Video camera recommendations

[Jeff]

I'm afraid my 15 year old soni handicam is on it's last tripods (cameras don't have legs!)  The shutter drive is failing.

I need to get something soon or my videos on the behind the forum channel may get rudely interrupted.  Im looking for something that has a flip screen where I can tell where I am pointing, and something with much better sound capabilites, great zoom and stabilization and the ability to easily transfer videos to my tablet I use to edit.  

Any recommendations?

[K-Guy]

The last few videos I did for Nyle Kilntech were done on a Go Pro and look and sound pretty good. Something to think about.

[Jeff]

I have an older go pro but it really isn't good for the majority of things I do. It is more of an action camera. I really do not like using my phone to control a camera. I might as well use the camera on the phone. It has also been unreliable on occasion. I've lost shots multiple times with it.

[Nebraska]

You might look at the cameras  on the new I pad, the school was using one to film ball games seems to work ok. 

[K-Guy]

I really do not like using my phone to control a camera. I might as well use the camera on the phone.

Ours has a screen on it.

[Raider Bill]

My first thought was Go-Pro. We have a 7 and like it because of the cell phone monitor on the bike. It also has a small screen. surprisingly sharp pix it also has a stabilizer that takes out most of the vibrations and movement.

At work most of the guys use a Nikon Coolpix B-500. Because our work many times goes to court we need hi res pix and videos. This camera does both very well.

[21incher]

I have found that no camera has good sound and just upgraded to a Rode wireless go2 microphone  setup and really like it. Comes with  2 wireless  microphones that actually  backup record all audio should  there  be a blip in the wireless  signal. It was the lowest cost setup with  decent  sound  I could  find. Right  now I just use a Canon SL2 camera but am getting  ready  to  step up to a Canon EOS 90D because of the lenses I have invested in. I also use s gopro hero8 that has great stabilization when moving. Trying  to switch to 4k but the processing is a killer.

[Jeff]

I have enough issues processing 1080. :D   I'm pretty basic. The old sony, a $29 dashcam from harbor freight, my phone, and the gopro which I don't use because it is a royal pain.  I have an android tablet that I process on with a $20 a year editing app called inshot.   I can not upload from the cabin with the current internet. We are on the tail end of a dsl line. It takes 10 minutes to upload 2 pictures to the forum, so video is not even a thought. it is only less than two mbps download, so you can't even really stream.  I can not imagine trying to do 4k but is sure is pretty!  If I was ever to get enough subscribers and watch time I was hoping to be able to make enough money to pay for this endeavor. Starlink would be nice and I think it might be available up there now.

[VB-Milling]

Jeff,

I don't have any recommendations because I don't run that type of gear...however, I do watch A LOT of Youtube content and know the creators who have camera gear for all walks of life and budgets.  Most of them post the equipment they use in their video descriptions or have specific videos talking about how their setup works.

Dirt Lifestyle
Essential Craftsman
Frank Howarth
Jay Bates
John Heisz
Jon Peters - Longview Woodworking
Mike Farrington
Shop Nation
BSK Garage

[aigheadish]

Somewhat surprisingly, a phone made within the past 5 or so years can make really lovely video. I have a Samsung Note 8 I just upgraded from that takes incredible video and you can get contraptions to mount them to tripods. Can't be beat for simplicity and portability. 

If I were more serious I have a few year old Canon sx60, which shows itself as a high end point and shoot (no changing lenses) but it also takes very good video and has a 65x optical zoom which is amazing. It's user friendliness is on par with a slr camera, in that you can take easy shots with it or change a bunch of settings if you choose. I don't know if you can still find many around, or if there are upgrades/new models of it. I know Nikon makes one with like 100x zoom or something too, but you are spending pretty big bucks there. 

My guess, as I look at CrAmazon, is you'd be very happy with any of the point and shoot, major name brand cameras out there. I see a Minolta for less than 200 bucks, I think this Canon or a variant will be around 500 bucks. Most also have wifi transferability to the computer or sd card support (I'd go with sd card, it's much faster and you can store loads on it, just remember to look at sd card specs, like write speed, they matter). Go Pro, from what I can tell has the best image stabilization and the new models look nice but I agree that they aren't standalone enough. 

I'd also recommend an sd card reader that you can plug into the tablet and maybe even a hard drive enclosure you can use to buy pretty inexpensive laptop hard drives on which to save all your stuff, if you don't have junk like that already.

I agree with 21incher's recommendation of a better microphone setup, if that's important to you, but that's the case for basically anything. 

[Southside]

I'm pretty basic.

My video camera still requires you to put in a tape to record to....  Hey - at least I don't have to send it out to be developed then drag out the projector to watch it, see I am somewhat modern. ;D

[Jeff]

That Canon EOS 90D would be awesome, but no way I could justify it.

Yesterday I got out a can of air and perhaps cured my camera malady. I hope. The lense cover drive was hanging. Opening on only one side, or partially opening, or not closing, or falling open at times I could shake the camera or ting it with my forefinger and get it to react. After some air pressure, it seems to be working. I had just ordered a couple extra batteries for it and an exterior mic for it. I can still use the mic if the camera does eventually fail, but the batteries would be a waste.

[Jeff]

Well, i made it clear through last year, made over 100 videos and couldn't kill the sony until I took it to the cabin for a 20 below weekend. It now sounds like an old projector.  

Seems Tammy wants me to keep making videos, so she ordered me a new Sony. It's supposed to get here today. It's a zv-1  lots of choices out there, I hope this is a good one!

[aigheadish]

Man, I think you may fall off your bike when you start messing with that thing. That should be a fine upgrade! Tax write-off isn't it? Business expense?

[Jeff]

Gift from Tammy she has a job. :D 

[Crusarius]

Well I am a little late to this party. 

My recommendation would have been like this.

Every brand has their good ones and bad ones. But if the camera is uncomfortable to hold and not very ergonomic it doesn't matter if it is state of the art, or a complete pile of chinese poo.  your video quality is going to suffer. 

If it feels good, fits in your hands and you have no fatigue after using it for hours, then you are going to produce high quality, stable videos and images.

It is just like anything. The more comfortable you are the better your work is. When I teach ppl how to weld that is the #1 thing I try to get them to understand. If you are comfortable everything flows...

[Jeff]

Testing my new ZV-1 Camera. Very First outdoor shots. My old Sony Froze to death last month. Seems to work pretty good, but I have a lot to learn. What do y'all think of the clarity and sound?

Sony ZV-1 Very first outdoor shots by a Camera Idiot. ME - YouTube

[SwampDonkey]

Seems all good to me Jeff. I'm no camera expert, but I do know one doesn't need get too carried away on the $$ end of it. Sometimes stuff is good enough. ;) I just use a Fuji FinePix here, lots of res. But a good investment is a good microphone because lots of time a camera is stationary and your walking away in different radials away from the camera doing stuff. I have not gotten one yet, but if I was to do a lot of outdoor vids, I'd be get'n one myself.

I've got to do a bear activity video around the woodlot. They do some stuff, that maybe some folks aren't aware of, and they may think it is something else that may have done it. I've got monkey bears, and that's all I'm saying for now. :D

Take care.

[Jeff]

That may work for a camera that aint moving while its videoing. I like to go places.

[SwampDonkey]

I like doing both, and if your 20 feet away, at least for me, it's hard to get good sound with no mic. :D

[Jeff]

My neighbor you hear on there, pretty clear is all of 25 yrds away.

[21incher]

That camera works great. Looks to have very good stabilization and great color. If it has a mic jack it's not hard to invest in a plug and play mic in the future. 

[SwampDonkey]

Well, I heard a voice, but not what he said. Besides, my voice is not as loud as some people's either. I actually talk louder on camera than normal to. Take my brother, you could here him on the other end of the woodlot. ;) :D :D

[21incher]

Can't believe what they are packing into small cameras today. I thought about buying a gimbal for my Canon 90D because it just can't get good shots when I am moving. It tries and crops them but just not a good job. All the weight held me back. A couple weeks ago I saw DJI released a new small recorder that has awesome specs and could get me into 4k 60p (my current Canon is limited to 4k 30P ) Well I pre-ordered one and got it today.  What a amazing little toy. Looks like a drone gimbal with a 1 inch sensor that has really nice video. Also can YouTube live screen with it. Only downside  is you have to activate it in China for it to come alive. Even has a built in wireless  mic receiver and a clip on mic that sounds about the same as my Rode setup. I'm a sucker for new technology and no more old age shakes and jitters in my videos. My wife has tremors and it even hides them. Starts up in less then a second.