Understanding cameras and video cameras

Soldato
Joined
1 Nov 2007
Posts
6,367
Location
England
I've never really been into photography or video before, but that might change in a couple of months. The problem is I know nothing about cameras or video cameras so I don't know what I should be looking for when it comes to technical specifications.

For instance, cameras often list things such as the lens being f/2.8, but I have no idea what this means. What is a good number here? Also, should I always go with a higher megapixel camera or is there something else I should be looking for instead? I know that optical zoom is better than digital zoom, but I doubt I'll need to use the zoom function that much.

Are there any books out there that explain this? I think I'm more likely to buy a video camera instead of a standard camera as I really want to do some YouTube stuff. I know I could probably use my mobile phone (a OnePlus 6) but I was under the impression that a dedicated 4k video camera would have better quality and features.
 
Sorry for not replying sooner I got distracted by a few other things.

Thank you for the replies. I'll look into DSLRs then. I'm really after maximum video quality at 4k in both low light and daylight environments.

Edit: Being able to film at night is pretty important for what I need.
 
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