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Question

Need to upgrade my camcorder for my youtube channel

Jan 1, 2014 6:32AM PST

Hi there,

I currently own a Samsung Q10BN and it's been ok for shooting videos for my YouTube channel. It's the new year and I'd like to upgrade but I know nothing about digital video cameras.

I'm looking for the highest quality and most clear video I can get. I'd like to get the same quality that this video has:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpn0OjrmSvk

I believe this guy uses a Canon Rebel T3i which the quality looks great on video, however it's $400+ and I don't need the camera function.

I also need something that will keep good quality even though I'm filming in a basement that receives not as much sunlight as a normal lit room.

I'm looking to spend as little as possible but video quality/high def and sound quality is key.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Discussion is locked

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Answer
A good video
Jan 1, 2014 2:18PM PST

First this guy knows how to light and how to set his camera up. So the video looks good but the fact is that any decent HD camcorder will do the same job - you just need to know how to take good pictures.
YouTube degrades most video to fit it into the space available so a "Super" camera is just not needed if it is just for YT.

I also need something that will keep good quality even though I'm filming in a basement that receives not as much sunlight as a normal lit room.
No. You need to buy some lighting!!! LED lights are reasonably priced and, with their supplied filters, you may get the colour temperature you need for a decent picture. The camera will NOT compensate for poor lighting.

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Answer
Agree with terfyn - I'll cover the audio portion...
Jan 4, 2014 6:10AM PST

If the audio is a "normal level" and the mic is within about 3 feet of the audio source, then the camcorder's built-in mics will be fine. "Normal audio level" = not loud and not softs or quiet. Generally, if the mics are in the right place to pick up decent audio, then the camcorder is not in the right place to frame the image well. So... you move the camcorder to frame the image well and the mics are no longer in the right place.

There are alternatives:

1) Record the audio externally. When the video is edited, import this externally recorded audio and synch with the video. Mute the audio captured by the camcorder...

2) Get a camcorder that has a mic jack and use an external (wired or wireless) mic.

In either case, the audio recording becomes "detached" from the location of the camcorder so the camcorder placement can take care of the framing. The key is that manual audio gain control needs to be used. If not, then automatic audio gain control listens for audio - and if the levels are low, there will be a characteristic hiss or who sing sound recorded. When manual audio gain control is used, that hiss basically goes away (of douse the kinds of mics used can have a big impact on the quality of the audio recorded, so you don't get to go cheap here...

If you are merely recording monolog or dialogue, then a decent shotgun mic will do. If this is about music or there is some sort of audio spatial separation required, a stereo mic is preferred. Or you might want to investigate clip-on lavaliere mics (good wireless equipment is not inexpensive - so a wired lav may do the job). Audio Technica has a good selection of wired and wireless mics (shotgun, stereo, lavaliere).