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Webcams vs. Camcorders for Youtube
I am planning on starting a nice "talking head" video cast on youtube. What I mean by that is that it is just going to be me in my room talking into the camera, no need to move the camera around or worry about different lighting, etc.
Most "talking head" youtube videos look terrible (in my opinion) and I want to do everything I can to make this very high quality and of very high caliber. I am investing in a Samson C01U condenser microphone, I will be using video editing software to clean up the video and make it interesting and professional, and I have several full spectrum light bulbs ready to position in various places to make the lighting right.
The only thing left is for me to buy a camera, but I am a little stuck. I know that I want to shoot in high definition, and I have a small budget. But those parameters don't even narrow down my options to which category of camera to use, let alone which specific model!
So I pose to you this question: what is the difference between a high-end webcam (for example, the Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000) and a low to mid-range camcorder, (like a Sanyo Xacti) specifically in terms of their use for talking head broadcasts. Obviously camcorders have advantages like portability and LCD screens, but these advantages are meaningless for what I will be doing.
I'm more interested in what the quality output will be. I have heard that camcorders generally have better, larger lenses so they pick up more light making for better and more natural color. Camcorders also seem to record at a faster fps, 30 to 60 fps, whereas the best webcams only do 30fps, and even that can be dependent on the speed of the connection and how powerful the computer it's connected to is.
Higher end webcams might be preferred for some of the built in features specific to "talking head" video production. For example, many have face tracking features that will keep you in focus or even track your face if you move (not necessarily by moving the camera: a lot only use a cropped portion of the CCD sensor when recording, so it is possible to move around a little withing a limited range, though towards the edge of the CCD there might be slight warping due to lens effects). There is also good automatic lighting adjustment software. Camcorders do this too, but obviously the webcam has a room in mind where a camcorder might be thinking more broadly since it needs to respond to various outside conditions, and thus I wonder if the results might not be as good.
Non issues?
It seems that the resolution is not much of an issue, since I can find webcams that shoot in HD. Both also have glass lenses, and I don't know how to compare the difference in quality between a high end webcam lens and an affordable camcorder lens. I have an general idea that larger lens=better, but how does this play out practically? Once the jump to glass lens has been made, is the difference really going to be that noticeable? Web cams have the advantage of streaming directly to the computer, even for live chat. I think most camcorders can be rigged to do this, but perhaps not as easily. But since I'll be editing before publishing, this doesn't really matter. Camcorders are more portable in case I really want to film something outside, but I could always connect a webcam to a laptop for a quick trip outside, so I think this isn't an issue either.
Summary of things to consider:
* Lens Quality
* Colors: Camcorders get more natural colors
* Light Gathering: Camcorders gather more light, resulting in better picture in darker locations and less "noise."
* Frames Per Second: Most camcorders can record at a higher frame rate at full resolution.
* Resolution: Most camcorders have higher resolutions, but high end webcams have high resolutions as well.
* Versatility vs Specific Technologies: Camcorders are more versatile, but this is actually a negative since this means the technology in webcams is tailored to the purpose at hand.
* Price: Even second hand or low end camcorders are more expensive than new high end webcams.
The main thing to consider for each of these points is the Threshold of Diminishing Difference. For example, in Diamonds, most people cant' tell the difference between a K ("faint yellow") and a G ("near colorless") though the price difference can be huge. The return on investment for buying diamonds rated I, H, G, F, and E is smaller and smaller. There is a sweet spot somewhere in there where the diamond looks good to most people. So the real question is where is that sweet spot for each of the above items? Is 30fps enough? Is the lens on a camcorder going to make a huge difference?
A final note is that if I buy an Xacti HD1010 camcorder, (or the like) I'll be able to use it for more than just the video cast, so I might be willing to spend a bit extra on it, even if it's only going to add a very small amount of quality. So, all things considered, what kind of camera, and what specific camera should I get?
Are there any other major factors that I should be considering here?
Most "talking head" youtube videos look terrible (in my opinion) and I want to do everything I can to make this very high quality and of very high caliber. I am investing in a Samson C01U condenser microphone, I will be using video editing software to clean up the video and make it interesting and professional, and I have several full spectrum light bulbs ready to position in various places to make the lighting right.
The only thing left is for me to buy a camera, but I am a little stuck. I know that I want to shoot in high definition, and I have a small budget. But those parameters don't even narrow down my options to which category of camera to use, let alone which specific model!
So I pose to you this question: what is the difference between a high-end webcam (for example, the Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000) and a low to mid-range camcorder, (like a Sanyo Xacti) specifically in terms of their use for talking head broadcasts. Obviously camcorders have advantages like portability and LCD screens, but these advantages are meaningless for what I will be doing.
I'm more interested in what the quality output will be. I have heard that camcorders generally have better, larger lenses so they pick up more light making for better and more natural color. Camcorders also seem to record at a faster fps, 30 to 60 fps, whereas the best webcams only do 30fps, and even that can be dependent on the speed of the connection and how powerful the computer it's connected to is.
Higher end webcams might be preferred for some of the built in features specific to "talking head" video production. For example, many have face tracking features that will keep you in focus or even track your face if you move (not necessarily by moving the camera: a lot only use a cropped portion of the CCD sensor when recording, so it is possible to move around a little withing a limited range, though towards the edge of the CCD there might be slight warping due to lens effects). There is also good automatic lighting adjustment software. Camcorders do this too, but obviously the webcam has a room in mind where a camcorder might be thinking more broadly since it needs to respond to various outside conditions, and thus I wonder if the results might not be as good.
Non issues?
It seems that the resolution is not much of an issue, since I can find webcams that shoot in HD. Both also have glass lenses, and I don't know how to compare the difference in quality between a high end webcam lens and an affordable camcorder lens. I have an general idea that larger lens=better, but how does this play out practically? Once the jump to glass lens has been made, is the difference really going to be that noticeable? Web cams have the advantage of streaming directly to the computer, even for live chat. I think most camcorders can be rigged to do this, but perhaps not as easily. But since I'll be editing before publishing, this doesn't really matter. Camcorders are more portable in case I really want to film something outside, but I could always connect a webcam to a laptop for a quick trip outside, so I think this isn't an issue either.
Summary of things to consider:
* Lens Quality
* Colors: Camcorders get more natural colors
* Light Gathering: Camcorders gather more light, resulting in better picture in darker locations and less "noise."
* Frames Per Second: Most camcorders can record at a higher frame rate at full resolution.
* Resolution: Most camcorders have higher resolutions, but high end webcams have high resolutions as well.
* Versatility vs Specific Technologies: Camcorders are more versatile, but this is actually a negative since this means the technology in webcams is tailored to the purpose at hand.
* Price: Even second hand or low end camcorders are more expensive than new high end webcams.
The main thing to consider for each of these points is the Threshold of Diminishing Difference. For example, in Diamonds, most people cant' tell the difference between a K ("faint yellow") and a G ("near colorless") though the price difference can be huge. The return on investment for buying diamonds rated I, H, G, F, and E is smaller and smaller. There is a sweet spot somewhere in there where the diamond looks good to most people. So the real question is where is that sweet spot for each of the above items? Is 30fps enough? Is the lens on a camcorder going to make a huge difference?
A final note is that if I buy an Xacti HD1010 camcorder, (or the like) I'll be able to use it for more than just the video cast, so I might be willing to spend a bit extra on it, even if it's only going to add a very small amount of quality. So, all things considered, what kind of camera, and what specific camera should I get?
Are there any other major factors that I should be considering here?
Tags: camcorder, cast, fps, framerate, resolution, video, vlog, webcam
Views: 327
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mid-range-camcorder.jpg, 12 KB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by brenton on -
I have since found out that YouTube limits fps to 30fps, so anything above that will be scaled down after you upload it.
What would be really nice is a side by side walk-around comparison like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mAi2hsFx0A for the QucikCam Pro and a camcorder. This would settle the issue once and for all. Anybody have both a high end webcam and a camcorder? Plug your webcam into a laptop and do a walkaround your house!
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Permalink Reply by brenton on
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Thanks Matt. What has been your experience with cameras that makes you give this advice? Have you tried other webcams that weren't as good quality?
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Permalink Reply by B00 on -
Had a few web cams in my time and by far the best so far is the Logitech 9000 pro it also has a Carl Zeiss glass lens to let more light in and with rightlight enabled it lights up my room in the dark with just the monitors on also takes good quality pics
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Permalink Reply by Travis Piper on -
Personaly I would go with a camcorder for mobility and great picture and sound. My web cam has audio that clips or distorts when theres a certain volume or heavy bass. Also most webcams has picture like this.^ A webcam is probebly only good for pictures if you put up a projector screen and a few dozen lights then mabe you can get a good picture.
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Permalink Reply by B00 on
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Actually this is the Logitech 9000 pro with just a little spot lamp hidden for a little ulimination you certainly would not need a lot of lighting for it and this was taken at 640x480 (it will go upto 8mp)
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Permalink Reply by Rhyspgamer on -
i would recommend my jvc everio GZ-MG330 which is a hard disk camcorder and records in high quaility and it comes with software that can make the video HD ,with 30GB built in its easy to use and 35x optical zoom,plus it has a micro sd slot and the battery lasts at least 5 hours on full charge and it has electronic lighting which is very useful for recording in dark places ,also the microphone is very clear and it has this feature where if you happen to be somewhere windy it ruduces the wind sound .
You could probably pick one up for around $300 or if in uk 135 pounds ,you might want to try ebay for even cheaper
Any other questions u may have contact me
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Permalink Reply by Rhyspgamer on
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Electronic lighting on
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Permalink Reply by B00 on
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I have the same one :) very good hdd cam but as its for youtube might be a bit more than he wants to spend ;)
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Permalink Reply by Daz on -
probably best to start off with a webcam but if you want to do it in the long term and want to shoot other footage (outside the office) then a camcorder would be better. Personally I use a camcorder but my videos don't normally involve just my head so I need the extra zooming power of a camcorder. However in your case if you are committed to just head shots and nothing else a webcam would be a lot easier to capture and edit with.
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