First Steps in Filmmaking: Essentials for New YouTube Talents

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		February2017	Action Camera	No	Yes	$169 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixA900		February2016	Compact	Flip Up	Yes	$399 (MSRP)
NikonCoolpixB500		February2016	SLR-like (bridge)	Tilting	No	$250 (MSRP)
PolaroidCube+		June2015	Action Camera	No	No	$99 (MSRP)
SonyAlphaa5100		August2014	Mirrorless	Flip Up	No	$450 (MSRP)

	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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		February2018	Mirrorless	Fully Articulated	Yes	$-
CanonEOSM100		August2017	Mirrorless	Flip Up	No	$
CanonEOS RebelSL2		June2017	Compact SLR	Fully Articulated	Yes	$
CanonEOS RebelT7i		February2017	Mid-size SLR	Fully Articulated	Yes	$-
CanonEOS80D		February2016	Mid-size SLR	Fully Articulated	Yes	$$

	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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 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 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

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 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 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 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 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 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:

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

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

Sumia Rafique

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

Follow @Sumia Rafique

The Ultimate Selection of YouTube’s Finest Cosmetics Vloggers

10 Best YouTube Makeup Artists You Should Follow

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

While some love to wear makeup, some don’t. Quite a lot of times you would find a meme, making fun of the ones belonging to the prior category. To all of them, we would like to say, “STOP JUDGING WOMEN!” It’s a matter of choice and there’s nothing to shy away from. You would be surprised to know that a lot of them are earning their daily bread today by sharing hacks to nail the latest makeup trend. Okay, we agree that it’s not quite the year for experimenting with new looks. But with the gloom all around, a little makeup and a brief selfie session for your Instagram might make you feel good for a change. Also, with so much time, you might make up your mind on perfecting your skills and launch your makeup tutorial channel someday.

No matter what summoned you to this write-up today, find here some of the best YouTube makeup artists you must have heard before. Cut short the troubles of filtering through a whole list of them as we have compiled it on your behalf. So, without beating around the bush, let’s proceed.

• Part 1: Top 10 YouTube Makeup Artists
• Part 2: How to Prepare Before Making Your First Makeup Video?

Top 10 YouTube Makeup Artists

Here’s a rundown of our shortlisted ones in no particular order.

1. Rachel Claire Levin

This internet personality is widely known for her YouTube channel RCLBeauty101. A native of Philadelphia, who joined this channel on Dec 14, 2010, has successfully amassed 14.6M subscribers from all over the world. And why not? After all, her channel features diverse videos on life hacks, skits, comedy, and associated things besides DIY makeup tutorials. As of July 2020, the YouTube channel has already gathered 3.71 billion video views, indicating how quickly she’s reaching out to people seeking beauty advice.

2. Jeffree Star

Jeffree Star, who is renowned on YouTube as ‘jeffreestar’, is a multi-talented internet personality. This fashion-obsessed influencer had embarked on his journey as a makeup artist on February 15, 2006. Since then, he has been creating and sharing videos on collabs, life, music, reviews, and makeup of course. His channel has been immensely popular and has amassed 17.4M subscribers with video views soaring to over 2.35 billion. You would be surprised to know that he’s also the founder of Jeffree Star Cosmetics, which was launched in November 2014. Sharing beauty tips and tutorials have risen on his channel ever since the very onset of his company.

3. Nikkie de Jager

And how can we ever forget about the Dutch beauty vlogger, who owns a YouTube channel by the name NikkieTutorials? She’s a YouTube sensation with about 13.5M subscribers and over 1.33 billion views. Success touched her feet in 2015 when she released “The Power of Makeup” YouTube video and inspired people to disclose theirs with and without makeup faces. Her channel features stars like Drew Barrymore and Kim Kardashian, all of which have together contributed to the popularity of her YouTube channel.

4. Wayne Goss

The YouTube channel of Wayne Goss is all about beauty tips to improve makeup skills, honest reviews on brands, and a guide for all those aspiring to be a makeup artist. What launched on August 5, 2008, today enjoys 3.79M subscribers and over 508 million video views. The best part about watching makeup tutorials on his channel is that he breaks down even the most complicated looks into easy and manageable segments, simplifying the learning for all.

5. Desi Perkins

Desi Perkins’ humble entry into the YouTube community happened on August 18, 2013, when she posted a tutorial titled ‘Soft Warm Sultry Eye’ and since then she’s been taking over the channel by storm. A specialist in wedding, party and casual makeup styles, her rise to fame was mostly due to two of her videos ‘Husband Does My Makeup’ and ‘Eyebrow Tutorial’. Today she captures the attention of almost 3.34M subscribers and 250M views.

6. Zoe Elizebeth Sugg

Also known by Zoella, the YouTube channel of Zoe Sugg was an outcome of her success as a blogger, which prompted her to initiate her career and join YouTube on September 4, 2012. Ever since she has ingrained her position among the top beauty influencers and internet fashionistas. Her collaboration with some of the best beauty brands like ColourPop has further facilitated her to rise to loftier heights of success. Today, her YouTube channel enjoys 4.81M subscribers and over 870M views.

7. Tati Westbrook

She’s a gorgeous, successful beauty influencer and an OG beauty YouTuber, who stepped on board on November 8, 2010. Makeup lovers shall find tutorials, life vlogs, unbiased product reviews, and makeup challenges on her channel, which was renamed ‘Tati’ from ‘GlamLifeGuru’ on November 7, 2010. She also shares tips on Drugstore & Luxury Beauty Products on two days of the week. All this and much more has helped her win a staggering 9.28M subscribers and 1.4 billion views on YouTube.

8. Michelle Phan

Calling her simply an entrepreneur and a voice actress would be an understatement because she’s a notable YouTuber and an American makeup artist, who joined the YouTube community on July 9, 2006. Her YouTube channel ‘Michelle Phan’ features a repertoire of transformative beauty tutorials and reviews on beauty products. She might have gone on a break for 3 long years between 2016 and 2019 but has still managed to earn 8.89M subscribers and 1.03 billion views. Watch her videos to learn about essential beauty tips.

9. Bunny Meyer

This paranormal experience sharer turned YouTube makeup artist, invaded the platform on December 3, 2010, under the channel grav3yardgirl. Her jovial personality and quirks are a reason why viewers, otherwise addressed as the ‘Swamp Family’ love to visit her channel. Apart from teaching unusual beauty makeup hacks, she posts reviews on cosmetic products. Her bizarre approach and successful collaboration with Tarte Cosmetics have helped this Swamp Queen to amass 8.35M subscribers and 1.56 billion views on YouTube.

10. Huda Kattan

One of the best YouTube makeup artists you must have heard is Huda Kattan, an Iraqi-American YouTuber, who has her line of cosmetic products under the brand name Huda Beauty. Besides being a founder and CEO of the company, she features beauty hacks and DIY makeup tutorials on her YouTube channel by the same name. Her influence on people with beauty tips has helped her to win 4.04M subscribers and 175M views. If you are feeling bored at home, check out this at-home beauty solution featuring a DIY Eyelash Extension Hack from the video above.

How to Prepare Before Making Your First Makeup Video?

We assume all this must have stimulated the hidden desire in you to film your first makeup video. There’s nothing to get nervous about when you have expert tips on how to shoot a perfect makeup tutorial:

1. Make sure you sit facing a window from where the sun is shining through so that it provides a soft natural glow to your face.
2. Ensure there’s a continuous stream of light, which hardly flickers or distorts. Set up a ring light to mimic the natural light.
3. To justify the colors of your work and make them pop on your skin, surround yourself with LED luminosity attached with reflectors to disperse the rays evenly throughout the room. This shall keep away the shadows from swallowing you.
4. Assure quality audio by upgrading to camera mics or simply switch to a reliable audio software for getting the work done.
5. Edit out the awkward moments from the shoot, add interesting transitions and effects by narrowing down to a reliable video editing software. Filmora can be a wonderful tool to fine-tune your video, add endless effects, remove background noise (if any) and provide you with full 4K support. And the best thing about it is that it’s free for beginners!

Custom Your Makeup Videos with Excellent Video Editing Tool

Wrapping Up

All you have to do is subscribe to the channels of all the compiled YouTube makeup artists for real-time updates. Believe it or not, but they have inspired many to launch their own YouTube channels and share a fresh perspective with the viewers. Of them, quite a few have already been a hit among the audience. Remember, there are many struggling to perfect their looks and hunting for beauty hacks. If you can cater to them through easy-to-follow makeup tutorials, then you can be a ‘star’ in the world of the Internet. And someday, you will probably make us proud while writing about you in the columns of our articles.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

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