# What's a good "sweet spot" camera + audio setup for making movies for YouTube **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 31, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-sweet-spot-camera-audio-setup-for-making-movies-for-youtube/729514 "2015-08-31T16:52:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-sweet-spot-camera-audio-setup-for-making-movies-for-youtube/729514/1 "2015-08-31T16:52:55Z")
I plan to start making YouTube videos soon, and all I have right now is PhotoBooth on my make. That or my phone. 🙂 So… what’s a good camera + audio setup to buy (new or used)? By “sweet spot” I mean the right gear for a good price–not the ultimate gearhead kit. I plan to make videos of me talking indoors–going to do beer reviews and whatnot. So recommend lighting, or maybe a camera with a low enough f-number would work? Thanks in advance for your wide counsel! ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-sweet-spot-camera-audio-setup-for-making-movies-for-youtube/729514/2 "2015-08-31T19:23:54Z")
Surely someone has an opinion! ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-sweet-spot-camera-audio-setup-for-making-movies-for-youtube/729514/3 "2015-08-31T19:32:13Z")
I’m watching the thread to see what gets recommended. I have the same question. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-sweet-spot-camera-audio-setup-for-making-movies-for-youtube/729514/4 "2015-08-31T19:38:54Z")
Depends on what kind of budget you had in mind, as of course the variation is enormous and everyone has a very different idea of what “the right gear for a good price” is to them. Certainly, a lack of professional equipment has never stopped anyone from uploading their videos to YouTube. But if you have some pocket change you don’t mind blowing and really want at least a semi-professional look, you’ve got lots of options. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-sweet-spot-camera-audio-setup-for-making-movies-for-youtube/729514/5 "2015-08-31T23:47:33Z")
Yep. What would you say are some good options? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-sweet-spot-camera-audio-setup-for-making-movies-for-youtube/729514/6 "2015-09-01T00:38:02Z")
For what level of budget? That was the information I was trying to solicit by saying it depends. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-sweet-spot-camera-audio-setup-for-making-movies-for-youtube/729514/7 "2015-09-01T01:14:21Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > For what level of budget? That was the information I was trying to solicit by saying it depends. Right, mmkay. I was thinking maybe about a grand, but here’s where you can say, “For just $200 _more_, you can get…” See what I mean? Or maybe I can kit up at $600 and get virtually something as good as the $1,000 package. Wisdomize me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-sweet-spot-camera-audio-setup-for-making-movies-for-youtube/729514/8 "2015-09-01T01:50:42Z")
I was looking at [this](http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Q8Zoom?adpos=1o3&creative=54989979481&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CNez0f_b1McCFUdufgoddMkLHQ). It seems like audio is almost completely neglected in video recorders, but it’s the one thing I really want done right. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-sweet-spot-camera-audio-setup-for-making-movies-for-youtube/729514/9 "2015-09-01T01:59:36Z")
I see the Zoom Q8 doesn’t get good reviews for video quality. I am wondering if anyone even makes a camera that takes good video **and** audio. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-sweet-spot-camera-audio-setup-for-making-movies-for-youtube/729514/10 "2015-09-01T02:03:16Z")
SD? HD? 4K? Get a low-end Canon DSLR with its kit lens, and buy a cheap primary. Even the low-end ones have audio input. As a bonus you have a fairly nice DSLR for taking creative snapshots and photos. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-sweet-spot-camera-audio-setup-for-making-movies-for-youtube/729514/11 "2015-09-01T02:36:01Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > SD? HD? 4K? HD but not 4K… does YouTube even support 4K-level video? ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-good-sweet-spot-camera-audio-setup-for-making-movies-for-youtube/729514/12 "2015-09-02T17:45:02Z")
> [@Arrendajo](#): > > I see the Zoom Q8 doesn’t get good reviews for video quality. I am wondering if anyone even makes a camera that takes good video **and** audio. I don’t have any recommendations to make, but it’s a good idea to look at audio capability. Most amateurs don’t consider audio and their voices end up competing with all the background noise that built-in mics pick up. Wherever people are drinking beer, there’ll be a lot of loud chatter, so you’ll definitely need to isolate your voice from it with an external mic.