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The best way to avoid a shaky shot is by using a tripod. If your videos feature a lot of movement, then you need a tripod with a lever that can be turned round smoothly. Jerky or sudden movements can kill the atmosphere of a video, as the viewer stops paying attention to what you’re saying and starts to think about the camera. Once they’ve noticed an error, they start to pick holes in other aspects of the video. Unless viewers are fully happy with a video, they won’t return to a channel to watch future vlogs. They’ll find less jerky videos elsewhere and watch those instead of yours.

Fancy tripods are only needed by vloggers who make very animated videos. If your videos largely consist of you talking to the camera, you just need a base that will hold the camera so it doesn’t fall over and get damaged. Many vloggers use Gorillapods, which are flexible and bendy tripods that cost between £10 and £20 from online stores like Amazon. You can mould them into whatever shape you want and put them on a shelf or a desk. They’re very small and won’t take up much room in your house, which is useful if you don’t have much space for your set and equipment.

Once you’ve mastered these basic techniques, the amount of further knowledge you need depends on what camera you have. For example, if you have a DSLR you will need to put a lot of time into figuring out what all the features do and what lenses you should use. A lot of vloggers prefer to start with an entry-level camera and graduate to a DSLR later on, because they’d rather focus on creating awesome content than work out what different aperture and white-balance settings mean.

I advise starting with a good-value point-and-shoot camera, so you can practise framing shots using the rule of thirds and angling the camera to show your most flattering side. You’ll save money if you do some research before you buy! The YouTube channel DailyTekk (youtube.com/DailyTekk) specialises in reviewing camera gear, and a recent video suggested that the most popular entry-level cameras are:

Canon Powershot G7 X: Vloggers love this camera because of the screen on the back, which flips up so you can see yourself as you’re shooting. It’s also a touchscreen so you can easily zoom in for close-ups. It’s brilliant in low lighting, and the image stabilisation is impressive for such an inexpensive camera. Professional vlogger Casey Neistat (youtube.com/caseyneistat) takes a Canon G7 X everywhere he goes, and makes videos mixing ‘on-location’ shots that he’s taken on the G7 X with static shots that he’s filmed on a DSLR. He has 2.6 million subscribers. The ultimate technology vlogger iJustine (youtube.com/ijustine) also uses a Canon Powershot G7 X and recently dedicated a whole vlog to its features. Type ‘iJustine’ and ‘Canon G7 X’ into Google and her video will be first in the search results. It’s worth watching if you’re thinking about getting a new camera.

Sony Cyber-shot RX100: This camera is similar to the Canon G7 X as it also has a pop-up screen. It has the same sensor as the Canon Powershot G7 X, making it capable in low light, and its compact size makes it easy to carry around. The Sony camera tends to be quieter than the G7 X when shooting and has a longer battery life. It comes with built-in Wi-Fi so you can upload your videos to your computer without any cables, and reviewers suggest it’s the closest thing you’ll get to a DSLR without actually buying one. These extra features come with a catch – the Sony RX100 is more expensive than the Canon G7 X.

GoPro HERO4 Black: This camera is favoured by vloggers covering sports events and those trying to be more creative with their set-up. It has wide-angle and time-lapse modes, which you can use to create a unique style of video, and it shoots in 4K resolution so your videos will still be relevant in a few years’ time when 1080p resolution is a thing of the past. Its microphone is ideal for vloggers who are moving around or on the go. However, the most useful feature is its durability: you can take this camera over rugged terrain without damaging it. If you want to see why the GoPro HERO4 Black is so popular with action-sports vloggers, check out Ty Moss’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/tymoss).

Samsung NX Mini: The Samsung NX Mini has all the features of the Canon and Sony models such as a 180-degree flip-screen, the ability to film in 1080p HD resolution, an amazing CMOS sensor and built-in Wi-Fi. However, the advantage it has over the other makes is that it’s a third of the cost. It’s also a third of the size at just 22.5mm thick, so it looks pretty stylish when you pull it out of your pocket.

iPhone 6: An iPhone 6 can shoot 60 frames a second, making it better quality than some digital cameras. However, it’s more suited to static shots as it doesn’t have the same image stabilisation as the Canon, Samsung and Sony models, and you’re likely to see a lot of shaking if you try to film moving footage. It works best when used with a tripod or a stand to hold it still as you talk to the camera in your house or bedroom. You can buy external lenses and lighting for it pretty cheaply, as well as an external microphone to improve sound quality. It’s not ideal, but it means you don’t have to worry if you really can’t afford a new camera.