"Ace's Top 10 List Choosing Superior Capture Cards for 2024"

"Ace's Top 10 List Choosing Superior Capture Cards for 2024"

Steven Lv12
  2024-05-25 18:44:24 2024-05-25 18:44:24 Created   2024-05-26 18:44:24 2024-05-26 18:44:24 Updated    

Ace’s Top 10 List: Choosing Superior Capture Cards

The Top 10 Capture Cards for YouTube

Richard Bennett

Nov 04, 2022• Proven solutions

0

If you are like to share gameplay videos, it’s very important that you have a high-quality capture card. With the help of a capture card, you can easily get all of the in-game footage that you need to make amazing videos and grow a healthy YouTube channel . In this article we will break down the top 10 capture cards for gaming YouTubers in 2018:

Click here for more tips on being a YouTube gamer .

1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro

Price: $204

Compatibility: Windows, Switch, 360, Xbox One, PS4

Specs: Internal PCI 4k 30fps

Highlights: Made for streaming. Improved benchmark speeds.

This capture card works with an HDMI interface as well as the ability to be plugged into any type of PC game device. The process for setting it up and recording is extremely simple and the casing has been designed for improving the performance of the system and making it easier to integrate with many different devices. With an up to 16 MB per second capture bitrate, this is a pro tool.

2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S

Price: $160

Compatibility: Xbox one, switch, ps4

Specs: This device does 1080p at 60 fps

Highlights: This is one of very few game capture devices that come with USB 3.0 compatibility for easy access to almost any type of gaming device.

The card itself is mind-blowingly easy to set up with its external USB. It’s made for live streaming to YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms. There’s very low latency available on this card and it is one of the highest quality tools for console players.

3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing

Star Tech Adaptor Card

Price: $80

Compatibility: PC, Xbox, PS4

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This USB 3.0 capture card can be quite easily installed almost anywhere and captures up to 60 frames per second for live streams.

This card comes with a wide range of ports including DVI, Component, HDMI, VGA, and USB. It’s tough to find a capture card that has so many different ports available and this can ensure that it’s possible to capture on almost any type of gaming system or device. A helpful tutorial is also included with this capture card to ensure that you can get the best video format from every console.

4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card

Price: $135

Compatibility: TV, DVR, Satellite, Xbox, PC, PlayStation

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This card is an internal PCI card allowing it to remain as a consistent capture device inside a PC.

This card is perfect for recording live programs from a TV to your computer, offloading programs off of your DVR, as well as recording live game footage from PlayStation, Xbox, or your PC. Included alongside this card is the chance to use Stream EEZ for live streaming directly to platforms like Upstream, Twitch, and YouTube.

5. Elgato Game Capture HD

Price: $159

Compatibility: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, Mac

Specs: 1080p at 60fps

Highlights: The game capture HD offers a one-click sharing system to YouTube as well as flashback recording where you can turn back 10 or 15 minutes to record content that just happened.

Overall this is one of the easiest capture cards to set up because it comes with USB 3.0 and HDMI connections. For most modern gaming consoles, it offers the same type of features including the flashback recording solution to record retroactively. The device includes unlimited game capture at a fairly reasonable price and a creation suite so that you can do multitrack recording from your webcam. Editing footage from the card makes it very easy to quickly export clips for all of your content and publish them on social media. This game capture device is also known for its extremely compact design. It is only around the size of a mobile phone, meaning it can be quite easily carried in your pocket.

6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle

Price: $148

Compatibility: Plug and play with no drivers needed. PC, Mac, Linux, any iOS

Specs: 1080p 60 fps

Highlights: Doesn’t require any type of driver installation. This will work on any operating system or computer for quick recording.

The card itself is known for its USB 3.0 support as well as USB 2.0, and for not needing drivers. There is no more compatible card on the market right now. If you have had issues with other cards in the past or you regularly run Linux, you should consider this device to be prepared for all your recording needs. The device will detect the input and adjust output automatically to ensure a crystal-clear picture based on the type of device that you’re recording from. Imillet also offers a great warranty of six months free replacement as well as 12 months free repair on the card for anyone that is ordering it. The software that comes with the card is extremely simple but it does the job quite effectively, allowing for quick recording from multiple devices and simple detection for a video signal and output. Input formats can range from 480p to 1080p and frame rates can go as high as 60 frames per second. The device has great stats for its live capture but many people have experienced problems when trying to record from DVR specifically.

7. HDML Cloner Box Pro

Price: $135

Compatibility: Compatible with game consoles, windows, mac.

Specs: 1080p video at 60fps max

Highlights: The HDML Cloner Box comes with its own remote and the option to record using VGA, AV, YPbPr, and HDMI.

With so many different inputs available on this card it’s possible to record from almost any type of gaming device. With the hardware encoder which is on board, you can save videos as MP4 files and then instantly transfer them over to a flash drive on the device. You can get all of your saved files available without even having access to a PC. The box works as a standalone and it doesn’t have to be plugged into a computer to work. Free editing and converter software are included but with a storage memory card placed in the device and you can record a huge amount of footage and then edit it on your PC later on. With the quick connect feature, it is easy to set up recording and then perform all the functions you need for recording, stopping, and pausing on the remote as you use it. This remains one of the only cards available where it works as a standalone and allows for the chance to save videos to a flash drive or storage device without having to have a computer plugged in. The free converter software and video editing that comes with this device add extra value as well. An optional two-year warranty can make sure that you are ready for anything concerning this card.

8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder

Price: $80

Compatibility: TV, VCR, DVD, Digital camcorder, Laptop, PC, Mac, Game console

Specs: 480p

Highlights: This works as a standalone recorder with up to 32 GB of onboard memory. There’s no need to plug it into a computer for it to work and with the help of the memory card, you can record a wide range of output videos in AVI.

This card is designed as a standalone option and it’s extremely small with a USB 2.0 interface. Overall the quality of this card is not quite as technically advanced as some of the others on our list but it can record a video that is perfectly appropriate for the web or sharing over platforms like YouTube. The device can be set up quite easily with the help of an RCA connection cable, USB power cable, or other options. Generally, you may need access to an RCA to HDMI adapter if you want to record video off of a more modern laptop or camera. Where this device takes over on its competitors is the idea of just how simple it is to use. It weighs less than a pound and has a ‘one-button operation’ to start and pause recording. As of the completely standalone option, it doesn’t require any type of connection to a computer to record video. If you are looking for one of the simplest capture cards on the market that outputs to AVI in web quality, this is it.

9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve

Price: $121

Compatibility: HDMI input standalone mass compatibility

Specs: 4k video input, 1080p 60fps output

Highlights: This is a standalone USB capture device that comes with its remote. It also features dual HDMI slots allowing for up to two sources of video during recording (so you can also record from a facecam).

The card itself features a stream and capture function so that you can stream gameplay to any type of USB storage device. By plugging in a hard drive you can just press one button to record gaming videos and then handle the process of live streaming, editing, and more. Through two HDMI inputs supported and a very powerful remote control, you record on any device with fantastic image quality and without even having to plug it into any type of computer. While many of these standalone style capture boxes only support the use of minimal storage, this is a device that is capable of getting hooked up to any type of USB external hard drive for a chance to capture nearly unlimited video on your Cloner Box. As a bonus, the MP4 video editing software that is included will make the process of trimming, copying, and converting easier than ever. This has incredible value to the overall product. As an additional bonus, this Cloner Box also features a quick heat dissipation capability which can help to prevent lagging and other common problems that occur with many types of capture boxes when they overheat. A free microphone slot in addition to the HDMI slots makes recording professional voiceovers for any gameplay videos as easy as possible!

10. Avermedia Avercapture HD

Price: $99

Compatibility: Any console, PC, Mac

Specs: This device is capable of capture in full 1080p/60fps as well as the style encoding for quick streaming and easy video capture.

Highlights: The timeshift feature available on this device makes it simple to record retroactively as well as offer ultralow streaming and recording over time. The device makes it easy to capture and stream and it comes with a competitive two-year warranty.

This card works as a USB capture card from most any type of device, it captures through a component input or HDMI input and it has some of the lowest latency for any type of team capture. With one slot for video input as well as an audio input slot, it’s possible to record quick gameplay and voiceovers at any time with very minimal setup. Streaming and recording in full 1080p are done quite easily on this device and it’s designed to use less processing power than some of the competitors to ensure minimal game lag. RECental is included as part of this device so that you can set up live streaming to many of the top platforms available online. The timeshift function comes with a one-hour buffer ensuring if a great gameplay moment happens, you can shift back and begin recording from that time. Commentary and sharing are made easy with the software that’s included with this device. It makes sharing and recording an easy process for any avid video recorder.

Let us know what capture card you use and if you’re happy with it!

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 04, 2022• Proven solutions

0

If you are like to share gameplay videos, it’s very important that you have a high-quality capture card. With the help of a capture card, you can easily get all of the in-game footage that you need to make amazing videos and grow a healthy YouTube channel . In this article we will break down the top 10 capture cards for gaming YouTubers in 2018:

Click here for more tips on being a YouTube gamer .

1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro

Price: $204

Compatibility: Windows, Switch, 360, Xbox One, PS4

Specs: Internal PCI 4k 30fps

Highlights: Made for streaming. Improved benchmark speeds.

This capture card works with an HDMI interface as well as the ability to be plugged into any type of PC game device. The process for setting it up and recording is extremely simple and the casing has been designed for improving the performance of the system and making it easier to integrate with many different devices. With an up to 16 MB per second capture bitrate, this is a pro tool.

2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S

Price: $160

Compatibility: Xbox one, switch, ps4

Specs: This device does 1080p at 60 fps

Highlights: This is one of very few game capture devices that come with USB 3.0 compatibility for easy access to almost any type of gaming device.

The card itself is mind-blowingly easy to set up with its external USB. It’s made for live streaming to YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms. There’s very low latency available on this card and it is one of the highest quality tools for console players.

3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing

Star Tech Adaptor Card

Price: $80

Compatibility: PC, Xbox, PS4

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This USB 3.0 capture card can be quite easily installed almost anywhere and captures up to 60 frames per second for live streams.

This card comes with a wide range of ports including DVI, Component, HDMI, VGA, and USB. It’s tough to find a capture card that has so many different ports available and this can ensure that it’s possible to capture on almost any type of gaming system or device. A helpful tutorial is also included with this capture card to ensure that you can get the best video format from every console.

4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card

Price: $135

Compatibility: TV, DVR, Satellite, Xbox, PC, PlayStation

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This card is an internal PCI card allowing it to remain as a consistent capture device inside a PC.

This card is perfect for recording live programs from a TV to your computer, offloading programs off of your DVR, as well as recording live game footage from PlayStation, Xbox, or your PC. Included alongside this card is the chance to use Stream EEZ for live streaming directly to platforms like Upstream, Twitch, and YouTube.

5. Elgato Game Capture HD

Price: $159

Compatibility: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, Mac

Specs: 1080p at 60fps

Highlights: The game capture HD offers a one-click sharing system to YouTube as well as flashback recording where you can turn back 10 or 15 minutes to record content that just happened.

Overall this is one of the easiest capture cards to set up because it comes with USB 3.0 and HDMI connections. For most modern gaming consoles, it offers the same type of features including the flashback recording solution to record retroactively. The device includes unlimited game capture at a fairly reasonable price and a creation suite so that you can do multitrack recording from your webcam. Editing footage from the card makes it very easy to quickly export clips for all of your content and publish them on social media. This game capture device is also known for its extremely compact design. It is only around the size of a mobile phone, meaning it can be quite easily carried in your pocket.

6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle

Price: $148

Compatibility: Plug and play with no drivers needed. PC, Mac, Linux, any iOS

Specs: 1080p 60 fps

Highlights: Doesn’t require any type of driver installation. This will work on any operating system or computer for quick recording.

The card itself is known for its USB 3.0 support as well as USB 2.0, and for not needing drivers. There is no more compatible card on the market right now. If you have had issues with other cards in the past or you regularly run Linux, you should consider this device to be prepared for all your recording needs. The device will detect the input and adjust output automatically to ensure a crystal-clear picture based on the type of device that you’re recording from. Imillet also offers a great warranty of six months free replacement as well as 12 months free repair on the card for anyone that is ordering it. The software that comes with the card is extremely simple but it does the job quite effectively, allowing for quick recording from multiple devices and simple detection for a video signal and output. Input formats can range from 480p to 1080p and frame rates can go as high as 60 frames per second. The device has great stats for its live capture but many people have experienced problems when trying to record from DVR specifically.

7. HDML Cloner Box Pro

Price: $135

Compatibility: Compatible with game consoles, windows, mac.

Specs: 1080p video at 60fps max

Highlights: The HDML Cloner Box comes with its own remote and the option to record using VGA, AV, YPbPr, and HDMI.

With so many different inputs available on this card it’s possible to record from almost any type of gaming device. With the hardware encoder which is on board, you can save videos as MP4 files and then instantly transfer them over to a flash drive on the device. You can get all of your saved files available without even having access to a PC. The box works as a standalone and it doesn’t have to be plugged into a computer to work. Free editing and converter software are included but with a storage memory card placed in the device and you can record a huge amount of footage and then edit it on your PC later on. With the quick connect feature, it is easy to set up recording and then perform all the functions you need for recording, stopping, and pausing on the remote as you use it. This remains one of the only cards available where it works as a standalone and allows for the chance to save videos to a flash drive or storage device without having to have a computer plugged in. The free converter software and video editing that comes with this device add extra value as well. An optional two-year warranty can make sure that you are ready for anything concerning this card.

8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder

Price: $80

Compatibility: TV, VCR, DVD, Digital camcorder, Laptop, PC, Mac, Game console

Specs: 480p

Highlights: This works as a standalone recorder with up to 32 GB of onboard memory. There’s no need to plug it into a computer for it to work and with the help of the memory card, you can record a wide range of output videos in AVI.

This card is designed as a standalone option and it’s extremely small with a USB 2.0 interface. Overall the quality of this card is not quite as technically advanced as some of the others on our list but it can record a video that is perfectly appropriate for the web or sharing over platforms like YouTube. The device can be set up quite easily with the help of an RCA connection cable, USB power cable, or other options. Generally, you may need access to an RCA to HDMI adapter if you want to record video off of a more modern laptop or camera. Where this device takes over on its competitors is the idea of just how simple it is to use. It weighs less than a pound and has a ‘one-button operation’ to start and pause recording. As of the completely standalone option, it doesn’t require any type of connection to a computer to record video. If you are looking for one of the simplest capture cards on the market that outputs to AVI in web quality, this is it.

9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve

Price: $121

Compatibility: HDMI input standalone mass compatibility

Specs: 4k video input, 1080p 60fps output

Highlights: This is a standalone USB capture device that comes with its remote. It also features dual HDMI slots allowing for up to two sources of video during recording (so you can also record from a facecam).

The card itself features a stream and capture function so that you can stream gameplay to any type of USB storage device. By plugging in a hard drive you can just press one button to record gaming videos and then handle the process of live streaming, editing, and more. Through two HDMI inputs supported and a very powerful remote control, you record on any device with fantastic image quality and without even having to plug it into any type of computer. While many of these standalone style capture boxes only support the use of minimal storage, this is a device that is capable of getting hooked up to any type of USB external hard drive for a chance to capture nearly unlimited video on your Cloner Box. As a bonus, the MP4 video editing software that is included will make the process of trimming, copying, and converting easier than ever. This has incredible value to the overall product. As an additional bonus, this Cloner Box also features a quick heat dissipation capability which can help to prevent lagging and other common problems that occur with many types of capture boxes when they overheat. A free microphone slot in addition to the HDMI slots makes recording professional voiceovers for any gameplay videos as easy as possible!

10. Avermedia Avercapture HD

Price: $99

Compatibility: Any console, PC, Mac

Specs: This device is capable of capture in full 1080p/60fps as well as the style encoding for quick streaming and easy video capture.

Highlights: The timeshift feature available on this device makes it simple to record retroactively as well as offer ultralow streaming and recording over time. The device makes it easy to capture and stream and it comes with a competitive two-year warranty.

This card works as a USB capture card from most any type of device, it captures through a component input or HDMI input and it has some of the lowest latency for any type of team capture. With one slot for video input as well as an audio input slot, it’s possible to record quick gameplay and voiceovers at any time with very minimal setup. Streaming and recording in full 1080p are done quite easily on this device and it’s designed to use less processing power than some of the competitors to ensure minimal game lag. RECental is included as part of this device so that you can set up live streaming to many of the top platforms available online. The timeshift function comes with a one-hour buffer ensuring if a great gameplay moment happens, you can shift back and begin recording from that time. Commentary and sharing are made easy with the software that’s included with this device. It makes sharing and recording an easy process for any avid video recorder.

Let us know what capture card you use and if you’re happy with it!

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 04, 2022• Proven solutions

0

If you are like to share gameplay videos, it’s very important that you have a high-quality capture card. With the help of a capture card, you can easily get all of the in-game footage that you need to make amazing videos and grow a healthy YouTube channel . In this article we will break down the top 10 capture cards for gaming YouTubers in 2018:

Click here for more tips on being a YouTube gamer .

1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro

Price: $204

Compatibility: Windows, Switch, 360, Xbox One, PS4

Specs: Internal PCI 4k 30fps

Highlights: Made for streaming. Improved benchmark speeds.

This capture card works with an HDMI interface as well as the ability to be plugged into any type of PC game device. The process for setting it up and recording is extremely simple and the casing has been designed for improving the performance of the system and making it easier to integrate with many different devices. With an up to 16 MB per second capture bitrate, this is a pro tool.

2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S

Price: $160

Compatibility: Xbox one, switch, ps4

Specs: This device does 1080p at 60 fps

Highlights: This is one of very few game capture devices that come with USB 3.0 compatibility for easy access to almost any type of gaming device.

The card itself is mind-blowingly easy to set up with its external USB. It’s made for live streaming to YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms. There’s very low latency available on this card and it is one of the highest quality tools for console players.

3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing

Star Tech Adaptor Card

Price: $80

Compatibility: PC, Xbox, PS4

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This USB 3.0 capture card can be quite easily installed almost anywhere and captures up to 60 frames per second for live streams.

This card comes with a wide range of ports including DVI, Component, HDMI, VGA, and USB. It’s tough to find a capture card that has so many different ports available and this can ensure that it’s possible to capture on almost any type of gaming system or device. A helpful tutorial is also included with this capture card to ensure that you can get the best video format from every console.

4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card

Price: $135

Compatibility: TV, DVR, Satellite, Xbox, PC, PlayStation

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This card is an internal PCI card allowing it to remain as a consistent capture device inside a PC.

This card is perfect for recording live programs from a TV to your computer, offloading programs off of your DVR, as well as recording live game footage from PlayStation, Xbox, or your PC. Included alongside this card is the chance to use Stream EEZ for live streaming directly to platforms like Upstream, Twitch, and YouTube.

5. Elgato Game Capture HD

Price: $159

Compatibility: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, Mac

Specs: 1080p at 60fps

Highlights: The game capture HD offers a one-click sharing system to YouTube as well as flashback recording where you can turn back 10 or 15 minutes to record content that just happened.

Overall this is one of the easiest capture cards to set up because it comes with USB 3.0 and HDMI connections. For most modern gaming consoles, it offers the same type of features including the flashback recording solution to record retroactively. The device includes unlimited game capture at a fairly reasonable price and a creation suite so that you can do multitrack recording from your webcam. Editing footage from the card makes it very easy to quickly export clips for all of your content and publish them on social media. This game capture device is also known for its extremely compact design. It is only around the size of a mobile phone, meaning it can be quite easily carried in your pocket.

6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle

Price: $148

Compatibility: Plug and play with no drivers needed. PC, Mac, Linux, any iOS

Specs: 1080p 60 fps

Highlights: Doesn’t require any type of driver installation. This will work on any operating system or computer for quick recording.

The card itself is known for its USB 3.0 support as well as USB 2.0, and for not needing drivers. There is no more compatible card on the market right now. If you have had issues with other cards in the past or you regularly run Linux, you should consider this device to be prepared for all your recording needs. The device will detect the input and adjust output automatically to ensure a crystal-clear picture based on the type of device that you’re recording from. Imillet also offers a great warranty of six months free replacement as well as 12 months free repair on the card for anyone that is ordering it. The software that comes with the card is extremely simple but it does the job quite effectively, allowing for quick recording from multiple devices and simple detection for a video signal and output. Input formats can range from 480p to 1080p and frame rates can go as high as 60 frames per second. The device has great stats for its live capture but many people have experienced problems when trying to record from DVR specifically.

7. HDML Cloner Box Pro

Price: $135

Compatibility: Compatible with game consoles, windows, mac.

Specs: 1080p video at 60fps max

Highlights: The HDML Cloner Box comes with its own remote and the option to record using VGA, AV, YPbPr, and HDMI.

With so many different inputs available on this card it’s possible to record from almost any type of gaming device. With the hardware encoder which is on board, you can save videos as MP4 files and then instantly transfer them over to a flash drive on the device. You can get all of your saved files available without even having access to a PC. The box works as a standalone and it doesn’t have to be plugged into a computer to work. Free editing and converter software are included but with a storage memory card placed in the device and you can record a huge amount of footage and then edit it on your PC later on. With the quick connect feature, it is easy to set up recording and then perform all the functions you need for recording, stopping, and pausing on the remote as you use it. This remains one of the only cards available where it works as a standalone and allows for the chance to save videos to a flash drive or storage device without having to have a computer plugged in. The free converter software and video editing that comes with this device add extra value as well. An optional two-year warranty can make sure that you are ready for anything concerning this card.

8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder

Price: $80

Compatibility: TV, VCR, DVD, Digital camcorder, Laptop, PC, Mac, Game console

Specs: 480p

Highlights: This works as a standalone recorder with up to 32 GB of onboard memory. There’s no need to plug it into a computer for it to work and with the help of the memory card, you can record a wide range of output videos in AVI.

This card is designed as a standalone option and it’s extremely small with a USB 2.0 interface. Overall the quality of this card is not quite as technically advanced as some of the others on our list but it can record a video that is perfectly appropriate for the web or sharing over platforms like YouTube. The device can be set up quite easily with the help of an RCA connection cable, USB power cable, or other options. Generally, you may need access to an RCA to HDMI adapter if you want to record video off of a more modern laptop or camera. Where this device takes over on its competitors is the idea of just how simple it is to use. It weighs less than a pound and has a ‘one-button operation’ to start and pause recording. As of the completely standalone option, it doesn’t require any type of connection to a computer to record video. If you are looking for one of the simplest capture cards on the market that outputs to AVI in web quality, this is it.

9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve

Price: $121

Compatibility: HDMI input standalone mass compatibility

Specs: 4k video input, 1080p 60fps output

Highlights: This is a standalone USB capture device that comes with its remote. It also features dual HDMI slots allowing for up to two sources of video during recording (so you can also record from a facecam).

The card itself features a stream and capture function so that you can stream gameplay to any type of USB storage device. By plugging in a hard drive you can just press one button to record gaming videos and then handle the process of live streaming, editing, and more. Through two HDMI inputs supported and a very powerful remote control, you record on any device with fantastic image quality and without even having to plug it into any type of computer. While many of these standalone style capture boxes only support the use of minimal storage, this is a device that is capable of getting hooked up to any type of USB external hard drive for a chance to capture nearly unlimited video on your Cloner Box. As a bonus, the MP4 video editing software that is included will make the process of trimming, copying, and converting easier than ever. This has incredible value to the overall product. As an additional bonus, this Cloner Box also features a quick heat dissipation capability which can help to prevent lagging and other common problems that occur with many types of capture boxes when they overheat. A free microphone slot in addition to the HDMI slots makes recording professional voiceovers for any gameplay videos as easy as possible!

10. Avermedia Avercapture HD

Price: $99

Compatibility: Any console, PC, Mac

Specs: This device is capable of capture in full 1080p/60fps as well as the style encoding for quick streaming and easy video capture.

Highlights: The timeshift feature available on this device makes it simple to record retroactively as well as offer ultralow streaming and recording over time. The device makes it easy to capture and stream and it comes with a competitive two-year warranty.

This card works as a USB capture card from most any type of device, it captures through a component input or HDMI input and it has some of the lowest latency for any type of team capture. With one slot for video input as well as an audio input slot, it’s possible to record quick gameplay and voiceovers at any time with very minimal setup. Streaming and recording in full 1080p are done quite easily on this device and it’s designed to use less processing power than some of the competitors to ensure minimal game lag. RECental is included as part of this device so that you can set up live streaming to many of the top platforms available online. The timeshift function comes with a one-hour buffer ensuring if a great gameplay moment happens, you can shift back and begin recording from that time. Commentary and sharing are made easy with the software that’s included with this device. It makes sharing and recording an easy process for any avid video recorder.

Let us know what capture card you use and if you’re happy with it!

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 04, 2022• Proven solutions

0

If you are like to share gameplay videos, it’s very important that you have a high-quality capture card. With the help of a capture card, you can easily get all of the in-game footage that you need to make amazing videos and grow a healthy YouTube channel . In this article we will break down the top 10 capture cards for gaming YouTubers in 2018:

Click here for more tips on being a YouTube gamer .

1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro

Price: $204

Compatibility: Windows, Switch, 360, Xbox One, PS4

Specs: Internal PCI 4k 30fps

Highlights: Made for streaming. Improved benchmark speeds.

This capture card works with an HDMI interface as well as the ability to be plugged into any type of PC game device. The process for setting it up and recording is extremely simple and the casing has been designed for improving the performance of the system and making it easier to integrate with many different devices. With an up to 16 MB per second capture bitrate, this is a pro tool.

2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S

Price: $160

Compatibility: Xbox one, switch, ps4

Specs: This device does 1080p at 60 fps

Highlights: This is one of very few game capture devices that come with USB 3.0 compatibility for easy access to almost any type of gaming device.

The card itself is mind-blowingly easy to set up with its external USB. It’s made for live streaming to YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms. There’s very low latency available on this card and it is one of the highest quality tools for console players.

3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing

Star Tech Adaptor Card

Price: $80

Compatibility: PC, Xbox, PS4

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This USB 3.0 capture card can be quite easily installed almost anywhere and captures up to 60 frames per second for live streams.

This card comes with a wide range of ports including DVI, Component, HDMI, VGA, and USB. It’s tough to find a capture card that has so many different ports available and this can ensure that it’s possible to capture on almost any type of gaming system or device. A helpful tutorial is also included with this capture card to ensure that you can get the best video format from every console.

4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card

Price: $135

Compatibility: TV, DVR, Satellite, Xbox, PC, PlayStation

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This card is an internal PCI card allowing it to remain as a consistent capture device inside a PC.

This card is perfect for recording live programs from a TV to your computer, offloading programs off of your DVR, as well as recording live game footage from PlayStation, Xbox, or your PC. Included alongside this card is the chance to use Stream EEZ for live streaming directly to platforms like Upstream, Twitch, and YouTube.

5. Elgato Game Capture HD

Price: $159

Compatibility: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, Mac

Specs: 1080p at 60fps

Highlights: The game capture HD offers a one-click sharing system to YouTube as well as flashback recording where you can turn back 10 or 15 minutes to record content that just happened.

Overall this is one of the easiest capture cards to set up because it comes with USB 3.0 and HDMI connections. For most modern gaming consoles, it offers the same type of features including the flashback recording solution to record retroactively. The device includes unlimited game capture at a fairly reasonable price and a creation suite so that you can do multitrack recording from your webcam. Editing footage from the card makes it very easy to quickly export clips for all of your content and publish them on social media. This game capture device is also known for its extremely compact design. It is only around the size of a mobile phone, meaning it can be quite easily carried in your pocket.

6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle

Price: $148

Compatibility: Plug and play with no drivers needed. PC, Mac, Linux, any iOS

Specs: 1080p 60 fps

Highlights: Doesn’t require any type of driver installation. This will work on any operating system or computer for quick recording.

The card itself is known for its USB 3.0 support as well as USB 2.0, and for not needing drivers. There is no more compatible card on the market right now. If you have had issues with other cards in the past or you regularly run Linux, you should consider this device to be prepared for all your recording needs. The device will detect the input and adjust output automatically to ensure a crystal-clear picture based on the type of device that you’re recording from. Imillet also offers a great warranty of six months free replacement as well as 12 months free repair on the card for anyone that is ordering it. The software that comes with the card is extremely simple but it does the job quite effectively, allowing for quick recording from multiple devices and simple detection for a video signal and output. Input formats can range from 480p to 1080p and frame rates can go as high as 60 frames per second. The device has great stats for its live capture but many people have experienced problems when trying to record from DVR specifically.

7. HDML Cloner Box Pro

Price: $135

Compatibility: Compatible with game consoles, windows, mac.

Specs: 1080p video at 60fps max

Highlights: The HDML Cloner Box comes with its own remote and the option to record using VGA, AV, YPbPr, and HDMI.

With so many different inputs available on this card it’s possible to record from almost any type of gaming device. With the hardware encoder which is on board, you can save videos as MP4 files and then instantly transfer them over to a flash drive on the device. You can get all of your saved files available without even having access to a PC. The box works as a standalone and it doesn’t have to be plugged into a computer to work. Free editing and converter software are included but with a storage memory card placed in the device and you can record a huge amount of footage and then edit it on your PC later on. With the quick connect feature, it is easy to set up recording and then perform all the functions you need for recording, stopping, and pausing on the remote as you use it. This remains one of the only cards available where it works as a standalone and allows for the chance to save videos to a flash drive or storage device without having to have a computer plugged in. The free converter software and video editing that comes with this device add extra value as well. An optional two-year warranty can make sure that you are ready for anything concerning this card.

8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder

Price: $80

Compatibility: TV, VCR, DVD, Digital camcorder, Laptop, PC, Mac, Game console

Specs: 480p

Highlights: This works as a standalone recorder with up to 32 GB of onboard memory. There’s no need to plug it into a computer for it to work and with the help of the memory card, you can record a wide range of output videos in AVI.

This card is designed as a standalone option and it’s extremely small with a USB 2.0 interface. Overall the quality of this card is not quite as technically advanced as some of the others on our list but it can record a video that is perfectly appropriate for the web or sharing over platforms like YouTube. The device can be set up quite easily with the help of an RCA connection cable, USB power cable, or other options. Generally, you may need access to an RCA to HDMI adapter if you want to record video off of a more modern laptop or camera. Where this device takes over on its competitors is the idea of just how simple it is to use. It weighs less than a pound and has a ‘one-button operation’ to start and pause recording. As of the completely standalone option, it doesn’t require any type of connection to a computer to record video. If you are looking for one of the simplest capture cards on the market that outputs to AVI in web quality, this is it.

9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve

Price: $121

Compatibility: HDMI input standalone mass compatibility

Specs: 4k video input, 1080p 60fps output

Highlights: This is a standalone USB capture device that comes with its remote. It also features dual HDMI slots allowing for up to two sources of video during recording (so you can also record from a facecam).

The card itself features a stream and capture function so that you can stream gameplay to any type of USB storage device. By plugging in a hard drive you can just press one button to record gaming videos and then handle the process of live streaming, editing, and more. Through two HDMI inputs supported and a very powerful remote control, you record on any device with fantastic image quality and without even having to plug it into any type of computer. While many of these standalone style capture boxes only support the use of minimal storage, this is a device that is capable of getting hooked up to any type of USB external hard drive for a chance to capture nearly unlimited video on your Cloner Box. As a bonus, the MP4 video editing software that is included will make the process of trimming, copying, and converting easier than ever. This has incredible value to the overall product. As an additional bonus, this Cloner Box also features a quick heat dissipation capability which can help to prevent lagging and other common problems that occur with many types of capture boxes when they overheat. A free microphone slot in addition to the HDMI slots makes recording professional voiceovers for any gameplay videos as easy as possible!

10. Avermedia Avercapture HD

Price: $99

Compatibility: Any console, PC, Mac

Specs: This device is capable of capture in full 1080p/60fps as well as the style encoding for quick streaming and easy video capture.

Highlights: The timeshift feature available on this device makes it simple to record retroactively as well as offer ultralow streaming and recording over time. The device makes it easy to capture and stream and it comes with a competitive two-year warranty.

This card works as a USB capture card from most any type of device, it captures through a component input or HDMI input and it has some of the lowest latency for any type of team capture. With one slot for video input as well as an audio input slot, it’s possible to record quick gameplay and voiceovers at any time with very minimal setup. Streaming and recording in full 1080p are done quite easily on this device and it’s designed to use less processing power than some of the competitors to ensure minimal game lag. RECental is included as part of this device so that you can set up live streaming to many of the top platforms available online. The timeshift function comes with a one-hour buffer ensuring if a great gameplay moment happens, you can shift back and begin recording from that time. Commentary and sharing are made easy with the software that’s included with this device. It makes sharing and recording an easy process for any avid video recorder.

Let us know what capture card you use and if you’re happy with it!

author avatar

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Start Filming Right: The Newbie’s Guide to Video Gear

YouTube Equipment Starter Guide For Beginners

Sumia Rafique

Feb 19, 2024• Proven solutions

0

If you want to start creating videos and uploading them onto YouTube, you’ll need to have access to some basic equipment. This guide will go over everything you’ll need to be a YouTuber.

Table of Contents YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuberBest Cheap Vlogging CamerasBest Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS The Wide-Angle LensOptical Image Stabilization YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO Music LibrariesSound Effects

Part 1: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA

The best camera for beginners is the one you already have. Most smartphones these days already come equipped with a powerful camera that can record HD videos. If you still want to add a camera to your equipment list as a beginner YouTuber, you should look for a camera with the following eight qualities:

What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuber

1. Fully articulated screen (flip screen)

2. Good continual auto focus while recording video

3. Good focus priority through face recognition

4. Touch to focus

5. Good low-light performance

6. external mic jack, hot/cold shoe bracket

7. optical image stabilization

8. good battery life

Check out my full list of 10 Things To Look For In A Vlogging Camera to understand the importance of these camera features.

Best Cheap Vlogging Cameras

Below are the best cheap vlogging cameras that you can get for under $500. They all record at least 1080p HD video and all but the Sony Alpha a5100 come with optical image stabilization (if you want OIS with the Sony a5100, you’ll have it get it in the lens).

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen 4K Price
Yi 4KAction Camera Yi 4K February2017 Action Camera No Yes $169 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixA900 Nikon A900 February2016 Compact Flip Up Yes $399 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixB500 Nikon B500 February2016 SLR-like (bridge) Tilting No $250 (MSRP)
PolaroidCube+ Polaroid Cube June2015 Action Camera No No $99 (MSRP)
SonyAlphaa5100 Sony a5100 August2014 Mirrorless Flip Up No $450 (MSRP)
Polaroid Cube Best cheap vlogging camera under $100: Polaroid Cube+ Even before GoPro released their GoPro Session, Polaroid was the first to come out with a 1.4-inch, cube-shaped action camera, small enough to mount on a bike or a helmet. This camera has built-in magnets so that you can attach them to metal surfaces. This action camera is water-resistant, shock-proof, and weather-proof. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps with its wide-angle lens. You can connect this camera with your phone to preview and take your shots.
Yi 4K Best cheap vlogging camera under $200: Yi 4K At $200, you can record 4K videos with the Yi 4K action camera. Like many other action cameras, this camera is small, durable, and shoots through a wide-angle lens. You won’t be able to take this camera underwater though because it isn’t waterproof. You’ll need to buy the right accessories for that.
Nikon B500 Best cheap vlogging camera under $300: Nikon B500 The Nikon B500 gives you a non-interchangeable zoom lens so that you have more control over how you compose your shots. This camera records full HD 1080p videos at either 30 or 25 fps. You can only set its ISO as high as 3200, so it’s not going to perform the best in low-light conditions. The tilting LCD screen does not have touchscreen and cannot be fully flipped up or flipped to the side, it only tilts. For a camera in its price range, the Nikon B500 offers a lot of features.
Nikon A900 Best cheap vlogging camera under $400: Nikon A900 The Nikon A900 not only comes with a non-interchangeable zoom lens, but it can also record videos in UHD 4K quality. Like the Nikon B500, the A900’s ISO goes only up to 3200, making it a weak performer in poorly lit conditions.
Sony a5100 Best cheap vlogging camera under $500: Sony a5100 Among the cameras listed in our top cheap cameras list, the Sony a5100 is the only one you can interchange lenses with. All Sony E-mount lenses are compatible with this camera. This camera can record up to 1080p videos at 60 fps. Out of all of the above top cheap cameras, this one also auto focuses the best.

Best Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras

If you have a bigger budget to work with, the following vlogging cameras are great options:

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen Mic Port Price
CanonEOSM50 Canon M50 February2018 Mirrorless Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOSM100 Canon M100 August2017 Mirrorless Flip Up No $
CanonEOS RebelSL2 Canon SL2 June2017 Compact SLR Fully Articulated Yes $
CanonEOS RebelT7i Canon T7i February2017 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOS80D Canon 80D February2016 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $$
Canon M100 Best entry-level mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M100 The Canon M100 is a small and powerful camera that can shoot full HD (1080p) videos up to 60 fps. The touchscreen LCD of this camera flips up so that you can see yourself as you vlog in selfie mode.
Canon M50 Best mid-range mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M50 The Canon EOS M50 can shoot UHD 4K videos at 23.98 fps. You can also record 120 fps slow-motion videos at 720p. Unlike the M100, which only has a flip up screen, the M50 has a fully articulated screen, so you can use this camera in selfie mode, all while using an on-camera shotgun microphone attached to the camera hot/cold shoe.
Canon T7i Best DSLR camera for daily vlogging: Canon EOS T7i The Canon EOS T7i is a great DSLR camera for daily vlogging. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps, it can create HDR and time-lapse movies, and it also has a fully articulated screen.
Canon SL2 Best entry-level DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS SL2 The Canon EOS SL2 delivers a lot of power at a low price. This DSLR camera can capture full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps.
Canon 80D Best mid-range DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS 80D The Canon 80D is an exceptional mid-range DSLR vlogging camera with many features. Coming with a 45-point all cross phase detection autofocusing and a dual pixel CMOS AF system, the camera is great at finding the right focus while recording video.

Part 2: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS

A lot of compact cameras already come with the lens as a part of the camera body. When it comes to these kinds of cameras, you won’t have to worry about which lens is right for you since the decision has already been made for you!

When you start looking into bigger cameras, though, you’ll have to think about which lens you want to shoot with.

The Wide-Angle Lens

Every YouTuber should have a wide-angle lens. With this kind of lens, you can fit much more of a scene into your camera frame, including your own face when you’re just an arm’s length away from your camera. This is especially important for YouTubers because most YouTubers have to operate their camera on their own, without the assistance of an additional camera person.

Optical Image Stabilization

You should also look for a lens with optical image stabilization if you’re shooting a lot of your YouTube videos handheld.

For more information on camera lenses, check out my Vlogger’s Guide To Camera Lenses .

Part 3: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD

Tripod Tripod If you plan to film yourself talking in front of the same, unchanging background for an extended period of time, it doesn’t make sense to film yourself handheld the entire time. You’ll just end up tiring your arm out and adding distracting shakiness to your footage. A tripod is a great solution to this problem. You can set up your framing once, press record, and leave your camera in its fixed position while you talk with both hands free.
Joby GorillaPod SLR-Zoom Joby GorillaPod With Ballhead When you film yourself handheld, it’s difficult to keep your arm higher up so that your camera shoots down at an ideal angle. You may also notice that a lot of your arm gets into your shot, which you and other viewers might find distracting. Holding your camera up by a GorillaPod, however, can give you the extension you need to get that higher angle shot more easily, all without so much of your arm getting into your shot.

Part 4: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE

Most vlogging cameras come with a built-in microphone that gets the job done. If you want higher quality audio recordings, though, you should check out the following list of top microphones.

Top Condenser Mics For Music and Singing Top Condenser Mics For Voiceovers-Podcasts, Interviews Top On-Camera Shotgun Mics Top Shotgun Mics Top Low-Profile Lavalier Mics
Audio-Technica AT2035 Rode NT1-A AKG C214 Apogee Mic 96K Blue Yeti Rode NT-USB Blue Snowball Audio-Technica AT2020 Rode Procaster Rode VideoMic Go Shure VP83 Rode VideoMic Pro+ Sennheiser MKE 440 Rode NTG-3 Audio-Technica AT4053B Sennheiser MKH416 Rode SmartLav+ Audio-Technica ATR3350iS Sennheiser ME2

To read more about each of these microphones, check out our post on The 19 Best YouTube Microphones 2018 – Options for Music, Voiceovers, Vlogging, and more!

Part 5: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES

SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES for YouTube Starter

Using your smartphone’s camera to film your YouTube videos is a great idea since it’s light, portable, and most likely always with you. The following six smartphone accessories can help you make better YouTube videos:

  1. Arkon Tripod Mount
  2. FLII Selfie Ring Light
  3. RODE VideoMic Me
  4. Aukey Optic 3-in-1 Smartphone Lens Set
  5. iOgrapher Go for Android and iPhone
  6. Manfrotto TwistGrip System

Read about each one of these items and more in The 9 Best Smartphone Camera Accessories For Vloggers .

Part 6: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT

Lighting for home living and lighting for filming is very different. If you try to make use of just the lights you have at home, you may find that your footage is too dark, grainy, and orange-tinted.

The solution to this problem is getting additional video lighting equipment with daytime light bulbs.

Daytime Light Bulbs Daytime Light Bulbs Your home is most likely lit with incandescent light bulbs that illuminate orange-tinted light. You can remove those light bulbs and replace them with daytime light bulbs that illuminate more of a white colored light.
On-Camera LED Light On-Camera LED Light If you need more light just in front of the camera and you need this light to be portable, LED lights that attach to your camera’s hot/cold shoe will do the job.
LED Ring Light LED Ring Light If you need more light just in front of the camera, you don’t have a lot of space, and you don’t need this light to be small and portable, an LED ring light is the best piece of equipment for you. You can position your camera inside the circular space of the ring light. This kind of light also gives your eyes the circular shaped highlight that many people like to see.
Softbox Video Light Softbox Video Light If you need more light and have more space, another piece of lighting equipment good for beginners is a softbox video light.
Umbrella Video Light Umbrella Video Light Umbrella video lights are very portable and affordable. The direction of the light from umbrella lights are more difficult to control than the light from softbox video lights.

If you’re looking for recommendations on which piece of lighting equipment to buy, check out my list of the Top 17 Video Lighting Equipment For YouTubers .

Part 7: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER

After you’ve recorded all your footage, you’ll need a computer to edit your video clips together. You can perform basic video editing tasks and upload your video onto YouTube with any computer less than ten years old.

Laptop computers are popular among YouTubers because their portability allows you to work on your videos from anywhere. This way, you can finish and upload your videos more frequently, which is another important part of being a YouTuber.

The following three laptop computers handle video editing very well:

Computers for YouTube Starter

  1. MacBook Pro With Touch Bar
  2. Dell XPS 15
  3. Microsoft Surface Book 2

Read more about these laptop computers for 4K video editing in The Best Laptops for 4K Video Editing .

Part 8: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

FREE VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES PAID VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES
OpenShot Video Editor (Windows, Mac, Linux) ShotCut (Windows, Mac, Linux) Hitfilm Express (Windows, Mac) VideoPad Video Editor (Windows) Lightworks (Windows, Mac, Linux) VSDC Video Editor (Windows) Machete Video Editor Lite (Windows) Avidemux (Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD) Read more about each of these softwares in our post about The Best Free Video Editing Software for YouTube . Filmora Video Editor (Windows, Mac) - $40 one year license, $79.99 perpetual license. Free trial Final Cut Pro (Mac) - $299.99, Free trial Vegas Movie Studio (Windows) - $49.99

YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO

Music Libraries

Music is an important part of YouTube video creation. Here’s where you can get access to music:

ROYALTY-FREE MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID SUBSCRIPTION MUSIC LIBRARIES
Audionautix Bensound dig.ccMixter Free Music Archive Free Stock Music Incompetech Josh Woodward Moby Gratis Musopen Purple Planet Music TeknoAXE YouTube Audio Library Premium Beat Audio Jungle Audio Network Audio Blocks Epidemic Sound

Sound Effects

Free Sound Effect Sites

  1. Filmstock Sound Effects
  2. Freesound
  3. PacDV
  4. Sound Bible
  5. Sound Gator
  6. Sounds Crate
  7. Zapsplat

author avatar

Sumia Rafique

Sumia Rafique is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Sumia Rafique

Sumia Rafique

Feb 19, 2024• Proven solutions

0

If you want to start creating videos and uploading them onto YouTube, you’ll need to have access to some basic equipment. This guide will go over everything you’ll need to be a YouTuber.

Table of Contents YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuberBest Cheap Vlogging CamerasBest Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS The Wide-Angle LensOptical Image Stabilization YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO Music LibrariesSound Effects

Part 1: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA

The best camera for beginners is the one you already have. Most smartphones these days already come equipped with a powerful camera that can record HD videos. If you still want to add a camera to your equipment list as a beginner YouTuber, you should look for a camera with the following eight qualities:

What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuber

1. Fully articulated screen (flip screen)

2. Good continual auto focus while recording video

3. Good focus priority through face recognition

4. Touch to focus

5. Good low-light performance

6. external mic jack, hot/cold shoe bracket

7. optical image stabilization

8. good battery life

Check out my full list of 10 Things To Look For In A Vlogging Camera to understand the importance of these camera features.

Best Cheap Vlogging Cameras

Below are the best cheap vlogging cameras that you can get for under $500. They all record at least 1080p HD video and all but the Sony Alpha a5100 come with optical image stabilization (if you want OIS with the Sony a5100, you’ll have it get it in the lens).

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen 4K Price
Yi 4KAction Camera Yi 4K February2017 Action Camera No Yes $169 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixA900 Nikon A900 February2016 Compact Flip Up Yes $399 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixB500 Nikon B500 February2016 SLR-like (bridge) Tilting No $250 (MSRP)
PolaroidCube+ Polaroid Cube June2015 Action Camera No No $99 (MSRP)
SonyAlphaa5100 Sony a5100 August2014 Mirrorless Flip Up No $450 (MSRP)
Polaroid Cube Best cheap vlogging camera under $100: Polaroid Cube+ Even before GoPro released their GoPro Session, Polaroid was the first to come out with a 1.4-inch, cube-shaped action camera, small enough to mount on a bike or a helmet. This camera has built-in magnets so that you can attach them to metal surfaces. This action camera is water-resistant, shock-proof, and weather-proof. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps with its wide-angle lens. You can connect this camera with your phone to preview and take your shots.
Yi 4K Best cheap vlogging camera under $200: Yi 4K At $200, you can record 4K videos with the Yi 4K action camera. Like many other action cameras, this camera is small, durable, and shoots through a wide-angle lens. You won’t be able to take this camera underwater though because it isn’t waterproof. You’ll need to buy the right accessories for that.
Nikon B500 Best cheap vlogging camera under $300: Nikon B500 The Nikon B500 gives you a non-interchangeable zoom lens so that you have more control over how you compose your shots. This camera records full HD 1080p videos at either 30 or 25 fps. You can only set its ISO as high as 3200, so it’s not going to perform the best in low-light conditions. The tilting LCD screen does not have touchscreen and cannot be fully flipped up or flipped to the side, it only tilts. For a camera in its price range, the Nikon B500 offers a lot of features.
Nikon A900 Best cheap vlogging camera under $400: Nikon A900 The Nikon A900 not only comes with a non-interchangeable zoom lens, but it can also record videos in UHD 4K quality. Like the Nikon B500, the A900’s ISO goes only up to 3200, making it a weak performer in poorly lit conditions.
Sony a5100 Best cheap vlogging camera under $500: Sony a5100 Among the cameras listed in our top cheap cameras list, the Sony a5100 is the only one you can interchange lenses with. All Sony E-mount lenses are compatible with this camera. This camera can record up to 1080p videos at 60 fps. Out of all of the above top cheap cameras, this one also auto focuses the best.

Best Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras

If you have a bigger budget to work with, the following vlogging cameras are great options:

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen Mic Port Price
CanonEOSM50 Canon M50 February2018 Mirrorless Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOSM100 Canon M100 August2017 Mirrorless Flip Up No $
CanonEOS RebelSL2 Canon SL2 June2017 Compact SLR Fully Articulated Yes $
CanonEOS RebelT7i Canon T7i February2017 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOS80D Canon 80D February2016 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $$
Canon M100 Best entry-level mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M100 The Canon M100 is a small and powerful camera that can shoot full HD (1080p) videos up to 60 fps. The touchscreen LCD of this camera flips up so that you can see yourself as you vlog in selfie mode.
Canon M50 Best mid-range mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M50 The Canon EOS M50 can shoot UHD 4K videos at 23.98 fps. You can also record 120 fps slow-motion videos at 720p. Unlike the M100, which only has a flip up screen, the M50 has a fully articulated screen, so you can use this camera in selfie mode, all while using an on-camera shotgun microphone attached to the camera hot/cold shoe.
Canon T7i Best DSLR camera for daily vlogging: Canon EOS T7i The Canon EOS T7i is a great DSLR camera for daily vlogging. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps, it can create HDR and time-lapse movies, and it also has a fully articulated screen.
Canon SL2 Best entry-level DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS SL2 The Canon EOS SL2 delivers a lot of power at a low price. This DSLR camera can capture full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps.
Canon 80D Best mid-range DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS 80D The Canon 80D is an exceptional mid-range DSLR vlogging camera with many features. Coming with a 45-point all cross phase detection autofocusing and a dual pixel CMOS AF system, the camera is great at finding the right focus while recording video.

Part 2: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS

A lot of compact cameras already come with the lens as a part of the camera body. When it comes to these kinds of cameras, you won’t have to worry about which lens is right for you since the decision has already been made for you!

When you start looking into bigger cameras, though, you’ll have to think about which lens you want to shoot with.

The Wide-Angle Lens

Every YouTuber should have a wide-angle lens. With this kind of lens, you can fit much more of a scene into your camera frame, including your own face when you’re just an arm’s length away from your camera. This is especially important for YouTubers because most YouTubers have to operate their camera on their own, without the assistance of an additional camera person.

Optical Image Stabilization

You should also look for a lens with optical image stabilization if you’re shooting a lot of your YouTube videos handheld.

For more information on camera lenses, check out my Vlogger’s Guide To Camera Lenses .

Part 3: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD

Tripod Tripod If you plan to film yourself talking in front of the same, unchanging background for an extended period of time, it doesn’t make sense to film yourself handheld the entire time. You’ll just end up tiring your arm out and adding distracting shakiness to your footage. A tripod is a great solution to this problem. You can set up your framing once, press record, and leave your camera in its fixed position while you talk with both hands free.
Joby GorillaPod SLR-Zoom Joby GorillaPod With Ballhead When you film yourself handheld, it’s difficult to keep your arm higher up so that your camera shoots down at an ideal angle. You may also notice that a lot of your arm gets into your shot, which you and other viewers might find distracting. Holding your camera up by a GorillaPod, however, can give you the extension you need to get that higher angle shot more easily, all without so much of your arm getting into your shot.

Part 4: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE

Most vlogging cameras come with a built-in microphone that gets the job done. If you want higher quality audio recordings, though, you should check out the following list of top microphones.

Top Condenser Mics For Music and Singing Top Condenser Mics For Voiceovers-Podcasts, Interviews Top On-Camera Shotgun Mics Top Shotgun Mics Top Low-Profile Lavalier Mics
Audio-Technica AT2035 Rode NT1-A AKG C214 Apogee Mic 96K Blue Yeti Rode NT-USB Blue Snowball Audio-Technica AT2020 Rode Procaster Rode VideoMic Go Shure VP83 Rode VideoMic Pro+ Sennheiser MKE 440 Rode NTG-3 Audio-Technica AT4053B Sennheiser MKH416 Rode SmartLav+ Audio-Technica ATR3350iS Sennheiser ME2

To read more about each of these microphones, check out our post on The 19 Best YouTube Microphones 2018 – Options for Music, Voiceovers, Vlogging, and more!

Part 5: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES

SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES for YouTube Starter

Using your smartphone’s camera to film your YouTube videos is a great idea since it’s light, portable, and most likely always with you. The following six smartphone accessories can help you make better YouTube videos:

  1. Arkon Tripod Mount
  2. FLII Selfie Ring Light
  3. RODE VideoMic Me
  4. Aukey Optic 3-in-1 Smartphone Lens Set
  5. iOgrapher Go for Android and iPhone
  6. Manfrotto TwistGrip System

Read about each one of these items and more in The 9 Best Smartphone Camera Accessories For Vloggers .

Part 6: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT

Lighting for home living and lighting for filming is very different. If you try to make use of just the lights you have at home, you may find that your footage is too dark, grainy, and orange-tinted.

The solution to this problem is getting additional video lighting equipment with daytime light bulbs.

Daytime Light Bulbs Daytime Light Bulbs Your home is most likely lit with incandescent light bulbs that illuminate orange-tinted light. You can remove those light bulbs and replace them with daytime light bulbs that illuminate more of a white colored light.
On-Camera LED Light On-Camera LED Light If you need more light just in front of the camera and you need this light to be portable, LED lights that attach to your camera’s hot/cold shoe will do the job.
LED Ring Light LED Ring Light If you need more light just in front of the camera, you don’t have a lot of space, and you don’t need this light to be small and portable, an LED ring light is the best piece of equipment for you. You can position your camera inside the circular space of the ring light. This kind of light also gives your eyes the circular shaped highlight that many people like to see.
Softbox Video Light Softbox Video Light If you need more light and have more space, another piece of lighting equipment good for beginners is a softbox video light.
Umbrella Video Light Umbrella Video Light Umbrella video lights are very portable and affordable. The direction of the light from umbrella lights are more difficult to control than the light from softbox video lights.

If you’re looking for recommendations on which piece of lighting equipment to buy, check out my list of the Top 17 Video Lighting Equipment For YouTubers .

Part 7: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER

After you’ve recorded all your footage, you’ll need a computer to edit your video clips together. You can perform basic video editing tasks and upload your video onto YouTube with any computer less than ten years old.

Laptop computers are popular among YouTubers because their portability allows you to work on your videos from anywhere. This way, you can finish and upload your videos more frequently, which is another important part of being a YouTuber.

The following three laptop computers handle video editing very well:

Computers for YouTube Starter

  1. MacBook Pro With Touch Bar
  2. Dell XPS 15
  3. Microsoft Surface Book 2

Read more about these laptop computers for 4K video editing in The Best Laptops for 4K Video Editing .

Part 8: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

FREE VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES PAID VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES
OpenShot Video Editor (Windows, Mac, Linux) ShotCut (Windows, Mac, Linux) Hitfilm Express (Windows, Mac) VideoPad Video Editor (Windows) Lightworks (Windows, Mac, Linux) VSDC Video Editor (Windows) Machete Video Editor Lite (Windows) Avidemux (Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD) Read more about each of these softwares in our post about The Best Free Video Editing Software for YouTube . Filmora Video Editor (Windows, Mac) - $40 one year license, $79.99 perpetual license. Free trial Final Cut Pro (Mac) - $299.99, Free trial Vegas Movie Studio (Windows) - $49.99

YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO

Music Libraries

Music is an important part of YouTube video creation. Here’s where you can get access to music:

ROYALTY-FREE MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID SUBSCRIPTION MUSIC LIBRARIES
Audionautix Bensound dig.ccMixter Free Music Archive Free Stock Music Incompetech Josh Woodward Moby Gratis Musopen Purple Planet Music TeknoAXE YouTube Audio Library Premium Beat Audio Jungle Audio Network Audio Blocks Epidemic Sound

Sound Effects

Free Sound Effect Sites

  1. Filmstock Sound Effects
  2. Freesound
  3. PacDV
  4. Sound Bible
  5. Sound Gator
  6. Sounds Crate
  7. Zapsplat

author avatar

Sumia Rafique

Sumia Rafique is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Sumia Rafique

Sumia Rafique

Feb 19, 2024• Proven solutions

0

If you want to start creating videos and uploading them onto YouTube, you’ll need to have access to some basic equipment. This guide will go over everything you’ll need to be a YouTuber.

Table of Contents YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuberBest Cheap Vlogging CamerasBest Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS The Wide-Angle LensOptical Image Stabilization YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO Music LibrariesSound Effects

Part 1: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA

The best camera for beginners is the one you already have. Most smartphones these days already come equipped with a powerful camera that can record HD videos. If you still want to add a camera to your equipment list as a beginner YouTuber, you should look for a camera with the following eight qualities:

What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuber

1. Fully articulated screen (flip screen)

2. Good continual auto focus while recording video

3. Good focus priority through face recognition

4. Touch to focus

5. Good low-light performance

6. external mic jack, hot/cold shoe bracket

7. optical image stabilization

8. good battery life

Check out my full list of 10 Things To Look For In A Vlogging Camera to understand the importance of these camera features.

Best Cheap Vlogging Cameras

Below are the best cheap vlogging cameras that you can get for under $500. They all record at least 1080p HD video and all but the Sony Alpha a5100 come with optical image stabilization (if you want OIS with the Sony a5100, you’ll have it get it in the lens).

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen 4K Price
Yi 4KAction Camera Yi 4K February2017 Action Camera No Yes $169 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixA900 Nikon A900 February2016 Compact Flip Up Yes $399 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixB500 Nikon B500 February2016 SLR-like (bridge) Tilting No $250 (MSRP)
PolaroidCube+ Polaroid Cube June2015 Action Camera No No $99 (MSRP)
SonyAlphaa5100 Sony a5100 August2014 Mirrorless Flip Up No $450 (MSRP)
Polaroid Cube Best cheap vlogging camera under $100: Polaroid Cube+ Even before GoPro released their GoPro Session, Polaroid was the first to come out with a 1.4-inch, cube-shaped action camera, small enough to mount on a bike or a helmet. This camera has built-in magnets so that you can attach them to metal surfaces. This action camera is water-resistant, shock-proof, and weather-proof. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps with its wide-angle lens. You can connect this camera with your phone to preview and take your shots.
Yi 4K Best cheap vlogging camera under $200: Yi 4K At $200, you can record 4K videos with the Yi 4K action camera. Like many other action cameras, this camera is small, durable, and shoots through a wide-angle lens. You won’t be able to take this camera underwater though because it isn’t waterproof. You’ll need to buy the right accessories for that.
Nikon B500 Best cheap vlogging camera under $300: Nikon B500 The Nikon B500 gives you a non-interchangeable zoom lens so that you have more control over how you compose your shots. This camera records full HD 1080p videos at either 30 or 25 fps. You can only set its ISO as high as 3200, so it’s not going to perform the best in low-light conditions. The tilting LCD screen does not have touchscreen and cannot be fully flipped up or flipped to the side, it only tilts. For a camera in its price range, the Nikon B500 offers a lot of features.
Nikon A900 Best cheap vlogging camera under $400: Nikon A900 The Nikon A900 not only comes with a non-interchangeable zoom lens, but it can also record videos in UHD 4K quality. Like the Nikon B500, the A900’s ISO goes only up to 3200, making it a weak performer in poorly lit conditions.
Sony a5100 Best cheap vlogging camera under $500: Sony a5100 Among the cameras listed in our top cheap cameras list, the Sony a5100 is the only one you can interchange lenses with. All Sony E-mount lenses are compatible with this camera. This camera can record up to 1080p videos at 60 fps. Out of all of the above top cheap cameras, this one also auto focuses the best.

Best Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras

If you have a bigger budget to work with, the following vlogging cameras are great options:

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen Mic Port Price
CanonEOSM50 Canon M50 February2018 Mirrorless Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOSM100 Canon M100 August2017 Mirrorless Flip Up No $
CanonEOS RebelSL2 Canon SL2 June2017 Compact SLR Fully Articulated Yes $
CanonEOS RebelT7i Canon T7i February2017 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOS80D Canon 80D February2016 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $$
Canon M100 Best entry-level mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M100 The Canon M100 is a small and powerful camera that can shoot full HD (1080p) videos up to 60 fps. The touchscreen LCD of this camera flips up so that you can see yourself as you vlog in selfie mode.
Canon M50 Best mid-range mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M50 The Canon EOS M50 can shoot UHD 4K videos at 23.98 fps. You can also record 120 fps slow-motion videos at 720p. Unlike the M100, which only has a flip up screen, the M50 has a fully articulated screen, so you can use this camera in selfie mode, all while using an on-camera shotgun microphone attached to the camera hot/cold shoe.
Canon T7i Best DSLR camera for daily vlogging: Canon EOS T7i The Canon EOS T7i is a great DSLR camera for daily vlogging. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps, it can create HDR and time-lapse movies, and it also has a fully articulated screen.
Canon SL2 Best entry-level DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS SL2 The Canon EOS SL2 delivers a lot of power at a low price. This DSLR camera can capture full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps.
Canon 80D Best mid-range DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS 80D The Canon 80D is an exceptional mid-range DSLR vlogging camera with many features. Coming with a 45-point all cross phase detection autofocusing and a dual pixel CMOS AF system, the camera is great at finding the right focus while recording video.

Part 2: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS

A lot of compact cameras already come with the lens as a part of the camera body. When it comes to these kinds of cameras, you won’t have to worry about which lens is right for you since the decision has already been made for you!

When you start looking into bigger cameras, though, you’ll have to think about which lens you want to shoot with.

The Wide-Angle Lens

Every YouTuber should have a wide-angle lens. With this kind of lens, you can fit much more of a scene into your camera frame, including your own face when you’re just an arm’s length away from your camera. This is especially important for YouTubers because most YouTubers have to operate their camera on their own, without the assistance of an additional camera person.

Optical Image Stabilization

You should also look for a lens with optical image stabilization if you’re shooting a lot of your YouTube videos handheld.

For more information on camera lenses, check out my Vlogger’s Guide To Camera Lenses .

Part 3: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD

Tripod Tripod If you plan to film yourself talking in front of the same, unchanging background for an extended period of time, it doesn’t make sense to film yourself handheld the entire time. You’ll just end up tiring your arm out and adding distracting shakiness to your footage. A tripod is a great solution to this problem. You can set up your framing once, press record, and leave your camera in its fixed position while you talk with both hands free.
Joby GorillaPod SLR-Zoom Joby GorillaPod With Ballhead When you film yourself handheld, it’s difficult to keep your arm higher up so that your camera shoots down at an ideal angle. You may also notice that a lot of your arm gets into your shot, which you and other viewers might find distracting. Holding your camera up by a GorillaPod, however, can give you the extension you need to get that higher angle shot more easily, all without so much of your arm getting into your shot.

Part 4: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE

Most vlogging cameras come with a built-in microphone that gets the job done. If you want higher quality audio recordings, though, you should check out the following list of top microphones.

Top Condenser Mics For Music and Singing Top Condenser Mics For Voiceovers-Podcasts, Interviews Top On-Camera Shotgun Mics Top Shotgun Mics Top Low-Profile Lavalier Mics
Audio-Technica AT2035 Rode NT1-A AKG C214 Apogee Mic 96K Blue Yeti Rode NT-USB Blue Snowball Audio-Technica AT2020 Rode Procaster Rode VideoMic Go Shure VP83 Rode VideoMic Pro+ Sennheiser MKE 440 Rode NTG-3 Audio-Technica AT4053B Sennheiser MKH416 Rode SmartLav+ Audio-Technica ATR3350iS Sennheiser ME2

To read more about each of these microphones, check out our post on The 19 Best YouTube Microphones 2018 – Options for Music, Voiceovers, Vlogging, and more!

Part 5: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES

SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES for YouTube Starter

Using your smartphone’s camera to film your YouTube videos is a great idea since it’s light, portable, and most likely always with you. The following six smartphone accessories can help you make better YouTube videos:

  1. Arkon Tripod Mount
  2. FLII Selfie Ring Light
  3. RODE VideoMic Me
  4. Aukey Optic 3-in-1 Smartphone Lens Set
  5. iOgrapher Go for Android and iPhone
  6. Manfrotto TwistGrip System

Read about each one of these items and more in The 9 Best Smartphone Camera Accessories For Vloggers .

Part 6: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT

Lighting for home living and lighting for filming is very different. If you try to make use of just the lights you have at home, you may find that your footage is too dark, grainy, and orange-tinted.

The solution to this problem is getting additional video lighting equipment with daytime light bulbs.

Daytime Light Bulbs Daytime Light Bulbs Your home is most likely lit with incandescent light bulbs that illuminate orange-tinted light. You can remove those light bulbs and replace them with daytime light bulbs that illuminate more of a white colored light.
On-Camera LED Light On-Camera LED Light If you need more light just in front of the camera and you need this light to be portable, LED lights that attach to your camera’s hot/cold shoe will do the job.
LED Ring Light LED Ring Light If you need more light just in front of the camera, you don’t have a lot of space, and you don’t need this light to be small and portable, an LED ring light is the best piece of equipment for you. You can position your camera inside the circular space of the ring light. This kind of light also gives your eyes the circular shaped highlight that many people like to see.
Softbox Video Light Softbox Video Light If you need more light and have more space, another piece of lighting equipment good for beginners is a softbox video light.
Umbrella Video Light Umbrella Video Light Umbrella video lights are very portable and affordable. The direction of the light from umbrella lights are more difficult to control than the light from softbox video lights.

If you’re looking for recommendations on which piece of lighting equipment to buy, check out my list of the Top 17 Video Lighting Equipment For YouTubers .

Part 7: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER

After you’ve recorded all your footage, you’ll need a computer to edit your video clips together. You can perform basic video editing tasks and upload your video onto YouTube with any computer less than ten years old.

Laptop computers are popular among YouTubers because their portability allows you to work on your videos from anywhere. This way, you can finish and upload your videos more frequently, which is another important part of being a YouTuber.

The following three laptop computers handle video editing very well:

Computers for YouTube Starter

  1. MacBook Pro With Touch Bar
  2. Dell XPS 15
  3. Microsoft Surface Book 2

Read more about these laptop computers for 4K video editing in The Best Laptops for 4K Video Editing .

Part 8: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

FREE VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES PAID VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES
OpenShot Video Editor (Windows, Mac, Linux) ShotCut (Windows, Mac, Linux) Hitfilm Express (Windows, Mac) VideoPad Video Editor (Windows) Lightworks (Windows, Mac, Linux) VSDC Video Editor (Windows) Machete Video Editor Lite (Windows) Avidemux (Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD) Read more about each of these softwares in our post about The Best Free Video Editing Software for YouTube . Filmora Video Editor (Windows, Mac) - $40 one year license, $79.99 perpetual license. Free trial Final Cut Pro (Mac) - $299.99, Free trial Vegas Movie Studio (Windows) - $49.99

YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO

Music Libraries

Music is an important part of YouTube video creation. Here’s where you can get access to music:

ROYALTY-FREE MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID SUBSCRIPTION MUSIC LIBRARIES
Audionautix Bensound dig.ccMixter Free Music Archive Free Stock Music Incompetech Josh Woodward Moby Gratis Musopen Purple Planet Music TeknoAXE YouTube Audio Library Premium Beat Audio Jungle Audio Network Audio Blocks Epidemic Sound

Sound Effects

Free Sound Effect Sites

  1. Filmstock Sound Effects
  2. Freesound
  3. PacDV
  4. Sound Bible
  5. Sound Gator
  6. Sounds Crate
  7. Zapsplat

author avatar

Sumia Rafique

Sumia Rafique is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Sumia Rafique

Sumia Rafique

Feb 19, 2024• Proven solutions

0

If you want to start creating videos and uploading them onto YouTube, you’ll need to have access to some basic equipment. This guide will go over everything you’ll need to be a YouTuber.

Table of Contents YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuberBest Cheap Vlogging CamerasBest Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS The Wide-Angle LensOptical Image Stabilization YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO Music LibrariesSound Effects

Part 1: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA

The best camera for beginners is the one you already have. Most smartphones these days already come equipped with a powerful camera that can record HD videos. If you still want to add a camera to your equipment list as a beginner YouTuber, you should look for a camera with the following eight qualities:

What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuber

1. Fully articulated screen (flip screen)

2. Good continual auto focus while recording video

3. Good focus priority through face recognition

4. Touch to focus

5. Good low-light performance

6. external mic jack, hot/cold shoe bracket

7. optical image stabilization

8. good battery life

Check out my full list of 10 Things To Look For In A Vlogging Camera to understand the importance of these camera features.

Best Cheap Vlogging Cameras

Below are the best cheap vlogging cameras that you can get for under $500. They all record at least 1080p HD video and all but the Sony Alpha a5100 come with optical image stabilization (if you want OIS with the Sony a5100, you’ll have it get it in the lens).

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen 4K Price
Yi 4KAction Camera Yi 4K February2017 Action Camera No Yes $169 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixA900 Nikon A900 February2016 Compact Flip Up Yes $399 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixB500 Nikon B500 February2016 SLR-like (bridge) Tilting No $250 (MSRP)
PolaroidCube+ Polaroid Cube June2015 Action Camera No No $99 (MSRP)
SonyAlphaa5100 Sony a5100 August2014 Mirrorless Flip Up No $450 (MSRP)
Polaroid Cube Best cheap vlogging camera under $100: Polaroid Cube+ Even before GoPro released their GoPro Session, Polaroid was the first to come out with a 1.4-inch, cube-shaped action camera, small enough to mount on a bike or a helmet. This camera has built-in magnets so that you can attach them to metal surfaces. This action camera is water-resistant, shock-proof, and weather-proof. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps with its wide-angle lens. You can connect this camera with your phone to preview and take your shots.
Yi 4K Best cheap vlogging camera under $200: Yi 4K At $200, you can record 4K videos with the Yi 4K action camera. Like many other action cameras, this camera is small, durable, and shoots through a wide-angle lens. You won’t be able to take this camera underwater though because it isn’t waterproof. You’ll need to buy the right accessories for that.
Nikon B500 Best cheap vlogging camera under $300: Nikon B500 The Nikon B500 gives you a non-interchangeable zoom lens so that you have more control over how you compose your shots. This camera records full HD 1080p videos at either 30 or 25 fps. You can only set its ISO as high as 3200, so it’s not going to perform the best in low-light conditions. The tilting LCD screen does not have touchscreen and cannot be fully flipped up or flipped to the side, it only tilts. For a camera in its price range, the Nikon B500 offers a lot of features.
Nikon A900 Best cheap vlogging camera under $400: Nikon A900 The Nikon A900 not only comes with a non-interchangeable zoom lens, but it can also record videos in UHD 4K quality. Like the Nikon B500, the A900’s ISO goes only up to 3200, making it a weak performer in poorly lit conditions.
Sony a5100 Best cheap vlogging camera under $500: Sony a5100 Among the cameras listed in our top cheap cameras list, the Sony a5100 is the only one you can interchange lenses with. All Sony E-mount lenses are compatible with this camera. This camera can record up to 1080p videos at 60 fps. Out of all of the above top cheap cameras, this one also auto focuses the best.

Best Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras

If you have a bigger budget to work with, the following vlogging cameras are great options:

Camera Release Date Camera Type Flip Screen Mic Port Price
CanonEOSM50 Canon M50 February2018 Mirrorless Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOSM100 Canon M100 August2017 Mirrorless Flip Up No $
CanonEOS RebelSL2 Canon SL2 June2017 Compact SLR Fully Articulated Yes $
CanonEOS RebelT7i Canon T7i February2017 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $-
CanonEOS80D Canon 80D February2016 Mid-size SLR Fully Articulated Yes $$
Canon M100 Best entry-level mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M100 The Canon M100 is a small and powerful camera that can shoot full HD (1080p) videos up to 60 fps. The touchscreen LCD of this camera flips up so that you can see yourself as you vlog in selfie mode.
Canon M50 Best mid-range mirrorless camera for vlogging: Canon EOS M50 The Canon EOS M50 can shoot UHD 4K videos at 23.98 fps. You can also record 120 fps slow-motion videos at 720p. Unlike the M100, which only has a flip up screen, the M50 has a fully articulated screen, so you can use this camera in selfie mode, all while using an on-camera shotgun microphone attached to the camera hot/cold shoe.
Canon T7i Best DSLR camera for daily vlogging: Canon EOS T7i The Canon EOS T7i is a great DSLR camera for daily vlogging. It can record full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps, it can create HDR and time-lapse movies, and it also has a fully articulated screen.
Canon SL2 Best entry-level DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS SL2 The Canon EOS SL2 delivers a lot of power at a low price. This DSLR camera can capture full HD 1080p videos at 60 fps.
Canon 80D Best mid-range DSLR camera for vlogging: Canon EOS 80D The Canon 80D is an exceptional mid-range DSLR vlogging camera with many features. Coming with a 45-point all cross phase detection autofocusing and a dual pixel CMOS AF system, the camera is great at finding the right focus while recording video.

Part 2: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS

A lot of compact cameras already come with the lens as a part of the camera body. When it comes to these kinds of cameras, you won’t have to worry about which lens is right for you since the decision has already been made for you!

When you start looking into bigger cameras, though, you’ll have to think about which lens you want to shoot with.

The Wide-Angle Lens

Every YouTuber should have a wide-angle lens. With this kind of lens, you can fit much more of a scene into your camera frame, including your own face when you’re just an arm’s length away from your camera. This is especially important for YouTubers because most YouTubers have to operate their camera on their own, without the assistance of an additional camera person.

Optical Image Stabilization

You should also look for a lens with optical image stabilization if you’re shooting a lot of your YouTube videos handheld.

For more information on camera lenses, check out my Vlogger’s Guide To Camera Lenses .

Part 3: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD

Tripod Tripod If you plan to film yourself talking in front of the same, unchanging background for an extended period of time, it doesn’t make sense to film yourself handheld the entire time. You’ll just end up tiring your arm out and adding distracting shakiness to your footage. A tripod is a great solution to this problem. You can set up your framing once, press record, and leave your camera in its fixed position while you talk with both hands free.
Joby GorillaPod SLR-Zoom Joby GorillaPod With Ballhead When you film yourself handheld, it’s difficult to keep your arm higher up so that your camera shoots down at an ideal angle. You may also notice that a lot of your arm gets into your shot, which you and other viewers might find distracting. Holding your camera up by a GorillaPod, however, can give you the extension you need to get that higher angle shot more easily, all without so much of your arm getting into your shot.

Part 4: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE

Most vlogging cameras come with a built-in microphone that gets the job done. If you want higher quality audio recordings, though, you should check out the following list of top microphones.

Top Condenser Mics For Music and Singing Top Condenser Mics For Voiceovers-Podcasts, Interviews Top On-Camera Shotgun Mics Top Shotgun Mics Top Low-Profile Lavalier Mics
Audio-Technica AT2035 Rode NT1-A AKG C214 Apogee Mic 96K Blue Yeti Rode NT-USB Blue Snowball Audio-Technica AT2020 Rode Procaster Rode VideoMic Go Shure VP83 Rode VideoMic Pro+ Sennheiser MKE 440 Rode NTG-3 Audio-Technica AT4053B Sennheiser MKH416 Rode SmartLav+ Audio-Technica ATR3350iS Sennheiser ME2

To read more about each of these microphones, check out our post on The 19 Best YouTube Microphones 2018 – Options for Music, Voiceovers, Vlogging, and more!

Part 5: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES

SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES for YouTube Starter

Using your smartphone’s camera to film your YouTube videos is a great idea since it’s light, portable, and most likely always with you. The following six smartphone accessories can help you make better YouTube videos:

  1. Arkon Tripod Mount
  2. FLII Selfie Ring Light
  3. RODE VideoMic Me
  4. Aukey Optic 3-in-1 Smartphone Lens Set
  5. iOgrapher Go for Android and iPhone
  6. Manfrotto TwistGrip System

Read about each one of these items and more in The 9 Best Smartphone Camera Accessories For Vloggers .

Part 6: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT

Lighting for home living and lighting for filming is very different. If you try to make use of just the lights you have at home, you may find that your footage is too dark, grainy, and orange-tinted.

The solution to this problem is getting additional video lighting equipment with daytime light bulbs.

Daytime Light Bulbs Daytime Light Bulbs Your home is most likely lit with incandescent light bulbs that illuminate orange-tinted light. You can remove those light bulbs and replace them with daytime light bulbs that illuminate more of a white colored light.
On-Camera LED Light On-Camera LED Light If you need more light just in front of the camera and you need this light to be portable, LED lights that attach to your camera’s hot/cold shoe will do the job.
LED Ring Light LED Ring Light If you need more light just in front of the camera, you don’t have a lot of space, and you don’t need this light to be small and portable, an LED ring light is the best piece of equipment for you. You can position your camera inside the circular space of the ring light. This kind of light also gives your eyes the circular shaped highlight that many people like to see.
Softbox Video Light Softbox Video Light If you need more light and have more space, another piece of lighting equipment good for beginners is a softbox video light.
Umbrella Video Light Umbrella Video Light Umbrella video lights are very portable and affordable. The direction of the light from umbrella lights are more difficult to control than the light from softbox video lights.

If you’re looking for recommendations on which piece of lighting equipment to buy, check out my list of the Top 17 Video Lighting Equipment For YouTubers .

Part 7: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER

After you’ve recorded all your footage, you’ll need a computer to edit your video clips together. You can perform basic video editing tasks and upload your video onto YouTube with any computer less than ten years old.

Laptop computers are popular among YouTubers because their portability allows you to work on your videos from anywhere. This way, you can finish and upload your videos more frequently, which is another important part of being a YouTuber.

The following three laptop computers handle video editing very well:

Computers for YouTube Starter

  1. MacBook Pro With Touch Bar
  2. Dell XPS 15
  3. Microsoft Surface Book 2

Read more about these laptop computers for 4K video editing in The Best Laptops for 4K Video Editing .

Part 8: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

FREE VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES PAID VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARES
OpenShot Video Editor (Windows, Mac, Linux) ShotCut (Windows, Mac, Linux) Hitfilm Express (Windows, Mac) VideoPad Video Editor (Windows) Lightworks (Windows, Mac, Linux) VSDC Video Editor (Windows) Machete Video Editor Lite (Windows) Avidemux (Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD) Read more about each of these softwares in our post about The Best Free Video Editing Software for YouTube . Filmora Video Editor (Windows, Mac) - $40 one year license, $79.99 perpetual license. Free trial Final Cut Pro (Mac) - $299.99, Free trial Vegas Movie Studio (Windows) - $49.99

YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO

Music Libraries

Music is an important part of YouTube video creation. Here’s where you can get access to music:

ROYALTY-FREE MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID MUSIC LIBRARIES PAID SUBSCRIPTION MUSIC LIBRARIES
Audionautix Bensound dig.ccMixter Free Music Archive Free Stock Music Incompetech Josh Woodward Moby Gratis Musopen Purple Planet Music TeknoAXE YouTube Audio Library Premium Beat Audio Jungle Audio Network Audio Blocks Epidemic Sound

Sound Effects

Free Sound Effect Sites

  1. Filmstock Sound Effects
  2. Freesound
  3. PacDV
  4. Sound Bible
  5. Sound Gator
  6. Sounds Crate
  7. Zapsplat

author avatar

Sumia Rafique

Sumia Rafique is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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Also read:

  • Title: "Ace's Top 10 List Choosing Superior Capture Cards for 2024"
  • Author: Steven
  • Created at : 2024-05-25 18:44:24
  • Updated at : 2024-05-26 18:44:24
  • Link: https://youtube-clips.techidaily.com/aces-top-10-list-choosing-superior-capture-cards-for-2024/
  • License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
On this page
"Ace's Top 10 List Choosing Superior Capture Cards for 2024"
  1. Ace’s Top 10 List: Choosing Superior Capture Cards
  • The Top 10 Capture Cards for YouTube
    1. 1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
    2. 2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
    3. 3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
    4. 4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card
    5. 5. Elgato Game Capture HD
    6. 6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle
    7. 7. HDML Cloner Box Pro
    8. 8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
    9. 9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve
    10. 10. Avermedia Avercapture HD
    11. 1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
    12. 2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
    13. 3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
    14. 4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card
    15. 5. Elgato Game Capture HD
    16. 6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle
    17. 7. HDML Cloner Box Pro
    18. 8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
    19. 9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve
    20. 10. Avermedia Avercapture HD
    21. 1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
    22. 2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
    23. 3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
    24. 4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card
    25. 5. Elgato Game Capture HD
    26. 6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle
    27. 7. HDML Cloner Box Pro
    28. 8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
    29. 9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve
    30. 10. Avermedia Avercapture HD
    31. 1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
    32. 2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
    33. 3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
    34. 4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card
    35. 5. Elgato Game Capture HD
    36. 6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle
    37. 7. HDML Cloner Box Pro
    38. 8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
    39. 9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve
    40. 10. Avermedia Avercapture HD
    41. Start Filming Right: The Newbie’s Guide to Video Gear
  • YouTube Equipment Starter Guide For Beginners
    1. Part 1: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA
      1. What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuber
      2. Best Cheap Vlogging Cameras
      4. Best Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras
    2. Part 2: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS
      1. The Wide-Angle Lens
      2. Optical Image Stabilization
    3. Part 3: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD
    4. Part 4: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE
    5. Part 5: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES
    6. Part 6: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT
    7. Part 7: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER
    8. Part 8: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
    9. YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO
      1. Music Libraries
      2. Sound Effects
    10. Part 1: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA
      1. What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuber
      2. Best Cheap Vlogging Cameras
      4. Best Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras
    11. Part 2: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS
      1. The Wide-Angle Lens
      2. Optical Image Stabilization
    12. Part 3: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD
    13. Part 4: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE
    14. Part 5: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES
    15. Part 6: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT
    16. Part 7: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER
    17. Part 8: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
    18. YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO
      1. Music Libraries
      2. Sound Effects
    19. Part 1: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA
      1. What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuber
      2. Best Cheap Vlogging Cameras
      4. Best Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras
    20. Part 2: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS
      1. The Wide-Angle Lens
      2. Optical Image Stabilization
    21. Part 3: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD
    22. Part 4: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE
    23. Part 5: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES
    24. Part 6: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT
    25. Part 7: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER
    26. Part 8: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
    27. YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO
      1. Music Libraries
      2. Sound Effects
    28. Part 1: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: CAMERA
      1. What To Look For In A Camera As A YouTuber
      2. Best Cheap Vlogging Cameras
      4. Best Entry-Level and Mid-Range Vlogging Cameras
    29. Part 2: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LENS
      1. The Wide-Angle Lens
      2. Optical Image Stabilization
    30. Part 3: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: TRIPOD
    31. Part 4: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: MICROPHONE
    32. Part 5: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: SMARTPHONE ACCESSORIES
    33. Part 6: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: LIGHT
    34. Part 7: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: COMPUTER
    35. Part 8: YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
    36. YOUTUBE EQUIPMENT: AUDIO
      1. Music Libraries
      2. Sound Effects