Why Consider a WebCam
Fancy Equipment
If you have started a YouTube channel you probably thought about investing in some new equipment - a camera and a microphone. After going through a few options you must have realized that professional cameras and microfones are not cheap.
But do not let that be a barrier to start producing content.
You may be amazed with the results you can get (quality wise) with a few tips for using simple and cheaper tools that you most likely already have like a smartphone.
You do not need fancy equipment to create fancy videos.
Audio
In the face of a decision such as 'I can afford either a microphone or a camera' you should definitely go with the microphone.
If a video isn't 4k and super high quality it's probably still watchable but if the sound is full of noise and crackling is an immediate reason to go look for something else.
The quality of our cameras has improved a lot over the past few years on TV but the microphones were already very good from the start and as we saw above it makes sense.
Sound is the most important thing on a video and if you hope to retain an audience make sure you have good sound quality:
- Minimal background noise
- Stronger low ends (for voice)
- Crisp and consistent
- Music with appropriate levels
A good sound on your content is a huge step in the direction to the path of building an audience.
Considering a WebCam
Here I'll try to convince you that a webcam may actually be an excellent option if you want to invest a little to get a better image quality.
Not all webcams are laptop webcams. If you have a laptop you probably have had a video call and realized that the webcam built in is quite terrible, but that's just what they're built for - video calls.
Since streaming became more popular there has been an increase in quality on webcams - you can actually get 1080p and above with little to no 'grain' from usb cameras costing a bit above 100€.
The only problem with these types of cameras is usually the sensor for low light which means that it's easy to fix with a simple trick - get lights.
If you have a desk lamp you can simply find some paper to create some type of 'soft-box effect', or use the 'wall' - this is if you have a white wall near you, point the lamp to the wall so the light will reflect from it to your face or subject.
But you can also use the best light you can get in the world, for free - the sun.
Record near a window and your video will look great.
Using a webcam as another advantage - if you plan on doing videos near your computer and almost always at the same spot having a small camera always mounted will avoid having to waste time on setting up everything to start recording and it will also bring great consistency, having in mind that you won't move it very much.
It's pretty convenient and simple to record using webcams.
Which WebCam?
Logitech, go with Logitech.
I've used a c920 and a c922 they are both amazing cameras and if you use some nice light most people won't be able to tell the difference between them and a 'pro camera'.
As for the microphone I would suggest looking into usb condenser microphones. I recommend thomann for anything audio related.
Here's a link for microphones - here
Here's one for the cameras - here
End Notes
There's not much else to say besides that nowadays there aren't really any excuses to start making great content that can be watched and listened to by a lot of people.