Some Equipment Options
Film with your cell phone. Improve the audio with a clip on microphone such as Rode's VideoMic Me for Smart Phones for about $50. You can also use your phone as an audio recorder by plugging a lavalier microphone to it like the Boya BY-M1 for $20.
A second option is to use an inexpensive camcorder like the Canon
Vixia HF R800 (approximately $200) that has an external microphone
input, but no hotshoe to mount a microphone like the good, but
inexpensive Takstar SGC-598 video microphone at $22. Use a straight bracket such as the $14 Vello CB-600 to provide a simple solution.
A DSLR camera with an external microphone input can have a
microphone set on top in the hot shoe like the excellent Rode
VideoMic Pro+ ($235) that is battery powered and has
controls to boost the audio signal. Rode mics are known for
their rich full tone. Some less expensive DSLR examples are
the Panasonic FZ300 ($500) and Canon EOS SL3 ($800).
The camera could also be set up with a hot shoe extender or
cage with a shotgun microphone using XLR connections and
cables. XLR cables carry a cleaner signal further and are less
susceptible to electronic interference than cables with 3.5
mm connections. You would need a shockmount and preamp
($100) to provide phantom power if the microphone is not self-powered. The microphone can also be mounted on a boom pole or stand. The mic should be kept within 5 feet of your actors.
The Zoom H1n digital audio recorder cost about $90 and is a very
versatile tool. It can be mounted like a microphone and record audio directly into a camera (with the correct attenuation cable that reduces the "hot" signal). It can also have a lavalier or other microphone with a 3.5 mm plug attached to it to record sound that will have to be matched up with the video in the editing software later. More expensive models of digital audio recorders can have XLR microphones attached to them and even provide phantom power if necessary. Digital audio recorders like the Zoom H1 should be set to record 48 kHz / 16 bit audio to match up optimally with video.
I personally use a Sony HXR-NX80 video camera ($2,100) and Audio-Technica AT875R microphone ($170) for my class movies.
versatile tool. It can be mounted like a microphone and record audio directly into a camera (with the correct attenuation cable that reduces the "hot" signal). It can also have a lavalier or other microphone with a 3.5 mm plug attached to it to record sound that will have to be matched up with the video in the editing software later. More expensive models of digital audio recorders can have XLR microphones attached to them and even provide phantom power if necessary. Digital audio recorders like the Zoom H1 should be set to record 48 kHz / 16 bit audio to match up optimally with video.
I personally use a Sony HXR-NX80 video camera ($2,100) and Audio-Technica AT875R microphone ($170) for my class movies.