Need a camera for YouTube videos and stills

Cromulent

Cromulent

Cromulent

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I'm looking to start a YouTube channel and blog in the next few days and I need a camera to record some video and take some stills. The only requirement I really have is that the camera records at 1080p resolution.

I also need a tripod of some sort (preferably small as space is limited) and the most important aspect is that I can take video with camera facing my face when I sit on a chair as well as being able to take video of the desk top when I am working on something there. I have no idea about tripods and hope that is possible. Basically as long as the camera can face down that would be great.

I've tried to do some research on this but there are so many options when it comes to camera and tripods I'm completely lost. Quality is important as I want my YouTube videos to look good.

If it matters I'll be using the free version of Davinci Resolve to edit all the video and probably GIMP for image editing.

Now as for budget I'd rather spend no more than £300 but if required I could probably afford £600 as a max for both the camera and the tripod.

Thanks for any help :).
 
Any modern DSLR will record 1080p footage. Basic models can be picked up for a couple hundred (Canon 1200d), or you could aim a touch higher and go for the Nikon 5300 with flip out screen, wifi, gps etc

It's generally pretty safe to buy camera gear secondhand if you want to go down that route. More for your money, but depends if you need the extras. No point paying extra for features you won't use after all.

One thing I will say, base models like the Canon 1200d feel like cheap plastic toys compared to more premium gear.
 
FurryLemon said:
Any modern DSLR will record 1080p footage. Basic models can be picked up for a couple hundred (Canon 1200d), or you could aim a touch higher and go for the Nikon 5300 with flip out screen, wifi, gps etc

It's generally pretty safe to buy camera gear secondhand if you want to go down that route. More for your money, but depends if you need the extras. No point paying extra for features you won't use after all.

One thing I will say, base models like the Canon 1200d feel like cheap plastic toys compared to more premium gear.
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I did think about a DSLR but the thing that put me off them was that I believe you need to know quite a lot about how to use a camera to use them because they are quite complicated to use. The camera I was looking at was the Canon G7X Mark II which seems to be a bit simpler to use and has some good reviews and will also do 1080p video at 60fps which would be useful. Does that sound like a good option?
 
Cromulent said:
I did think about a DSLR but the thing that put me off them was that I believe you need to know quite a lot about how to use a camera to use them because they are quite complicated to use. The camera I was looking at was the Canon G7X Mark II which seems to be a bit simpler to use and has some good reviews and will also do 1080p video at 60fps which would be useful. Does that sound like a good option?
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If it ticks all the boxes, then it's a fine choice.
 
I've been thinking about this for quite some time because it is a hell of a lot of money to spend. I've been considering getting a mobile phone which has an SD card slot and using that to record video and take photos of stuff that I am doing. I know that it won't be anywhere near as good as a dedicated camera when it comes to quality but as long as it can handle 1080p video it should be fine. Plus it would upgrade my current mobile phone which I got in 2012 so it certainly needs an upgrade. I can also pay it off monthly that way rather than having a massive initial outlay in terms of money.

Does anyone else use a mobile phone for doing YouTube reviews of physical products. My channel is brand new so I don't have the resources of the big channels available so I need to do it on the cheap. Thanks for any help :).
 
You're going to want something with an external microphone input. So many people seem to forget that sound quality is actually more important than image quality in a lot of respects. Try watching a review with cruddy sound and you'll see what I mean.

You should consider the Panasonic M43 cameras. A G7 is a great starter, will do 4K and has a microphone input, swivel screen and has many good lens options out there. Even better would be a G80, has sensor stabilisation in addition to those.
 
Spleen Sauce said:
You're going to want something with an external microphone input. So many people seem to forget that sound quality is actually more important than image quality in a lot of respects. Try watching a review with cruddy sound and you'll see what I mean.

You should consider the Panasonic M43 cameras. A G7 is a great starter, will do 4K and has a microphone input, swivel screen and has many good lens options out there. Even better would be a G80, has sensor stabilisation in addition to those.
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Hmm. Good point. I don't really know a lot about sound. I'll have to do some research into it.

Couldn't I just record the audio using a separate source and a clapper and then sync the audio and video up when editing the video?
 
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