Top Cameras for youtube vids - under $800 - help?

[bradleypink]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum, and I don't know very much about cameras. I'd like to get some advice on what camera to purchase.
What I'm looking for is a camera under $800, for mostly making videos of me playing music (singing, acoustic guitar). I'd like to
get into photography as a general hobby, but the youtube videos would be the highest priority. Also, a steep learning curve isn't a factor, as
I am willing to learn the ins and outs, if it means a better product.

Right now I'm between the Canon T3i or Sony Dsc-rx100m ii.

You can see some of my videos, that I use my phone (S2 Galaxy) to make. bradley pink - YouTube


Thanks in advance,

Bradley

 

[NedM]

A lot of the 'famous' or the more 'popular' Youtubers use the Canon 600D or T3i.

Also, welcome to the forum!

We hope you stay and didn't just make an account to ask this sole question!

 

[bradleypink]

Thanks for your answer. Do you happen to know anything about the Sony Dsc-100rxm ii, and how that would compare?

And, I did register to ask this question, but once I get a camera I'll definitely be on here more. Thanks

 

[vipgraphx]

Sony nex 6 would be a great choice

 

[brunerww]

Hi bradley - and welcome to the forum! Those are great videos - especially to have been done with a phone. I'm guessing that you recorded the sound separately and synced it with the video in your editing program? Awesome sound - but you seemed to have a little challenge sometimes with the lip sync? It might be good to have a camera with high quality audio that can record in-camera - so my recommendations are a little different.

I shoot a lot of these self-portrait videos for my camera reviews, so in my experience, you want a camera with a microphone jack, decent sound, video autofocus, the ability to create long recordings if you need to, as well as a great image.

The DSC-RX100II will give you a great image, but lacks a mic jack and a flip forward LCD so you wouldn't be able see yourself while you're recording. The NEX-6 has the same challenges.

The T3i has a mic jack and a flip forward LCD, but has no video autofocus, a 12 minute continuous clip length limit before you have to hit the record button again - and its built-in audio preamps are noisy. I used to own a T2i and it was not a very easy-to-use video camera.

For what you are trying to do, with an $800 budget, I would get something that was less of a hassle for self-shooting, had better built-in sound recording and better ability to see yourself in the LCD, such as :

- a real camcorder such as the $739 Panasonic HC-X920 (I have its predecessor, the TM900) - great sound - with a flip forward LCD so you can see yourself, a headphone jack for monitoring audio - excellent in low light or outdoors, or

- a camera with a larger sensor and interchangeable lenses, but optimized for video, such as the $629 (on sale as of this post) Panasonic DMC-G6 (I have the similar Panasonic GH2 camera) - these cameras have touchscreen video autofocus, built in mic jacks with manual audio level control and sound meters, flip forward LCD so you can see yourself and hours of continuous recording if you ever want to put the camera on a tripod and record a concert or event without having to restart it every 12 to 30 minutes


And when you're ready to step up to fully produced music videos, the G6 will be ready. Here's what it can do (yes, the music style is a little different from yours ):

[video=vimeo;84436275]http://vimeo.com/84436275[/video]​

If you want to see more of what this camera can do, I moderate the Panasonic G6 Group over on Vimeo - please check it out: Panasonic G6 on Vimeo

Hope this is helpful!

Bill

 

[bradleypink]

Thanks so much for all the great advice. I'll have to do my homework. This video looks great, and song's great too! This is all on the G6?
I'll check out the other vids now.


Gary

 

[brunerww]

...This is all on the G6?

Yes - it is the only camera credited. Also, just found this on YouTube - acoustic guitar sound check with the $629 G6 plus a $229 Rode Videomic Pro at 0dB and +20dB gain.

For some reason, this was uploaded at 720p:

​

Again hope this is helpful,

Bill