Q. I haven't started vlogging on YouTube yet, but I want to. I need a high megapixel and clear sound camera for under £300. I want to start vlogging soon!
Answer
When looking for video cameras you don't look for mega pixels. Mega pixels pertain to the photo quality not the video quality.
Obviously a flip out screen is a must and make sure you can flip it 180 degrees so you can see yourself when you're in front of the camera.
Look for a camera with optical image stabilization if possible. Optical image stabilization means that the camera lens moves up and down when the camera is moving, creating a cleaner and better looking stabilization. Digital stabilization goes into the video after it has been taken and attempts to stabilize it.
Find a camera that has both Auto Focus (AF) and Manual Focus (MF). The manual focus will help you get that "vlogger" look because you can focus the lens on you and blur out the background.
A zoom of at least 15x if preferable, however my camera only has 12x and it far surpasses the zooming capabilities I require. Don't worry about digital zoom since you it is always bad and you should never use it.
Look for a camera where you can have a lot of manual settings to play around with such as white balance, brightness, contrast, etc. These will help you get the best coloring and lighting while filming.
Additional, but optional features that are very helpful are an accessory shoe for if you were to ever want to attach an external light or microphone (try to get a standard hot shoe instead of a mini hot shoe; they do make mini to standard shoe adaptors though), external microphone and headphone ports (again for hooking an external microphone to improve sound and the headphone jack to hear the sound in a noisy area).
When looking at the picture quality, search for the camera and model number and "test video" or "test shot" on Youtube to get a real idea of how the camera performs. Read reviews online of other people's experiences with the camera.
For brands I personally love Sony and Canon. These two brands are the best video cameras to me. I'll link to the video camera I have below. It's is very expensive and way out of your price range but it should give you an idea of what is a good camera. I knew absolutely nothing about video cameras before I bought mine and did TONS of research on what all the terms meant and what was the best.
For cheaper cameras check out bhphotovideo.com. They have great prices and look under their used section to see if anything there catches your eye. Also go to your big box stores (like Best Buy) and see if they have anything you like. You really just have to play around with cameras to see what you like and what fits best in your hand.
Remember that (at least in America) you can haggle with the employees to get the price down and ask about floor models! My camera was a floor model that they were selling and since it was the last one (they were trying to sell it so they could put up the newer model) we were already getting a good discount. My dad got it down even more by getting the employee to take $100 off and an extra battery for free. With floor models I definitely recommend the store's warranty (at least at Best Buy) since it covers ALL damages and since it was a floor model, the Sony warranty was invalid so if anything happened and I didn't have the warranty then I would be SOL. The warranties from Best Buy are all paid about extra money for the employees (hence why they push them on you so much) so if you want to, you could even ask for the warranty for free. If the employee really wants to make the sale then they could be willing to take the cut. Just remember when haggling to be confident and don't be afraid to walk away. If you tell the employee that you could go to a different store and buy it, at they don't budge, then leave. They get very anxious when you say this because they are paid on commission and don't want to lose the sale.
When looking for video cameras you don't look for mega pixels. Mega pixels pertain to the photo quality not the video quality.
Obviously a flip out screen is a must and make sure you can flip it 180 degrees so you can see yourself when you're in front of the camera.
Look for a camera with optical image stabilization if possible. Optical image stabilization means that the camera lens moves up and down when the camera is moving, creating a cleaner and better looking stabilization. Digital stabilization goes into the video after it has been taken and attempts to stabilize it.
Find a camera that has both Auto Focus (AF) and Manual Focus (MF). The manual focus will help you get that "vlogger" look because you can focus the lens on you and blur out the background.
A zoom of at least 15x if preferable, however my camera only has 12x and it far surpasses the zooming capabilities I require. Don't worry about digital zoom since you it is always bad and you should never use it.
Look for a camera where you can have a lot of manual settings to play around with such as white balance, brightness, contrast, etc. These will help you get the best coloring and lighting while filming.
Additional, but optional features that are very helpful are an accessory shoe for if you were to ever want to attach an external light or microphone (try to get a standard hot shoe instead of a mini hot shoe; they do make mini to standard shoe adaptors though), external microphone and headphone ports (again for hooking an external microphone to improve sound and the headphone jack to hear the sound in a noisy area).
When looking at the picture quality, search for the camera and model number and "test video" or "test shot" on Youtube to get a real idea of how the camera performs. Read reviews online of other people's experiences with the camera.
For brands I personally love Sony and Canon. These two brands are the best video cameras to me. I'll link to the video camera I have below. It's is very expensive and way out of your price range but it should give you an idea of what is a good camera. I knew absolutely nothing about video cameras before I bought mine and did TONS of research on what all the terms meant and what was the best.
For cheaper cameras check out bhphotovideo.com. They have great prices and look under their used section to see if anything there catches your eye. Also go to your big box stores (like Best Buy) and see if they have anything you like. You really just have to play around with cameras to see what you like and what fits best in your hand.
Remember that (at least in America) you can haggle with the employees to get the price down and ask about floor models! My camera was a floor model that they were selling and since it was the last one (they were trying to sell it so they could put up the newer model) we were already getting a good discount. My dad got it down even more by getting the employee to take $100 off and an extra battery for free. With floor models I definitely recommend the store's warranty (at least at Best Buy) since it covers ALL damages and since it was a floor model, the Sony warranty was invalid so if anything happened and I didn't have the warranty then I would be SOL. The warranties from Best Buy are all paid about extra money for the employees (hence why they push them on you so much) so if you want to, you could even ask for the warranty for free. If the employee really wants to make the sale then they could be willing to take the cut. Just remember when haggling to be confident and don't be afraid to walk away. If you tell the employee that you could go to a different store and buy it, at they don't budge, then leave. They get very anxious when you say this because they are paid on commission and don't want to lose the sale.
the perfect camera?
beachbum91
I'm very into photography and really want to get started with a good camera. Im looking for a camera that takes really good pics of nature, architechure, scenis shots etc. i was looking at the Kodak Easy Share Z812 but i dont like the situation with the battery. I would rather not use double AA batteries. And im not going to spend a fortune, under 350$ would be good. Thanks in advance!
Answer
I have a Sony DSC-W80. I got it at Circuit City, and I love that store because the sales associates really know what they're doing. They steered my towards this camera and I'm very happy with the purchase, it was $230, which is a lot to a 14-year-old on a babysitting salary, but I have yet to regret it.
The video mode is better than a camcorder, no lie. The sound is flawless and you can even adjust sound on the camera. The picture...never blurry or anything. The videos play on my 34" LCD with no fault! I'm totally taking advantage of this feature!
The pictures are almost too amazing for me. The camera is a 7.2 megapixel, but I set my picture quality to 5 megapixel because it takes up less space and the pictures turn out beautiful. The image stabilization works really well. I tested it by waving my camera back and forth in the air and randomly took shots without stopping my camera. The weren't the least bit blurry!
There are a few modes in this camera:
Auto Adjustment (For shooting with preset settings)
High Sensitivity (For Low Lighting)
Soft Snap (Adds soft background, good for taking pics of people.)
Twilight Portrait
Twilight
Landscape
Beach
Snow
Video
Prgram Auto (Allows more programming before taking the shot.)
Also, you can remove red-eye, crop the photo, and do a bunch of other editing right on the camera!
The lens is without flaw. I don't even need flash on my shots because the lens can take in enough light.
You can play slideshows on your camera WITH music!
There's so many things I like about this camera, I can't list them all. I love it so much. If you get this camera, you will not have regrets. It's only $230 max and worth the price. I have the pink one, but it comes in pink, silver, white, and black.
Also, it looks bulky in pictures but it is really small. A little thicker than a casio but less length and width.
Also, don't buy a camera that doesn't have a viewfinder. I was outside in the sun today and I couldn't see my screen! I love that this camera has a viewfinder!
The Only Cons:
*The battery takes 4.5 hours to charge (but it lasts a long time on full charge)
*Sony uses memory stick PRO DUO instead of SD cards, but Circuit City has a deal that when you buy this camera, you get a free 1GB card (which is all you need.)
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/sony-cybe...
I would reccomend this to anyone...it is really user friendly. Each setting you put it on show a description of what it is. Someone who has never used a digital camera could figure this out with ease!
I have a Sony DSC-W80. I got it at Circuit City, and I love that store because the sales associates really know what they're doing. They steered my towards this camera and I'm very happy with the purchase, it was $230, which is a lot to a 14-year-old on a babysitting salary, but I have yet to regret it.
The video mode is better than a camcorder, no lie. The sound is flawless and you can even adjust sound on the camera. The picture...never blurry or anything. The videos play on my 34" LCD with no fault! I'm totally taking advantage of this feature!
The pictures are almost too amazing for me. The camera is a 7.2 megapixel, but I set my picture quality to 5 megapixel because it takes up less space and the pictures turn out beautiful. The image stabilization works really well. I tested it by waving my camera back and forth in the air and randomly took shots without stopping my camera. The weren't the least bit blurry!
There are a few modes in this camera:
Auto Adjustment (For shooting with preset settings)
High Sensitivity (For Low Lighting)
Soft Snap (Adds soft background, good for taking pics of people.)
Twilight Portrait
Twilight
Landscape
Beach
Snow
Video
Prgram Auto (Allows more programming before taking the shot.)
Also, you can remove red-eye, crop the photo, and do a bunch of other editing right on the camera!
The lens is without flaw. I don't even need flash on my shots because the lens can take in enough light.
You can play slideshows on your camera WITH music!
There's so many things I like about this camera, I can't list them all. I love it so much. If you get this camera, you will not have regrets. It's only $230 max and worth the price. I have the pink one, but it comes in pink, silver, white, and black.
Also, it looks bulky in pictures but it is really small. A little thicker than a casio but less length and width.
Also, don't buy a camera that doesn't have a viewfinder. I was outside in the sun today and I couldn't see my screen! I love that this camera has a viewfinder!
The Only Cons:
*The battery takes 4.5 hours to charge (but it lasts a long time on full charge)
*Sony uses memory stick PRO DUO instead of SD cards, but Circuit City has a deal that when you buy this camera, you get a free 1GB card (which is all you need.)
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/sony-cybe...
I would reccomend this to anyone...it is really user friendly. Each setting you put it on show a description of what it is. Someone who has never used a digital camera could figure this out with ease!
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Title Post: Good camera for Youtube vlogger? ?
Rating: 92% based on 9788 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Yukie
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
Rating: 92% based on 9788 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Yukie
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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