Looking for suggestions on video cameras w/mics

Aug 20, 2014

HI All,

Looking for suggestions on video cameras that take high quality video but also have ability to attach a microphone. This will be used for regular video and doing video work with a green screen. Not sure what my budget is, but would like to have some options for different price ranges.

Would love to know what set up you have in place if you are using a green screen. Also would love to hear any key issues you have faced and what has been helpful in addressing those issues.

Thanks!

Mindy

3 Replies
Nicole Legault

Hey Mindy!

Welcome to the community! Thanks for posting here in the forums I personally have not recorded a lot of video of myself for training, but I know some community members have and they usually have great tips and personal experiences to share...

Here are some links to past forum discussions that might be helpful to you, related to this topic:

Hope these help get you pointed in the right direction :)

Tim Slade

Hi Mindy,

Nicole offers some great resources. I'm sure you'll find a lot there. I simply use an HD webcam to shoot my video blog posts (like this one, this one, and this one). Although the webcam has a built in mic, I use an external Blue Snowball USB mic to record my audio.

I'll be recording a video blog post this weekend to show my setup. I'll make sure you get a link to it.

Rick Nusz

Mindy,

For my projects I recently got a Sony NEX-EA50UH. I wasn't cheap, but it had the best overall features for a entry level professional camera. Of course this may be overkill if you are just doing small videos. For that I agree that just about any HD webcam will do.

I wanted a bigger camera for making live action training videos and while the Sony isn't really a cinematic camera, I won't be showing these videos a movie theater anyway! Besides, I can take the footage and run it through Premiere and After Effects and get close to cinematic quality. All it takes is time! The Sony is great for green screen and has some specific features for chroma keying. The package I bought came with a pro-level XLR microphone.

Pay close attention to what kind of inputs the camera requires before purchasing. There are several different inputs for audio. Also pay attention to how you are going to get the footage out of the camera. There are several different outputs video cameras can have.

No matter what you get be sure to spend a lot of time going over all of the buttons/features of the camera. When you finally get it in your hands just turn it on and go. The first few shoots are all about getting comfortable with the camera. Create the process (one you are comfortable with) of how you are going to film, how you are going to get the footage to a computer, what structure you files and folders will adhere to, etc. This is tedious at first but will save loads of time in the future. And organization is one of the keys to saving time!

Good luck!

This discussion is closed. You can start a new discussion or contact Articulate Support.