For those of you with YouTube channels, camera advice requested.

I don't have any specific advice for you on a make and model, but I do have a word of caution.

I'm sure the GoPro cameras will come up in this discussion. They are great cameras, but they are not well suited for shooting model trains.

I tried using a GoPro when shooting model trains, but the results were not good. These cameras cannot be focused - they are a fixed-focus camera. That's fine for about 99% of everything these cameras will be used for. However, anything closer than about 12" from the lens is out of focus, and you can't do anything about that. That becomes a real problem when shooting model trains.

There are other models from other manufactures that allow you to change the focus, and this is what you really need for shooting trains.

I use a Canon EOS Rebel T6. 

I work in multimedia for a living and I have used a wide gambit of cameras. When starting out, do not overlook the smart phone camera. Most of them carry extremely strong options that can be used with just a small investment in the proper stands. This would be a very affordable option to get started with and no need to really drop a lot of money until you already have a start. Once more settled, if you find yourself really producing a fair amount of video, pick up a kit like this one:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c...77d_dslr_camera.html

I currently have this camera in my library and it is a GREAT starter set.

I use a Canon EOS M50.

I use my Samsung Galaxy S-9+.  I upload the videos via my computer.

@Rich Melvin posted:

I don't have any specific advice for you on a make and model, but I do have a word of caution.

I'm sure the GoPro cameras will come up in this discussion. They are great cameras, but they are not well suited for shooting model trains.

I tried using a GoPro when shooting model trains, but the results were not good. These cameras cannot be focused - they are a fixed-focus camera. That's fine for about 99% of everything these cameras will be used for. However, anything closer than about 12" from the lens is out of focus, and you can't do anything about that. That becomes a real problem when shooting model trains.

There are other models from other manufactures that allow you to change the focus, and this is what you really need for shooting trains.

I’ve found this out first hand a few years back when I got a pro for Christmas. Other than placing the go pro on a flat car and running it around the layout, my results were less than stellar.

right now I’m using my IPhone 7.  In the beginning of my YouTube  page I was using a flip.  Remember those?

In my experience, the Canon EOS M50 should work well for model railroad footage. It was released in 2018 and generally goes for around $650 when paired with a kit lens.

There's dozens of reviews of the camera on YouTube so if you're interested in the specs of the camera just search it up there.

It does have WiFi, so you can save photos and videos on your phone's camera roll. I've never used it so I'm no expert on this particular feature. Again, a review on YouTube should help explain that.

Here's some footage I got with it of my layout. I record in a flat color profile for a more precise color grade in post, so if you're wondering why the colors look bland here, that's why. I also had a Rode VideoMic Go recording audio. You can use the camera's built-in mic if you want, but I prefer using an external mic to spice things up a bit.

If you're curious on how it does filming real trains, check out this video a friend of mine shot earlier this month. He used no tripod, no external mic, just the basic camera and kit lens. I would share the one I made with "four-and-a-quarter", but I used two different lenses.

Hope this helps.

This is what will happen with a GoPro:

This is a scene from Bill's video posted above, and I don't mean to pick on you, Bill. Your video was just the most convenient place for me quickly to find an image that would illustrate the GoPro focus problem. I understand you shot this with a Canon EOS Rebel T6.

The big DSLRs often have the same problem as the GoPro because their large image sensor limits their depth of field. For shooting models, they are not as good as a camera with a smaller image sensor.

However, the DSLRs are not fixed focus cameras. If Bill wanted to do a "Take two" on this scene, he could easily have adjusted the focus to make it look better. You can't do that with a GoPro.

I found out the camera won't do autofocus in video mode like you can in picture mode. What I need to do is find an area I want to focus and work with that. But when doing 3 deep that isn't always easy to do.

And Rich I realized you were not trying to pick on me, but to show what happens.

I have a Canon "Prosumer" model, a Vixia GL-something, which is the successor to earlier Canon models I have used. It's great for color matching, low light conditions and a lot of other stuff. But frankly for most of the model train videos I do an iPhone (I think it's an 8) does the job and the big camera gets reserved for outdoor vistas. In fact the editing software makes as much difference as the camera in terms of allowing me to splice together clips and even correct lighting.

I wasn't aware of the GoPro limitations but I've never been tempted by that product anyway.

@rtraincollector posted:

I found out the camera won't do autofocus in video mode like you can in picture mode. What I need to do is find an area I want to focus and work with that. But when doing 3 deep that isn't always easy to do.

And Rich I realized you were not trying to pick on me, but to show what happens.

You shouldn’t use autofocus when shooting video anyway. That’s why the camera won’t let you do it. When shooting a moving subject in a video, autofocus can be fooled and start to “hunt” for focus. The result is an objectionable result on the video where things go in and out of focus rapidly.

You can maximize your depth of field by getting the camera in close and using the wide end of the zoom lens range. The farther you zoom in, the shorter the depth of field.

Thanks for your understanding, Bill.

I'm using a Sony HD Handycam HDR-CX440 along with a Sony VCT-R640 Lightweight Tripod. Been very happy with both, but will probably look for a 4K cam next year.

I will tell you that your video editing suite and your editing skills also play a big part in your end result.

Good luck with your videos and have fun!

I’m glad you mentioned editing, Matt. That is critical to a good final production.

On my IPad, I use an app called LumaFusion. It’s a $30 video editing app that has a surprising amount of features and power. I edit “little” stuff on that.

In my professional edit suite, I use Final Cut Pro X on a MAC Pro, with 12 Terabytes of hard drive space. I did all the OGR HD videos using Final Cut.

FYI, DSLR cameras are horrible for focusing in video mode. I even have the "quietest" lens (Nikon AF-P) and you can still hear it.  They don't compare to Handycams for video auto focusing.

I agree with Rich though I have four GoPro cameras. I use them for diving and one is on a EVO 3-axis handheld gimbal. Great for tracking shots but not for the layout. I have run with it through a jungle and it looks like your on rails. Also the GoPro has way to wide of lens for layout work, unless you want to see a lot of ceiling. I also use Final Cut with a Mac Pro Tower. I'm just starting to log over 12 hours of video that I have shot of our little narrow gauge train here. It looks like it's the end of the line for our railroad after 50 years of running. Engines are up for sale. Don

I shot this picture....

Rich can correct me if I'm wrong, but I've been told there is another limitation to using an iPhone or iPad. Specifically, the zoom feature. This is a digital zoom, not an optical zoom. So the more you zoom in on a scene, the poorer the picture quality. This shows up as graininess, or electronic noise. So shoot with the widest angle for best picture quality. I have an older Canon FS100, which does well for general work. The last time I tried it on the layout, I was not happy with the results. Remember, most layouts are very challenging to take good video. You typically have moving trains, poor light levels, and want lots of depth of field. Baaaad combination! 

Chris

LVHR

I use a Canon EOS Rebel T5i on a tripod. With any DSLR; leave the autofocus off. As mentioned above, the autofocus is worthless on any DSLR as it lags and is noisy. I do a few run by’s before I shoot a scene and manually set the focus. There are better options if you want something just for videos but if you take your time to learn your equipment and your video editing software, you can get great results with a DSLR on a tripod. My DSLR severs 2 purposes (photos for my website and video) and I also use it for travel photography. It’s nice to have the dual purpose (photo/video) use of a DSLR and I would recommend it for that reason. Just make sure you get a good tripod and be ready for a bit of a learning curve when you first start shooting video on it. 

And more important than anything else; lighting is everything and makes ALL the difference! 

Absolutely. Even a so-so camera can produce nice images if the lighting is right.