Seeing many famous TH-camrs recommend thousand-dollar filmmaking kits to beginners who just want to start filmmaking is disheartening because it IS ultimately about the story, and not the specs of your tech. Thanks for a real, low-budget camera showdown that was insightful and fun to watch. Looking forward to your short film!
Ivy Chan true that. They also have the audacity to say that "the camera doesn't matter, don't let it intimidate you" while recommending their 3000 dollar Sony A6000s. I honestly wished that Simon chose the Galaxy S6 to record the short film to truly demonstrate that a smartphone camera is more than enough for beginners.
It’s more than a story, for film everything has to come together to make a master piece. If you really want your story to come to life you have to bring everything together. A good story and nothing else is a book, but a story that can be seen through a lens, lights, location, editing, etc is a movie. Each part has its own story then they come together to make a coherent story
@@jasonhaas607 I mean if you are an adult and have a real interest and passion for film making then getting a £2000 camera isn't exactly ridiculous to imagine. People spend that on a TV or Laptop or Car all the time, even if you can't get it on credit it is just saving for a bit. All depends on your priorities
if you want to use the music in this episode, here are the tracks (10% discount link) musicvine.net/music/tourism/?&discount=DSLRGUIDE musicvine.net/music/revolution-casino/?&discount=DSLRGUIDE (I earn a commission from purchases)
Really phenomenal. This video really shows how you're using this channel not just as a "guide" (as the name implies), but also as a documentation of your creative processes and experimentation with film. Very inspiring to see someone who is devoted and motivated to engaging with film as a creative outlet, especially as an fellow film student. Can't wait to see what comes next.
Pachunka you won't believe this, exactly ten minutes ago I was actually watching one of your videos that too for the first time. The world has literary been shrunk a little. 🙄
Just a general comment from another Brit on how great your channel is. Love your matter-of-fact, no-nonsense, honest style. Keep up the great content, it's clearly helping a lot of people. And Merry Christmas to you!
Great Idea to Film with that old old camera! Here's my conclusion of the topic based off your video: Just use your smartphone until you learned more techniques and how to storytell while saving money bit by bit, and when you start to outgrown the smartphone camera - get at least a midrange camera so you wouldn't waste money on cameras that are only marginally better than the one that you already have
I always appreciate the way you're able to, like you say, tell a story, even in videos like this. It's meant a ton to me in my own journey of creating. While neither of our channels is much a like, I started watching you long a go and realized how the story is king. Another great video, Simon.
I love the downscaling-concept. Film Riot, Fenschel & Janisch, & Phillip Bloom have all outpriced me in recent years. I'm not a commercial-artist, so I appreciate the "no-budget" folk-cinema approach to quality-content.
I recently had a similar conversation with someone about a small project they wanted to do, but had no budget, and I advised them to use their smart phone and an external mic if they needed it. Lovely to meet you briefly at TH-cam the other day!
ok man, that plot twist was amazing!! it is really easy for us creative people to get caught up in technical stuff and take the focus out of the core and soul of our craft. and you are always telling us that in your videos, but the way you showed it in this one was just amazing. the way you made me (and probably everyone) get into that scientific mindset just to later tell us "HEY!! none of this really matters" was really powerful and helped me to take the focus back to what's truly important. Thank you so much, your videos are gems!!
i seriously love the distinctive authentic cheap shitty look from cheap cameras that you can never truly replicate with expensive cameras. i'm looking forward to your next short film simon, and cheers to storytelling🍻
I bought the Panasonic g7 for 499$ with kit lens yesterday... and OMG it is amazing. I really want to do dark low-light scenes. I would strongly recommend to avoid the t3i and the rest. my first camera was t3i, so I know what I'm talking about. the t3i is only for well lit scenes.
S&S Pictures what !? xD it's almost as good as a Sony a7s xD from what I've seen. either way the t3i just craps on a cloudy day so it's a big improvement for me xD what camera would you recommend ?
RocketLR - You're joking right? You can't be even remotely serious. If you use ISO 1600 or higher on the G7, it's noise city. The G7 SUCKS MAJOR ASS in low light compared to the a7S
kccvaa - Yes, I know. If you're a serious filmmaker, you're lighting your scenes. However, I was replying to the guy who thinks the G7 and a7S have similar low light. HA! Not even close... at all...
using some deniosing and if the shot is properly exposed I have been able to get almost clean shots out of the t3i at iso 3200. I have the sony a7s ii and I can get an almost clean shot at iso 51200. The lowlight of the sony lets you use larger apatures and more bounce light, so I like the sony becuase it lets me be more creative with how I light a scene
This is really helpful as i need a cheap camera for a media project at the end of the year so knowing that a smartphone isnt too bad for filming is great as I know that i can definitely count on my phone as a back up
Actually this is really exciting to see what you can do. I always found my old footage with my crappy camcorder was better than my dslr footage. The dslr is just too digital for me.
Camcorder had a fast lens, a built-in stabilisation, a good auto-settings, nice shutter speed, yes, why did it can be better than full-manual dslr without proper knowledge?
The whole time I was watching the comparisons, I actually preferred the quality of the camcorder. It had a nostalgic and home made quality to it that I think could be beautiful for certain films. I have a JVC in the back of my closet and I think I may dig it up and play around with it
Dude I LOVE this! Simon, I think you should challenge us viewers to make videos as well. So we can share, watch, and help other filmmakers. Personally I want to go film something with my super old camcorder now. Point being, focusing on STORY. Thanks again Simon, great video👍🏻
Nolan Molt On my channel I opened a discussion, I'm hoping to turn it into a sort of filmmaking hub for people to communicate and run ideas by others, anybody want to join?
Hey man I think that's a great idea. I'd love to join. Also Nolan, I'm with you on this one, just write something and hit record. Story is the only thing that matters. Good luck on your projects.
Nolan Molt though it's not film, I did a project where I took one photo a day with an iPhone 4. That was an experience, but it made me focus on composition entirely.
I'm so Pumped to see what you come up with for your next short. I am currently in a similar circumstance camera-wise but so far ive not had very good results. But I'm sure you'll do much better so good luck and I cant wait to see your next short.
I second the G7. 4K recording, uses cheap SD cards, good enough low light, deep depth of field (makes focussing easy), a very nice body and not too expensive. Add to that the excellent (and relatively cheap) lenses that are available for the Micro 4/3rds format, and the ability to adapt other lenses and you have a winner.
Besides buying my Canon T3i in 2012. A few months later I thought I better get a new cheap HD camcorder I could give to a friend to have as a 2nd camera unit or B Roll film or just to get behind th he scenes stuff. I wanted to stay all Canon. So I bought a Canon Vixia R300. I'm not disappointed in its quality for a 250.00 HD camcorder. It works great for filming road trips before I had a dash cam. While at the Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike. My nephew filmed most of it with the camcorder while I took beautiful 18megapixel photos with my T3i. I did some video with the T3i but not alot. Before having my DSLR to shoot video. My cameras were in 2006 a prosumer Sony HDR HC-90 mini DV camcorder. It took beautiful video compared to cheaper handycams having a slightly bigger sensor. Then I upgraded in 2008 to an HD Handycam. A Sony HDR HC-7 HD mini DV camcorder also prosumer model. But I wore both of them out. I've found d the DSLRS to be more rugged. My T3i still is going strong till this day. I did give it to my daughter in 2018. I got a Canon 80D. But then sold the 80D in January and bought the 90D. I take full size 32.5 stills with it. But mostly still shoot on HD instead of 4K. Unless I go on vacation or something.
Everyone says the camera doesn't matter, usually right before whipping of some pricey piece of gear to shoot their next video. Nice to see you actually give this a go!
Smart phone cameras are the best for anyone who has a couple hours free time and just feels like, "Hey, I wanna make a movie..." So accessible and still high quality. It gives people a chance to experiment before going out spending a few hundred/thousand on a nice camera and equipment.
I was actually surprised how well the Samsung did in comparison. These smartphone cameras only cost about $30 in production which makes you wonder how it beats a dedicated device by miles for such a tiny and cheap piece of technology.
I'm only 5 years in the future and a 2 year old, mid to high range Samsung A71 has INSANE quality when using Filmic pro to set everything manually, using lowest iso and 1/48 shutter speed and an ND filter and a light denoise pass in post. 4k, hevc, it's incredible. Of course it's more expensive than a great condition Canon 5D Mark II, but if you've already got a good one it's crazy what it can do, plus you can buy multiple lenses.
I bought one camera from them a few years ago thinking I would just use it to take some simple pictures. Total waste of time. The images were garbage and I had so many technical difficulties.
In the old days some of the Vivitar Series 1 lenses were very good. Now I suspect it's mostly bottom of the barrel stuff. Which doesn't mean it can't tell stories, but keep that receipt.
this video really helps now that I'm trying to choose my first camera, it's a nice reminder that learning how to tell a good story should be my priority now. As always brilliant Simon, thanks so much
I work on a Panasonic hc v700 camcorder but I've been really underappreciating it. it actually works really well and it has a great range of adjustability for everything. totally worth the money.
Drewboy670 I've got filmic pro for Android now :) I have it installed now. through I still support your camera choice for all the artistic reason you named
Thank you ! I'm a little red-green colorblind. This is a great analysis of a wide variety of filmmaking issues; including, of course, that storytelling is more important than any single technical issue.
I almost recommended a D3400 to a friend, but he had a Rode Mic he wanted to use. So I told him to get a D3300. The D3400 is still a fine camera, but why did Nikon omit the Mic Jack?
Thanks a lot! I've been making some videos with a cheap webcam logitech c920; I put a lot of effort in the videos and try to make them really engaging. Because of you I stopped waiting another 3 months to buy a sony alpha 6300 and started to do videos now! Thanks a lot :D
But that is a downside of a smartphone. He should not have deactivated it, but it is in my interest if it would have had better bettery than the compact
You make a good point, mainly that content is king, and that you should be focussing on what you're shooting more than the technicalities of how you're shooting it. But I think there is a basic level of useability that many budget cameras miss, and because of that you'll put more effort into solving problems that the gear creates, rather than solving problems that the content creates.
I started with a low cost JVC camcorder and I think it was about USD 120 in Tokyo. From there I moved to a Casio EX-ZR1100 for about USD 300 and it's the pits in low-light. In bright sunshine, it's pretty good, has a nice time-lapse option and various pre-sets. Then I had the urge for a Panasonic so I picked up the GF6 in Singapore for about USD 550. The camera is metal, small size, M43 and the video looks nice but also not good in low-light unless you upgrade from the kit lense. My mistake was buying this at the Duty Free in Singapore as it only shoots 25fps. Big mistake and I didn't realize it until a couple of weeks later. Last month I picked up the Panasonic G7 for USD 399 and am excited to have more video options.
I like the idea of your short-film-with-creepy-cam-challenge very much and really looking forward the result. It can't be said often enough: The best cam is the one you have access to and you know how to use!
JaggedRecordsVa definitely, I have that camera! Look into the sigma 18-35mm 1.8 / Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 / canon 50mm 1.8 lenses and download the vision Color picture profile to shoot flat video you can colour grade!
Danny Bott thanks for responding to this person. You suggested three lenses with vastly different prices. Which do you like most? What's the difference between the Canon 50mm and Sigma 18-35mm 1.8.
Matthew Douglas I'd say the sigma 18-35 f/1.8 (or even the sigma 18-35mm f/1.4 art lens which is even better) as this a good all round lens, it's incredibly sharp - probably the sharpest for its price - and can be used for run and gun shooting including most filmmaking whether you want a blurry background or a handheld shot, the 50mm is a telephoto lens meaning the zoom makes the object appear very close to the lens, this is ideally for close ups or filmic shots with a very blurry background (objects, faces, details) and can't be used for everyday shooting, the Tokina 11-16 is a wide angle lens - it's sharp and would be most useful for establishing shots - any shot at a distance of a location or setting where extreme detail is required for distance or scenery as the wide angle makes everything seem further away and gets a lot in the frame. So it's entirely your choice but the greatest investment in my opinion would be the sigma art lens as it's ridiculously sharp, has a great aperture, would be ideal for various types of shooting, transfers well into other cameras if you were to upgrade to a gh4 or a red camera using a canon lens adapter.
Good ideas. I just spend six weeks traveling with only my phone and a stabilizer for it. Shot, edited and posted same-day shots just using the phone. Yes, you can edit on your phone. I used Adobe Clip (free app) but that's not the only option. I also used Google Photo assistant. This let me travel around Europe with just a carry-on size bag.
I have to stop you five seconds in. For beginners, the new kid on the block is the Panasonic LUMIX G7. That's the new best beginner DSLR/DSLM, in my opinion. It's also cheaper.
pavlox Only recently from 2010-2014 it was the t2i-t5i that were the most recommended. Only a short time till people will think the G7 looks like trash.
Nate's Film Tutorials - Haha, very true! Every 3-4 years, a new "best" beginner camera will come out that will blow the previous one out of the water. Like the G7 did with the T2-3i
As much as I love my G7 and 4K glory, it was much more expensive than $250 as it cost about 500€ ($530) with a kitlens after a cashback and strategic buy from the UK when the pound was at its lowest.
You can pick up Sony a3000 mirrorless bodies off eBay all day long for $120. Sometimes I even see them for around $160 with the image stabilized kit lens included. I got a brand new a3000 body with everything but the kit lens for $119 delivered. Add in a couple of vintage lenses and adapters you should still be under $200. They have video pretty close to any of the Canon t3,4,5,6i and the 20mp sensor takes very good stills. Another plus is if you upgrade to a better Sony mirrorless body in the future your adapters and lens will be compatible.
If I remember correctly, not all canon IS is created equal. Changing the lens might make more sense. Casey Neistat vloged with the 10-18mm IS which is well under $300. but if you want really stable, check out the dji gimbals that you can use with your phone.
Phillip K I vlog with the 10-18mm and it's good, I'm just getting started and I did some new footage today with stabilizing the camera in mind & it looks about better
it's more about the lens when vlogging. a wider lens reduces the visible shake. canons 10-18mm would be a much better vloging lens (or for something with better lowlight look at tokina 11-16mm f2.8)
legendp2011 I'm currently using the 10-18mm 4.5 wide angle lens. It's a good lens don't get me wrong.. I've just seen some mirror less cameras from bigger TH-cam channels & their videos seem to have less shakiness.
well, either you look for a camcroder (sony boss s.th.) or you buy a olympus em series camera. those of probably the best onboard picture stabilisation. the next in line, would be the new pansonic stuff (gx80 or g81 in europe). for video the panasonic stuff is proably the best, considering how much the cameras are optimaized for taking videos and you can use a lot of different lenses. just remeber, that panning is kind of a problem with most i.s. in this regard, the dedecated camcorder is superior. otherwise the pansonic is really good. furthermore with 18-140mm lens you kind of have a verry universal setup for everyday use and can switch to a cheapisch 25mm in low light situations.
I got a used Panasonic G6 with lens for $250 last year. Same sensor as the GH2 which was used to film upstream color. That's my recommendation in this range. Cheers.
I would also suggest the Canon Legria range (I'm not getting paid to write this) it does allow for a certain amount of manual controls; focus, exposure and white balance can be set manually. I got mine for just under £160, which, in camera terms, is still cheap.( I'm referring to the lower priced models) It's not great in super low light, but does very well in reasonably well lit scenarios. Great for learning on how to frame a shot and tell a story.
When filming with an iPhone 6s, a color correct and letterbox filter actually makes it look pretty good, I don't know why more people don't shoot with smart phones
Really appreciated this video! It was great to have that reminder at the end that story matters most. I know I get so caught up in the tech side of things many times that I need to be reminded to just grab a camera and go tell my story. Thanks!
Came across your channel, and I'm so glad I did! I've not long started making videos - complete noob - but I'm enjoying the challenge and want to make them better... quality is terrible currently lol. Working with next to no budget but watching your videos will hopefully help me get them better in time! Many thanks!
i think you are reinventing your content, also I think you are in the good way; congrats man, one of the best episodes (Sorry for the bad english, i speak another language)
no going to lie...I've been loving the old cameras recently. Shot a couple of shorts on my first ever video camera as i wanted to create that old look....beat adding effects in any day of the week!
I think the best you can get for 250 is a used Canon EOS M with its 18-55mm stocklense, a Rode Videomicro and some kind of gorilla pod -Camera and lense used: 180$ -Microphone: 59$ -Gorillapod: If you buy it used and not the most expensive one its way cheaper than 10 bucks The camera has the same sensor as the T4i and a microphone is also a very good one, I shot my first shortfilm with a setup like this and it looked amazing.
For a super budget camera, a used Powershot (or similar line of products) can be awesome. I bought a used Powershot 110HS that came with an underwater case. It shoots 1080p at 24, perfect!
I use my JVC all the time because I like the style of video it puts out with all the grain, mix it with some moody music and well shot footage and edit well and it turns out sick
Recommend the lumix g7 now. I got it brand new off of amazon for 499.99 and it came with a 64 gb memory card, tripod, and a few other baubles. And it does UHD footage at 24, 25 and 30 fps. Far better than any canon T_i camera.
I love this research, and I love the experiment you're talking about for next week. It's easy to forget the story telling part (and I'm not good at it in video at all) - in the context of my day job (Architecture) I see it all the time.
I've been watching your vids for about 2 weeks now. They may be the most informative and high quality videos I have seen. It would be really cool if you started to do live streams of your editing process or your music composing process.
There is (maybe) a Trick to force the Sony P&S to Manual Mode. I use the DSC-HX9V and to get sort of manual Control I set the Dail to M Photo Mode, set the Cam as I like/can and hit the Movie Record Button. Sadly, the exposure hits back to auto while filming.
Seeing many famous TH-camrs recommend thousand-dollar filmmaking kits to beginners who just want to start filmmaking is disheartening because it IS ultimately about the story, and not the specs of your tech. Thanks for a real, low-budget camera showdown that was insightful and fun to watch. Looking forward to your short film!
Ivy Chan true that. They also have the audacity to say that "the camera doesn't matter, don't let it intimidate you" while recommending their 3000 dollar Sony A6000s.
I honestly wished that Simon chose the Galaxy S6 to record the short film to truly demonstrate that a smartphone camera is more than enough for beginners.
I agree!
It’s more than a story, for film everything has to come together to make a master piece. If you really want your story to come to life you have to bring everything together. A good story and nothing else is a book, but a story that can be seen through a lens, lights, location, editing, etc is a movie. Each part has its own story then they come together to make a coherent story
@@jasonhaas607 I mean if you are an adult and have a real interest and passion for film making then getting a £2000 camera isn't exactly ridiculous to imagine. People spend that on a TV or Laptop or Car all the time, even if you can't get it on credit it is just saving for a bit. All depends on your priorities
Stories is more important than quality of the camera. Thanks, mate.
Ritho Faharian frame arrangement, lighting & quality of sound are usually you're top priorities for a pleasurable viewing experience
jay kj that too then
Ritho Faharian 'Stories' ARE.... grammar police get out of the car please.
Ritho Faharian no camera no movie...
if you want to use the music in this episode, here are the tracks (10% discount link)
musicvine.net/music/tourism/?&discount=DSLRGUIDE
musicvine.net/music/revolution-casino/?&discount=DSLRGUIDE
(I earn a commission from purchases)
DSLRguide thanks Simon!
DSLRguide didn't you have 4g on when doing the battery test for the Samsung?
DSLRguide best DSLR for cheap?
LeBeautiful canon t2i
Reptiles4u where can I get one m
Really phenomenal. This video really shows how you're using this channel not just as a "guide" (as the name implies), but also as a documentation of your creative processes and experimentation with film. Very inspiring to see someone who is devoted and motivated to engaging with film as a creative outlet, especially as an fellow film student. Can't wait to see what comes next.
Dude I was just looking for a cheap camera option, thanks for posting this!
What's a headphone jack? I've never heard of that before... Haha!
-An iPhone 7 Plus Owner
Time for an Instamic then.
Pachunka you won't believe this, exactly ten minutes ago I was actually watching one of your videos that too for the first time. The world has literary been shrunk a little. 🙄
Lol yep! bc its me... :(
Wow! That is awesome :)
Huh just looked up what an instamic is and that's a neat little gadget!
you are a bloody mad man and I love it, looking forward to the short
Just a general comment from another Brit on how great your channel is. Love your matter-of-fact, no-nonsense, honest style. Keep up the great content, it's clearly helping a lot of people. And Merry Christmas to you!
Great Idea to Film with that old old camera!
Here's my conclusion of the topic based off your video: Just use your smartphone until you learned more techniques and how to storytell while saving money bit by bit, and when you start to outgrown the smartphone camera - get at least a midrange camera so you wouldn't waste money on cameras that are only marginally better than the one that you already have
Audie Liem that's exactly what I did :)
oh yes! that's what i did :D I didn't have the money or knowledge to buy a camera over 100€ when i was a kid :D
I always appreciate the way you're able to, like you say, tell a story, even in videos like this. It's meant a ton to me in my own journey of creating. While neither of our channels is much a like, I started watching you long a go and realized how the story is king. Another great video, Simon.
is your house the house from harry potter 3 ?
Frost Freerunning lol
Harry Potter 3? 😂
Lol, pretty close.
I love the downscaling-concept. Film Riot, Fenschel & Janisch, & Phillip Bloom have all outpriced me in recent years. I'm not a commercial-artist, so I appreciate the "no-budget" folk-cinema approach to quality-content.
I recently had a similar conversation with someone about a small project they wanted to do, but had no budget, and I advised them to use their smart phone and an external mic if they needed it.
Lovely to meet you briefly at TH-cam the other day!
You're good person
M8, you're one of the (if not THE) most informative film makers on youtube. We appreciate you.
Loved the twist at the end. Good video and subjetct!
ok man, that plot twist was amazing!! it is really easy for us creative people to get caught up in technical stuff and take the focus out of the core and soul of our craft. and you are always telling us that in your videos, but the way you showed it in this one was just amazing. the way you made me (and probably everyone) get into that scientific mindset just to later tell us "HEY!! none of this really matters" was really powerful and helped me to take the focus back to what's truly important. Thank you so much, your videos are gems!!
This helped me out a lot to create my recent short film! Thanks Simon!
i seriously love the distinctive authentic cheap shitty look from cheap cameras that you can never truly replicate with expensive cameras. i'm looking forward to your next short film simon, and cheers to storytelling🍻
I bought the Panasonic g7 for 499$ with kit lens yesterday... and OMG it is amazing. I really want to do dark low-light scenes. I would strongly recommend to avoid the t3i and the rest. my first camera was t3i, so I know what I'm talking about. the t3i is only for well lit scenes.
RocketLR - The G7 sucks in low light too. Even wide open. Just saying
S&S Pictures what !? xD it's almost as good as a Sony a7s xD from what I've seen. either way the t3i just craps on a cloudy day so it's a big improvement for me xD what camera would you recommend ?
RocketLR - You're joking right? You can't be even remotely serious. If you use ISO 1600 or higher on the G7, it's noise city. The G7 SUCKS MAJOR ASS in low light compared to the a7S
kccvaa - Yes, I know. If you're a serious filmmaker, you're lighting your scenes. However, I was replying to the guy who thinks the G7 and a7S have similar low light. HA! Not even close... at all...
using some deniosing and if the shot is properly exposed I have been able to get almost clean shots out of the t3i at iso 3200. I have the sony a7s ii and I can get an almost clean shot at iso 51200. The lowlight of the sony lets you use larger apatures and more bounce light, so I like the sony becuase it lets me be more creative with how I light a scene
This is really helpful as i need a cheap camera for a media project at the end of the year so knowing that a smartphone isnt too bad for filming is great as I know that i can definitely count on my phone as a back up
Congrats on 400k Simon, loved the video :)
2:38 that camera the way it flickers its very dope for a music video or a movie scene or something
Actually this is really exciting to see what you can do. I always found my old footage with my crappy camcorder was better than my dslr footage. The dslr is just too digital for me.
Camcorder had a fast lens, a built-in stabilisation, a good auto-settings, nice shutter speed, yes, why did it can be better than full-manual dslr without proper knowledge?
The whole time I was watching the comparisons, I actually preferred the quality of the camcorder. It had a nostalgic and home made quality to it that I think could be beautiful for certain films. I have a JVC in the back of my closet and I think I may dig it up and play around with it
Dude I LOVE this! Simon, I think you should challenge us viewers to make videos as well. So we can share, watch, and help other filmmakers. Personally I want to go film something with my super old camcorder now. Point being, focusing on STORY.
Thanks again Simon, great video👍🏻
Nolan Molt I've been wanting to do this for a while, couldn't find a cheap enough camera yet. :)
Nolan Molt On my channel I opened a discussion, I'm hoping to turn it into a sort of filmmaking hub for people to communicate and run ideas by others, anybody want to join?
Hey man I think that's a great idea. I'd love to join.
Also Nolan, I'm with you on this one, just write something and hit record. Story is the only thing that matters. Good luck on your projects.
Nolan Molt though it's not film, I did a project where I took one photo a day with an iPhone 4. That was an experience, but it made me focus on composition entirely.
I'm so Pumped to see what you come up with for your next short. I am currently in a similar circumstance camera-wise but so far ive not had very good results. But I'm sure you'll do much better so good luck and I cant wait to see your next short.
I wish you would test out mid ranged cameras like the 70D sony A6000 and nikon (what ever they have). Thanks Simon for the video.
Ashton Zee are you looking to get on of those cameras?
Ashton Zee
Get a lumix G7! You won't regret it...
I second the G7. 4K recording, uses cheap SD cards, good enough low light, deep depth of field (makes focussing easy), a very nice body and not too expensive. Add to that the excellent (and relatively cheap) lenses that are available for the Micro 4/3rds format, and the ability to adapt other lenses and you have a winner.
I also support the g7 if you are looking for IS go for the newer g85
I just purchased the G7 and love it. Go for that one!
Besides buying my Canon T3i in 2012. A few months later I thought I better get a new cheap HD camcorder I could give to a friend to have as a 2nd camera unit or B Roll film or just to get behind th he scenes stuff. I wanted to stay all Canon. So I bought a Canon Vixia R300. I'm not disappointed in its quality for a 250.00 HD camcorder. It works great for filming road trips before I had a dash cam. While at the Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike. My nephew filmed most of it with the camcorder while I took beautiful 18megapixel photos with my T3i. I did some video with the T3i but not alot. Before having my DSLR to shoot video. My cameras were in 2006 a prosumer Sony HDR HC-90 mini DV camcorder. It took beautiful video compared to cheaper handycams having a slightly bigger sensor. Then I upgraded in 2008 to an HD Handycam. A Sony HDR HC-7 HD mini DV camcorder also prosumer model. But I wore both of them out. I've found d the DSLRS to be more rugged. My T3i still is going strong till this day. I did give it to my daughter in 2018. I got a Canon 80D. But then sold the 80D in January and bought the 90D. I take full size 32.5 stills with it. But mostly still shoot on HD instead of 4K. Unless I go on vacation or something.
Love your videos.
cheers!
Everyone says the camera doesn't matter, usually right before whipping of some pricey piece of gear to shoot their next video. Nice to see you actually give this a go!
Smart phone cameras are the best for anyone who has a couple hours free time and just feels like, "Hey, I wanna make a movie..." So accessible and still high quality. It gives people a chance to experiment before going out spending a few hundred/thousand on a nice camera and equipment.
I was actually surprised how well the Samsung did in comparison. These smartphone cameras only cost about $30 in production which makes you wonder how it beats a dedicated device by miles for such a tiny and cheap piece of technology.
The image processor in the device is actually of very high quality..
I'm only 5 years in the future and a 2 year old, mid to high range Samsung A71 has INSANE quality when using Filmic pro to set everything manually, using lowest iso and 1/48 shutter speed and an ND filter and a light denoise pass in post. 4k, hevc, it's incredible. Of course it's more expensive than a great condition Canon 5D Mark II, but if you've already got a good one it's crazy what it can do, plus you can buy multiple lenses.
Don't turn it off guys. He drops some knowledge bombs at the end. #tysimon
You do the best analyses. Great video.
everything i've bought from vivitar, is complete garbage.
hahaha
I bought one camera from them a few years ago thinking I would just use it to take some simple pictures. Total waste of time. The images were garbage and I had so many technical difficulties.
Its mostly rebranded china goods
In the old days some of the Vivitar Series 1 lenses were very good. Now I suspect it's mostly bottom of the barrel stuff. Which doesn't mean it can't tell stories, but keep that receipt.
yeah, i have a vivitar s.1 macro lens with minolta fit and it´s super sharp and awesome!
this video really helps now that I'm trying to choose my first camera, it's a nice reminder that learning how to tell a good story should be my priority now. As always brilliant Simon, thanks so much
Was the microphone used for the smartphone called the "Rode VideoMic Me"?
ZacoBro yes he said
I work on a Panasonic hc v700 camcorder but I've been really underappreciating it. it actually works really well and it has a great range of adjustability for everything. totally worth the money.
filmic pro app would help the Samsung though
very true. there are plenty of apps & accessories that make smartphones even more impressive for filmmakers
Filmic pro is ios only. Cinema FV-5 for Android I feel beats Filmic in many ways anyway.
Drewboy670 I've got filmic pro for Android now :) I have it installed now. through I still support your camera choice for all the artistic reason you named
haloboy456 Wow. Must have only been recently brought out. I stand corrected.
Thank you ! I'm a little red-green colorblind. This is a great analysis of a wide variety of filmmaking issues; including, of course, that storytelling is more important than any single technical issue.
I have a D3400 Nikon however you can't add a mic though unlike other nikons
I almost recommended a D3400 to a friend, but he had a Rode Mic he wanted to use. So I told him to get a D3300. The D3400 is still a fine camera, but why did Nikon omit the Mic Jack?
Vincent Chen each one has one thing missing to get you to upgrade or get a new camera
Yep, kind of is not so good huh? A D3300 has a Mic Jack, and the D3400 does not. Why? Makes you get a D5500 or D7200? Could be.
Vincent Chen each one has a negative, the like cheapest one doesn't have the wifi connection, one is waterproof, some have touchscreen, etc.
so wait is there no way to get an external mic on a d3400 bc mine comes tomorrow and im really confused about that
Thanks a lot! I've been making some videos with a cheap webcam logitech c920; I put a lot of effort in the videos and try to make them really engaging.
Because of you I stopped waiting another 3 months to buy a sony alpha 6300 and started to do videos now!
Thanks a lot :D
Did you turn on airplane mode for the S6's battery test?
nope actually, so it could have went further
But that is a downside of a smartphone. He should not have deactivated it, but it is in my interest if it would have had better bettery than the compact
You make a good point, mainly that content is king, and that you should be focussing on what you're shooting more than the technicalities of how you're shooting it. But I think there is a basic level of useability that many budget cameras miss, and because of that you'll put more effort into solving problems that the gear creates, rather than solving problems that the content creates.
Great video Simon, how d you get that titles tho? I mean, you wrote it obv. but its like somehow a special color. And on what material was it written?
here's how: th-cam.com/video/2Aqk8OaIyXg/w-d-xo.html
DSLRguide love it
I started with a low cost JVC camcorder and I think it was about USD 120 in Tokyo. From there I moved to a Casio EX-ZR1100 for about USD 300 and it's the pits in low-light. In bright sunshine, it's pretty good, has a nice time-lapse option and various pre-sets. Then I had the urge for a Panasonic so I picked up the GF6 in Singapore for about USD 550. The camera is metal, small size, M43 and the video looks nice but also not good in low-light unless you upgrade from the kit lense. My mistake was buying this at the Duty Free in Singapore as it only shoots 25fps. Big mistake and I didn't realize it until a couple of weeks later. Last month I picked up the Panasonic G7 for USD 399 and am excited to have more video options.
I'm using Samsung S7, its low light improves a lot.
I like the idea of your short-film-with-creepy-cam-challenge very much and really looking forward the result. It can't be said often enough: The best cam is the one you have access to and you know how to use!
I have a rebel T6i.. good enough or not?
JaggedRecordsVa definitely, I have that camera! Look into the sigma 18-35mm 1.8 / Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 / canon 50mm 1.8 lenses and download the vision Color picture profile to shoot flat video you can colour grade!
yes it is! just find the way how to get the best out of it. I would suggest to find a good tripod or monopod and mic, and get recording! =P
Danny Bott thanks for responding to this person. You suggested three lenses with vastly different prices. Which do you like most? What's the difference between the Canon 50mm and Sigma 18-35mm 1.8.
Matthew Douglas I'd say the sigma 18-35 f/1.8 (or even the sigma 18-35mm f/1.4 art lens which is even better) as this a good all round lens, it's incredibly sharp - probably the sharpest for its price - and can be used for run and gun shooting including most filmmaking whether you want a blurry background or a handheld shot, the 50mm is a telephoto lens meaning the zoom makes the object appear very close to the lens, this is ideally for close ups or filmic shots with a very blurry background (objects, faces, details) and can't be used for everyday shooting, the Tokina 11-16 is a wide angle lens - it's sharp and would be most useful for establishing shots - any shot at a distance of a location or setting where extreme detail is required for distance or scenery as the wide angle makes everything seem further away and gets a lot in the frame. So it's entirely your choice but the greatest investment in my opinion would be the sigma art lens as it's ridiculously sharp, has a great aperture, would be ideal for various types of shooting, transfers well into other cameras if you were to upgrade to a gh4 or a red camera using a canon lens adapter.
Danny Bott Thank you for this information, I have been lookin for lenses just like the ones you mentioned
Good ideas. I just spend six weeks traveling with only my phone and a stabilizer for it. Shot, edited and posted same-day shots just using the phone. Yes, you can edit on your phone. I used Adobe Clip (free app) but that's not the only option. I also used Google Photo assistant. This let me travel around Europe with just a carry-on size bag.
Amazing video I really liked how you ended that. Really well said
You never cease to inspire me. Can't wait to see how the short film turns out.
You did a little mind f*ck trick there on the end haha, but I like the idea! Can't wait to see what you with that old jvc :)
Yay! DSLR guide keep pumping out the great content!
I have to stop you five seconds in. For beginners, the new kid on the block is the Panasonic LUMIX G7. That's the new best beginner DSLR/DSLM, in my opinion. It's also cheaper.
Yeah exactly, never heard anyone recommending those he mentioned, either the G7 or G85/G80 are the way to go
Well, back when I was getting into filmmaking, around 2012, the T#i was the standard for beginners. It's what I started with.
pavlox Only recently from 2010-2014 it was the t2i-t5i that were the most recommended. Only a short time till people will think the G7 looks like trash.
Nate's Film Tutorials - Haha, very true! Every 3-4 years, a new "best" beginner camera will come out that will blow the previous one out of the water. Like the G7 did with the T2-3i
As much as I love my G7 and 4K glory, it was much more expensive than $250 as it cost about 500€ ($530) with a kitlens after a cashback and strategic buy from the UK when the pound was at its lowest.
You can pick up Sony a3000 mirrorless bodies off eBay all day long for $120. Sometimes I even see them for around $160 with the image stabilized kit lens included. I got a brand new a3000 body with everything but the kit lens for $119 delivered. Add in a couple of vintage lenses and adapters you should still be under $200. They have video pretty close to any of the Canon t3,4,5,6i and the 20mp sensor takes very good stills. Another plus is if you upgrade to a better Sony mirrorless body in the future your adapters and lens will be compatible.
My t6i with a stabilizing lens doesn't do much for stabilizing for video (vlogging) any other camera you might consider? Under $700
If I remember correctly, not all canon IS is created equal. Changing the lens might make more sense. Casey Neistat vloged with the 10-18mm IS which is well under $300.
but if you want really stable, check out the dji gimbals that you can use with your phone.
Phillip K I vlog with the 10-18mm and it's good, I'm just getting started and I did some new footage today with stabilizing the camera in mind & it looks about better
it's more about the lens when vlogging. a wider lens reduces the visible shake. canons 10-18mm would be a much better vloging lens (or for something with better lowlight look at tokina 11-16mm f2.8)
legendp2011 I'm currently using the 10-18mm 4.5 wide angle lens. It's a good lens don't get me wrong.. I've just seen some mirror less cameras from bigger TH-cam channels & their videos seem to have less shakiness.
well, either you look for a camcroder (sony boss s.th.) or you buy a olympus em series camera. those of probably the best onboard picture stabilisation. the next in line, would be the new pansonic stuff (gx80 or g81 in europe). for video the panasonic stuff is proably the best, considering how much the cameras are optimaized for taking videos and you can use a lot of different lenses. just remeber, that panning is kind of a problem with most i.s. in this regard, the dedecated camcorder is superior. otherwise the pansonic is really good. furthermore with 18-140mm lens you kind of have a verry universal setup for everyday use and can switch to a cheapisch 25mm in low light situations.
I got a used Panasonic G6 with lens for $250 last year. Same sensor as the GH2 which was used to film upstream color. That's my recommendation in this range. Cheers.
At the end I was like what?? Then... Hmm fair enough
I would also suggest the Canon Legria range (I'm not getting paid to write this) it does allow for a certain amount of manual controls; focus, exposure and white balance can be set manually. I got mine for just under £160, which, in camera terms, is still cheap.( I'm referring to the lower priced models) It's not great in super low light, but does very well in reasonably well lit scenarios. Great for learning on how to frame a shot and tell a story.
are you taking another break?
just uploading a couple days late so I don't have to upload on christmas day next week :)
You can schedule your uploads
When filming with an iPhone 6s, a color correct and letterbox filter actually makes it look pretty good, I don't know why more people don't shoot with smart phones
Really appreciated this video! It was great to have that reminder at the end that story matters most. I know I get so caught up in the tech side of things many times that I need to be reminded to just grab a camera and go tell my story. Thanks!
Came across your channel, and I'm so glad I did! I've not long started making videos - complete noob - but I'm enjoying the challenge and want to make them better... quality is terrible currently lol. Working with next to no budget but watching your videos will hopefully help me get them better in time! Many thanks!
i think you are reinventing your content, also I think you are in the good way; congrats man, one of the best episodes
(Sorry for the bad english, i speak another language)
You couldn't have made this video any better. Good job man
no going to lie...I've been loving the old cameras recently. Shot a couple of shorts on my first ever video camera as i wanted to create that old look....beat adding effects in any day of the week!
no effect can ever recreate the old looks!
which camera did you use?
I'm excited to see how film turns out!
I really liked this video, just remembered me that its not all about the technical stuff but to have good story. Sometimes I forget that.
I think the best you can get for 250 is a used Canon EOS M with its 18-55mm stocklense, a Rode Videomicro and some kind of gorilla pod
-Camera and lense used: 180$
-Microphone: 59$
-Gorillapod: If you buy it used and not the most expensive one its way cheaper than 10 bucks
The camera has the same sensor as the T4i and a microphone is also a very good one, I shot my first shortfilm with a setup like this and it looked amazing.
Great timing on this video, now I know what I should ask for during Christmas :D
Thanks, Simon.
I love the point you made at the end. Great comparison vid.
Awesome vid man! Can't wait for the short story.
For a super budget camera, a used Powershot (or similar line of products) can be awesome. I bought a used Powershot 110HS that came with an underwater case. It shoots 1080p at 24, perfect!
I use my JVC all the time because I like the style of video it puts out with all the grain, mix it with some moody music and well shot footage and edit well and it turns out sick
Sooo stoked to see the JVC short film!!
This was really helpful using the basic gear that you have is all you need
Love your channel! I just started to create videos with my DSLR and your videos have helped me tremendously, thank you.
Good video, and congrats on 400k!
Recommend the lumix g7 now. I got it brand new off of amazon for 499.99 and it came with a 64 gb memory card, tripod, and a few other baubles. And it does UHD footage at 24, 25 and 30 fps. Far better than any canon T_i camera.
Love the video, awesome stuff man one of the best channels on youtube, keep it up
I'm really looking forward to seeing your next short now!!
I love this research, and I love the experiment you're talking about for next week. It's easy to forget the story telling part (and I'm not good at it in video at all) - in the context of my day job (Architecture) I see it all the time.
Legend. Can't wait for the short film!
Great video. I'm looking for an entry level video camera and didn't expect just how expensive even the simplest ones are.
Really looking forward to that short film!
I bought a Nikon point and shoot with a flip up monitor and I'm really satisfied with it!
I've been watching your vids for about 2 weeks now. They may be the most informative and high quality videos I have seen. It would be really cool if you started to do live streams of your editing process or your music composing process.
There is (maybe) a Trick to force the Sony P&S to Manual Mode. I use the DSC-HX9V and to get sort of manual Control I set the Dail to M Photo Mode, set the Cam as I like/can and hit the Movie Record Button. Sadly, the exposure hits back to auto while filming.
What an interesting insight. Agree with you that the priority is story-telling. Thanks for sharing.
The quality and contents of your videos are gold. So much to learn! Thanks! Subbed and belled.
extra appreciation for the 'bell' haha thanks :)
This is right on time i have been looking for something like this. Thank you!!!!!
Dude! Your videos are kicking ass! I'm really really impressed nice work! You make me want to be a better film maker.
Looking forward to your short film, Simon.
Love the challenge Simon! Inspired me to get creative for sure!
In the end it's all about the story. Nicely done.
Great vid. I recently purchased a Canon T2i. Can't wait to see how well it works. Saving up for a good lens.
Good choice, can't wait for the short film
This was great. You explain well. Fun to watch. Thanks!
simple and straight to the point! love it