Usually, if I want to make a gif from a video, I hop onto a site like Gfycat because I’m too lazy and impatient to use Photoshop. But even using something like Gfycat still takes a bit of work before I upload my footage to the website. I have to use some sort of recording software like XSplit or Streamlabs OBS to record and save whatever it is I’m capturing to my PC. Then, if there is a specific thing I want to turn into a gif I have to edit the footage because Gfycat will only make a gif from the first 60 seconds of footage from whatever I upload. Oh, and then there’s waiting for everything to upload because I can only get about 25 Mbps up where I live. (Thanks, Spectrum.) I want something that can just do all that for me.
Gifcap does all that, and honestly, I’m never going back to Gfycat. No more uploads. No more editing footage in Premiere Rush. None of that. Gifcap will record anything I have open in my browser, and then let me cut it down to the specific parts I want. It also lets you choose if you want to capture from your entire screen, an application window, or an individual tab. (You can switch from tab to tab and Gifcap will still record, as long as you have it open.)
One downside to Gifcap is that there is no timestamp in the editor, which kind of irks me since I like to know exactly how long my GIF is. But it’s super easy to edit your footage: drag the red triangles at either side of the red bar to make your gif longer or shorter, hit the ‘render’ button, and then right-click on the gif to ‘save as’ to your computer. I quickly made the gif above from recording an active tab open to Twitch. Everything is done for you in the background, similar to Gfycat.
Another downside is that the gif moves so fast in the editing portion that it makes it difficult to get the exact footage you want into the gif. Using the slider above the red bar helps a little bit, but it still make large jumps forward and back. If you need precision, you’re better off sticking with the old-fashioned ways. However, if you’re looking for something quick and dirty to make gifs, this one takes minimal effort.