How I Found the Best Camera for Starting on YouTube
Wait until you see the test I put these cameras through.
I’ve been creating on YouTube for about a year and a half now.
I got monetized after 11 months and my channel has experienced exponential growth since then.
When I’m out and about on some filming adventures, I’ve met many people who would also love to create. It seems though, from my interactions, that filming for newcomers, triggers a case of decision fatigue due to the endless options of gear.
What do you need to get started?
I decided to put three cameras to the test with the hope of finding my go-to options but also providing a solution for new creators.
The Test
The participants of the comparative gear test were made up of:
- GoPro Hero 9
- iPhone 12
- Canon Mark ii
The tests would ultimately showcase who came out on top in the field of:
- Stabilization
- Depth-of-field
- Low Light
The outcome of these tests will ultimately assist vloggers, outdoor filmmakers as well as those looking to create indoor tutorials.
Test 1: Stabilization
This test was structured in a way that I would hold each camera to my chest and run backward while my talent, my husband, ran forwards.
This is a snipped of the end result.
We have the Canon on the left, the GoPro Hero 9 in the middle, and the iPhone on the right.
The Canon Mark ii does not have built-in stabilization and performed the worst.
Even if you are hoping to vlog, or have slight movement in your videos, you should consider stabilization.
The GoPro Hero 9 has built-in stabilization and performed the best in this test. In terms of action cameras, this is my favorite. If you are an outdoor enthusiast, this definitely passes the smooth-footage test with flying colors.
Surprisingly, the iPhone wasn’t that bad. It was a little shaky, but I was running in a park. If you were to walk, vlog, or move the camera slowly, this could be a good second choice.
Test 2: Depth-of-field
If you’ve watched videos and you are not sure of the term given to the dreamy-blurry background effect, it is known by many as depth-of-field. It allows you to focus on the main object and blur out the background.
On the left, we have the iPhone 12, the Canon Mark ii is in the middle and the GoPro Hero 9 is on the right.
The Canon wins hands-down when it comes to depth-of-field. The color and quality that you achieve are leagues above the rest in my opinion.
The iPhone comes second, my only concern is how flat the color looks. However, this is something you can adjust in the editing room. You can add some saturation to make the color pop a little better.
The GoPro unfortunately didn’t do well in this test at all. I also found the image to be a little over-saturated and even a little grainy at times. Personally, I feel that the GoPro doesn’t do that well indoors. It shines as an outdoor action camera but I’m just not sure that it can handle in-door shoots as well as I feel the iPhone and Canon can.
Test 3: Low-Light
If you are starting on YouTube, it is likely that you are juggling another job at the same time. If you’re looking to shoot at the end of the day, or in a low-light environment, this test is one that may be of particular interest to you.
The GoPro Hero 9 is on the left, the iPhone is in the middle and the Canon is on the right.
The Canon performs the best in low-light if you know how to use it on manual mode. If you are using it on auto-mode then you may find that the lighting changes if you were to move around.
The iPhone and GoPro react differently at different times, from my experience with this experiment.
The GoPro did well up until the sun went down but then delivered grainy oversaturated footage.
If you look at the comparison picture above of all three cameras in the same low-light setting, it may seem as if the iPhone projected an image showcasing somewhat of a color-drain, but after sunset, it managed to showcase color far better than the GoPro.
The iPhone lense let in more light than the GoPro, making the image clearer and giving it second-place in the low-light test after the Canon Mark ii.
Results
After the three tests, there may be a clear winner in each category, but to identify an overall winner may not be entirely fair.
I suggest that you identify the type of footage you want to take, and select the camera that fits your desired end result best based on what is more important to you.
Also, you have to consider affordability.
It is not worth going into debt to start on YouTube.
As I mentioned at the start, it took me 11 months before I got monetized.
I’m going to throw in a curveball here.
Before focusing on gear, focus on audio.
If your audio is unpleasant you will have people throwing insults in your comments. In the early days of my channel, I personally experienced how unhappy people are when your audio isn’t great.
Learn how to set up your space for the best audio first.
And then, use the camera that you have until you can afford to upgrade.
The iPhone didn’t win any of my challenges, but it was always a close second.
To me, this means that it is a great starting point up until you can invest in a camera that fits your filming needs. You’ll notice that once you upgrade, you’ll start obsessing over new things like accessories and filters.
There are always ways to improve, so use what you’ve got, create what you’re proud of, and… Start.
Starting is the hardest part.
You can do it.
