OT: video camera reviews

It's been years since I've gone to the Embedded Systems Conference to deliver a talk (since 2008 to be specific -- my work dried up and so did theirs: they stopped giving out honoraria, and that meant I couldn't afford to go).

At this point, I'm thinking of taking some of the material I've done in various talks, and producing some YouTube videos.

I have no video camera, other than my cell phone.

I do not want to use this as an excuse to run out and buy the World's Most Expensive Video Equipment. Rather, I'm interested in a camera that'll give me good enough video so that it makes a good talking head on a 'puter screen, and lets me get files out in standard format so that I can edit them. I'm thinking that a mid-grade consumer camera will do.

As far as features I'm looking for something that'll work at normal-to- bright room lighting (I'll set up lights if I have to), has at least some zoom capability, has at least as good of video as a Samsung Galaxy V, and has decent sound.

Which leads to my question: has anyone gone camera shopping lately? Do you know of any review sites that reviews cameras AND shows video clips from the cameras so that folks can evaluate the camera for themselves?

TIA.

Reply to
Tim Wescott
Loading thread data ...
[snip]

I'm not sure if you have something like this in your area, but my city has an Arts center that rents video/audio production equipment to local artists.

This may be an option if you don't want to buy...

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: snipped-for-privacy@netfront.net ---

Reply to
Randy Day

Three of my favorite youtubers are:

formatting link
formatting link
formatting link

A lot of people ask Bill what he uses:

"Bosnianbill's Camera

I use a 3-year old Sony Cybershot. Consumer Reports said it had the most dynamic and accurate macro focus, although it still messes up once in a while. I record in the native MTS format at 30fps (the highest setting) and convert to MP4 using my video processing software, Magix Video Pro X6. I always use a 10" tripod and, because my big mouth is right over the camera, do not need a microphone. Probably ANY decent camera will work fine IF you use a Tripod AND make sure you have good lighting. Natural light is best but a good overhead florescent works well too. On the rare complex" video, I always have an outline of points to cover & keep it just out of frame."

Some tips from EEVblog forum:

formatting link

I haven't picked up on what Jody (welding tips and tricks) uses camera wise...

You can watch stuff these guys are doing and get an idea of what works. Take a look at their subscriber numbers, obviously other people like what they are doing...

I don't like buying new stuff like cameras. You take a big hit in depreciation, like buying a new car. I would watch Craig's List and get something decent used. You can use Amazon to look up offerings and then read comments, reviews and maybe what they are currently selling for...

Reply to
Leon Fisk

Videos have generic problems which mean that they have limited usefulness: - can't google for spoken words - sloooooow. I can speed-read 10 times faster than I can watch a video - difficult to browse/skip/return to an interesting point Basically I'm not going to spend an hour of my remaining life watching a video on the off-chance there might be something useful. OTOH, I will spend 30s speed reading

Usually videos are used where the author has an ego, or is lazy, or prioritises their time over the audiences', or doesn't understand that nowadays the problem is deciding what /not/ to look at.

There are honourable exceptions, of course.

Reply to
Tom Gardner

On Mon, 11 Apr 2016 13:35:09 -0700, Gunner Asch Gave us:

I just love how everyone seems to dismiss Olympus, and they are like second to Canon and Nikon (well I guess that means third). And way better as far as price for the consumer level stuff. They made/make a nice macro job that everyone else subsequently copied.

That or there is a generic design out there they all used and mad "body" style variations on to make it 'theirs'.

Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?

Reply to
DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno

Well, if everyone were put together like me, I'd agree with you.

However, while some people are most comfortable with reading stuff, some people are most comfortable being talked to. I'm already addressing the "reading stuff" segment by posting my articles.

What I want to address with the videos are, first, the visual learners, and second, I want to see if I can get enough interest that I can sell seminars.

Reply to
Tim Wescott

eBay. Hmm. Good thought.

I have an excellent still camera that can't take very long videos at all, and a nice cell phone that can record video for 30 minutes as long as it's 18 inches away from the subject.

I have no interest in messing with tape, and would like more resolution than Never Twice the Same Color (NTSC) video. I'm really wanting something that I can shoot with, then pop a card out of and into my 'puter, then start editing video.

Reply to
Tim Wescott

Well, yes -- I'm wondering if anyone can tell me which ones to believe without having to wade through 1000 sites, and which ones will actually show me clips filmed by the cameras being reviewed.

Reply to
Tim Wescott

Take a look at rpeeks videos on You Tube. He shoots his videos with Olympus Stylus Tough Series cameras. They are waterproof, dust proof and can handle being dropped. They take both video and still shots. Great picture, good sound and cheap. His current one is an FG830

Reply to
Steve W.

I use the same camera a youtube friend uses. Olympus Stylus Tough FG830

A smile from a veil?

Reply to
Steve W.

We try to keep our videos under a minute -- preferably under 30 seconds -- but I've been running some longer ones lately.

The ideal, when a video is embedded in an article, is just to show some point that doesn't communicate well or quickly in words. But sometimes a well-produced video, from a few of the machine tool builders, gives you a complete picture of how a system operates. Trumpf makes some beauties like that. In those cases I'll go up to around 3 minutes.

But when I shoot them (Sony NEX-7), I keep them very short.

Reply to
Ed Huntress

Greetings Tim, I think it's great you are wanting to upload videos. Lotsa folks don't understand the written word as well as watching a video. Also, lotsa folks can't write well enough to make the information understandable but can show it and it all becomes clear. And sometimes a video or picture is just the best way to convey the information. While I can't recommend a video camera I can recommend an iPad app for uploading video to YouTube. It's called Capture. I have used it with video shot with my iPad and am very happy with it. I have seen several videos that were done using just an iPad camera that were pretty good. I imagine any high quality similar device no matter who makes it and no matter what operating system it uses would work as well. Cheers, Eric

Reply to
etpm

On Mon, 11 Apr 2016 17:19:10 -0400, "Steve W." Gave us:

Two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl.

I like Animals too. A lot. I can hear electronic oinks just thinking about it.

Reply to
DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno

All sensible points. Good luck.

Reply to
Tom Gardner

My wife has a Nikon Coolpix L30 that does pretty well. It's a sub-$100 camera.

I wouldn't have said anything but I was rather shocked by especially the audio quality.

formatting link

She also has a Nikon Coolpix L120, which is a bit more expensive. Call it 2x.

formatting link
formatting link
formatting link

Reply to
Les Cargill

Same here. About the only one I have that doesn't get a lot of play is Ummagumma, Just can't get into that one. I have all the albums, quite a few bootlegs of concerts and clubs and some of the solo works.

Reply to
Steve W.

On Tue, 12 Apr 2016 02:27:52 -0400, "Steve W." Gave us:

I like Echoes too.

Reply to
DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno

Some of Tom Scotts' stuff is fun, e.g. "The Art of the Bodge":

formatting link

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

Reply to
Phil Hobbs

About 20 years ago my teenaged son and I were talking about music. I was dissing some of what he listened to and of course he dissed my musical tastes. The music he listened to was all short, three minutes or less, stuff. I told him about how I liked longer tunes and he was of the opinion that a long tune would be boring, like some of the classical and jazz I listened to. I told him that in my teens we listened on the radio to complete album sides with no commercials. He still thought I had no musical taste until I had him listen to Atom Heart Mother and then Echoes. Those tunes totally changed his opinion of the music I listened to. Now he even listens to Thelonius and Rimsky-Korsakov. Eric

Reply to
etpm

Hi Tim,

I heard Dave at EEVBlog say he was surprised at what a difference a good mic makes, and that people were much more willing to put up with poor video than with poor audio.

Reply to
ChesterW

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.