Noob needs help with buying a camera

Gary okuley · Nov 30, 2019

I don’t know much about cameras. Here’s what I would like to do with it.
-record video of me playing guitar (I would record the audio separately probably)
-make good quality YouTube videos (video game Mocs, maybe try to make my own little comedy show) great quality. I don’t want it to look cheap

I know this is an insane question to answer but just some direction and maybe why would be good. Ex is a 500$ camera basically the same as in iPhone or is it miles ahead.

I would say my budget is around 500. If I need to save a little more because maybe an 800 camera is way better I maybe could. Any help would be great. Thanks in advance!

Jeff15 · Nov 30, 2019

Hello and welcome, your choice is huge. Have a look at utube to get some ideas, good luck.

Solarflare · Dec 2, 2019

Multiply your budget by 1000, rent a Red Dragon and a team of experts !

On a more serious note, with that budget get a good microphone (AFAICS Røde has a good name right now) so you can record your guitar at maximum audio quality, and just use your smartphone for the video. Any remotely recent smartphone will do decent enough video as long as you have good lighting.

Video quality is less important than audio quality. Thats the general rule. Even more so if you want to record a music instrument.

JoeW · Dec 2, 2019

Welcome. So...2 thoughts that will complicate your decision.
1. Yes, Solarflare is absolutely right--audio quality matters more than video quality in this case. So you're going to need a good microphone and you'll want to focus more on the sound quality.
2. Unless you're working with a crew, I assume you're shooting yourself. In which case you're going to want a wireless release. In other words, you want to be standing in front of the camera and push the wireless trigger and it starts filming as you play your guitar or speak in to the camera. Yeah, I know, you can get your camera to shoot on delay. Or you can can start the video and then run around in front of the camera and begin speaking but those are lame-*ss approaches to this logistical issue. Unless again, you're using a production crew to do this.

As for using your phone to do stuff--I've seen some lovely work on an iPhone. But you're going to face some significant limits on how much you can film at one shoot. And you said you don't want it to look cheesy or amateurish.

Gary okuley · Dec 2, 2019

Thank you guys so much. I have an insane music studio so I have grade a quality possible. (For guitar purposes. That’s a great idea about the start function away from the camera haha. Aside from music shots I would like to make professional quality music videos and stuff like short films. (So yes a good mic for this purpose would be great since I won’t be in my studio)

I was looking at a cannon eos Rebel T7 as I see people suggest it in reviews. Any thoughts?

Thank you guys so much

Solarflare · Dec 2, 2019

If you want to use a large sensor for video recording, and do not want somebody controlling the camera, make sure you like the performance of the autofocus. Otherwise the recording might be out of focus and that can be quite annoying.

Soocom1 · Dec 2, 2019

The reason why the DSLR route is a bit questionable is because as mentioned, the camera has the autofocus.
That in turn though good to a point, if not operated by another person can out-focus. I have had this happen many times with my 70D.

If its a one man show then your in a situation where you will have to constantly monitor the progress of the camera.
The Rebel T6 and T7 are fixed LCD screen. The T6i and T7i along with the 60 and 70D have articulating lcd screens that will allow you to see and control from the screen what you are filming. If its a solo deal, this is a highly advisable action because you can flip the screen around and watch what the camera is seeing.