Professional-Level Music Videos on a DIY Budget

Be it as a musician or makeup guru, hitting it big as the next undiscovered wunderkind on YouTube requires one major investment: a camcorder that'll make you look anything but amateur. During CES, we got our hands on the Music Video Recorder ($300), which launched in December and may be what all stars-in-the-making are looking for to showcase their talent.

The 120-degree lens of this camera sets it apart from typical video cameras. That wide view allows a band to get every member in the shot without scrunching together on stage. Two linear microphones on the front of the camera produce CD-quality stereo sound. A tester's voice came in surprisingly clear when I used the device on the loud, busy CES floor.

Video on the camera is no slouch either: it has 1920x1080 resolution and a back-illuminated lens sensor to get the picture while in the dark setting of your next show.

Strangely, the camera's 2.7-inch LCD video screen is fixed to the sight of the device and can't tilt or move in any direction. However, the camera's NFC capabilities lets it sync with an NFC-enabled smartphone to control the audio levels without having the camera in hand.