I want to vlog on YouTube and I started recording footage using my cell phone but the audio was pretty shit so I got an external lav mic that I can plug into the phone ($30). Then I wasn't happy with with way everything looked so I went down a lighting rabbit hole and picked up a couple cheap neewer lights on Amazon ($180 for 2 LED panels) and that helped a bunch, still trying to settle on the look I want but it's miles better. Next problem is that I am mostly filming electronics engineering work (building circuits using small components like resistors, capacitors, etc) and I'm really struggling with autofocus focus hunting even when I tap and hold to "lock" focus on a part of the frame. So now I'm looking at cameras and I still haven't put out a video.

I don't want to fall into the trap of trying to solve every problem with gear and end up never using any of it but I feel trapped with this camera issue. I feel the mic was a 10/10 purchase because everyone says audio is king and I could have gotten by with much cheaper lights but I'm not seeing a fix for filming with my cell phone other than buying a camera. Filming with my cell phone other than buying a camera.

What do you think? Is this GAS and I'm NGMI or is "use what you have" not enough in this case