What are some Camcorders/Camera's Good for shooting Youtube videos?
I've been wondering for a while, since my friend and I are going to be starting a youtube channel, and we really need a good camera, Well I do. She has a really expensive Nikon camera thats almost $600, but I feel like it would be too big for shooting videos+ If I want to make one by myself, I can't. I think I'm going to use a smaller Nikon camera then hers, but I don't know, any recommendations?
Any will do - assuming the device is used within its limitations.
For $600 (assuming that is what you are planning to spend), you are in the mid range of consumer-grade camcorders - but the video capture device is not the only thing you need - more on this later. Digital still point&shoot and dSLR cameras that happen to capture video as a secondary convenience feature or camcorders designed to capture video/audio range in price from about $50 to over $80, 000. Step 1: Set a budget.
We don't know what your plans are for "shooting Youtube videos" - this could mean indoors, outdoors, loud audio or not, fast action and lots or other "conditions".
Low end camcorders have small lens and small imaging chip - this makes it impossible to capture good video under poor lighting conditions. Manual controls are buried in the menu and difficult to use/reach. Most do not have a mic jack - and no manual audio control. As the lens diameter gets larger and the imaging chip size increases, the low-light and poor light video capture improves and so does the price. As the manual controls migrate to the outside of the camcorder, more price increases - and add a mic jack an manual audio control… And bigger lens diameter and imaging chip arrays.
dSLRs and other still image capture devices that happen to capture video as a secondary "convenience feature" should not be used as camcorders. This does not mean they can't capture good video - they can, but they can't be treated as a camcorder.dSLRs have known issues related to overheating when capturing video over a prolonged time; poor audio options, file size and video length limitations. Generally, dSLRs do not have "stabilization" for video (even when the lens has stabilization).
Best video is captured under perfect lighting and best audio levels using low compression. That is not reality. That means we need to use equipment that works under as many adverse circumstances as possible.
Use of some sort of stabilizer (other than the camcorder's optical stabilizer) is strongly recommended. Humans are not built to be steady. Use of the ground, a rock, chair, shelf, monopod, shoulder-mount - anything but handheld…
Audio: The built-in mic works well with any camcorder when the audio is at an appropriate level and located in the right place. When this happens, the video framing may not be good. When the video framing is good, then the audio may not be set up correctly. The resolution to this is to use an external mic or audio recorder. This way the audio and the video are not physically depending on each other. Even if you don't choose to use an external mic or audio recorder, it is much better to have the mic jack and manual audio control (in a camcorder) when you want it - rather than want it and not have it.
Tips:
Use a tripod or other steadying device.
Use the white balance.
Use an external stereo mic (Audio Technica has a decent, affordable ones) if you get a camcorder with a mic jack. This way the video framing and mic element are independent of each other.
Use the manual audio gain control.
Capture video under good lighting.
Capture video at highest quality.
Start with a budget and see what fits… And we assume that any computer upgrades for editing are part of a different budget.