What You Need to Make High Quality Videos on a Budget

I’ve been asked many times over the past year or two how to get started making YouTube videos. What type of equipment do I use, etc. What I’m going to cover in this article is what you can use to get started producing professional looking videos on a relatively small budget. I have a full list of equipment inside, so let’s get started…

Video Camera

On the camera, if it’s something where your “subject” will be at a relatively fixed position from the camera, a DSLR camera will be perfect and can work as both your picture camera as well as your video camera. If you’re doing something like product reviews, a camcorder is a touch better as its focusing mechanism is less intrusive (smoother focus).

Canon T3i

TONS of video samples on YouTube as well as reviews…an excellent DSLR at an excellent price – one of the main reasons to get a Canon is their excellent selection of lenses which can be had at affordable prices (I’ll include one you should consider below):

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004J3V90Y/?tag=untinc-20

Canon 50mm f1.8 Prime

A prime 50mm lens for the Canon

Will work great with either the t3i or the EOS-M (with the adapter) – has a 1.8 aperture which can be had for $125 (that’s insanely cheap for what this lens can produce – just browse through the pictures people took in the amazon link below – you’ll notice the “depth of field” look where the subject is in focus but the background is blurred – it’s a nice artistic touch that can be done just using this lens):

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00007E7JU/?tag=untinc-20

Canon EOS-M

A Smaller More Budget Friendly Camera for Video

Here’s some video taken with it and an adapter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmpR5nxhNk8

If video was my only focus, I would seriously consider this for it’s price, size and feature set – it uses the same image sensor as the Rebel series of cameras (the t4i, etc).

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A2BVCO0/?tag=untinc-20

NOTE: There are a couple of options on that particular page – I chose the one with the 18-55mm lens – reason being that it gives you more flexibility – the other option is for the fixed 22mm lens

Canon EOS Lens Adapter

EOS-M Lens Adapter

With this, you can use Standard EF/EFS mount Canon lenses – this wouldn’t be necessary until you go out and want to buy another lens for your camera (if you want to opt for the less costly Canon EF/EFS lenses rather than a Micro Four Thirds lens):

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CJZDO1G/?tag=untinc-20

A couple of notes on these two cameras. The t3i is more of a prosumer type of shooter meaning it has dedicated buttons, and a full-featured type approach that most photographers will be accustomed to. The EOS-M being a smaller camera trades buttons for menu-selections. If you’re just looking to shoot video, that won’t matter all that much – if you’re wanting to get into photography at some point it time, it might be better to go with the t3i – one other thing to note in favor of the t3i is the articulating screen which makes it easy for you to see what you have framed in your shot from your camera – this is real nice when you’re going to be doing the setup, recording, etc. all on your own.

Another Option for a Video Recorder on the Cheap

I’m only recommending this if you have an iPhone 4s or later, or potentially the original iPad Retina or later. Why no Android devices??? Software…so, this is why the Apple offerings are suggested, and this is only suggested if you have sufficient lighting – see at the bottom of this article for recommendations.

FiLMiC Pro iOS App

FiLMic Pro

Here’s the reason I recommend this setup – no, you can’t produce the same exact quality as the other two cameras mentioned, but you can do pretty darn good and considering you don’t have to spend more than $5 (assuming you already have the iPhone/iPad) and you can be up and running. FiLMiC Pro allows you to lock focus and lock metering for your lighting. For this reason alone, you can produce consistent results where your video won’t constantly be “searching” for focus, or changing your lighting. With this setup, you can actually produce shockingly good results, and if you’re just doing something for a video blog or the like, this is an excellent option. If you’re trying to shoot short movies, this may not be ideal, but for many situations this will work just fine. You’ll definitely want to invest in a tripod an a mount to make this work out.

Audio Recorder

Very important…audio quality can make or break your video.

Tascam DR-05

Roughly $100 – excellent audio quality – just search on Youtube for this device and you can hear the quality – try listening with headphones and listen for “white noise” in the background – there’s almost none, which is the important part – that’s called the noise floor and this particular recorder has a very low noise floor.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004OU2IQG/?tag=untinc-20

Lavalier Microphone

I recommend getting one for doing video. Here’s a perfect video that demonstrates the difference between using the built in condensor mics from a recorder like the tascam above and using a lavalier mic. Again, listen with headphones in so you can hear the detailed noise profiles. Notice that when using the regular mics, you can hear all sorts of ambient noise. The ATR-3350 eliminates almost all that, and the Sony has a really clear sound to it but picks up a tad more ambient noise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ_Fm17UHKQ

Here’s the two products….

Sony ECM CS3

Sony ECM CS3 – Stereo Lavalier Mic

I prefer the sound on this lavalier over the ATR-3350 but it has a rather short cable. If you get this microphone you may want to invest in an extension cord – also, this one does not require a battery.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058MJX4O/?tag=untinc-20

Audio-Technica ATR-3350~~

Audio Technica ATR-3350 – Omnidirectional Lavalier Mic

This is a decent budget lavalier microphone. Where it shines compared to the CS3 above is it’s rather long 20′ cable so it’s easy to run a distance to your audio recorder. However, the sound quality on the CS3 is better in my opinion and as a downside, the 3350 requires a battery – but the battery does last a very long time. You just need to remember to turn it off!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002HJ9PTO/?tag=untinc-20

Tripod for Video

When I first started doing video, I tried to do everything completely on the cheap, as we all probably do. The one thing that I’ve wasted more money on over time are tripods. Learn from my mistakes…just buy a good tripod first and be done with it. So what is a good tripod?! Honestly, it’s more about the tripod head than the tripod itself – most tripod sticks are pretty decent, although some are rated for more weight, are lighter, etc. However, where you’re going to find the tripod makes or breaks you is how good the mounting head is.

One last note on this – generally speaking, the tripod head on its own can cost as much, if not more than buying it bundled with a set of tripod legs. So with that, I’ll share both the legs and the heads I’ve used and or recommend.

Combo Tripod and Head

Ravelli Video Tripod

Ravelli AVTP Professional 75mm Camera Tripod with Fluid Head – great tripod with nice head for smooth video panning/tilting

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00139W0XM/?tag=untinc-20

ePhoto Video Tripod

ePhoto Professional Heavy Duty 75mm Tripod with Fluid Head – another great tripod that is sturdy with a great head for smooth video panning/tilting
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0036NSY5Q/?tag=untinc-20

Flat Camera Mounting Plate

Note about both the tripods/heads above -notice the plate for mounting your camera to – they are completely FLAT – I never knew how big of a deal this was until I purchased heads that didn’t have flat plates and my camera would wobble slightly when moving the head. Make sure whatever you look at has plates that can be released from the head – I believe this design was originally created by Manfrotto and has been copied many times over. You can see what I’m talking about here:

Flat, locking camera mounting plate
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BUBDQR2/?tag=untinc-20

Tripod Head Only

Weifeng 717AH Fluid Head

Weifeng WF-717A – smooth, sturdy video tripod head. Can swap the handle location, adjust the tension or lock the head in place.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003HNS6S0/?tag=untinc-20

Velbon 368 Fluid Head

Velbon PH-368 Fluid Head – another fantastic option – not as sturdy as the one above but great for lighter weight setups – very smooth and relatively inexpensive for a quality fluid head.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Y25ZFY/?tag=untinc-20

Video Editing Software

For this, I’m going to break it down between Windows and Mac. I’ve used both and I have preferences for both:

Video Editing Software for Windows

On Windows, I’ve tried 3 different solutions over the years: Corel VideoStudio, Pinnacle Studio and Vegas Movie Studio…the one I’ve come to appreciate the most for what it offers, especially at the price is Sony Vegas. The primary reason why I prefer Vegas over the other offerings is the pro-level type features they included in their consumer video editing software. Arguably, Vegas has a steeper learning curve, but once acquainted with their editing flow, it’s no more difficult than any of the other options. With that said however, Corel probably has the simplest user interface, but lacks many of the advanced features found in Vegas.

Sony Vegas Movie Studio Editions Comparison Matrix
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegaspro/compare#family

Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum

For me personally, I’d probably go with Movie Studio Platinum for the price ($60 on Amazon at the time of this writing). Professional level editing options in a consumer priced piece of software.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I3MSBC6/?tag=untinc-20

Sony Vegas Movie Studio Suite 13

Sony Vegas Movie Studio Suite

If you decide to go for Movie Studio Suite ($100 on Amazon at the time of this writing), it’s basically the same as Platinum with additional audio options – you have to decide if the $40 difference is worth the few extra checkboxes on the comparison link above:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I3O2QFM/?tag=untinc-20

Video Editing Software for a Mac

On Mac you have two choices…to get started out on the ultra-cheap, it’s hard to beat iMovie – it’ll do most anything basic and it’s dirt cheap – in most cases it was free with your Mac.

iMovie 11

iMovie – typically free with your Mac – $14.99 if it didn’t

If you’re just getting started and you already have a Mac, this is where you should start. This is a simple and effective piece of software that will make throwing your videos together a breeze.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/imovie/id408981434?mt=12&ls=1

Final Cut Pro X

Final Cut Pro X – $300

The one I personally prefer, but this is getting into professional level editing which you won’t need starting off, is Final Cut Pro X. I love this software. It keeps getting better and better – Apple has constantly upgraded it and I’ve never had to pay an extra penny in the two years since I bought it.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/final-cut-pro/id424389933?mt=12

Audio Editing Software

Honestly, I recommend sticking with some free software that can do just about anything you need it to for video editing type situations. If you’re not going to be mastering tracks for a band, then Audacity should fit your needs on both Mac and Windows systems…

Audacity

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

GarageBand

On the Mac, there’s also GarageBand which usually comes free and is a nice piece of software, but honestly, Audacity is more powerful…GarageBand does have a lovely interface and comes with a great number of pre-canned loops and audio tracks.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garageband/id682658836?mt=12&ls=1

Last but not least…

Lighting

The key to any good video is having at minimum a 2-point lighting setup. I know it seems crazy to spend money on some lights, but I can assure you it’s worth its weight in gold. It’s literally the difference between excellent video of you on camera and something that is hard to look at.

Limo Studio Umbrella Lights

The lowest cost (quality) solution…for roughly $50, you can get a set of umbrella lights designed for video and an additional light for lighting up a background. For this little money, it’s a must if you’re serious about getting quality video.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FHZ2SI/?tag=untinc-20

Limo Studio Softbox Lights

This is a touch more than double the price, but with this you get better light output (so you can move the lights further from the subject and thus get wider shots) and it also has a third light for that halo effect – this is what I’d personally get if the extra $70 won’t put it out of reach.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008GWH7VE/?tag=untinc-20

Putting it All Together

High End Budget Video System
Product	Price	Link
Camera: Canon t3i	$550	Go
Audio Recorder: Tascam DR-05	$100	Go
Microphone: Sony ECM CS3	$20	Go
Tripod/Head: Ravelli Pro	$130	Go
Editing Software: Vegas Platinum	$60	Go
Lighting: Limo Studio Softbox Lights	$120	Go
Total:	$980

As you can see, for under $1,000 you can buy everything from scratch. There are obviously places where you can cut corners. As mentioned above, if you already have an iPhone, you could save $550 on the camera and drop to the cheaper lighting for a total price of $360!!! That’s crazy talk. It wasn’t so long ago that to get “professional” type video results you needed THOUSANDS of dollars!

That’s it. Just as a heads up – all the links above are affiliate links so if you do buy, please use them so I get some credit for it – the price is the same whether you use my links or go straight to Amazon and search for everything yourself. Only difference is Amazon would keep all the money rather than me getting a small cut for putting this together for you.

Please, if you have any questions at all, leave them in the comments below!