Need help finding and picking camera, audio, and lighting equipment for toy videos

[pbc561]

I'm looking for advice on a good camera, audio, and lighting set to do videos just like this one for unboxing small/medium sized toys on a white table with a colored wall in the background. I want the lighting to be pretty superb, and ideally I'd like to record audio and video on the same file so that I wouldn't have to sync the audio and video every time to edit the film.

 

The only equipment I currently have (some, which I don't think will do the job) includes C920 webcam, iPhone 6 plus, and blue yeti microphone. The webcam has no zoom, and the iphone can't hook up to a decent microphone I don't think. I'd love to use the blue yeti but the only way I know how to get the blue yeti audio as the main audio on the video is to use the webcam with with camtasia, which is the video editor I have. 

 

Any advice for the best or minimum required equipment for my needs would be appreciated.

As for budget, not really an issue but I'd like to stay as low as possible as long as I can make videos with the same or better quality than the one I linked to.

 

I also came across this video of someone who also makes this type of video that shows a glimpse of the setup. If you can tell me what lights, camera, camera stand, or mic they have, I'm sure those would do what I need. 

Thanks for your help.

[Guest]

I don't know why but her voice made me almost rip off my spacebar in the first video...

[ALwin]

If you want to have a setup to do something similar to the second video, here is what you can do:

• Buy a large white poster board, or even better a white curtain to use as the backdrop.  A product display table like the one in the image below is going to cost you.  There are also DIY instructions out there for making one yourself.  You might get something from Ikea for around $25 dollars or less.

• Get a cheap camcorder, perhaps something like this: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1109396-REG/panasonic_hc_v160_full_hd_camcorder.html
• Perhaps something like this for lighting: http://www.amazon.com/Bestlight-Photography-Lighting-including-Camcorder/dp/B00OISJCO0/ref=sr_1_42?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1453627986&sr=1-42&keywords=video+light+kit
• An external audio recorder like the Zoom H1: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1180782-REG/zoom_zh1s_h1_handy_recorder_silver.html

All of this totals roughly $300.  You can go cheaper if you use your Blue Yeti microphone, record the voice over on the computer.  Then synchronize the camcorder video to the audio in post.  This way you save the $70 on the Zoom H1.

[ShadowCaptain]

Record the video on your phone

 

Record the voice over on the PC and add it into the video in post - thats how my videos are made

[ALwin]

Record the video on your phone

 

Record the voice over on the PC and add it into the video in post - thats how my videos are made

 

A little bit of me died inside when I first read this topic.

[ShadowCaptain]

A little bit of me died inside when I first read this topic.

 

Special toys 

[ALwin]

Special toys 

 

LOL now I'm metaphorically laughing my ass off thinking "hmm, I wonder how tech review videos of bedroom toys will look like."

[ShadowCaptain]

LOL now I'm metaphorically laughing my ass off thinking "hmm, I wonder how tech review videos of bedroom toys will look like."

 

haha well id do them the same, but instead of quoting the specs as "128gb SSD" id say " 12" long purple dildo"

[pbc561]

Here's my current situation. I picked up a Vixia HFR600, but the footage looks too dark in my lighting conditions (idoors with these lights) and it couldn't zoom out far enough to see the products I'm reviewing without having to move it too far back from the table to where I couldn't comfortably reach the products. 

I then picked up a Sony HDRPJ440 because I noticed it could zoom out as much as I needed, but it also has terribly dark footage and looks very low quality.

So here is my current situation.

What I'm doing: Youtube video product reviews on a white table up against a light blue wall. 

Needs:
1. Camcorder or dslr/lens that can zoom out as least as far as the HDRPJ440 can (Focal Length    26.8 - 804 mm, Zoom    Optical: 30x)
2. Must produce brighter/clearer video footage than the HDRPJ440 in my lighting situation mentioned above

 

Desires:
1. Be able to pause the video recording all in the same clip
2. Be able to plug a Zoom H1 to it for audio
3. The ability to take nice photos (dslr quality)

 

Budget: Trying to stay under or around $600 USD, but can go a bit higher if it is the only way to do what I want to do.

Any recommendations? I was looking at the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 and it seems nice but was told it can't zoom out as far as the HDRPJ440 can without $500-600 lens (or at least that was BH Photo's recommendation). Is it possible that the lights could be my problem, or is it definitely that I need a better camera?

Thanks.

[pbc561]

bump

[AlanAlan]

Get this kit. 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1208931&gclid=CKSdx_238coCFQIKaQodnAsFbA&is=REG&ap=y&m=Y&Q=&A=details