Previously, I talked about microphones and whether it’s worth the money to invest in an expensive video microphone. This week I want to discuss your camera. Should you invest in a fancy camera and lens? Will they really make your videos THAT much better? Should you first ask yourself if you're truly ready for expensive equipment, that often comes with a steep learning curve, or will that investment end up collecting dust on a shelf when you lose interest or give up?
Today I’m going to do a few experiments to find out.
When you are first starting out on YouTube, people will say to just use your smartphone. While I agree that it's always best to just get started with whatever equipment you have at your disposal, the big question we all have is this: in a world where you often get one chance to make a good impression, how much of a difference will upgrading really make? I'll be honest, I waited until after I could buy a nice camera and lens before I started making YouTube videos and now I wonder how would my current videos stack up against older iPhone videos? How much better of a content creator would I be now if I had that extra 6 months to a year of practice with my iPhone? Did I actually stunt my growth as a creator by waiting to make a better first impression? I'll never know the answers to those questions, but I can take my phone now and see how it stacks up against my more expensive camera and lens. Maybe this will help those of you who have some of the same questions.
The phone I currently have, and what I will use for this comparison, is an iPhone XR. Not the best iPhone or the worst, just your standard smartphone. I’m going to shoot some video with the iPhone XR and then compare it side by side with footage straight out of my main camera, which is a Sony a6400. When I bought the a6400, which was just on the market at the time with the kit lens for around $1000, I was hoping it would be all I needed to create the cinematic videos I saw posted on YouTube by creators such as Peter McKinnon and Daniel Schiffer. Alas, I was wrong. My footage still didn't look that great. So, after researching, I determined I also needed a better lens for my a6400. Reluctantly, I shelled out another $400 for a Sigma 16mm f1.4 wide angle lens, so I could get that blurry background look those guys had in their videos. I was on my way to stardom!
After investing in the camera and lens, and since I had that blurry background, I should have been set, right? That extra expense was worth it, right?? Well, maybe. What I'm hoping we discover by doing this test is whether 1400 dollars worth of camera equipment is a wise investment for a guy or gal just starting out on YouTube or if I should have just used my phone, got a lot more experience (which would have definitely helped my onscreen presence), and saved that money for important things like donuts and ice cream? Gosh, I love donuts and ice cream, so I sure hope it was worth it. Let’s shoot some footage and find out.
The Comparison - B-roll Sequence
If you keep up with my YouTube videos, you might remember the short sequence at the beginning of one of my recent videos of me turning on the lights in my studio. Well, I also quickly shot that same sequence again using my iPhone, just so we could see the difference. Here are a few screen grabs of that sequence.
The verdict, at least to my eye, is that the a6400 footage is warmer and has that cinematic blurry background that many prefer. I mean, look at the beautiful blur of the lights on the tree and the vintage warmth of the accordion. That should earn me a few more subscribers, at least! Right? I wish. The photos are a little dark or I think the differences would be even more pronounced, but there's a definitive winner when it comes to b-roll shots. As for the iPhone footage, it was handheld and done quickly, but I think the shots are perfectly usable. This leads me to mention the very important fact that the iPhone has the advantage of being smaller and portable (there is something to be said about having your camera right there in your pocket and ready at a moment's notice). The results are not as warm and cinematic, but people have shot good b-roll with an iPhone, so I wouldn’t avoid trying to get some good b-roll with just your smartphone, if that’s your mission and what your current budget allows.
The Comparison - Talking Head Footage
Next, talking head footage. Same thing here, I shot from the same position with both the a6400 and the iPhone.
My Final Verdict
Truthfully, I think a good camera is a bit of a cheat code when it comes to quality footage. I can usually get great footage with my a6400 without too much fuss, as long as my lighting is good, I have my subject in focus, and I remember to take my lens cap off. Now, that doesn't mean I didn't have to spend quite a bit of time researching and learning the ins and outs of the camera. Believe me, there is a learning curve if you want to get the most out of a nice camera, so absolutely expect to be doing a bit of research on settings, aperture, aspect ratio, exposure, ISO, shutter speed, etc. but I think that extra research is worth it for anyone who is serious about content creation and getting the best out of their equipment. Again, ask the question of whether you're ready.
In the end, I think the main takeaway should be to start utilizing whatever equipment you have and gain that experience. No amount of money or fancy equipment will buy or replace know-how or great camera presence. If you want to save up to improve your sound or lighting or video, that's great and I would encourage you to take those steps, but you also want to be creating all along the way. The result with that approach is that the investment you make in new equipment will coincide with where you are as a creator. You'll really be able to take advantage of the new equipment and not end up like the countless other overly-ambitious creators who ended up with expensive equipment collecting dust on their shelves.
So, are you ready?
