Q. I've just bought a Kogan video camera (new Australian brand, not well known) that from my limited experience of camcorders is somewhere in the middle of the video camera spectrum (definitely not lousy, but nothing special either) and I"ve tried several times filming in a dark room with Night mode with very poor results. I can't actually tell the difference between normal and Night mode.
Do you have experience with video cameras that film well in low light? I made a bit of money recently and considering doing a trade-in somewhere.
Do you have experience with video cameras that film well in low light? I made a bit of money recently and considering doing a trade-in somewhere.
A. Hi Steph:
Let's boil down this whole discussion into two things:
1) Your AU$399 (~USD$425) Kogan camcorder (which tells us your original budget range). That's no where near the "middle" of the $50 - $100,000 USD video camera spectrum.
2) The phrase "how do professional cameramen film... so well?"
It all boils down to spending good money for good equipment. The professional camera crews use equipment that costs thousands more than what you have now, plus --if you are not talking just InfraRed shooting in total or near-total darkness-- their cameras have multiple gain-boost settings for low light.
If you are trying to compare home camcorder footage of any kind with professional broadcast TV shows, just stop it. Their gear is way more advanced, plus (as others have mentioned) they also have post-production signal processors to help boost image parameters and quality.
The pro's also have access to "image intensifiers" they mount between their lens and camcorder (or on the front lens in cheaper cameras), like the AstroScope, which for around $6,000 USD will work for even a consumer camcorder or SLR. These can create an image using only starlight from the sky.
Your Kogan brand is not highly rated in picture quality to start with (see CNet Australia's review: http://www.cnet.com.au/kogan-full-hd-1080p-video-camcorder-camera-339293191.htm ). If you happen to have a more-expensive Kogan model, I apologize, but not much. A not-well-known brand that's in Australian K-Marts says a lot in itself. If you do trade-up, go for a name brand that's done this for awhile & has a track record for image quality as well as construction quality.
If you really have an interest in "Ghost Hunters" style IR shooting and not just poorly-lit parties, get a good used Sony Handycam that has true Sony "NightShot" features (the older consumer NightShot models could also "see" through certain garments, so Sony crippled newer Handycams' IR features).
The professional IR camera crews also use "bright" (but invisible to the eye) InfraRed spotlights mounted on the camera tops.
hope this helps,
--Dennis C.
Let's boil down this whole discussion into two things:
1) Your AU$399 (~USD$425) Kogan camcorder (which tells us your original budget range). That's no where near the "middle" of the $50 - $100,000 USD video camera spectrum.
2) The phrase "how do professional cameramen film... so well?"
It all boils down to spending good money for good equipment. The professional camera crews use equipment that costs thousands more than what you have now, plus --if you are not talking just InfraRed shooting in total or near-total darkness-- their cameras have multiple gain-boost settings for low light.
If you are trying to compare home camcorder footage of any kind with professional broadcast TV shows, just stop it. Their gear is way more advanced, plus (as others have mentioned) they also have post-production signal processors to help boost image parameters and quality.
The pro's also have access to "image intensifiers" they mount between their lens and camcorder (or on the front lens in cheaper cameras), like the AstroScope, which for around $6,000 USD will work for even a consumer camcorder or SLR. These can create an image using only starlight from the sky.
Your Kogan brand is not highly rated in picture quality to start with (see CNet Australia's review: http://www.cnet.com.au/kogan-full-hd-1080p-video-camcorder-camera-339293191.htm ). If you happen to have a more-expensive Kogan model, I apologize, but not much. A not-well-known brand that's in Australian K-Marts says a lot in itself. If you do trade-up, go for a name brand that's done this for awhile & has a track record for image quality as well as construction quality.
If you really have an interest in "Ghost Hunters" style IR shooting and not just poorly-lit parties, get a good used Sony Handycam that has true Sony "NightShot" features (the older consumer NightShot models could also "see" through certain garments, so Sony crippled newer Handycams' IR features).
The professional IR camera crews also use "bright" (but invisible to the eye) InfraRed spotlights mounted on the camera tops.
hope this helps,
--Dennis C.
What are the best video cameras for filming YouTube videos for my blog?
Q. I'm looking for a decent video camera that I can use for recording YouTube videos on my blog/vlogs. It cant be anything really expensive. I will be sitting down for the most part so as long as the picture is clear, (even in low lighting settings) and has good clear audio that that will work. I heard that flip cams are decent, but Im not sure. I need help!!
A. When making this decision, it's good to know that you don't plan on hiking into the safari with your camera, but it's also important to think about your workflow. Choose something that's right for your computer system, and your level of expertise.
If you aren't entirely tech savvy and want a quick, streamlined process, I would recommend the Flip Cam, as you mentioned. I have used flip cams and they are VERY impressive. I know it's hard to imagine because they're so small, but the audio quality is very decent, and the video is nice HD resolution. The only problem that I've encountered, is that I bought my dad one of these when he still had an older computer and the HD resolution was too much for the old PC to handle. If you have an older computer, you will want to be sure and get a Standard Definition (SD) camera.
The two Canon cameras that Palladini mentioned are also really great, and I would recommend these if you're interested in doing more with your camera. When you aren't video blogging, recording home videos like birthdays or vacations can be some other reasons for investing in a good camera.
Some other cameras to look into:
Panasonic HDC-SD90
Sony Handycam
Canon HV20, HV30, or HV40
If you aren't entirely tech savvy and want a quick, streamlined process, I would recommend the Flip Cam, as you mentioned. I have used flip cams and they are VERY impressive. I know it's hard to imagine because they're so small, but the audio quality is very decent, and the video is nice HD resolution. The only problem that I've encountered, is that I bought my dad one of these when he still had an older computer and the HD resolution was too much for the old PC to handle. If you have an older computer, you will want to be sure and get a Standard Definition (SD) camera.
The two Canon cameras that Palladini mentioned are also really great, and I would recommend these if you're interested in doing more with your camera. When you aren't video blogging, recording home videos like birthdays or vacations can be some other reasons for investing in a good camera.
Some other cameras to look into:
Panasonic HDC-SD90
Sony Handycam
Canon HV20, HV30, or HV40
need new digital camera that takes pics in low light?
Q. I'm looking for a new affordable digital camera. My requirements are that it needs to take great pictures in low light. I'm tired of my pics coming out crappy. Also, it needs to be able to record videos, but I don't care about the quality of the video camera setting, just as long as it doesn't suck.
Price range less than 200, preferably closer to 100 than 200.
Any advice?
Price range less than 200, preferably closer to 100 than 200.
Any advice?
A. With your budget you are still looking at a P&S camera of some type. The best low light camera is the Nikon D3s, but costs about $5,300 body only.
Look for a P&S camera that uses the new BSI-CMOS sensor. At this time, it has the best performance in low light of other sensors used by P&S cameras
Look for a P&S camera that uses the new BSI-CMOS sensor. At this time, it has the best performance in low light of other sensors used by P&S cameras
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