Speaker 1: When looking for a camera to create YouTube videos, chances are is you don't have to break the bank if you know what you need when it comes to the type of content you're creating. But that's why in this video, I'll be sharing five of my cheapest cameras for YouTube, all under $500. So let's get into it. You gotta just press record. Hey, what's up? It's Omar with Think Media. And I just wanna preface all the cameras that I'll be sharing in this video are going through the lens of it being used specifically for YouTube videos. And so that's the understanding that you may do some talking head videos, kind of like this. Maybe you're gonna be vlogging, maybe you're gonna be live streaming, and then you're gonna be potentially using the camera to create thumbnails and so taking some pictures. That is the lens in which I am recommending these cameras for. And I also wanna let you know to be sure to check out the links down in the description below for updated pricing, as I will be sharing some cameras that would be best bought used to save the most money. And with that being said, let's get into the first camera, which is a Canon DSLR. And actually I have two of them. And the first one is the Canon SL2, other known as 200D or the Canon 80D. Now what makes both of these cameras great for YouTube videos is that they have great autofocus. They have Canon's famous dual pixel autofocus where you can simply tap on the screen on your face, and then it'll track your face and keep you in focus. Speaking of tapping on your face, you actually also have a flip out screen, which is great to be able to monitor yourself while you're filming your videos or vlogs, which is a nice thing to make sure that your shot composition is good and that you are in focus. Both of these cameras have interchangeable lens capabilities so you can upgrade your lens later on, or you can change your lens even when you buy the camera. And one thing to know about a lens in particular is it's the lens that actually gives you the look of your video. And so if you want a really wide shot, you're gonna wanna get a wide lens. And so if you're gonna do vlogs with one of these cameras, you're gonna wanna look into a lens that will produce that look, or maybe you want something that's more on the medium tight side that gives you a nice blurry background. Either way, the ability to choose is a cool thing about these cameras. Both of these cameras have a mic jack input so you can upgrade the audio and plug in an external mic, whether that be a lavalier or a shotgun mic that you would like to put on top of the camera, or boom it so you can get great sounding audio, which is kind of what I like to do. I have a mic boomed right out of the shot. And so that's something you can do with these cameras as well. Both the SL2 and 80D are easy to use cameras, and Canon just does a great job at creating cameras for beginners. And so if you are just starting out, these cameras are great for that. I would say the biggest cons or negatives about these cameras is that they are DSLRs, which is kind of phasing out as we move on, which is why you can get them at such a cheap price. But it's also that they have a limited recording limit and you can only record up to about 30 minutes with these cameras. But all in all, both these cameras are great for creating YouTube videos. The next camera I would recommend is the Canon M6. Now this is the first mirrorless camera I'm recommending in this video. Unlike the DSLR cameras that I just mentioned, this camera is mirrorless, meaning it is just smaller in nature. It does produce a very similar image, but maybe you need a smaller camera. The M6 is a great option. The Canon M6 shoots in 1080 and also has dual pixel autofocus. And it also has a flip up screen as opposed to an articulating flip out screen, which I'll talk about the con a little bit in a moment. But being able to see yourself right behind the camera is a super nice and convenient way to film yourself. This camera also has great stabilization features. It's a digital stabilization, but nonetheless really great for vlogging. Now this camera does have interchangeable lenses and they would be Canon EF-M mount type lenses, but there's a ton that are offered. And I actually made a buyer's guide for this kind of camera's lenses and you can check that out down in the description below if you wanna look and maybe price out some lenses, because maybe you wanna go with the Canon M6 because it is a great option. However, I would say the biggest con with the Canon M6 is that because the flip up screen, you'll just have to invest into a special plate or cage that would relocate that cold shoe mount, but definitely would be an inexpensive thing that you can get for the Canon M6. Now I got one more camera that I wanna share and maybe something to consider other than buying any of these cameras. However, if you're getting value in this video, hit that like button. And if you ever wondered how you can make money with YouTube I wanna encourage you to take our free one hour YouTube class found at thinkmasterclass.com. You'll learn the secrets on how you can actually use YouTube to create a part-time or full-time income. And how cool would it be if you invested in one of these cameras and then you just look back a year from now and this investment made you so much money. I wanna encourage you take that one hour free masterclass again, found at thinkmasterclass.com or check out the link down in the description below. But the next camera I wanna talk about is the Sony A6300. Some of the best things about this camera is that it shoots in 4K resolution, which gives you a nice sharp and clear image. This camera also has interchangeable lenses and an audio input so that you can upgrade those things as well. It also has really great auto-focus and it makes it super easy to stay in focus while you're filming yourself. One cool pro feature it has is that it has a clean HDMI. And that simply means that if you wanna use this camera as a webcam, you can simply invest into a micro HDMI cord and a cheap capture card and actually use this camera for your Zoom calls or live streams, really taking your webcam quality to the next level. However, with its small size, I would say the battery life isn't that good. It really dies quickly. However, you can invest into a continuous power solution for a very inexpensive price, which is one way to work around that. Another con of this camera is it does have a tendency to overheat in warmer conditions. And sometimes you would think the condition you're shooting in isn't even that warm, but yet it would still overheat. It just has a tendency to do that, especially when you shoot in 4K. So that is something to keep in mind. And another con would be is that it doesn't have a screen that flips out towards you. So it doesn't have a flip up screen or an articulating screen where you can see yourself. You'll actually have to buy an attachment that you can put on the cold shoe, but that's another investment in order to see yourself. But I would say just for the price, you're probably gonna get the best image out of all the cameras that I mentioned in this video. And then the final con I would say is that it just doesn't have any stabilization technology in it. So if you are gonna use the Sony A6300 to vlog, it's probably gonna be a little bit shaky. Maybe you can get around it with certain lenses that have optical steady shot or that are super wide. But nonetheless, I would say this camera really shines when using it in a controlled environment and not necessarily outside vlogging and doing gnarly things like that. The next camera is a GoPro Hero 9 or 10. And we've covered the GoPro a ton on this channel and Nolan has covered different accessories for it, the best settings for it. And it is a great camera, particularly for vlogging. And so if you need a camera setup that you don't have to think about the settings, but you wanna capture what's going on, then the GoPro is a great option. And I would say that this camera is the cheapest camera that produces the highest resolution. I wouldn't say necessarily it looks better because you can't get a blurry background with the GoPro, which is a con because it's a fixed lens and so you can't really change the lens out. However, it does produce high resolutions, which is nice for being able to crop in and out of your shots. The reason I do recommend getting the GoPro Hero 9 maybe over the 10 is because you now have some money to invest into some accessories. And I would encourage for sure to invest in an external mic solution, which would cost you right around $80 to be able to do that. And so maybe the 9 would be better in that case because you want good audio out of your videos. Now, because this camera has a very small sensor, because of its small size, it doesn't do too well in low light. And so you're gonna need really great lighting conditions to produce a great shot. And so it really works best with the sun being your light source. But if you have a studio setup kind of like this, I wouldn't recommend getting a GoPro. However, you can use a GoPro like this. You're just gonna need to supply a lot of lighting if you want it to look good with whatever you're filming. But if you think that you're gonna be creating vlogs, like lifestyle videos for your YouTube channel, then I would encourage you to check out Nolan's breakdown of the best vlogging cameras under $500. And I'll post a link to that down in the description below, or you can check out that video at the end of this video. Now, the next camera is kind of the legendary YouTube camera and that is the Canon M50. Now, this camera doesn't retail at around $500, but you can totally buy this camera used for under $500. And I would say is one of the better cameras that I talked about in this video because it is reliable, it's proven, and it is just a great camera for YouTube. It has everything you would think you'd need. It has a mic jack input, the flip out screen, the great autofocus, the small form factor. Now it does shoot in 4K, but I wouldn't recommend to shoot in 4K. However, it is an incredible 1080P camera. And I definitely think it's a great camera to consider. I really think hand in hand, it would be like the A6300 or the Canon M50 when it comes to this price point. And really when it comes to these two, I think the deciding factor would be reliability. And Canon cameras are just a lot more reliable than the older Sony cameras. And so Canon M50, 100% a great option if you are under the $500 budget. However, I have one more thing I wanna tell you about, and that is to potentially use $500 to invest into your smartphone. Smartphones as of late shoot in 4K. They also have great autofocus. They're easy to use. They do technically have mic jack inputs, and you can totally accessorize them and make them shine. A lot of people don't think that they can use their smartphone to create YouTube videos, but you get an awesome light, a wireless microphone, a wide angle lens, a gimbal, a tripod, literally everything you need to film videos for $500. And that would be on the side of getting quality equipment, which you can use once you buy a camera. And so I definitely think that there is something that you need to ask yourself, and that is if you want to use your smartphone to create the content, because it is the easiest way to do it. Because if you buy a $500 camera that is a little bit outdated, you still have to buy the other things, because all these cameras that I just mentioned in this video won't shine unless you have a good audio and light solution, as well as a tripod to hold it up, and things like that. So that's something to take in consideration, that when you buy a camera for YouTube, there's definitely some other things that you'll want to consider when investing in one. But all that to say, whether you're vlogging or creating talking head videos, consider a smartphone studio investment. If you're looking to move faster and also make the right investment up front of lightings and mics. But if you want to check out a video where I break down that $500 setup around your smartphone, then you can click or tap the screen, or check out that other video that I mentioned that Nolan did about vlogging cameras under $500. You can click or tap the screen, and I can't wait to see you in a future video, peace. ♪ Ooh, ♪ ♪ Ooh, ♪