video editing software image stabilization
image
Jentwez
I also want to take high quality photographs, they can be one camera or two separate ones (one for filming the other for taking pictures). I just really need tips on what to get. I want to make short movies in very high definition on YouTube for a project I'm doing. Thank you!
My budget would probably be around $300 or less. I really want to make urban style type of videos.
What I need more right now is a video camera.
Answer
Hi Janet:
Cameras & camcorders range from under-$50 USD to many-thousands, and Y!A users range from 13-year old teens to well-seasoned retirees, so you need to give us a bit more information about how much you have to spend.
And your subject matter & visual approach for your YouTube project can influence the equipment selection greatly.
So rather than a bunch of "blue sky" model recommendations, I'll stick with the general "tips" you are asking for.
1) Set a budget of what you can afford to spend. Photography has traditionally been an expensive hobby (especially in the "film only" days). Video is cheaper than the old "home movies", but you still "get what you pay for" as far as quality.
2) You seem to be interested in both "filming" and "taking pictures", so don't get wrapped-up in the "Megapixels" hype, which is fairly meaningless for video once you get above 2.07MP (multiply 1080 by 1920 pixels, for HD, and you'll see what I mean). Higher megapixels only affects photo blowups, and still won't do you any good if your lens is cheaply made.
3) Don't get a camcorder or DSLR that shoots video your computer can't edit! HD video takes a lot of computing power, tons of RAM, large & fast hard drive storage, and high-end video cards. Match the edit software to the "codec" the video is made with.
4) Buy the best video tripod you can afford. Tripods don't get obsolete, and a jerky low-end pan head will frustrate you more than any other piece of gear. Still-cameras can pretty much sit still on top of any cheap mount, but a moving camera shot takes smooth, precision-tooled mounting & control.
5) Sound & microphones are more important than you may realize. People will watch a grainy YouTube video with good sound, but too-soft, echo-ey or distorted sound on the best-looking video will drive viewers away. Make sure you have an external mike input on at least one (if not all) of your camera heads. This is also vital for music videos.
6) Learn about "3 point lighting", and if you plan to make still-photo portraits, then study portraiture techniques. Good video (and photos) require good lighting, and more is better to prevent grainy poorly-detailed video footage.
7) As far as lensing, if you are on a low-end budget, look for Optical Zoom (not Digital Zoom, which is worthless). Some cheap cameras, like the Flip, and some not-so-cheap cameras like the GoPro Hero series have a fixed lens with no optical zoom. Digital zoom is added to many of these (which is just pixel-cropping) to make them seem "better".
8) Another lens-related feature is O.I.S. (for Optical Image Stabilization), which helps prevent shaky video & stills when your lens is zoomed-in or hand-held. Some cameras handle this better than others (and some call this feature by different names).
9) My final recommendation, as far as YouTube projects, is to not let a lack of budget or equipment stop your creative efforts. Two of the most-watched (and now, well-paid) YouTube stars are Jenna Mourey ("JennaMarbles") and Hanna Hart ("My Drunk Kitchen"), both of whom shot & edited almost all their famous videos with the iSight webcam on their MacBook laptops.
Feel free to post an "Additional Details" update to your Question to give us a price range, and we can recommend specific models or feature lists you can afford.
hope this helps,
--Dennis C.
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What SLR camera would you recommend for a real estate agent?
Tara H
I am considering buying a new camera for my real estate business as well as personal use. It will mostly be used for interior shots so a wide angle lens is essential.
Thanks!
Answer
You can consider buying
1)Nikon D3000 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens
*10.2-megapixel DX-format imaging sensor for prints up to 20 x 30 inches
*Includes 3x 18-55mm Zoom-Nikkor VR Image Stabilization lens
*Nikon EXPEED image processing; in-camera image editing and Active D-Lighting
*3.0-inch color LCD screen; 170-degree wide-angle viewing
*Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-D3000-Digital-18-55mm-3-5-5-6G/dp/B002JCSV5I/?tag=bdd-linking-001-20
2)Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 12.1MP Digital Camera with 18x POWER Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD
*12.1-megapixel resolution
*27mm wide-angle Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens; 18x optical zoom with POWER O.I.S.
*HD movies with 1280 x 720-pixel resolution; AVCHD Lite format
*2.7-inch TFT LCD screen
*Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-FZ35-Digital-Optical-Stabilized/dp/B002IKLJU0/?tag=bdd-linking-001-20
3)Canon PowerShot SX20IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch Articulating LCD
* High-powered 20x wide-angle optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer
* Capture 720p HD movies with stereo sound; HDMI output connector for easy playback on your HDTV
* 2.5-inch Vari-Angle System LCD; improved Smart AUTO intelligently selects from 22 predefined shooting situations
* DIGIC 4 Image Processor; 12.1-megapixel resolution for poster-size, photo-quality prints
* Powered by AA batteries (included); capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-SX20-prosumer-supported/dp/B002LITT3I/?tag=bdd-linking-001-20
4)Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)
*12.2-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for poster-size, photo-quality prints
*Large 3.0-inch LCD display; includes Canon's EF-S 18-55mm, f3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens
*DIGIC III image processor provides fast, accurate image processing; improved Autofocus and framing rate
*EOS Integrated Cleaning system, plus Dust Delete Data Detection in included software
*Stores images on SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Digital-Camera-18-55mm-3-5-5-6/dp/B0012YA85A/?tag=bdd-linking-001-20
5)Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens
*New 15.1-megapixel CMOS sensor with DIGIC 4 Image Processor
*Includes Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens
*Full HD video capture at 1920 x 1080 resolution; HDMI output
*3.0-inch Clear View LCD; Live View Function for stills (Quick, Live and Face Detection AF modes) and video
*Capture images and video to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-T1i-Digital-18-55mm-3-5-5-6/dp/B001XURPQS/?tag=bdd-linking-001-20
6)Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 ED Zuiko Lenses
*Box Contents - E-520 body, Li-ion battery BLM-1, Li-ion battery charger BCM-2, USB cable, Video cable, OLYMPUS Master 2 CD-ROM, Instruction manual
*Up to 3648x2736 resolution - RAW (12-bit), JPEG, and RAW+JPEG File Formats
*CompactFlash Type I/II, Microdrive, xD-Picture Card (Dual-Slot) Memory Card Slot
*3.5 frames per seconds sequential shooting speed, up to 8 frames in RAW mode
*Dimensions - Width 5.35 x Height 3.60 x Depth 2.68 (136x91.5x68mm) excluding protrusions
http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-E520-Digital-14-42mm-40-150mm/dp/B001Q3M4IQ/?tag=bdd-linking-001-20
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