A place to share advice, promotion, and support

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Camera Equipment




Webcam:

Using your built in laptop camera is a bad idea.
  1. The quality will be poor
  2. You can't move it around for different angles

This is the Logitech C920. It is $59.99 on Amazon and one of the most popular webcams used right now. There is a newer series out called the Logitech C930e but the specs are exactly the same. I only recommend it if you are a Mac user because it is Mac compatible. It is more expensive than the C920 because it is prettier and comes with a lens cap.


Photo/Video Camera


When choosing a camera my biggest suggestion is to pick one with a flip out viewer or one that has the ability to be connected to a monitor for live preview.


Why? It’s like watching yourself in a mirror or being on cam. Knowing how you look before you take the picture will make it much less work on you. It’s better than guessing and having to filter through 100’s of bad pictures.


Features


What features do you want and need in a camera?


  • Durable
  • Not too complicated
  • The ability to video record
  • At least 12mp
  • Plenty of compatible accessories and software


I personally own the Panasonic Lumix FZ-200 with 12.1mp, The higher the mp, the higher quality of pictures you will get. I think that 12mp is kind of low nowadays, but it’s not the only feature you are looking for. Sometimes you have to sacrifice mp for ease of use and other things.


Accessories


There are tons of accessories for your camera and editing that you are going to need. You know the basics of course, but I’ll teach you the camgirl friendly ones :)

Wireless shutter and receiver set


This is how you take a picture without needing someone else or a timer. Hold the remote in your hand and press the button. You can cleverly hide the remote or set the remote to a timer. If you set it to timer, you can push the button and tuck it away for complete invisibility and freedom. *BONUS HINT* Put the remote in a plastic ziplock to take photos in your shower or tub.


Editing Tablet

Allow me to introduce you to the Wacom Intuos Pen and Touch tablet. This is heaven and yes you will need it if you’re an obsessive and creative editor like myself. Cutting out backgrounds and airbrushing your skin has never been easier ^.^



Software


  • Photoshop
  • Gimp
  • Photomonkey

Gimp is almost exactly like photoshop and free. If you are looking for something really easy and simple, I recommend Photomonkey. It is browser based editing program that easily allows you to adjust basic settings and apply filters.