Camera Gear THE BEST cameras for vloggers

[Randomlifestylevlog]

This post has probably been done a million times. But we are wanting to move from a Samsung s10+ over to a proper vlogger camera. The phone is good but the zoom/stabilisation etc and lighting control can be problematic. Especially after the last update caused an issue or two (We have a great lighting setup already). So we are looking for great suggestions. We won't want it to be more than a few hundred pounds max. We look forward to your suggestions!

 

[SILTHW]

Hmm... few hundred is a bit broad because there are price breaks around £200. What's your max?

 

[Randomlifestylevlog]

We would be seeking a present from a family member so what would be some of the cheapest starting options? Lets say the £200.

 

[SILTHW]

We would be seeking a present from a family member so what would be some of the cheapest starting options? Lets say the £200.

Getting something new that is decent and portable is tough at that price point. The S10+ is going to be the better option compared to almost anything you would get. If portability isn't required, a higher-end webcam is an improvement and will provide more fine-grained control.

If you really want portable, lots of people look at the Canon VIXIA line. There are other options, but most of those are photo cameras with a video mode versus a true video camera.

 

[Beanie Draws]

@Andrew is usually my go to source for advice on cameras, you can also check out Roberto Blake , when he's not talking about business strategies, he's talking about camera gear.
I'll be looking into getting some new cameras soon. I've been working with a logitech c920 which has got the job done, but I want to upgrade soon. Before that, the last large camera I bought was a Nikon D7000, but ironically the smaller and less expensive (at the time) Nikon D5100 (I THINK that's it's name) produced much better, sharper images.

I think realistically, if you can get a camera that gives you the ability to swap lenses, it will give you far more diversity in the long run. It's better to know what features you'll want, and then seeing which camera fits into those needs. Some cameras even in 2020 still don't have flip out screens.

 

[Kaos71]

This is something that is more in my wheelhouse coming over from television to the internet, so I am a bit of a gear nerd.

I think it really comes down to what you are looking to do and what your backdrop is most of the time. Is portability the biggest issue? Is it a lot of run and gun? Are you setting up in stationary places?

For me, I think audio is the biggest thing that people miss out on when they are doing that quick video. I have countless mics and tools that I have demo'd (not on camera, maybe some point I will start doing more tech reviews, but need to build my count) and other various camera. At this point, I am trying out the media mod for the GoPro 9 to see how much I like that, but I have a feeling that the audio still might not be great, especially since I do a lot of two-person videos in the field (well, did pre-COVID).

I just got the Elgato Cam Link 4k and will tie that into my Sony PXW-X70 and see how that works with a livestream set-up... but for now, I am hoping that my GoPro 9 might be the answer that I have been looking for in terms of the run and gun mode. One thing that I will say about the GoPro in the sample runs I have done with it is that low light takes a second for the camera to adjust to, so you really can't throw enough light at it.

I am not a fan of using DSLR cameras for vlogging (I have a Canon 90D right now as well as a Blackmagic 6K pocket cinema camera that I have not had time to set up). I guess coming over from television, I still am going to be one of those holdouts that likes using video cameras for instances like that.

I guess there are a ton of questions that I could ask you to try and help narrow things down... seeing your range being in the 200 pounds neighborhood helps, but generally knowing what the primary use is going to be will help me try and narrow some things down for you.

(And yes, I hate using my phone for anything of consequence, but I am just stuck in my ways).

Let me know if there is anything else I can answer, I certainly don't have all of the answers but I have strong opinions.

 

[Damon]

At 200 pounds just stick with your phone until you're ready to spend some cash 1,000+ pounds. Yeah, I hate SLRs for video as well. Never take video advice from a photographer. Their opinions are skewed by the needs of still photography. Save cash, take your time, and buy the proper camera for you needs. a GoPro can fill a quick gap and may be all you need. You can pick up a used GoPro for cheap. Buy a decent mic and go for it.

 

[Growing Up Walls]

At 200 pounds just stick with your phone until you're ready to spend some cash 1,000+ pounds. Yeah, I hate SLRs for video as well. Never take video advice from a photographer. Their opinions are skewed by the needs of still photography. Save cash, take your time, and buy the proper camera for you needs. a GoPro can fill a quick gap and may be all you need. You can pick up a used GoPro for cheap. Buy a decent mic and go for it.

I had never considered GoPro a legit option before (then again, I'm very new to the game). Do you perhaps have any video recommendations on that topic? I can of course search for my own (and I will) but if you knew of a good resource I'd appreciate any suggestions.

 

[Kaos71]

I had never considered GoPro a legit option before (then again, I'm very new to the game). Do you perhaps have any video recommendations on that topic? I can of course search for my own (and I will) but if you knew of a good resource I'd appreciate any suggestions.

I have been kind of messing around with my new GoPro 9 and it works pretty well, it is just a little slow to deal with light changes but I have a ton of lighting options. Unfortunately a lot of what I do on my channel is "news of the day" and most of my opportunities have been moved to Zoom but in two weeks I will be back out in the field and hope to do some real world test with the GoPro as well as using my bigger camera with my capture card. I will double back here with how some of my GoPro things work out, I tend to think that it will work out just based on some tests around the house. I have a couple of mic options that I will test out as well and will try and keep good notes there (granted, if I am doing a real "stationary" type of piece, I will just use the better camera and I have a pair of Sennheiser AVX wireless mics that I use for on cam work).