Video cameras.. what to buy.

I've tried a few video cameras out making home movies and have bought some duds. My first one was a Kogan ...little cheap one which was quite good ...easy to operate and easy to recharge but small and hard to keep still. It finally died. Then got a Sony handycam from a friend.....fairly easy to operate but focus not very sharp so I tried another one with sharp focus ....when it wanted to focus ! Another one had only AAA batteries for power and they lasted only 5 minutes. That was a Kogan as well.
I guess you get what you pay for ...

I use a movie making program on my laptop and have turned out some beaut little movies for friends ...birthday do's ...Xmas gatherings ..that kind of stuff.
Up to $500 is about my limit. Any recommendations ?

I wouldn't buy a movie camera, I'd buy a little still camera with a movie function like a Panosonic or one of the other indestructable waterproof jobbies.

I'll look into that ..thanks.

You can buy GoPro knockoffs that are waterproof, shoot in 1080p @60fps or even 4k @24-30fps with electronic image stabilization for around $120 these days.

I bought a Hawkeye Firefly 7S, has all the stats, great reviews, waterproof and fits all Go Pro accessories.
https://www.gearbest.com/action-cam...FHiTnkk80Bs_9RgufV3BI_5z6hAzH84QaAmFOEALw_wcB

I haven't had time to have a play with it yet.

I have a pro cam a Sony Z1 you can pic them up cheap now and still good well looked after ones about.
Its great to use. It uses HD tapes, bit out of date but a great starter camera

GT

i have a Sanyo Xacti 30x zoom 1500x digital HD Duel camera small and fits in the palm of your hand brilliant photos and video

i run a Canon SX50 super compact zoom camera , 50x optical ( up to 200x digital ) and 12Mp photos , 1080p HD video , the later model now for sale is the SX60 ( 65x optical , 225x digital zoom 16MP 1080HD) around the $4-500 mark .

if this camera craps out i will probably buy the Nikon P900 , 85x optical 250odd digital and 16MP





.

The nikon would have a bit better apature than my canon , though the Sx60 canon has upgraded the apature to be up there with the Nikon .

For me the best optical zoom range is the key , once you go up into digital the picture quality goes way down . very grainy with a lot of noise to the defining edges in the pics .

i Also run a small nikon waterproof AW110 16Mp 1080HD , 18m waterproof , 2m shockproof as my pocket carry round the water panning , in the kayak etc.

If your camera has digital zoom; do not use it. Digital zoom is cropping your image in the camera. Only always use optical zoom as that is real zoom and if you only stick with that you can always crop the image in an editing program to achieve the same result.

To put it more simply, optical zoom is the lens doing all the hard yards whereas digital zoom is electronic trickery.

Plus I defy anyone to hold the camera still enough at those ridiculous high zoom ratios, whether it be optical or digital unless you have a tripod that probably costs several times more than the camera and is fitted with a fluid head.

Ive taken plenty of high zoom shots , in the case of my Canon camera i just swivel the viewing screen inwards ( which then automatically activates the eyepiece ) then view through the eyepiece , bracing the camera against my face as a third point of contact .

My tripod seems to work fine too for 50x optical with the exception of a bit of slight creep if the weight of the camera is rocked right back , taking shots of the craters on the moon when it is high in the sky .

Good thing to do when using high zoom is set the timer to take the pic so your not touching and affecting the camera on the tripod when the picture is being taken.

Whisp said:

If your camera has digital zoom; do not use it. Digital zoom is cropping your image in the camera. Only always use optical zoom as that is real zoom and if you only stick with that you can always crop the image in an editing program to achieve the same result.

To put it more simply, optical zoom is the lens doing all the hard yards whereas digital zoom is electronic trickery.

Plus I defy anyone to hold the camera still enough at those ridiculous high zoom ratios, whether it be optical or digital unless you have a tripod that probably costs several times more than the camera and is fitted with a fluid head.

Click to expand...

Yes funnily enough just brought a pair of high end binoculars and was told anything over 40 power becomes exceedingly hard to use hand held for that exact reason.
:Y:

Bogger said:

Whisp said:

If your camera has digital zoom; do not use it. Digital zoom is cropping your image in the camera. Only always use optical zoom as that is real zoom and if you only stick with that you can always crop the image in an editing program to achieve the same result.

To put it more simply, optical zoom is the lens doing all the hard yards whereas digital zoom is electronic trickery.

Plus I defy anyone to hold the camera still enough at those ridiculous high zoom ratios, whether it be optical or digital unless you have a tripod that probably costs several times more than the camera and is fitted with a fluid head.

Click to expand...

Yes funnily enough just brought a pair of high end binoculars and was told anything over 40 power becomes exceedingly hard to use hand held for that exact reason.
:Y:

Click to expand...

Yep, I used to have a camera shop and when it came to binoculars everyone wanted the most powerful they could get, even those people that wanted them for marine use. They still insisted that's what they wanted till we went outside and tested them, they looking through the glasses and me giving them a gentle shake and rock. Funnily enough most then opted for the 7x50's which was always my first recommendation for boat use.

But like most things you only get what you pay for. I recall one day a young man coming in wanting VERY powerful binoculars for looking at the heavens and when questioned on how good he wanted them, he replied "I want the best" when I asked him for a 50% deposit he baulked at the $15,000 I asked him to pay.

Bogger said:

Whisp said:

If your camera has digital zoom; do not use it. Digital zoom is cropping your image in the camera. Only always use optical zoom as that is real zoom and if you only stick with that you can always crop the image in an editing program to achieve the same result.

To put it more simply, optical zoom is the lens doing all the hard yards whereas digital zoom is electronic trickery.

Plus I defy anyone to hold the camera still enough at those ridiculous high zoom ratios, whether it be optical or digital unless you have a tripod that probably costs several times more than the camera and is fitted with a fluid head.

Click to expand...

Yes funnily enough just brought a pair of high end binoculars and was told anything over 40 power becomes exceedingly hard to use hand held for that exact reason.
:Y:

Click to expand...

Just a correction on incorrect post I made ..................... mixed up power with lens size Was recommended 8 or 10 power max for hand held otherwise the shaky image would start. This I'm glad to see marries up with info Whisp has supplied re 7 power as I brought on info recommended by those that are far more knowing than I on the subject :Y:
Not quite in the 15 K deposit bracket but have to say being the first set of binoculars that I have owned with quality optics ................ damn impressed with both clarity and sharpness of image :Y:

Some good advice there folks.... thanks; will do some homework and hopefully come up with something good. Cheers !!