Good camera for electronics youtube videos

[VEGETA]

I have a channel called "VEGEteK" and has 18 videos, but I am going to change its name and start doing videos in my language (Arabic)... That was a short into xD.

I recorded videos using Nexus 4 smartphone and IXUS 175 camera which was so bad and didn't do the job. I want a true good camera, thus I found these:

Canon EOS 1300D (around 320 JD only): https://www.cloudsjo.com/shop/cameras/professional-cameras/canon-eos-1300d-18-55mm-lens-kit/
Canon EOS 750D: goes for around 550 JD

Add round 10 JDs for 16 GB memory card. (do I need more?)

As for mic, 1300 doesn't take external one but 750 does.

I want to do shooting from different angles such is shooting analog oscilloscope screen, breadboard, overhead shots (most important), shoot myself speaking... etc. So I need a tripod suitable to that.

I have a small one which won't do the job, the camera shop linked above offered a long tripod for around 60 JDs with an extension for 50 JDs, which is the one to do horizontal overhead shots (shooting breadboard or table from the top...).

So total cost is around this:

Camera = 320
tripod = 60
tripod extension = 50
memory card = 10

Total = 440 JDs

HOWEVER, the Canon 750D is far more better and does 60 fps and more quality but it is too much for me as my salary is around 400 JDs only (I have enough cash though) xD... so my questions are:

1- Is that setup really good with 1300D camera?
2- Should I get the 750D upfront rather than 1300D?
3- Should I get external mic? this won't be compatible with 1300D?
4- Can my videos be best quality for electronics (like EEVBlog ones) with only that (without mic)?
5- Can I get close up video shots using 1300D of boards, components, etc..?
6- What camera does EEVblog use? other blogs? Yours?
7- What about lighting? can I get away with just a simple white lamp at the desk?
8- Can a camcorder be better? they have this: https://www.cloudsjo.com/shop/cameras/video-cameras/canon-legria-hf-r806/


Thanks for your help.

[rstofer]

Dave Jones has listed his tools:

https://usesthis.com/interviews/dave.jones

[cdev]

Magic Lantern is a piece of open source software that can vastly extend the feature set of many Canon DSLRs when they are used for shooting video.

It adds features when shooting video that make the Canon cameras which support it- (primarily DSLRs but also the original EOS-M ) much more flexible for serious film and photography.

Some Canon DSLRs can be used to capture really superb, silky, high quality video in HD and soon, perhaps even 4K using Magic Lantern.

[VEGETA]

Dave Jones has listed his tools:

https://usesthis.com/interviews/dave.jones

Thank you.

He uses a camcorder which is +1000$ which destroys me totally. I saw online that DSLR cameras are better for youtube videos, and kinda convinced me.

The only thing I need to use with 1300D camera is an external microphone, if magic lantern can do it then it is perfect! Can it be done with 1300 camera?

[cdev]

You should check their web site,

http://www.magiclantern.fm/

but I suspect maybe not, unless the 1300 is a different name but the same camera as one of their cameras that is supported by it. (some of their cameras have multiple names in different countries)

A few non-DSLRs are supported.

The EOS-M which is supported, and is available for a fairly modest amount of money, used, ($200) can use an external mic and be upgraded - creating a superb video camera bit by bit. 

This person spent under $400 for the additions he made to it!

This is what one person does.



Here is another..



Note the technicolor Cinestyle profile tip in the second video..

----

Note that Dave's statement later on in the comments on the use of non-video cameras and DSLRs to shoot video is definitely true.

 Its clearly not plug and play.

Video does seem to be much more complicated on cameras that are not primarily designed for video.

[VEGETA]

You should check their web site,

http://www.magiclantern.fm/

but I suspect maybe not, unless the 1300 is a different name but the same camera as one of their cameras that is supported by it. (some of their cameras have multiple names in different countries)

A few non-DSLRs are supported.

The EOS-M which is supported, and is available for a fairly modest amount of money used, can use an external mic.

I settled to use Cannon 750D which has everything including capability to use external mic.

I am really confused about language, should I stick to English? or convert to Arabic which is my language. My channel is VEGEteK.

Can you give me your opinion about my questions above?

regards,

[rstofer]

Dave Jones has listed his tools:

https://usesthis.com/interviews/dave.jones

Thank you.

He uses a camcorder which is +1000$ which destroys me totally. I saw online that DSLR cameras are better for youtube videos, and kinda convinced me.

The only thing I need to use with 1300D camera is an external microphone, if magic lantern can do it then it is perfect! Can it be done with 1300 camera?

As in all things Internet, opinions vary.  To quote Dave

People keep telling me to "step up" to DSLR for video, but the simple fact is that whilst they are great if you are shooting a documentary and have all the time in the world to shoot and edit it, DSLRs are simply not as convenient as a proper video camera for the video blogging work I do. The lack of good audio features, articulating screens, good auto focus while zooming, form factor, recording time limitations, and a host of other small things that you take for granted on even the cheapest video camera all add up to just annoyance. But most of my dream setup doesn't exist, regardless of price it seems, so this is just what I'd wish was available to tweak my setup and workflow.

So, it is a matter of context as to whether the DSLR is 'better'.  I look to Dave's opinion because I have never made a video in my life.  Dave, OTOH, has made a lot of money on his videos (according to a video rant re: YouTube he posted the other day) so I think I would be inclined to pay attention.

Dave's second camera is a good deal less expensive:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B004HW7E3I/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all

[VEGETA]

I have a channel called "VEGEteK" and has 18 videos, but I am going to change its name and start doing videos in my language (Arabic)... That was a short into xD.

I recorded videos using Nexus 4 smartphone and IXUS 175 camera which was so bad and didn't do the job. I want a true good camera, thus I found these:

If you can make a "good" video with a Nexus 4 smartphone and a IXUS 175 camera then you can make a good video with a "expensive DSLR". If you make an indifferent video, then you can also do that with any camera.

The difference is the amount of care and attention to these things that you are prepared to take. It is the willingness to understand and exploit the capabilities of your equipment. An example of that is the youtubers who, with a camera that doesn't autofocus in a very cooperative way, will wait and place their hand behind the small device they are holding close to the camera to persuade it to refocus. As opposed to YT'ers who just go on in blind indifference to the unfocused image.

The expensive camera will not make poor lighting, framing, focus or audio look or sound good.

Please take a look at my channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXodUSRG2__hTpW4ZgOgtcw

What do you think? where will it go in the future?

I am now confused! one part of me say I should convert to make Arabic videos which is my mother tongue... the other say continue in English and views will come.

I am now about 100 views daily (2 months without making videos) and only 4 of my videos gets repeated views all the time.

[rstofer]

I am now confused! one part of me say I should convert to make Arabic videos which is my mother tongue... the other say continue in English and views will come.

After you have gone to the trouble of making diagrams, photos and other presentation material, how much effort is it to film the video twice, once in Arabic and once in English?   Is there a YouTube problem with this?  Can you have two channels?

I don't know the answers to any of this.

[Brumby]

I would encourage you to keep content in English, as you are going to have a much wider audience - but I can also see your desire to support your mother tongue.

I do not believe you need to choose between the two ... you can do both.

Yes, it is a bit of extra work and whether that is within your limitations is something for you to decide.

Options that immediately come to mind are:
 1. Shoot in one language, then after editing that, produce a second copy with voiceover in the other language.
 2. Shoot in one language and add subtitles in the other
 3. Do two shoots, one in each language.

The choice is up to you, of course.

[Red Squirrel]

I'd be curious about this too, never really owned a proper video camera before and do have a DSLR which is great for photos and time lapses but not that great for actual video, especially because of the time limit which is easy to forget to check up on if you decide to shoot something that will last longer than 10 minutes.   There's tons on Amazon when doing a search, from a few hundred bucks all the way to thousands.  Wonder if the ~$300 ones are decent or not.

[coppice]

Most people who think they need a better camera to improve their videos actually need better lighting. There are a number of youtubers making very satisfactory videos with phones or tablets, because they have sorted out their lighting. The real limitation with a phone is not its camera, but its mic. You probably need to use a separate mic, placed to keep reverberation under control, to get good audio.

[Brumby]

As far as the equipment is concerned, certainly better equipment can enablle you to produce better quality material, but that is dependent on your ability to use the features effectively.

Most people who think they need a better camera to improve their videos actually need better lighting. There are a number of youtubers making very satisfactory videos with phones or tablets, because they have sorted out their lighting. The real limitation with a phone is not its camera, but its mic. You probably need to use a separate mic, placed to keep reverberation under control, to get good audio.

Precisely.

Sometimes it's better to have something basic that you know how to use well than to step out and arm yourself with a bagful of tech that you might struggle with.

Certainly, I am not suggesting you don't invest in this venture, just be careful you don't end up focussing on getting every technical detail perfect or you will find yourself getting lost in more and more trivial "issues" and the labour of love will turn into the labours of Hercules.

[cdev]

I am just trying to learn a bit about shooting video with a non-video camera (the whole point of this is shooting "raw" which means more dynamic range and more "post production" flexibility. )

So far what Ive captured is crap, really out of focus and so on. Too many things going on and its just like Dave said, its not designed for the task..

BUT, it looks SOOOO much better in terms of color space and just general look that it really makes me want to learn how to do it. 

(taken with a relatively cheap camera, compared to a DSLR - the Canon EOS-M "mirrorless" 18 MP camera and Magic Lantern - No I did not shoot this! What I am saying is, look at the gorgeous silky image quality. Also using a very basic external stereo microphone is easy.)

Time, though, - you need to spend extra time.... There are several more steps in the workflow..

-------

[VEGETA]

Thanks for all replies, here is what I concluded this far:

1- I will buy Cannon 750D with long tripod and tripod extension (for overhead shots).
2- I have a cheap external mic which will do the job.
3- I will buy a cheap table lamp to add lighting, cannot afford too much money on this.

My place (where I work and live) is far from my home, I am in a shared room with one guy so distance is very far and I cannot keep getting heavy stuff from Northern Jordan to Southern Jordan.

You got me wrong, it is not that I want luxury with these new components. The point is that I don't have enough or basic tools! I use a retarded stick to grab my Nexus phone to shoot, which clamps to the table and keeps vibrating whenever I do a thing. Buying those new tools is a must, not an option.

Buying them will allow me to do nearly any shot I want, I just need some white screen if I want to shoot my self or any shot like that.


Now my biggest problem is what language should I choose? I wanted to build the channel so it can be good in the future, I won't say making a living from it because this is too optimistic, but make a good channel which people watch regularly.

Making both languages is not an option, this will ruin the channel and make it messy.

However, right now it is not promising as only nearly 4 or 5 of my videos (total of 18) gets regular views while others are nearly frozen. I get around 100 views daily and I wonder what will make this happen (or start the road for it).

Recently I got an idea to change it to my Arabic, since no channels like EEVBlog exist (only this one and it is not like eevblog) but I am confident about leaving English since all world is speaking it. It is just that my charismatic Arabic talking skills do not exist in English 

Another thing is naming episodes, I go with "VEGEteK #001 - blah", I like keeping numbers but will it affect searching the videos? is it better without it?

I even wanted to change channel name to "Raigeki" which is my favorite for various reasons ^_^ .

your opinions are welcome.

[Brumby]

To avoid a "messy" channel - why not have two channels?  One in English (VEGEteK) and the other in Arabic (Raigeki)?

Very clean separation.

[VEGETA]

To avoid a "messy" channel - why not have two channels?  One in English (VEGEteK) and the other in Arabic (Raigeki)?

Very clean separation.

That will kill me, I want to get all my effort into one channel. I don't want to repeat my content.

My content anyway will be Arduino and PIC microcontroller mainly... then pretty much anything else like teardowns, circuit designs, and some robot projects... etc. So it is not a niche stuff but general stuff. Which is why English is not suitable because of too many people doing it.

[Brumby]

Fair enough.

While I might want to make further comments, it is not me that will be doing the work - so I won't dissuade you from following where your heart is obviously leading you.

I will suggest this, though....

After you have done a few videos in Arabic, examine the interest in those against the interest you have had in your English ones - and then consider which is giving you greater satisfaction.  It's not always about the numbers alone.

You may find the numbers higher in one language - but the sense of achievement and satisfaction in the other might be more than enough for you to want to continue along that way.


It is up to you - but the main thing is that whatever direction you choose, keep it fun for yourself.  Otherwise it will just become a chore and that will show through in your material.

[cdev]

Vegetek, I like your content, I like your graphics, but you need to practice your scripts because the pauses between words sounds unnatural. You really need a voice partner. Somebody who can critique your delivery and get you to loosen up a bit. This is in English. Other than that I think its good. Your subject matter is interesting, and useful. There should be some group where people who are doing videos tear one anothers videos to shreds and make them better.

[VEGETA]

Vegetek, I like your content, I like your graphics, but you need to practice your scripts because the pauses between words sounds unnatural. You really need a voice partner. Somebody who can critique your delivery and get you to loosen up a bit. This is in English. Other than that I think its good. Your subject matter is interesting, and useful. There should be some group where people who are doing videos tear one anothers videos to shreds and make them better.

The point is to make less of these videos which takes time and effort, and focus on normal videos without scripts. This is where Arabic is better. I will not include anyone else with me, this won't happen for various reasons.

I recorded an Arabic video yesterday about LM35 with Arduino, should I publish it in the channel as video number 19?

[EEVblog]

I saw online that DSLR cameras are better for youtube videos, and kinda convinced me.

They almost universally aren't, that's BS.

[EEVblog]

I am just trying to learn a bit about shooting video with a non-video camera (the whole point of this is shooting "raw" which means more dynamic range and more "post production" flexibility. )

That's of mostly zero relevance for shooting Youtube video.
Shooting and producing Youtube video should generally speaking be a least-effort solution. There are exceptions to this of course, but it's not common.

Time, though, - you need to spend extra time.... There are several more steps in the workflow..

The more steps in your workflow the less chance you have of becoming a successful youtuber.
My steps are:
1) Think of idea
2) Press record
3) Drop raw video into timeline and trim start/end.
4) Render and upload

[VEGETA]

I recorded an Arabic video yesterday about LM35 with Arduino, should I publish it in the channel as video number 19?

No. Keep it separate to make it a litttle easier on your viewers to ignore the language that does not suit them.

Where exactly?

I will only do it for this video and will be Arabic title so that people will know.

They almost universally aren't, that's BS.

Can you explain? because I think DSLRs are great for the job.

Help me by giving your opinion about my questions, thanks.

[cdev]

I can see that you're right, and that the idea to realization pipeline being short would be all-important for me too if I made videos for YT or any similar platform.

Because otherwise, its too much of a PITA to share some idea. Whats the point, then, almost.

------

The main improvement I see for me personally is simply, more speed. The newer camera, although used and not a high end camera at all, does have a substantially more modern image sensor and processor than what I had been using.

They are big advantages this new camera has over my old, for anything, even for taking pictures of electronics, because with the old camera, my lighting situation has always been a few clip on lights and my kitchen table.

My kitchen being kind of dark, even at midday with the window shades open and all the lights on.

Basically the Canon I am now learning how to use is several times faster than my old camera, which means I can take fully exposed, high detail pictures with no more lighting than I use normally to do anything else in my kitchen.

Especially, I don't need a flash which in my opinion has always ruined the look of the shots.

In natural light things look better.

If I do use a supplemental light, they look much much better than flash lighting. In comparison, anything I capture with my 12 year old Panasonic Lumix zoom camera looks contrasty and flat.

just because of that extra four or possibly even more additional F-stops of speed.

The new camera has so many features and modes its essential to learn a lot more about the camera's settings to get even just still pictures exactly the way I would like them. And its already a five year old camera.  That's how out of touch I am with what used to be a major hobby for me.

The main problem with the video is focus, which the person in the video I posted addresses with add ons, so they can focus the camera manually easier. I have always preferred using manual focus in video.

It would otherwise require that I either use film autofocus which I don't like because it often doesn't get what I want to be in focus or use a new tracking mode which attempts to track an object and that doesn't seem to work super well either, it hunts for focus which is distracting.

So I think I will just stick with manual to start and gradually figure out what does what.

I have no intention of making YT videos, though. I will be happy to just take better still images and maybe some video for myself.

[coppice]

They almost universally aren't, that's BS.

Can you explain? because I think DSLRs are great for the job.

DSLRs have been optimised for stills, rather than video, although some DSLRs are now taking video pretty seriously. They are still weak in some key areas. For example, a video camera comes with a wide range zoom, with smooth power zooming, which can be enormously beneficial for video production. Even though you can find 10:1 zooms for DSLRs, some have weak performance, and I don't think any have power zooming. Power zoom is usually a disadvantage for stills, but its less responsive than simply twisting something by hand. For video its a real boon, as smooth zoom ins/zoom outs become trivial.