What is the best camera for a card break?
You have that 2022-23 Panini Revolution Soccer Hobby Box or 2021-22 Panini Flawless Basketball Hobby Box. You’ve already read over the tips on how to become a sports card box breaker. You’re ready to rip them open for the lucky few customers that can afford these high end trading card sets, but do you have the 1-camera or 2 or 3-cameras that best fits the this special 2022 Topps Gilded Collection Baseball Hobby Box or 2022 Bowman Draft Baseball Lite Box occasion?
I know…. it’s a tough decision. Do you need to have that high-end Nikon Z9 or are you good with your trusty iPhone 8? Here are our Top 5 cameras that you should consider when starting or upgrading your camera gear for your next card break as a sports card box breaker:
Are you ready for the Nikon Z9 with the 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens for your next card break?
Top 5 Best Cameras for your card break
What we liked about the AKASO Brave 4?
It’s affordable!
You can easily buy 3 of these and mini tripods for less than a single copy of the other cameras listed in the Top 5.
While we recommend that your camera setup is dedicated for your live sale or card break, you can easily take this camera on an adventure trip or scuba diving adventure.
What we didn’t like about the AKASO Brave 4?
Make sure you have enough light in your room because the Brave 4 does not perform well with low to little light.
What we liked about the iPhone 11?
It’s affordable and you may already have 1, 2 or 3 of these sitting around.
Considering that the iPhone 11 was released in 2019, it’s still a very powerful camera to take still and video images in addition to being a webcam.
What we didn’t like about the iPhone 11?
At some point, Apple will end-of-life the product and provide no additional iOS updates. This normally wouldn’t be a problem except you could lose capabilities to using the Open Broadcasting Software (OBS) that you need to broadcast from your phone web camera.
Since you’re likely you’ll be using OBS to facilitate your live streaming, you will need to pay for the Open Broadcasting Software’s iOS app which may cost as little at $5 per month or as high as $70-170 for a lifetime license.
What we liked about the GoPro HERO10 Black?
GoPro is the gold standard for action cameras. When GoPro started the small, portable and action-capable cameras, they started a revolution that is thriving 20 years later. Now many people are using the GoPros for non-action events such as card breaking.
GoPro has a huge community with millions of units worldwide.
What we didn’t like about the GoPro HERO10 Black?
With the name brand of GoPro, along comes a steeper price.
What we liked about the Insta360 ONE RS Twin Edition?
Like the GoPro HERO10 Black above, the Insta360 One RS Twin Edition is a small and compact action camera that will easily fit on your desk setup without taking too much room.
What we didn’t like about the Insta360 ONE RS Twin Edition?
The modules with Insta360 are a blessing a curse. For a simple live shopping broadcast, at camera like this is too complex. The worst case is that you may lose a piece and you’ll be S.O.L. before your next break starts.
What we liked about the Nikon Z9?
Wow! What’s not to like! You can film a potential Oscar-worthy movie production with this camera.
What we didn’t like about the Nikon Z9?
The price. While many still and video professional photographers think $5499 USD is a bargain for the value and power that the Nikon Z9 provides, having a camera at this price is a little overkill for your live shopping and card breaking setup.
An honorable mention that you can use for your web cam setup is the Nikon Z fc. Price around $1100, it’s a retro-looking camera will full photo, video and web cam capabilities.
The Nikon Z fc with the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S may be overkill for some.
What else do I need to consider other than my camera for my card break?
Once you’ve purchased your camera (or 2 or 3 cameras), don’t forget that you need to consider a few other items and processes before your card break. We’ve written up a few articles that you should brush up on before your next sports card case breaker live session.
But don’t forget that your profit margin (or lack of a profit) is one of the most important metrics that you always need to know. Many of SLabstat’s card breaking friends use 2 free software tools that saves them a lot of time and money:
SLabstat’s free card breaking software to help you setup your Random Team, Pick Your Team and Auction card breaks
WaxStat - a free wax box and case pricing comparison tool to help you find the cheap deals on brand new sealed wax boxes. Check out a few examples to find the cheapest deals for:
