Hi!

I’ve been roaming the internet looking for advice on equipment for filming small scenes featuring toys; I’m hoping I can find some solid answers here.

Background: I have a little bit of photography and filming experience, but I’m basically a beginner.

Budget: Ideally I’d like something around $500, but I’m willing to go up to $1000 if necessary.

I’m going to be filming educational videos for children that feature toys as the set pieces and the actors. I will be filming pretty close up to the toys, I imagine the max frame height would probably be 2-3 feet. It will be live action video most of the time, but I do have a bit of experience with stop motion filming. (I think stop motion filming is a bit too time consuming for this project)

I imagine most of this filming will happen in a small studio space on a table with the camera on a tripod (also to be purchased). I may take the camera out into the wild every once in a while to film in other environments, but it will primarily stay in a studio environment.

I imagine I will want to film in 4K so that these videos don’t feel out of date in 5 years. Am I wrong? Will that limit my options? This isn’t a deal breaker for me.

I would like to film live audio as well. I’ve heard having an external mic is best, but should it be connected to the camera or just aligned with the footage in post?

I’ve seen some great camera guides on this site, but I wasn’t sure if the up close filming would affect the recommendations here. I would appreciate your insights and recommendations on a camera for my requirements. I’d also appreciate any insights you have about other elements like lighting and audio equipment. Etc.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration!

PS – Not required, but it would be a bonus if the camera could also take good photos of my little kids.