I normally have friends that ask me questions about equipment and which is the best one to buy especially if they are on a budget. I love helping them out and giving them advice because it’s a good feeling knowing that they trust you with your expertise. This past week alone I had two friends that have asked me about cameras and such. One of them wants to do tutorial videos on youtube and the other one wants to film his podcasts.
Now to be considerate I always ask what is their spending budget so that I can find the right equipment for them because if not then I will naturally look up high end equipment that can be too complicated for a beginner. As I consult them I send them the list of gear to see if its doable and majority of the time it’s right where they want to be. Many times they are tight for cash so I don’t ask for any payments for my time especially since they are a friend and I want to help them. What I do is use an amazon affiliate link so that I get compensated when they make their purchase. It’s a win win so I can’t complain and they usually start working on their projects which makes me happy knowing that I was able to help them.
Just so you know I will be posting the links below in case if you like what you are reading about the equipment. The first one asked me about film equipment to get for kung fu tutorials. I figured that he will need a camera, tripod and a computer to get him started. So I was looking for a camera that has good quality, reasonable price and good reviews even though I never used it before. After searching I came across the Canon EOS M50 Mirrorless Camera in a bundle pack on amazon that goes for $627.99.
The specs for this camera are:
- 4K, Full HD and HD
- Records up to 29min 59 sec
- Crop sensor
- Max. ISO Speed (P mode): ISO 25600 Max. Expanded ISO Speed (P mode): ISO 51200
- EF-M lens mount
- Up to 120fps
- Image format JPEG/RAW ((CR3 a Canon 14-bit RAW format)
- Recording Format EXIF 2.31 (DCF2.0)
Here is a review video about the camera.
The next thing that he needed was a computer and this is another thing I always mention that people prefer a Mac but also PC’s have been designing really powerful computers for video. It also depends on their budget and comfort whether they want a laptop or desktop since desktops are more affordable but they might want the luxury of taking it places and not just stuck in one location. He preferred the Mac so I suggested the iMac since he doesn’t need the Mac Pro and also if he bought the Mac mini he might have to spend almost the same amount for a decent monitor. So I figured its best to get an all in one.
Here is a review video about the iMac.
I suggested the same camera for my friend that will be filming his podcasts but I also added lights and a PC laptop. The lights are simple and on the affordable side. I couldn’t find any review videos on it but they have adjustable colors from warm to white and have dimmable LED bulbs. I found them for $80 it comes in a set of two soft boxes with a remote.
The next thing I found for him was the laptop which is a Dell G3 15inch Gaming Laptop that is $899. Now I know what you are thinking, why on earth did I suggest a gaming laptop for video editing? Simply put even though this is designed for gaming it can still handle video editing and since he won’t be editing anything crazy like how I normally do then this will suit him just right.
Here are the specs:
- CPU Intel Core i5 (8th Gen) 8300H / 2.3 GHz
- Max Turbo Speed 4 GHz
- Number of Cores Quad-Core
- Cache 8 MB
- 64-bit Computing Yes
- Chipset Type Mobile Intel HM370
- Features Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0
- Memory Speed 2666 MHz
- Configuration Features 1 x 8 GB
- Technology DDR4 SDRAM
- Installed Size 8 GB, 1x8GB, DDR4, 2666MHz
- Rated Memory Speed 2666 MHz
- Max Supported Size 32 GB
- Technology DDR4 SDRAM
- Speed 2666 MHz
- Form Factor SO-DIMM 260-pin
- Slots Qty 2
- Empty Slots1
Here is a review video about the Dell G3.
And finally the editing software, lucky for you I will not recommend one that you have to purchase. This is a free professional software that you can download for either Mac or PC. There is a studio version which is $299 and has a lot more options but for beginners the free version is good enough. There are plenty of tutorials out there that teach on how to use the program. It might be intimidating at first but you have a lot more flexibility with it rather than using iMovie or Windows Movie Maker. It’s up to you at the end of the day
Here is a review video about the Divinci Resolve 16.
I hope you guys have enjoyed this blog and may benefit from it and I will post the links below. Don’t forget to subscribe.
