Video equipment for DIY content creation

Ready to start creating content for your channel?

Here are 6 steps to help you get started:

Camera. Use what you already have - like a cellphone. Or upgrade to a camera for more flexible controls, like removable lens and higher image quality.
Tripod. With a budget in mind, lightweight tripods made of aluminum are the best option.
Studio lighting. Natural light is always great. But ring lights and softbox light kits give you more control.
Quality audio. Lavalier and shotgun mics give you clear and quality audio, without breaking the bank.
Filming backdrop. A plain white wall with a few props, or computer desk, make excellent backdrops.
Editing software. Industry standard video and photo editing software can get pricey but to start out there are plenty of free apps for desktop, like Blender or Shotcut.

Hi, I'm Hayley Dasovich. I'm a YouTuber and social media coach based in San Francisco, and today we're going to talk about equipment for any budget to help you get off the ground creating content for your company or a personal brand. If you want to create and deliver top-notch photo and video content, you do not need to break the bank on high-end camera gear or equipment for your studio. There's so much information about what kind of equipment you should get, and it's easy to get paralysis analysis.

So I'm going to break this down as easy as possible and talk about six ways you can create a content studio on any budget. One camera you already have on you is your smartphone. Smartphones have amazing video quality and are perfect for on the go shooting. Just remember to turn the camera so it's in landscape orientation, place the camera slightly above eye level so your viewers aren't looking at your chin, and look at the camera so your gaze is directed at your viewers and not yourself.

If you are ready to upgrade from your smartphone to a camera with a little bit more of a professional look and quality, here are three camera options you may consider. All three cameras I'm about to show you have a premium quality lens with 1080p resolution, wireless connectivity, so you can easily share photos and videos through different devices and image stabilization built into the lens to help you get smooth footage and avoid shakiness. One more thing to add is these cameras do not have complicated settings or menus that are hard to understand.

So they are made ready for you to create content whenever you want to. The Sony ZV-1 is a camera made specifically for creators. It's compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a flipped screen to make it easy to see what you're filming. Canon G7X series released their latest model the G7 Mark 3. This point and shoot camera packs quite a punch for all it has to offer. It shoots in 120 frames per second.

Which gives you that smooth, crisp, slow motion. It's got a flip out screen, which is useful if you're speaking to the camera and want to make sure you can see yourself on screen. The Fujifilm XT 200 is designed for first-time users and smartphone upgraders. It's lightweight and has a three and a half inch touch screen that also flips out. Once you've chosen your camera, it's time to choose a tripod and I always recommend getting a tripod that matches your height.

With your budget in mind, the best tripod material is aluminum. And these are the cheaper tripods you can find today. They're lightweight, which makes it easy to move and travel with. The cheapest tripods by far and the most versatile or the Joby gorilla pods. They're super compact with flexible arms so you can attach it to virtually anything. The most affordable lighting is to work in natural lighting but you might be limited with daylight.

So sometimes natural lighting doesn't always meet the requirements. In this case, here are some budget-friendly options. A ring light is good for direct lighting and comes with an extendable tripod. A softbox light will spread the light throughout the space more so it will eliminate shadows and it's much more versatile. You can find both ring light kits and soft box kits for as low as $50. Lest we not forget how important and clear your audio needs to be.

There are a few ways you can go about this. The first option is a level or mic. These can be wired or wireless and you can connect a wired mic to your camera or your phone. If your budget can afford it look for an on-camera mic. These are typically called shotgun mics and are used for clear and direct audio. One thing to note, just make sure your camera has an audio input for this mic. Rode mics are excellent, all in one mics.

You can even use a Rode mic for voiceovers. It's so crisp. You can easily put together a DIY filming backdrop. If you have a plain white wall, you can use as little as two props behind you, like a piece of art and a lamp. Another option is to set your studio up in front of a bookcase. Your workspace or computer desk can also make for an excellent backdrop. Industry standard photo and video editing software can get a bit pricey.

But to start out, there are plenty of free apps for desktop. Blender, Lightworks and Shotcut are all free and available on Mac, Windows and Linux. Macs come with iMovie, it's a very intuitive software and an easy learning curve. On Windows VSDC is a free editor that is also relatively straightforward. For photo editing, if your budget can afford it, the best software is Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.

However, there are a number of Photoshop alternatives. Gimp, Canva and Fotor to name a few. And there you have it best of luck with your homegrown studio and I'll see you on the next lesson.

Check out some free editing software apps for desktop, like Blender, Lightworks, Shotcut. Or get familiar with the built in software on your computer: VSCD (Windows) and iMovie (Mac).