Is a Professional Camera Needed for YouTube?｜My Gear Breakdown
If you’re thinking about starting off with video, make sure you know about the best products in the market.
If you’re thinking about starting off with video, make sure you know about the best products in the market.
I really like Aki's practical approach to gear! You don't need to start off with the most expensive stuff; what matters more is getting started and being consistent. If you buy all this gear and give up on it a month in, then you've wasted your money; whereas if you use your cell phone, there's no upfront cost. If then you've got some videos under your belt and want to continue, then I'd upgrade.
There's also something to be said for having the right gear for the right situation. A discrete point-and-shoot like a Canon G7X II would be more practical when you're the one holding the camera for yourself in a densely crowded city like Tokyo than a full-frame DSLR with a gimbal or Steadicam setup. Also having a shorter setup time is advantageous for quick run-and-gun shooting. Not saying having a big rig is bad, and there's plenty of YouTubers out there who can make it work, but it's best used with either a camera person or set in a fixed position so you can do your thing in front of it.
Yeah, Andy 'what matters more is getting started and being consistent.' I totally agreed! Just start from small is fine but keep doing, and motivating your self consistently is hard~~ I have been follwing some shoots with media team but as you said, they are adgusting gears with purposes and situations all the time, their bags are super heaviy too! haha Thank you for the all coments too Andy :D Little Giant Shiori from Tokyo Creative
Professional gear does not equal good content. It helps, absolutely, but people starting out can benefit more on focusing on getting clean audio before even thinking of getting a professional grade camera. You can get one of those Rode microphones or even a lav mic rather than an expensive camera, clean audio goes a long way and can be overlooked by a lot of creators.
As a photographer I own a Nikon D810, which is alright for clean quality video but I prefer to use my entry level D3300 because it gets the job done. the D3300 is old now and newer models now exist for the same price that I got it for, but you can produce amazing content with your smart phone, just think about your audio first haha.
Awesome video Aki!
@shiori- No prob! Love your stuff on Instagram!
@daniel - I 100% agree with you!! One of the things that completely changed the way I put videos together was getting my ZOOM H1 recorder and using the audio from that instead of my onboard camera audio! It's still a great recorder that I can recommend even today, although I'd recommend the H1n more since it has more options and an easier button layout IMO. Getting used gear is another very practical way to get started, as well as to have some backup gear on the cheap should something happen. My Sony a5100 was my favorite camera, and you can find it used online with a kit lens for a little over $350 USD!
Finally got around to watching this :) Really good video, but what should be said as well is that your phone is enough to get you started! I vlogged on my phone for over half a year and I got people in the comments asking me what camera I used, because the quality was so good (I used a Huawei P9, both front and back camera). Just get yourself a 20 dollar tripod with a phone holder and you're good to go :)
However, at some point I wanted a camera to upgrade my sit down videos. I was using a camcorder I bought cheaply second hand and the quality was really sub par. But since I was buying a camera, I wanted one I could use for vlogging as well. Ended up buying the Canon G7x Mark II, really great camera for vlogging with a decent build in mic. Do register your face to it and use the right settings, otherwise the auto focus is going to drive you crazy. It does the job for sit down videos, a DSLR would probably give you more of that blurred background effect and lighting settings.
Professional gear does not equal good content. It helps, absolutely, but people starting out can benefit more on focusing on getting clean audio before even thinking of getting a professional grade camera. You can get one of those Rode microphones or even a lav mic rather than an expensive camera, clean audio goes a long way and can be overlooked by a lot of creators.
As a photographer I own a Nikon D810, which is alright for clean quality video but I prefer to use my entry level D3300 because it gets the job done. the D3300 is old now and newer models now exist for the same price that I got it for, but you can produce amazing content with your smart phone, just think about your audio first haha.
Awesome video Aki!
YOU TELL 'EM DAN!
Finally got around to watching this :) Really good video, but what should be said as well is that your phone is enough to get you started! I vlogged on my phone for over half a year and I got people in the comments asking me what camera I used, because the quality was so good (I used a Huawei P9, both front and back camera). Just get yourself a 20 dollar tripod with a phone holder and you're good to go :)
However, at some point I wanted a camera to upgrade my sit down videos. I was using a camcorder I bought cheaply second hand and the quality was really sub par. But since I was buying a camera, I wanted one I could use for vlogging as well. Ended up buying the Canon G7x Mark II, really great camera for vlogging with a decent build in mic. Do register your face to it and use the right settings, otherwise the auto focus is going to drive you crazy. It does the job for sit down videos, a DSLR would probably give you more of that blurred background effect and lighting settings.
Oh wow Dutchie! Your set up sounds super convenient– perfect for the type of content you're making. Crazy to know that people vlog on their phones... the cameras on those babies are amazing to be able to do that...
Do you find that switching to the Canon G7 Mark II has made the quality of your video better? How would you compare the experience to, let's say, when you vlogged through your phone?
Oh wow Dutchie! Your set up sounds super convenient– perfect for the type of content you're making. Crazy to know that people vlog on their phones... the cameras on those babies are amazing to be able to do that...
Do you find that switching to the Canon G7 Mark II has made the quality of your video better? How would you compare the experience to, let's say, when you vlogged through your phone?
The main difference the G7X made was stability. The lens has some build in stabilizer (not a lot, but some), which makes things a bit smoother than a handheld phone video would be. Also the zoom comes in handy. The phone was easier because you always have it on you and people look at you less Lots of people film or photograph themselfs, so people care less. When you pull out an actual camera, you get more looks :P
The main difference the G7X made was stability. The lens has some build in stabilizer (not a lot, but some), which makes things a bit smoother than a handheld phone video would be. Also the zoom comes in handy. The phone was easier because you always have it on you and people look at you less Lots of people film or photograph themselfs, so people care less. When you pull out an actual camera, you get more looks :P
Wow I didn't realise the response from people was so big!! I'm always asking our influencers how they get over that feeling of vlogging in public. Have you yourself gotten used to it yet?
Wow I didn't realise the response from people was so big!! I'm always asking our influencers how they get over that feeling of vlogging in public. Have you yourself gotten used to it yet?
Yes and no n.n" I'm fine with vlogging when I'm by myself and when I'm with close friends or my partner. However, if I'm in a crowded area or with a group of people I don't know so well I feel like it would be weird and/or obstructing. I would like to be more comfortable with it, because I feel like I miss out on content because I'm to awkward to film.
