Have you ever dreamed of starting your own YouTube channel? In this video, the first in a series, we talk about the basic gear you'll need to get going – all for under $1000.
I think for most YT channels, it's less about the video or tools used, and more about the content of the channel that attracts visitors and subscribers. I mean, I've seen some excellent video taken on smartphones (like iPhones). A good microphone is important, but you don't need a dedicated camera necessarily. This obviously depends on what you're doing for your channel too. If you're doing how-to's from your house, then maybe you'll want to use a decent camera and have a nice mic, etc. (In fact you can probably use the DSLR or ML body and lenses you already have and not have to spend anything additional except maybe a good mic). If you're on the go, like a travel vlogger, then maybe a smartphone or a decent small camera that can shoot decent quality.
YT, like most social media things these days, has been ruined by commercialization. Youtube used to be more about original content, people shooting videos of themselves, etc, and not so much about advertisements, and making money. Same with FB and most other social media platforms. I wish someone would make a "new" Youtube that is solely independent people. No advertising, no paid channels,, etc, and maybe bring back the "original" youtube.
I follow some YouTube vlogs that are almost entirely shot with either iPhone or GoPro / Sony action cam. Many car vlogs love action cams as well as a few travel vloggers. Notable user of smartphone is Steve Guttenberg who uploaded more than 1000 videos about audiophile gear. Proof that all you need is an HD video from a small sensor rig with decent microphone and you’re good to go.
For Fox Talbot’s sake, withdraw this article immediately. The last thing we need is to have more lunatics suffering from the “all the gear; no idea” syndrome. The gear is the last thing they need to know about; the first thing is how to look for more useful and appropriate hobbies.
Even now YouTube, especially that part of it dealing with the art of photography, is wholly and terminally polluted with channels run by individuals who should never have been allowed access to a movie camera and microphone.
This diminishes the contribution on YouTube from the mere handful of presenters who are masters of their trade, producing simply outstanding videos on photographic art, techniques, hardware and software. They are simply being overwhelmed by a tsunami of unremitting crap, enabled by Google, for the singular purpose of making a very few people exceedingly rich, at the expense of the many. Bad show, all round.
Great video! Quick comment. It's worth mentioning the Fujifilm X-T200 at this price point. Arguably a better camera than the M50. It also has a nice articulating screen, mic jack and decent 1080p video but does 4K without the crop you get on the M50. I'm fairly sure there's a video on DPREVIEW about this ;-)
How to start a YouTube channel: If you're going to be only talking in it, occasionally showing a picture or two, then don't start it. Start a blog instead.
If possible I would like to see you guys compare the $1000 dollar setup to a Smart phone based setup as well, since you need some sort of editing software as well as the gear, especially if you're using a camera to film it to a memory card. Smart Phones really excel in video especially in the upper price brackets. They might not have the best IQ when compared to larger sensor cameras but the multi lens ones when coupled with gymbals and a mic can really record some decent footage.
The ability to write a compelling script. Something that people will actually want to watch, is very important. Lots of B-Roll will not make people want to watch a lifeless vlog that has nothing new to say.
"Lots of B-Roll will not make people want to watch a lifeless vlog that has nothing new to say."
95% of vlogs on youtube: "Hey guys, just thought I'd post an update since I hadn't posted anything since yesterday. But first I thought I'd tell you about Squarespace...." Followed by 10 minutes of B-roll and a dude walking around his neighbourhood rambling into the camera.
If Youtube would have a national anthem, (for the vast majority for the material ever uploaded to youtube) it would have to be the song American Idiot by Green Day.
Awesome video guys. I suspect this series will prove very useful to aspiring YouTuber's.
Regarding cameras I highly recommend a Panasonic GX85. Mint used copies sell for $200 - $250 on FM. It's the cheapest entry into high-quality 4K shooting. I use them to deliver 1080 video with pan/zoom flexibility in post. The AF isn't great so these are better suited for locked-down shots and MF rather than vlogging. You can pair it up with an inexpensive used MFT zoom or prime.
The GX85 is a phantastic camera, but it does not have a microphone input.
I had it, I loved it, I moved on to the GX9; but both of them leave you with only the internal mike, and that's not a good starting point for vlogging.
I have the GX85. I wouldn't use it for vlogging in a million years. Mainly because no mic input, bad automatic AF, 1080p footage is worse than my phone, no LOG profile so dynamic range is limited, hard to hold because no grip, no articulating screen, etc. etc.
How about a Canon EOS 100D? About 200 bucks with kit lens, you can install magic lantern for lots of video enhancements and of course it has a mic input. You can also use it just for live streaming via HDMI (magic lantern can disable 30 minute limit and also clear the overlays).
Yes and... no. Like if you start doing tutorials online you'll see people spending 10-30 minutes on 30 secs of video. I don't think any starting YouTuber can afford that, you should make sure to get a setup that gives you a good look and then mostly do a "clip reel" style of simple cuts/takes so your video stays on point and is free of bloopers. Maybe throw on a LUT so they all have a distinct, consistent look. Beyond that you're probably not creating enough value per minute. Normally. I mean there are people who to artsy stuff and get recognition for that too. But not 99% of the talking heads on YouTube.
When I started my channel I knew that I wanted to have two 4K cameras from the beginning. I can't call myself a beginner anymore, but I certainly was back then. Coming from photography, I continued with Sony, but if I was starting over with video I might go with BM Pocket 4Ks. But having great autofocus has also helped me a lot, it's a big deal if you're a one man team.
Jon555, that alexa is a dumpster fire, an expensive, but never the less... worthless 1000000000000% p-o-s dumpster fire.
There will be nothing else than ansolutely, utterly worthless windowdressing for the next 10 years, before we get the true global shutter ’and real stuff DR’ at consumer prices.
The current gen consumer digital gear do not have the mustard to even compete with a 16 frames, 1923 Charlie Chaplin movie, in regards of true global shutter and dynamic range.
There is a reason that oscar winning movies like once upon a time in america, and the hateful eight is shot on old-time-analogue film.
Most Oscar nominees are shot on Alexas... more than any other camera, the Pros love the look...
1917 - Alexa Mini LF Avengers: Endgame - Alexa 65 A Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood - Alexa Mini Bombshell - Alexa mini Booksmart - Alexa mini Cats - Alexa 65 Clemency - Alexa mini Dark Waters - Alexa mini The Farewell - Alexa mini Ford v Ferrari - Alexa LF Honey Boy - Alexa mini Invisible Life - Alexa mini Jojo Rabbit - Alexa SXT Joker - Alexa 65 The King - Alexa 65 Knives Out - Alexa mini The Last Black Man in San Francisco - Alexa mini Motherless Brooklyn - Alexa mini Pain and Glory - Alexa ST Parasite - Alexa 65 The Report - Alexa mini Richard Jewell - Alexa mini Rocketman - Alexa mini and Alexa ST Waves - Alexa mini
Others like "Queen & Slim" had parts shot on an Alexa mini.
You can be a beginner and need to capture, for instance, yourself and something else simultaneously.
This also provides easy opportunity to edit the main camera without those god awful jump cuts I see in amateur videos. Yes you can go to B roll, but it's better to have 2 simultaneous recordings.
No problem. There were some Oscar nominated "films" shot on film, but not that many. Also mostly for picky directors/DPs, with stuff like custom re-designed lenses!
* Ad Astra - 35mm 2 perf, Arri cameras. Lenses "Based on the ARRI Master Primes, but with coating adjustments and custom elements" ! * The Irishman - 35mm 3 perf, Arri film cameras, some digital bits including two IR-capable Alexa Minis. * The Lighthouse - 35mm B+W 1.19:1 aspect ratio (not a typo), Panaflex Millenium XL2, some customised lenses * Marriage Story - 35mm film, Arricam ST * Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - 35mm film, Panavision camera. * Queen & Slim - film parts on 35mm with a Panavision XL2 * Seberg - 35mm film with a Panavision Millenium XL2 * Uncut Gems - 35mm 4-perf, Arri LT and ST full gate cameras
I was on a movie set in London last year. Used a (probably older than some people here) Panavision 65mm camera for IMAX. They had c. 6 Peli cases stuffed with lenses, probably >$1M of (rented) glass.
BTW a lot of film movie cameras use a rotating disc shutter, with a percentage of the disc missing to set the exposure time. (Hence talking about a 180 degree shutter, meaning you have half the disc missing and 1/48th exposure for 24fps.) They will give you some rolling shutter, as they rotate synchronised to the film rate (24fps). Typically about 5ms so not bad, but not global either.
Some Panavision film cameras have butterfly shutters, which rotate at half the speed of the one gap ones, so maybe 10ms (I guesstimate).
Actually maybe I should explain what 2/3/4-perf means. It is how many perforations of the 35mm film each image uses. The image will usually be shot across the film (so left/right edges of the image are closest to the perforations and top/bottom to the previous/next images). IMAX is shot in the other orientation (like still cameras, but wider).
I think anamorphic is usually 4-perf, the others usually flat (so not stretched) and 2-perf is hence wide-aspect ratio (2.39:1) as they use most of the available space between perforations.
Film sent to Cinemas will all (AFAIK) be 4-perf (IMAX excepted again).
You know your stuff! - a true cineast hiding here on DPR, what a rarity! :-)
From your (deep) knowledge , when do you think we will see consumer-oriented cameras with global shutter? (The GH5S has support for anamorphic lenses, so with the global shutter, people could actually shoot anamorphic without rolling shutter.)
As you seems to have a deeper know-how than me (and I would guess 99.5% of the other dpr readers) , give your best bet for the global shutter - is it 10 years to wait?
Global shutter is available, it just has issues when used for still photography (namely more noise and less dynamic range). Strictly it's been available for ages, as most camera CCDs of the later years were global shutter. Just not great at higher ISOs, so CMOS rules. Also CMOS global shutter sensors are used quite widely in machine vision, where lighting can be well controlled, see the shutter type column here: https://sensor-finder.e2v.com/
I have no idea when a suitable sensor for photo cameras will roll up. IIRC Panasonic and Fuji were working on adding an organic layer on top of a silicon chip to do that. I had a quick google and it seems they planned to use it in an 8k video camera for the Olympics.
There are people on here who know more than me about most things (not necessarily the same people for all subjects). Plus in one or two subjects there are people who are convinced they know better than everybody, which can be tiring...
But sensor and camera development takes years, so who knows how long. It's not high on my list of issues, other's lists may feature it more prominently.
"It's not high on my list of issues, other's lists may feature it more prominently."
-This is why I think it will be 10 years before we see it in consumer products. (The wider the screen ratio, the bigger the problem with rolling shutters, as it do not occur in natuere - it's a technical inpurity that distracts from the story)
btw, Did know about the C700, but would not call it "consumer" priced :-)
Something hampering the tech-dev, is also the rest of the chain: The viewing devices.
10 bit Dolby vision is out now, it is one step more, but we still lack true-12 bit panels, (this will change the grading industry in it's very foundation)
Another thing would be the whole aspect ratio jungle ( 1.85:1, 2.20:1, 2.35:1, 2.41:1 and the almighty Ben Hur @ 2.76:1 :-)
I would say, set 21:9 as the new television-panel format, and scrap the 16:9, that feels as old as 4:3 these days. - Who wants letterbox on their monitors 2020?
Well for reading anything even 16:9 can be annoyingly wide...
Plus the vast majority of the widescreen content is 1.85:1 or 16:9, so seems unlikely anything else will really catch on. Then again I have Filmic Pro on my phone permanently set to record at 2.39:1 ...
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