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14 Comments

Good camera & Mic for shooting Tutorial videos

Hello guys,
I have a budget around 1200$ and i need a good camera and mic. 90% of the content will be indoor. I know nothing about cameras and videography.

So suggestions for a good YouTube/Courses gear setup will be appreciated.

Thanks!

on June 14, 2020
  1. 3

    Since you know nothing about cameras and videography, I would suggest you to stay with the simplest available cameras. Don't go for a DSLR (reflex camera), since it will add complexity to figuring out things, and I guess you want to start creating something ASAP. Without knowing what you want to shoot, it is tricky to offer specific advice (for instance, if you want to show how to make electronics, you will need good macro lenses). If you are writing on a white board, then any camera would do.

    For video, there are 4 components to take into account. They will highly depend on what you are doing, but I will give you my opinion based on what you said.

    1. Camera: For best and quick results, you can use either a good phone (iPhone style), or a video camera such as a Canon Legria (other brands, such as JVC are also very good). Just pay attention to whether you want to make videos in 1080p or 4K. Depending on what you want to do, a tripod comes in handy. Since you are doing indoor, any cheap tripod works, it is only to hold the camera, not to do fancy stuff, I presume.

    2. Illumination is PARAMOUNT if you are going to be on the video. Therefore, good lightning should be in the mix. Regardless of what you want to do, it needs to look good. Neewer has some nice light sources, but they may be hard to find available in a shop close to you. It is important to get good light for video, not to mix sources, since you will get weird colors (for example, if you use a light bulb and a fluorescent tube).

    3. Sound. I really hate videos in which you see the microphone appearing. They seem utterly careless. The only reason why I accept a microphone on-screen is 1) interviews for news channels, 2) if you make a video of someone who is actually making a podcast/radio station. If you are really making video, don't show your mic on screen. With that being said, I would go for a Røde mic. 1200$ is a big budget, so you can opt for fancier mics. I have both a lavalier mic and the video micro. Both give very good results. Blue Yeti is a very nice mic, but is not designed for video, it is designed for audio. The only way of using a Blue Yeti is having it close to you, which means it will appear on screen.

    4. Software. After recording, you will need to edit what you do. Good software for editing is not cheap. Depending on what you are building, you will need software for video (such as Adobe Premiere Pro), for Audio, for screen recording. You can easily spend between 1/3 and 1/2 of your budget on software, so you really need to understand what your needs are.

    A lot of people may hate me for this remark, but the best way of making kick-ass videos, is not investing a lot on a camera. Camera quality can be easily compensated by good illumination. Unless you are doing something very specific, with slow motion, very low light, in movement, etc. there's not a lot of need for fancier cameras. At less than 300U$ you already have a GREAT camera for a professional looking course. And illumination is much more accessible than cameras. Buy many lamps instead of a more expensive camera. Also, good sound quality transmits a lot to the viewer, and is sometimes underrated, even for video conferences. You can use more than one mic, for example a lavalier which records on a phone you keep in your pocket, plus a mic on the camera. Be sure you have a VERY quiet place to record, and with low echo. Curtains help a lot at reducing bouncing sound. You can have the best microphone in the world, but if you are in a noisy environment, you won't gain anything. And finally, the trick for good video courses is how you edit, and do some storytelling. Good content, well organized, coherent, is much more important than image quality.

    1. 1

      Incredible information, I really appreciate your time man! You are awesome

  2. 2

    @yurioh I live for my Canon EOS Digital Rebel with the flip-out screen. I have a few models (from inexpensive to more expensive) for my team. They all do a fantastic job and the flip out screen makes it easy to make sure I'm in focus (you can buy the T5i with a decent lens for around $600: https://www.amazon.com/Canon-EOS-Rebel-EF-S-18-55/dp/B00BW6LWO4). The mic I use is the Rode Filmmaker wireless kit: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1115091-REG/rode_rodlnk_fm_rodelink_wireless_filmmaker_kit.html Great sound and works beautifully with the camera (around $350). I'd also add a teleprompter if you're wanting to script. I love my Parrot Teleprompter: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1443042-REG/parrot_teleprompter_pcteleprompterkit_padcaster_teleprompter_kit.html/ ($99). It slips onto the lens of the Canon beautifully and you can run your script on your phone.

    1. 1

      Of course...this is assuming you'll want to be on camera. I made a video on the whole setup here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlB3m5fKxPA

      (though updated my mic since!)

  3. 1

    yes I have a suggestion for you brother If you want to learn about it then you can see the free guidance about camera lens management here on https://cameraslife.com/

  4. 1

    yes I looked the complete videos that you shared its very interesting I am also working on the vlogging project you can see here https://vloggingsetup.com/

  5. 1

    Can we do it in residential areas? I want to install some cameras for security and shooting purpose in my residential areas. I have seen some good online services for it you can see here https://www.marvelouzteknology.com/residential-camera-systems/

  6. 1

    As for mic I would recommend to consider Zoom H2n handy mic - the sound quality is really good compared to Blue Yeti + it allows you to record a podcast and take some voice notes.

  7. 1

    Could you link to a video similar to what you want to make? I’ll be able to make a better suggestion after seeing what your goal is.

  8. 1

    I will be recording video tutorials soon with a Blue Yeti Nano and Logitech 960.

    1. 2

      Yes, a high quality webcam plus a Yeti microphone should work okay.

      I've been using a Logitech 930e and a wired lapel (lavalier) microphone for my videos because my phone over-compresses video, making it look bad. The results are decent, although the webcam has some focus issues. It'll occasionally go out of focus, and then back again.

      I've got some softbox lights coming, because improving the lighting is a cheaper way to get higher quality video than buying a better camera.

      1. 1

        Amen to the lighting! Much better (and cheaper) than a camera upgrade.

        Moreover, the focusing of the camera may be due to bad lighting as well. I'm not sure about the Logitech, but if it is using contrast-based focusing, it may just not get enough difference between you and the background.

  9. 1

    MICROPHONES:

    CAMERAS:

    • For a super low budget option, you can use a smartphone along with a smartphone stand. They're actually surprisingly good quality these days and can save you some money.
    • The next step up is a nice DSLR camera. Since you're doing indoor only, mirrorless is the way to go. It's smaller and more responsive than the mirrored version and everyone says they're "the future". Here's a list of some good mirrorless cameras available in 2020
      https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/buying-guides/the-best-mirrorless-camera
  10. 1

    Even if you are not doing gaming content, the Alpha Gaming channel is great for camera/mic advice!

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCATWC1JSlhzmYeDbjnS8WwA