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Camera solution

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  1. #1

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    Camera solution

    I am setting up an educational video project and in the "old" days you would have one camera and film it to that with the sound built in.

    With the abundance of these "go pro" type cameras and digital sound recording machines at so low prices ( a 4k "action" camera for 400 HKD !!) I am wondering if it might be easier to use 3 of theses and a recording device to provide a better product.

    Anyone with experience , pros and cons?


  2. #2

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    You can capture some amazing quality on newer generation cell phones - esp higher end Apple / Samsung / LG

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  3. #3

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    A few of us have been getting into doing video blogs for a tech website of ours, plus videos of hardware reviews. It really depends on what/how you want to shoot. Without really professional equipment we've found various success with different cameras for different situations.

    We use a Canon GX7 for indoor still videos (apparently this is the video bloggers choice of camera). It seems to have the best all round colour and sound recording.

    For night time street shooting, we use a SJ4000 action cam which seems to shoot better at night than the 2 Go Pro 4s we have.

    For general daytime street shooting, then it's the Go Pros and the iPhones we have on a gimbal.

    We've tried using a DSLR to shoot, but with our shaky hands we need a gimbal, and for a DSLR, they weigh a ton.

    If you search this forum there's a thread about the SJ4000. Tbh I can't direct you to where to get a legit one, the China factories have flooded the market with clones of this clone!

    My suggestion is grab any old digital camera that can do videos you have lying around and your smartphone and have a play with them to see how some short videos come out. If the video comes out ok but the sound is a bit shabby, just try some cheap mics, we've found that one mic we reuse over and over again is a cheap $99 one from SSP.


  4. #4

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    @Proplus Do you mean the Canon Powershot G7X > Or is the GX7 another beast?


  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by David4Maths:
    @Proplus Do you mean the Canon Powershot G7X > Or is the GX7 another beast?

    oops! yes I meant the G7X.

  6. #6

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    Was out and about in MK today, visiting the flower market. Just mainly my Go Pro on a selfie stick which eliminates a bit of vibrations as I was walking but have to be careful that the camera didn't away too much. So still shots I resorted to my iPhone which picked up the vivid colours of the flowers and CNY decorations very nicely. Before I left the flat I was thinking of taking my DSLR, but I had forgotten to charge up the battery and empty the SD card (one tip to remember is to have your batteries charged and storage memory empty), and it turned out to be a good decision as it would have been too clunky trying to switch between the 2 cams.

    Next I popped I got be bird market. Got some good clips, especially interviews with some stall owners and bird owners. The only worry I have is that the indoor part of the bird market was quite dim, I haven't reviewed the video in that part as the Go Pro doesn't do that well in low light.


  7. #7

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    You want this for the sound. You can get cheaper...but this is seriously good value...

    ZOOM H5 - 咪及收錄音設備 - 音響 - 影音 - 香港格價網 Price.com.hk

    Will you have a cameraman or are you a one man operation? If you're by yourself, you're going to need a camera with a monitor, i.e, a handy cam or a DSLR with a pop out screen (make sure the screen pops out to the side so the tripod doesn't block it...I made this rookie mistake years back with a Nikon d5000...not to mention only discovering later a maximum video recording time of 5 minutes.).

    If you already have a DSLR or don't need/want one, the best bang for buck will come from a dedicated handycam...

    I have a Garmin VIRB Elite action cam. It's a $3000 camera and there's no way I'd use it as my primary 'in-studio' camera for making YouTube style videos...it is useful (as an action camera, obviously) and it's useful as a secondary camera...for example a few wide angle interest shots, etc...use your imagination. I don't know of an action cam. that can feed live to an iPad while recording, most can give you a screen to set up, but then you're on your own as soon as you hit the red button!

    What's your budget?


  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Dashwood:

    I have a Garmin VIRB Elite action cam. It's a $3000 camera and there's no way I'd use it as my primary 'in-studio' camera for making YouTube style videos...it is useful (as an action camera, obviously) and it's useful as a secondary camera...for example a few wide angle interest shots, etc...use your imagination. I don't know of an action cam. that can feed live to an iPad while recording, most can give you a screen to set up, but then you're on your own as soon as you hit the red button!

    What's your budget?
    The Go Pro we use can be connected via an app to our phones so that we can see what we are shooting, control it and view playbacks. I've had it suctioned to the back of an iPad mini once for wedding impromptu shoot, worked wonders.
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  9. #9

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    The screen shows live feed while you are recording? That's good, makes it much more useful.

    The Garmin app works as a viewfinder, setup and playback and remote but as soon as you press record the screen goes black.

    Last edited by Lord Dashwood; 04-02-2016 at 08:25 PM.

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Dashwood:
    The screen shows live feed while you are recording? That's good, makes it much more useful.

    The Garmin app works as a viewfinder, setup and playback and remote but as soon as you press record the screen goes black.
    Yup, stays on for as long as you want it, but it will drain the battery of the Go Pro as it will constantly streaming via wifi. So if I do want to see it constantly streamed in a shoot, I have to bring a few spare batteries.

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