water, it needs to be back lit. If it is only front lit, no matter what the specs of the camera are, you may not get the look you are going for.
Michael Liebman
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-19T19:49:09.630Z
Why does it have to be lit from the back in particular?
zino
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-20T14:30:11.140Z
So you can see it at all. This article covers how tough it is to shoot a rain scene - https://www.zacuto.com/blogs/blog/how-to-shoot-rain-like-a-pro It's even tougher if all you have is real rain. It really is a general rule/guideline that 'rain does not show up on camera' Often a scene will be shot in real rain & the only hint is that you can see the actors' shoulders getting wet, if no-one thought to throw a flag up to protect them temporarily. The article is about shooting in daylight, so contains many scenarios you won't face at night.
Tetsujin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-20T15:48:53.640Z
The link that @Tetsujin shared only mentions it briefly because it was a bigger deal with film (and that is what I learned cinematography and lighting mostly with). But think about when you are driving in the rain at night. On a dark road, your windshield can be practically covered in raindrops and it won't affect your vision too much. But the second the headlights of an oncoming car light up your windshield, you are reaching to crank up the wiper speed.
Michael Liebman
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-20T17:10:45.330Z
@MichaelLiebman - agree entirely. But I've never worked a shoot [TV, more rigid schedule] where the call to 'let's film it like it's actually raining' which of course happens on occasion, ever bothered to try capture the rain itself. They just allow that the pavement is shiny & give the SAs brollies & raincoats. Swing to an angle you can see it running down a car windscreen & make sure the principals look wet enough. …and… turning, speed, set...
Tetsujin
<gear>
Best camera for filming rain
zino
# Best camera for filming rain

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-05-19)

I want to film two types of YouTube video:

* 1. Non moving shot, relatively close up. E.g under a lamp post capturing each failing droplet.
* 2. Virtual walk.

Are there specific cameras that will let me capture the rain in life like realism, or is it generally “higher res, higher FPS”?

Which lenses should I be looking at?

I have about $1000 to spend. Looking at the Sony a6000.

**Tags:** gear

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Welcome! I don't have a specific recommendation on a camera, but do keep in mind that in order to clearly capture water, it needs to be back lit. If it is only front lit, no matter what the specs of the camera are, you may not get the look you are going for.  
> **username_0**: Why does it have to be lit from the back in particular?  
> **username_2**: So you can see it at all. This article covers how tough it is to shoot a rain scene - https://www.zacuto.com/blogs/blog/how-to-shoot-rain-like-a-pro It's even tougher if all you have is real rain. It really is a general rule/guideline that 'rain does not show up on camera' Often a scene will be shot in real rain & the only hint is that you can see the actors' shoulders getting wet, if no-one thought to throw a flag up to protect them temporarily. The article is about shooting in daylight, so contains many scenarios you won't face at night.  
> **username_1**: The link that @username_2 shared only mentions it briefly because it was a bigger deal with film (and that is what I learned cinematography and lighting mostly with). But think about when you are driving in the rain at night. On a dark road, your windshield can be practically covered in raindrops and it won't affect your vision too much. But the second the headlights of an oncoming car light up your windshield, you are reaching to crank up the wiper speed.  
> **username_2**: @MichaelLiebman - agree entirely. But I've never worked a shoot [TV, more rigid schedule] where the call to 'let's film it like it's actually raining' which of course happens on occasion, ever bothered to try capture the rain itself. They just allow that the pavement is shiny & give the SAs brollies & raincoats. Swing to an angle you can see it running down a car windscreen & make sure the principals look wet enough. …and… turning, speed, set...  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-05-19. Score: 1

This question is too broad and is difficult to answer.

Are you making some kind of real-life documentary and you are traveling to a rainforest or a Monzon propensity country?

Are you making a short film with fake rain and therefore your camera will be relatively dry?

Besides some obvious things like choosing some waterproof camera or casing in the case of a real-life scenario, the specs of the camera do not matter.

Any normal camera will capture what is in front of it... if it is well lit.

Light is the key to capturing water. That is why you have a car with the lamps on a rainy scene, or a street lamp, or bright lights from a store.

You need to look for some tutorials.

Hi-res or normal res, depending on your project. You will never say, "you need a 4k camera or you can not film a rainy scene" Do not choose the resolution of the camera based on the weather.

The same with the FPS. It could be the case you need a specific scene where droplets are in slow motion. But that is just one scene.

You probably could use an action camera, but you are not defining if the field of view works for you for example. They have slow-mo capabilities, are waterproof, they will work in a virtual walk... But we do not know anything else of the project.

Really, **you need to make a more in-depth brief of your project**.

---

As you posted more info. Let me analyze your sample video:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Vqlf9.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/Vqlf9.jpg)

1. You can see that the maximum resolution this video is streaming is "only" 1**080P, and at 30 Fps**. So, any modern Video camera is capable of that.
2. I can not tell, but probably it has a wide angle Probably an action will do.
3. The camera is protected against rain. So you do not really need it waterproof. Unless you want to walk in the rain.
4. The camera is streaming live, so, probably you need the camera connected 24/7. **Probably a simple webcam can help you**.
5. But as I said. The rain has some backlights. You can not really see the rain in the air, only hitting the floor, because you need a strong light pointing to the middle air.
6. One thing that is important to consider. The interesting part of the video is not the video, it is the audio (It is a really nice sound). **You need a good mic**.

---

About 30Fps vs 60Fps. If you can see the raindrops at 30Fps, yes, probably 60 will give you an extra something. If you can not light them to see them at 30, you will neither at 60.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: The main thing is making the viewer feel like they are actually there. Something like https://www.youtube.com/c/HelloKorea4K. I guess high res and high FPS would matter because the drops are small, so the high res would have a higher chance of capturing them, and FPS may matter because motion looks smoother with more frames (60fps)  
> **username_3**: I added additional paragraphs. :)  
> **username_2**: I would dispute *'motion looks smoother with more frames'*, especially when you're trying to capture something that really doesn't want to be captured, like rain. With a longer exposure per frame, you have the chance for individual raindrops to streak/blur, making them more visible. You still have to backlight it properly to have any chance at all. Note how the big drips from whatever is sheltering the camera show up far more than the actual rain. [btw, you're going to have to tilt that backwards so it doesn't drip.]  
> **username_3**: Yes, probably. I will try to make some tests with different FPS. But I need time to do it.  

---

