You missed the simplest and least expensive one! I have been in broadcast TV for over 50 yrs and in the past we have done many many cooking shows. You dont think we hoisted a 100lb professional studio camera overhead do you? We simply used an overhead mirror! The studio camera just tilted up and zoomed in on the mirror and we got a perfect overhead shot! Sometimes it was a small mirror just over the stove, sometimes it was a big mirror over the entire countertop. Yes the image and any lettering was reversed but that was easily fixed either in the camera by flipping a switch or in the control room to flip the image or in later years in software. Most times they were just slicing or stirring a pot so reversing images was not done Its way less inexpensive and safer to use a mirror than suspending a camera! Edit: Keep the mirror high enough to avoid steam from getting on it. Our mirrors were about 6 feet from the countertop. This avoided the mirror from getting in the way of a straight on shot. This is why the mirrors were large enough to pick up the entire counter or stovetop. Some people even used stretched silver Mylar or even plexiglass mirrors because of weight, but most of the time they produced distorted images. If you are using a large mirror, you can glue it to plywood, place screw eyes in the corners of the plywood and suspend it at an agle from ceiling or lighting grid with chains. This makes setup very fast and easy. Plexiglass mirrors have lots of distortion and even regular mirrors have dual reflections, so if you want perfect, no distition or dual reflections you need to use front (or first) surface mirrors. They can be expensive and tough to clean because they can scratch easily. Try each type of mirror and see which one works best for you.
Agreed! By far my favorite. You don't even need a very large mirror. A little mirror that's the size of an index card can work. Attach THAT to a boom mic stand, set it all up to reflect the table top into the camera lens, and you're done. Sometimes difficult to get the angle just right, but GO for it.
@Matias Goinheix Certainly a larger mirror would be much easier to use, but just for kicks, while making that comment, I picked up a little utility mirror I have, measuring 2 inches by 3 inches. It's on a long handle for seeing behind computers. I think I could make that work if my recording surface was about the size of a piece of typing paper. So "index card-sized" might be a little exaggerated on my part, but still, a huge one wouldn't be necessary. A 5" X 7" or around that size would be more than adequate for a table top...again, I'm making an untested claim there...so let me know what your results are! I've only seen very large mirror setups, like several feet across, but I typically think of that as unnecessary.
For the first two years of my channel, I was using a desk lamp with a flexible neck and a clip that attached to my desk. I'd adjust the lamp so that it was lighting my page, and I'd balance my webcam over the neck of the lamp, sometimes using tape to secure it. Not the most flattering of methods, but it did get me to 10,000 subs. Right now I'm using a mic arm that screws to my desk and I slot my webcam in the mic holder. That Phone holder arm that you stand on the desk seems like the ideal next step for me. One other thing when working out which is the best option, is tripod/arm shadows. You have to make sure your light source won't be casting a shadow of your mounting system onto the filmed subject.
Awesome! That's what its all about, using what you have then upgrading when you can or need to. RE: light and shadows, if you use soft / diffused lights the shadows are much softer and less noticeable 😀
this video was SO helpful!! I'm a tarot reader and I was struggling on how to show on my videos my hands working with the cards. Before this, I did my videos making the images with powerpoint. Now, I've just received the Arkon Overhead Mount for Smartphones (this was my choice) and so excited to record my first video! Thank you Justin!! You're content is really helpful.
OMG!!! THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH YOU CHANGED MY LIFE!!! I received my microphone stand and it was under $20 which is awesome! I also purchased a microphone Stand Smartphone Boom Mount for less than $15 ... OMG... $35 for LIFE CHANGING HAPPINESS... totally worth it!!! YAY FOR ME!!!! Hey, now I can start making tutorials on a regular basis!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! TFS Be Blessed.
THANK YOU! Been trawling through YT for over two hours trying to find proper info on overhead DSLR shooting and you've got all the facts here. Lifesaver! (and subbed!)
Thanks for all the tips. You would not believe the various ways I have rigged up my camera in order to shoot my art videos from above. I usually just use a cheap selfie stick stuck into something and clamped. I have to be almost as creative with it as the art LOL
Justin, I am actually glad that you mentioned place where you can monitor what your recording because every time I did, I sometimes spent 5 minutes to see if the camera was on focus
Thank you for this exhaustive review on top down options. I have been struggling with how to shoot videos from overhead that look professional. Great job!
A nice simple way use a plank of wood on a table with a brick or heavy book on the table end then put your phone/pad on the other end pointing down . I've done 100 vids like this with good effect 👍😎
I just filmed my first video! I used a makeshift phone holder using the cardboard section of a toilet paper roll and placed that on top of stacked books. I had to film at an angle instead of straight up but I think it still worked pretty well.
I know this video presentation is a year old, but I needs help in doing and setting up my overhead videos. Everyone that are doing videos on this subject fail to discuss the lens to use, on the phone, table, or camera. I don’t want to put hundreds to thousands of dollars into the wrong lens. I have decided to began with a DSL Cannon camera. The SR 3 seem to be a good entry leave. So could help, and maybe there are other who need directions as to this. In closing I would like to thank you for taking your time in this matter. PS I was a professional teacher and presenter for 30 years plus, I would like to say your presentations are excellent and very professional.
I mount my camera with a smallrig clamp to my kitchen cabinet shelf and I get a perfect top down shot. And when I’m finished I just take it off, close the cabinet doors and it’s like there was never anything there ;)
Great video and comprehensive. My tripod is the type that you can remove the centre column and place it upside down. But you can also tilt the centre mount 90 degrees, making it its own boom! So glad I got a quality tripod back in the day, so versatile
This is SUPER helpful, thank you! I especially appreciate the recommendation of the mic stand because I wouldn’t have thought of taking a non camera-specific piece of equipment for this purpose. Makes me wonder if I already have something around the house I could experiment with.....
Sir I just subscribed to your Channel because I think you were honest and specific with your speech not like others who care about marketing than the people who watch keep it up and thank you for the great informations I appreciate it a lot .
Another portable option for light cameras using a cheap Amazon tripod, the back of the work table needs to be away from the wall about 18 in. Fully extend two of the legs and lean against the work table. Adjust the length of the third leg to brace against the wall. Alternately the legs can be propped with weights if the work table is away from any walls.
I know this video is a little old now but it's so helpful - Thank you! I just got a great overhead phone stand on Amazon for $33.00 and it's perfect. Thanks for the tips!
Another option is to have a drone hover over the product you're trying to review and try to control it while doing the review hoping it doesn't spin out of control and crash through your window. 😂
Lots of good ideas, but one you missed is a no cost solution for most of us. We all have a tripod and a selfie stick. If you have a selfie stick with a connection point on the bottom, you simply set up your tripod on the ground or possibly on the table, tilt the head 90° and screw your selfie stick into it. Then you can extend your selfie stick out as far as you need to. This is a great solution for a lightweight camera such as a GoPro or a phone.
Thank you for sharing this. We use a camera crane with a 10ft arm and counter weight. We first mounted a DSLR on this but this was a bit heavy and we had to wait every time for the arm to stop shaking a bit. That was anoying but we did not had the budget for stronger material. We then replaced the DSLR by a Sony camcorder which in fact does a great job there. The camcorder has a great video stabilization, a lightning fast auto focus and can compensate any shakings from the arm. Furthermore its much lighter than the DSLR so we also could mount a small LED light next to the Sony to give some extra top light. The Sony does not have the same great video quality than our DSLRs but it is good enough to be used for now. Another great option are the extreme long recording times available (in Europe, DSLRs don't record for longer than 10 or 30 minutes due to import tax reasons) - the cam corder takes over 14h in one run. And it can be operated remotely via smartphone and a wifi connection. That makes much less climbing ;)
Yeah, we will replace this at some point. But for now, there are other this to be done first :-( As RU-vid beginner, this doesn’t raise income yet, so our budget is limited.
Super useful I'm doing this in a box trailer and it is pretty bad condition and small so attaching something to the celing might work so thanks and I'll try this😎 Thanks for the help
Me who has a bunk bed and a desk underneath it: Name: Olivia Tea (no real surnames nah ah) Quirk: Tape. Literally uses this power to tape her phone to the underside of her bunk bed in order to record videos
Thank you very much for explaining these options. I am very new to all this camera recording business, I am going to be recording craft tutorials and didn't know where to start now I do! :D
I use my Sony point and shoot camera with a flip up screen fitted to a selfie stick that is then fitted at 90 degrees to the top of my tripod, works brilliantly
Hi Justin, thank you so much for the tips. Just started my RU-vid channel I completely forgot about my mike stand. Now I can use it till I get something more professional.
Great video! I use the boom mic stand with a canon 80d. And sigma art lense and it’s super heavy but works fantastic without weights. I film overhead shots daily
I actually do the mic stand and attach my phone with a capo. I didn’t hear you suggest how to attach a regular camera. That the reason I need a new solution is I’d like to use a regular camera. I have some pretty heavy mic stands
You forgot about the tip number 8: which is operating a dron above your cooking table while showing your cooking skills. I don't know exactly how practical advise it is, but I'm quite sure it will be even more interesting shot, if something goes wrong! :)
If you have a Mic stand or something like a book shelf above your subject a Gorilla Pod might just do the trick. I use the smallest model and it works with my point and shoot.
If you are recording on your phone i would recommend a universal phone mount, as a new youtuber i recorded my first RU-vid video with a universal phone mount they retail for about 13 dollars on Amazon and work great.
