Updated August 2026. The original version of this post was written in 2021. Most of what was in it is now either discontinued or the wrong recommendation, so this is a full rewrite.
Alex here. I am a photographer and filmmaker, and I shoot the classes for Markow Training Systems. When I wrote this in 2021 the answer to “what camera should I film classes on” was a three and a half thousand dollar body. That is no longer true, and pretending it is would cost you money you do not need to spend.
So this version is split into three tiers. Start at the one that matches what you are actually doing, not the one that looks most professional.
Tier 1: Your phone
If you are filming classes to post as clips, or to send to online clients, a current phone is genuinely good enough. This is the biggest change since 2021. Phone sensors and stabilisation got good enough that the camera stopped being the limiting factor.
What actually limits a phone shot is not the phone. It is the audio and the framing. Fix those two and a phone clip will beat a badly set up cinema camera every time.
Add a gimbal if you are moving with the shot, and a wireless mic so the coaching is audible over the music and the room. We cover the full phone workflow in how to film fitness classes with your phone.
- A phone gimbal for moving shots
- Rode Wireless mic system so your voice carries over the room
Who this is for: anyone filming for social, client check-ins, or exercise libraries. Which is most coaches.
Tier 2: One camera
Step up to a dedicated body when you need a wider field of view than a phone gives you in a small room, better low light, or clean audio in through XLR.
The camera I would buy today is the Sony FX30. It did not exist when I wrote the original post. It is an APS-C cinema body, shoots 4K up to 120fps, and the XLR handle unit means proper audio without a separate recorder. It costs a fraction of what the A7S III cost and for filming classes it does the job better.
If you also shoot photos and want one body for both, the Sony A7 IV is still the value pick, and the Sony A7 V launched in December 2025 as the current generation.
Who this is for: coaches filming a class library, or anyone whose room is too small for a phone to get the full frame.
Tier 3: Two cameras
This is our setup, and it is honestly more than most people need. We run two angles so we can cut between a wide and a tighter shot without reshooting, and because I shoot stills at the same time.
We still use the Sony A7S III as the video body and the Sony A7 III for the second angle and stills. Both still work well. But I would not buy either new today. The A7S III is over five years old with no successor yet, and at its price that is hard to justify when the FX30 exists. If I were building this rig from scratch in 2026 it would be two FX30 bodies, or an FX30 and an A7 V if I needed the stills.
If resolution matters for photos, the A7R IV is still the higher megapixel option.
Lenses
Most people film in smaller spaces than they think. Go wider than feels necessary. I leave a lot of negative space around the subject so the same footage can be cropped to different ratios later, which matters more now that everything gets reposted vertically.
- Zeiss Batis 18mm 2.8 is our main angle. Light, compact, minimal distortion, and it pairs well with a gimbal.
- Sony FE 24-70 2.8 is our second angle and my most used lens across all my work.
- Sony 16-35 F4 or the Sony 16-35 2.8 if you want the versatility of a wide zoom. If filming classes is your main use, I would take one of these over the primes above.
On an APS-C body like the FX30, remember the crop. A 16-35 behaves closer to a 24-52, so go wider again.
Monitor and audio
The Atomos Shinobi 5 inch monitor has been great and is still what we use. Worth it the moment you are setting a camera and walking away from it, because judging focus on the back screen from across a room does not work.
Audio is where most class footage falls apart. A room with music, hard floors and a coach who moves is a hard recording environment. A wireless lav on the coach solves almost all of it, at any tier.
The camcorder option
If you want one button, no lens decisions and a long record time, a camcorder still makes sense. The Panasonic HC-VX1 and Canon XA40 were our picks in 2021. Both are ageing now. Check current availability before buying, because this category has thinned out considerably as phones took over the low end.
What I would actually buy today
Filming for social and clients: your current phone, a gimbal, and a wireless mic. Total spend under a few hundred dollars.
Building a class library: one FX30, one wide zoom, one wireless mic.
Two angles and stills: FX30 plus A7 V.
Buy the audio before you upgrade the camera. It is the single change that makes footage look more professional, which is a strange thing to say about a microphone, and it is still true.
Common questions
Can I film fitness classes on a phone in 2026?
Yes. For social clips, client check-ins and most exercise libraries a current phone is good enough. Spend the money on a wireless mic and a gimbal instead of a camera body.
Is the Sony A7S III still worth buying?
Not new, for this purpose. It is over five years old and costs considerably more than the FX30, which shoots the same 4K 120fps and has XLR audio built into the handle. The A7S III is still a great camera if you already own one.
What lens should I use to film in a small studio?
Wider than you think. A 16-35 zoom on full frame is a safe default. On APS-C, account for the crop and go wider still.
What is the single biggest upgrade to class footage?
A wireless lav mic on the coach. Better audio reads as better production quality more than a sharper image does.
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