What cameras are you guys using that are documenting garage work for the YouTubes?
I have a couple knockoff GoPro “action camera” 1080p units. Thinking about doing some videos of future builds for the heck of it since I do some crazy stuff and intend to get crazier.
also which video editor software (free/cheap?) is out there for this
A GoPro will do a decent job as a set-and-forget time lapse camera.
Check these out for software:
http://ffdiaporama.tuxfamily.org/
https://hackaday.com/2017/08/11/hackaday-prize-entry-fabdoc-is-version-control-for-project-images/
I have a knockoff GoPro but the video quality isn't all that great. It's ok to set up in the corner to record an overall shot of what is going on.
My friend who does most of the filming and all of the editing has a Canon camera of some sort (maybe like this?https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/vixia-hf-r800-white). It works pretty well.
I have been curious about the <$100 chinese camcorders on Amazon, I wonder if the image quality would be comparable to the Canon?
Don't forget that most recent phones can also produce pretty decent HD video as long as you have enough light. Good lighting (a problem in my garage) and a good tripod are pretty much essential.
Re software, depends on the OS. I'm not a video editor by any stretch of imagination but iMovie on the Mac seems to do an OK job, and IIRC there is a free video editor that comes with Windows or is available from MS. For pro stuff there is also a free version of Da Vinci Resolve - I've played with an older version and it does have more of a learning curve than I had time to work through so far, but it's a very powerful tool.
Use your phone! There's a reason GoPro went through the toilet.
I have a 1080p camcorder that I snagged at Best Buy for $80 on clearance down from $160. I wouldn't say it has the best quality, but I usually use it for online stuff and until it gets compressed and uploaded the camera is often better than I need.
I also have a Nikon D3200 that shoots amazing HD video. 32gig cards get me about 22 minutes of video so I just ordered a couple 128gig cards.
My cell phone does very poor video but it works in a pinch.
I think the real bargain would be a used HD camcorder. You can probably find them cheap. Certainly a lot cheaper than a GoPro, and not much bigger.
Hop on Craigslist and find an older Canon DSLR. There are always broke college students selling theirs for dirt cheap. I got a Canon T4i for like $200 with a lens and several batteries like that. It shoots excellent HD quality video, especially when combined with a tripod of some kind.
GoPros are good for action shots or giving an alternative viewpoint, but I find that their video and audio quality isn't all that great unless you go for the newer versions.
You'll need to log in to post.
