Best camera within the $500 price range for vloging?

[UploadComplete]

Hello, I was referenced to this site by one of my friends. I do not have much knowledge in cameras so I have no idea what I should do. In a month I will be journeying to NYC to see the people I left six years ago. While there I would like to vlog daily. I was thinking about getting the Sony a58 (or 57 used) but I have since heard about the Panasonic GH2. I've spent all of my money on school and traveling expenses so I don't have much more for a good camera. Do you guys have any camera recommendations in the $500 price range?

[Rinad Amir]

Used G7 might be your option

[Cinegain]

To be honest, you might as well pick up a Canon G7X, the vlogger's choice of camera. But yeah, nothing's keeping you from getting one of them Canon T6i cameras and do how Casey Neistat rolls and shooting manually. But it's a hassle to carry with you a DSLR at all times. If it's about the journey more than the visuals, just get a decent pocket cam. Canons are easy to work with and aren't very demanding skillswise.

[Mat Mayer]

Maybe consider the Panasonic GF-7. I havent used one but it is compact, attractive and comes with a nice lens and has a selfie tilting screen. 

[Snowfun]

Your phone? 

I suppose it depends on how seriously you are taking this project and what response you want.  Assuming you have an iphone or similar, that would be $500 to spend with your friends!

[BrorSvensson]

dont know what the used 70d goes for but that is a great and easy to use vlogging camera, a lot better af than the G7

[Liam]

A g7 sounds like overkill. Yeah, maybe a twenty dollar tripod and little mount for your phone, if you'll even need a tripod. Maybe a compact like an rx100 mk I. A gf-3, an nex-7. I wouldn't go fancier than a used t3i (newer generations in the rebel series are just pointless - even the t3i is barely better than the t2i) or a g6. If you're confident in your computer, a g7 is an awesome camera, but to find out 4k is slow on your computer would be a bummer later, or if you're using a free editor with limitations, 4k might look terrible when poorly downscaled

[Cinegain]

2 hours ago, Cinegain said:

To be honest, you might as well pick up a Canon G7X, the vlogger's choice of camera. But yeah, nothing's keeping you from getting one of them Canon T6i cameras and do how Casey Neistat rolls and shooting manually. But it's a hassle to carry with you a DSLR at all times. If it's about the journey more than the visuals, just get a decent pocket cam. Canons are easy to work with and aren't very demanding skillswise.

Speaking of the man... he just touched on that and uploaded this  :

It's interesting, we all thought the 80D was going to be the vlogger's dream, now it seems a partial nightmare.

[j_one]

I'd recommend the a5100 or g7x if you want to keep it cheap. Selfie articulating screen and good 1080p. A bit of aliasing out of the a5100 but you have fast AF and choice of lenses.

[TheRenaissanceMan]

Gf7 actually sounds like a good option. Cheap, light, great image quality, small file sizes and the all-important selfie screen.

[Mat Mayer]

Deleted A7 suggestion as it is unsuitable. Get a pretty GF-7 in brown and silver.

[BrorSvensson]

1 minute ago, Mat Mayer said:

The Sony A7 is only $398 with a Rode microphone at Adorama today. Go go go! Will easily find a lens for $100 later. Probably not got a folding screen, but probably got wifi, so you can frame yourself with your phone.

http://www.adorama.com/ISOA7RD.html

would not recommend at all for vlogging, i have a a7 and the video auto focus is terrible, the screen cant go selfie mode and if you are in the wifi mirror mode to your smartphone you can only take pictures. No video.

[dbp]

Wouldn't an iphone with a decent lav mic fit the bill? Especially if you were in a room with plenty of daylight coming in. 

[ntblowz]

Dji osmo? You can put external mic for better audio, and when out vlogging your image will be silky smooth too

[IronFilm]

You can maybe get a Sony RX100 mk3 second hand for $500

Has a nice biggish 1 inch sensor, very compact size, and a flip up screen for selfies.

Get a Rode SmartLav to record audio with your smartphone.

And maybe a Xiaomi Yi action camera for more sporting activities? If you're into that kinda thing. Is only  $65

[UploadComplete]

Wow, I am amazed by the amount of responses I recieved. At the moment I am taking the G7X, GF7, and RX100 into consideration. I will be walking around a lot while in NY so I need something that has good stabilization and good low light performance. Considered going with the GoPro Hero 4 Silver but ended up not liking the quality. My GF owns the D3300 which takes decent video. She says I can use it but I don't want to be held responsible although I've never broken anything. It's just a mind thing I guess.

[IronFilm]

I'd strongly lean towards using the D3300 then, as it is a solid enough camera. Pity it has no flip out screen though.

 

I'd suggest getting a gimbal. Either a small one for a Xiaomi Yi camera or a bigger Came TV Single for a bigger (but still small) camera.

[BrorSvensson]

On 2016-04-25 at 6:33 AM, UploadComplete said:

Wow, I am amazed by the amount of responses I recieved. At the moment I am taking the G7X, GF7, and RX100 into consideration. I will be walking around a lot while in NY so I need something that has good stabilization and good low light performance. Considered going with the GoPro Hero 4 Silver but ended up not liking the quality. My GF owns the D3300 which takes decent video. She says I can use it but I don't want to be held responsible although I've never broken anything. It's just a mind thing I guess.

the d3300 has no auto focus which can be a pain in the a**, I would reccommend you to taje either the g7x or 70d route depending if size is a problem.

[Ivanhurba]

Get a second hand G7(non weather sealed) or a GH3(weather sealed) if possible; something like a rode videomicro or a cheap long wired lav -or both- and a gorillapod. Probably you can get all that for under 500$ in total. That will give you good quality video and sound and you'll be rolling in no time.