If you are looking for a free screen recorder to record your computer screen, you will come across CamStudio screen recorder for sure. There are various free screen recorders available, but CamStudio clearly stands out. You can record your screen as well as your webcam and capture audio from your system as well as external microphone.
You can record the screen with a customized area and automatically stop recording. Besides, there is Autopan option, and you can add watermark, timestamp, and caption on the recording. You can also highlight the cursor, and it is a lightweight application. But is CamStudio really worth your download and regular use for screen recording? In this article, we will review CamStudio recorder and suggest you a better alternative.
Part 1. How To Download and Use CamStudio?
Unless you use a software, you will not know how good and bad the application is. CamStudio is open-source software, and it is available for free for Windows users. You can record your screen and webcam individually as well as simultaneously. You can record audio from mic and system as well as keep the audio mute. You should definitely go for CamStudio download and use the same to record your screen. Here are the steps to download CamStudio.
Step 1: Open your web browser and visit “camstudio.org”.
Step 2: Click on Download button to download CamStudio.exe file.
Step 3: After downloading the file, click on it to install the application.
Here are the steps to use CamStudio Windows 10 to record your screen.
Step 1: Launch CamStudio and go to Region and select the recording area.
Step 2: When you are ready, click on red Rec button located below File menu option.
Step 3: You can pause the recording by clicking on Pause button. If you are done, click on Stop button located beside Stop button.
Step 4: As soon as you click the Stop button, you will get a dialog box to save the recorded file on your computer. The default location of the file is Documents> Me CamStudio Videos.
Part 2. Key Features of CamStudio
Instead of being a completely free screen recorder, CamStudio allows several customization options so that the recording could be as per your requirements. Even though the features are limited, here are the key features of CamStudio recorder you should be aware of.
Video Recording – You can record your screen as well as webcam video individually as well as simultaneously.
Audio Recording – Along with videos, you can record audio from your system as well as external microphone. In fact, you can mute audio and record only the video.
Custom Recording Area – You can select a certain portion of the screen for recording as well as select application window or full screen for recording. Instead of a fixed region, you can vary the region of recording as per your requirement.
Add Components – There is an option for adding annotations if you need it. Besides, you can attach a fixed watermark or text to the recorded video. Moreover, you can add a timestamp on the video if you have such requirements.
Autopan and Others – Autopan is a unique feature of CamStudio screen recorder whereby you can record as you move your mouse. You can also highlight your mouse cursor as well as automatically stop recording when you are away.
Output File Format – You can save your recording in MP4, AVI and SWF as you find suitable. It can also automatically name the recording file and save without your intervention after recording.
Part 3. Alternative Way to Record Screen
CamStudio is an easy-to-use and completely free screen recorder, but it lacks several useful features. First of all, there is no basic editing option available. The output file format is limited. There are very limited customizable configuration settings available. Moreover, CamStudio is only suitable for Windows users. The user interface is outdated, and it is not suitable for recording very high-quality screen videos such as gameplay. That is why there is a need for a better CamStudio alternative.
If you are looking for a professional screen recorder, we recommend Wondershare Filmora. Filmora comes with an inbuilt video editor, and therefore, you can get your recorded video ready for publishing after recording. You can customize all the parameters of recording and save the video in different file formats. Many professional video creators use Filmora for recording screen, gameplay, as well as webcam PiP mode. Here are the steps to record the screen with Filmora.
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
For macOS 10.12 or later
Step 1: Download and install Wondershare Filmora. The screen recorder is available for Windows as well as Mac users. After installation, launch Filmora and select PC Screen option to record the screen.
Step 2: Select the recording screen area and the audio sources. To record webcam video in Pip mode, turn on Record the Camera Stream option.
Step 3: Click on Record button or F9 key to start recording. To stop recording, press F9 key again. You can edit and export the recorded video in the required file format.
Conclusion
CamStudio is an open-source screen recorder, and it is suitable for regular screen recording jobs. However, if you are a professional video creator and you are looking forward to recording high-quality videos, CamStudio can disappoint you with its limited features and parameters. That is where we recommend Wondershare Filmora as the best alternative to CamStudio screen recorder.