Visual content is becoming so popular that a lot of people are turning to video marketing.
As founder and CEO of Business Blueprint, I always get asked questions about all the videos we have been doing and also the studio that we have. In this video, I’m going to answer another FAQ. This question is “I want to get into video marketing to help to grow my business. What camera should I use?”
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It’s Not All About The Camera
Which camera to use is a really good question. But before I answer, I want to explain a couple of things. My short answer to the question is the one you are most reliably going to use. There is no point in investing a whole bunch of money in a $2,000, $5,000, $10,000 camera if you don’t know how to use it and just give up on it all together. You might as well have just used your smartphone.
There is something more important than the type of camera. The camera that you use is not as important as both the sound and the light.
Having now invested nearly over a million dollars into creating my own TV studio so we can create all of these amazing videos, I’ve learned something very important. Like you, I used to think that it was all about the camera. The camera is important but not as important as you may think. The camera that you use isn’t as important as the sound and the lights that you use.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Camera
In the future, I’m happy to do another video talking about the sound in a lot more detail. If you like, I’ll explain specifically what gear and gadgets that you can use at a very low cost that can increase the quality of your sound and provide you with better light. For now I’ll go over very quickly the things you should consider when choosing a camera and explain the pros and cons of each.
Smartphone vs Camera?
The answer to this question is “it depends”.
It depends on what you’re trying to do and how long your videos are. Where they’re going to be shot. Indoors, outdoors, etc. Let me quickly explain to you some of the options.
As I said before, what’s the best camera? Well, the one that you are going to most reliably use, and the one that you all have at your disposal is of course your smartphone. Now, you all have it on you pretty much at all times. The camera that is built in here is good enough to get you started. It’s not going to cost you any money.
You can either put the phone on a bookshelf, or you can buy a little very inexpensive tripod stands these days that can be attached to any type of smartphone and you can use it to shoot videos. That’s one option that you can use.
SLR Camera & Microphone?
The other option that you can use is a digital SLR camera. Now, there are many different models that are out there. The reason why I like this particular one here is it has on the side an in-built audio jack. You can actually plug in an external microphone to get much better sound.
There’s a whole bunch of different models that do this now. I’m not going to go through all those models because they’re constantly changing. This one here is the Canon 600D, there’s 650, there’s 700. There’s now 1200. It’s best to go to your camera shop and make sure that you’re getting a digital SLR camera that can shoot videos, has interchangeable lenses, and has a built-in audio jack. They’re also available in Canon and some of the other brands such as Nikon, and others as well.
The other thing about this type of camera is you’ll probably need to get an external microphone. I’ll probably do another video on what microphones you have that are available. Ones that are cords, which are very cheap around 40$ or so. Or you might want to try a wireless option as well. This will be a little more expensive and we can talk about that later on.
The Logitech Camera
If most of your videos are done sitting in front of a computer, then you might want to use a Logitech camera. This one here just sits on the top of your computer. Basically, it just records you at your computer doing whatever it is that you are doing. It sits right there on top, and it’s much much better than the inbuilt camera that you have on your computer.
Even though I have a Mac and it has a built in camera, the quality is actually pretty poor. Not really good enough for a decent video. I strongly suggest you get a camera like the Logitech camera which is around $80 to $100 or so. They really make a big difference in the quality of the movies.
For example, this is how a video looks like just using my regular computer camera. Then, just by changing the camera, I’m not changing anything else, not even putting any lights on in the room, nothing. This is the type of quality that I got, which is so much better. There’s a lot more definition, and a lot more light by having that better quality camera.
Again, there are new models that come out all the time. Find out what the latest model is. You can browse through reviews on Amazon, and then you can make your purchase.
Short Range vs Long Range Video Coverage
Are you shooting short marketing videos such as product demos or testimonials? Or longer videos that can last up to 2 hours or more? You need to consider whether you need short range or long range video coverage when choosing a camera.
For example, this particular camera would be a good choice for shooting videos that are shorter in length. It’s fine for producing short marketing videos that are about maybe 15 minutes maximum. You can do interviews with clients and customers aside from product demos or testimonials.
However, if you happen to be a speaker and you want to shoot an actual event, you’re going to need a camera that records an hour, 2 hours, even perhaps a whole day. That’s when you need to invest in a proper video camera. These cameras range between $500 to all the way up to $5,000, depending on what you actually need. They’re the type of cameras that we have in our studios because we are shooting so many different videos.
The Best Camera is…
The best camera to use is the one that you’re going to most reliably use. If it’s your phone, get started there. If it’s the one in front of your computer, go with the Logitech. Otherwise, you can get the digital SLR, or if you need to shoot for much longer, then you can go for a professional video camera.
If you’ve enjoyed watching this video and you want more tips to be able to grow your business, then we need a bit more time together. That’s why I’m inviting you to come to 52 Ways.
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