Best Camera for Video Recording: 2014-06-15

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Help regarding video camera and recording.?

Marianne

Okay, so I'm making a video with my video camera and was wondering, which should I use to record: a tape (which I normally use) or a "multimedia card." There is this little compartment on the side of my camera which says "multimedia card." Is that like a memory card in a digital camera? I want to be able to hook the camera up to my computer afterwards and do some editing with Windows Movie Maker. Would a "multimedia card" be better for this? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Answer
If you provide the manufacturer and model of the camcorder, it would help us help you.

Your answers will be in the camcorder manual.

Most miniDV and digital8 tape based camcorders with a memory card record digital video to the tape only and still photos to the memory card only. You will use a firewire (IEEE1394a, i.LINK, DV) cable to import video from the camcorder's DV port to your computer's firewire port - add one to your computer if it does not have one and your computer has an available expansion slot. USB will not work.

USB is used to transfer only the stills from the memory card. Since - typically - video is not captured to the memory card (only the tape), use of a high-speed multi-media card is not necessary. The memory card requirements will also be in the camcorder's manual.

NEVER connect the camcorder's USB and firewire cables to the computer at the same time.

When you connect the firewire cable to the camcorder and the computer, and the camcorder is in "Play" or "VCR" mode, MovieMaker should be able to "Capture" the video from the digital tape.

When you connect the USB cable to the camcorder and the computer, the memory card should mount like any other mass storage device and be available in "My Computer" as just another USB storage item.

Remember: NEVER connect the camcorder's USB and firewire cables to the computer at the same time.

video camera?

leroy jenk

im looking to buy a camcorder really cheap,
(very low budget right now)

i dont need one that has 100xzoom or that screen that shows what your recording, and i dont need one that can record for 2 hours, 10 mins worth of film at the most.

i had one of those digital blue ones when i first started making videos, but i need to step up from that.

where can i find one thats really cheap..(dont say ebay please, unless you know the name of the camera)

oh and if i could plug this thing into my computer to put the video into windows movie maker...thats what i need.

Answer
Digital cameras can create basic video. Don't really have any device control other than point and record, but you'll get video and audio. Samsung is getting down to about $100. You'll need a memory card for the camera, but the SD cards are getting pretty cheap, too, and a 1GB card will hold about an hour of video. Then just plug your camera into your computer and load the files into Movie Maker. Just be sure that the camera you pick uses a compatible file format.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Is there a setting on a digital camera to prevent sound distortion during video recording?

Is there a setting on a digital camera to prevent sound distortion during video recording (where there is loud bass in the environment such as a concert)?

When I take video with my Canon SX260 digital camera, the sound gets distorted when there is loud bass in the environment. For example, sound in the video always gets distorted when I shoot video at concerts.

This video on YouTube is exactly what happened to my Canon SX260:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgK57t9_g7Q&list=UUyXqYTlNZEVOowEg6hPG18g&index=1

Thanks

Answer
Your Canon PowerShot SX260 is aconsumer point&shoot camera designed to capture still images. Capturing video (and audio) is a "convenience feature".

Read the manual:
http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/7/0300007147/01/pssx260hs-sx240hs-cug-c-en.pdf
There is no setting or option to change/control the audio gain. Your reported symptom is a common one - but not unexpected. If you get a camera designed for video (and audio) capture, there may be some sort of audio gain control. I am not aware of any point and shoot camera that has any sort of audio gain control. All will be overpowered by loud audio.

Your SX260 is about $300. For around the same $ the Canon HF R200 has audio gain control. Read the manual: http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/3/0300004613/01/HFR20_21_200_IM_N_EN.pdf
See Page 75.

If you do not want to replace the SX260, then you can record the audio separately using a digital audio recorder with manual audio gain control. I like (and use) the Zoom H2. The H1 is less $ (and less featured). You can easily synch the externally captured audio with the video when you edit - after synching, mute the poor audio captured by the camera.

Can I record Videos on a digital camera? If yes, then which type of cameras?

Answer
Yes, most digital cameras take videos now. You have to be careful though because there are variations:

1) Sound - some will record sound with the video, some don't.
2) Length of video - some cameras limit the files to 20-30 sec files, some are unlimited, until you fill up your memory card.
3) Type of file - not as big of a deal.. some will record in .mpg, some in .avi, some in .mov.. in case you have a preference.

For #1, usually the sales people won't even know the answer so you'll have to play with it to find out.. look for a mic/speaker on the camera. For #2, try looking in the details for the camera online for this. For #3, if it matters to you, this will also be in the online descriptions.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions..

Need help figuring out to record a video at night?

NONAME

So I have a Canon PowerShot S5 IS. I'm going out racoon hunting with some of my friends and I want to record it. But I can't figure out how to do it. Can you even record with it at night at all?? Please Help

Answer
You have a nice P&S camera which happens to have a video feature.

To shoot at night, you will need an actual video camera with an IR feature built-in

Some of the Sony camcorders have that feature.

My guess is you have NO lighting except that of the moon and even a 0 lux video camera cannot record under those conditions.

Jim is totally correct. You need light to expose video, digital sensors or film

how do u make a digital camera have flash while recording a video at night?

SelenaGome

i want to take a video at night in the dark but i dont know how to make it have flash or light while taking the video my camera is polaroid and its digital

Answer
It is not practical to do that.

Flash is only for still pictures, meaning 1 press of the shutter 1 flash, 1 picture, this is called 1 frame. This has to sync with your camera or you don't get a picture. Some cameras can give you a few flashes continuous but this is never used for video.

video needs continuous source of light because video shoots anywhere from 30 frames down to a few frames per second, also depends if your camera has capability to adjust frames per second for video.

For example surveillance camera systems shoot from 1 to 30 frames per second, they are usually set 2 or 5 frames to save on storage space.

flash also needs to recharge between use, usually takes a few seconds for flash to charge up and give that tremendous burst of light for that 1 picture. Better models can recycle the flash faster, it also discharges your batteries really fast.

Is there a point and shoot digital camera with optical zoom while recording a video?

aimee13714

Is there a good quality point and shoot digital camera that allows for optical zoom while recording a video? Not digital zoom, which just crops the frame you already have and makes the video blurry and undefined, but optical zoom, which actually zooms into what ever you're looking at without the blurriness of the digital zoom. Thanks so much for your help :)
Is there a camera with all of the qualities above that is compact. For example, a camera that could fit in a jacket pocket.

Answer
you can consider buying Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 12.1MP Digital Camera
# 27mm wide-angle Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens;
# 18x optical zoom with POWER O.I.S.
# HD movies with 1280 x 720-pixel resolution; AVCHD Lite format
# 2.7-inch TFT LCD screen
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002IKLJU0?ie=UTF8&tag=bestdeals-y-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002IKLJU0

Canon PowerShot SX210IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 14x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dphoto&tag=bestdeals-y-20&field-keywords=canon+sx210&x=0&y=0

Nikon Coolpix S8000 14.2 MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_i_0?rh=i%3Aelectronics%2Ck%3Anikon+s8000&tag=bestdeals-y-20&keywords=nikon+s8000&ie=UTF8&qid=1276069734

What's the best point and shoot camere for video recording?

Richard

Answer
I have a Cannon Powershot S3 IS, and it's an incredible camera, it can record at a high FPS and a pretty good resolution, you can also zoom in and out. Although I'm pretty sure that the S3 is out of stock and has been replaced by the S5, but so far the S2, S3 and S5 are all the same except for a few improvements on each new model (ie, megapixels, ISO etc).

The S3 IS when I bought it was 300 dollars, and it is a good camera, it's video recording is good too. If your not interested in getting good pictures as well as video than this is a good buy in my opinion.

:-)

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Looking for a video camera to record amateur sitcom?

bigshow231

I'm an inspiring filmmaker and I need help on finding a video camera from $200-$350 for my new sitcom I'm about to film. Don't care for brand just need a really neat camera with HD, high fps, boom mic input & would record footage that look as if it came straight off of TV onto YouTube. What would you recommend...Help!

Answer
Hi "Big":

First, your budget is pretty low to get anything decent for pro-looking results, unless you buy used-gear. And contrary to popular consumer belief, you don't need "HD" to shoot high-quality 16:9 widescreen video. We haven't been in the "VHS quality" equipment era for almost 20 years, 'way before HDTVs entered people's living rooms. Just about everything made since 1990 shoots "DVD quality" video, and most have 16:9 widescreen settings.

Second, "high fps" has nothing to do with recording scripted TV shows. U.S. television is 30fps. Period. (You're not shooting "Mythbusters" or "Time Warp".)

(The correct term, BTW, is "aspiring" filmmaker. And if you want to do more than just aspire, pick up a book or two on modern filmmaking & video production techniques. And pick up a book on TV lighting techniques; that's where most of the "straight off of TV" look comes from. Here's a YouTube comedy short (shot by Jon Na) with great lighting, and almost 5 million views: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIV3DVxKBO8 )

For a starting point, which meets your budget and wish-list, the Canon Vixia HF-R300 is under-$300, can accept an external mike, and shoots full-HD at a respectable 24Mbps (digital bit-rate, near pro-quality). Here's the Canon USA webpage with specs & manuals: http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/camcorders/consumer_camcorders/vixia_hf_r300#Overview

Just make sure your computer & editing software is up-to-par for handling AVCHD video footage. (Movie Maker ain't gonna cut it!) Otherwise, shop around eBay for a good used Canon or Sony MiniDV camcorder, which will give you near-broadcast quality footage, great digital sound, and be easy to edit.

hope this helps,
--Dennis C.
Â

Good, light-adjusting video cameras?

Mrs. Huggi

I need a camcorder that can work well with low amounts of light (e.g. dusk, night) but without adding too much to the price. I mean it doesn't matter if it's that expensive, but hey there's a recession on! Know any? Please help!
like under 350 pounds

Answer
Camcorders record what they can see. Light comes in the lens, hits the imaging chip(s) and is converted to electronic signals the camcorder records to whatever media is used for storage.

Lenses and imaging chips are expensive (that translates into more cost in the camcorder).

As the lenses and imaging chips get larger, the camcorders' low light behavior gets better and the cost of the camcorder goes up. Please don't take this the wrong way - but your expectations of video quality ("work well with low amounts of light") need to be appropriately set.

The price range you provided to us in your budget is about where entry-level, consumer-grade, camcorders are. Lens filter diameter will be around 37mm and single imaging chip will be around 1/6".

Double your budget to get camcorders with 43mm lenses and single 1/4" imaging chip and a corresponding improvement in low-light behavior.

Triple your budget to get camcorders with 58mm lenses and single 1/3" imaging chip and a corresponding improvement in low-light behavior.

In my opinion, there is no consumer grade camcorder that "work well with low amounts of light". The lenses and imaging chips are just not big enough.

The jump to prosumer and pro-grade basically ends up being about 8x-10x your budget. These camcorders have 72mm lenses and 3-chip, 1/3" arrays. And all the manual controls available on the outside of the camcorder so they are easy to get to and use - not buried in the menu like consumer cams do.

Tip #1: Use a video light.

Tip #2: Use the white balance.

Sony, Canon.

Canon G11 does the camera has zoom when video recording?

Jose

hello dears; i have a Canon G11 but i cannot find the controls to zoom during video recording, some people say camera has the zooming feature other say no, any instruction of how to make the zooming works will be appreciated. thanks a lot

Answer
The zoom control is on the top right of the camera. It's a lever around the shutter button. See page 64 of the user's manual.

The following paragraphs in the Canon G11 manual talk about whether you can operate the optical zoom and AF while recording video clips:

â¢"You can also zoom in and out with the zoom lever during shooting".
â¢"If you change the composition of your shot during shooting, the focus will stay the same but the brightness and tone will automatically adjust".

Conclusion:

So yes you can zoom, but your subjects must be relatively still. So no fast moving subjects then!

What is a good Canon/Nikon camera that lasts a long time when recording videos?

...

So I have this Canon Powershot camera that only lasts 3-5 minutes when I record a video... :/ And by then, I have to change batteries... IT'S SO ANNOYING YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND
@AVDADDY, and you are RUDE, you shouldn't be a top contributor and you clearly didn't explain much details. Jerk.

Answer
I understand there are speed limits to using certain memory cards so it is most advisable to use Class 10 SDHC memory cards for videos. Then you might bump into the next limitation which is about technology. You will only be allowed to shoot some 15 minutes or so with a digital camera. If you can shoot longer, the battery may die sooner. Even if you carried your car's battery behind your back to power your camera, the digital sensor will heat up and automatically shut down the camera anyway.

UNDERSTAND THIS!

The right tool for recording video is a camcorder. If you don't want to annoy others, get one from this list.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Category_Camcorders&ci=1881&Ns=p_PRICE_2%7c1&N=4256818814&cm_sp=Filters-_-Category-_-Camcorders

how do you record video games to a video camera? then to the computer?

MkMaster13

or if their is a eaiser way then tell me...
i have a good computer and video camera..

Answer
TRANSFERRING VIDEO FROM CAMCORDER TO COMPUTER

Camcorders usually come with connecting cables. Older camcorders have yellow, red and white RCA cables that connect the camcorder to your TV or in this case your computer. Newer camcorders have FIREWIRE connectors that conveniently connect to FIREWIRE connectors in newer computers be it PC or Mac.

FOR CAMCORDERS WITH RCA CONNECTORS & PROPRIETARY CONNECTIONS

If you are using a camcorder with RCA connectors then your computer must have a Video Capture Card or any kind of video capturing device connected to your computer. A webcam is not a video capture device.

RCA connectors/cables come in 3 colors, yellow for video, red and white for left and right audio channel. In some camcorders you will see the 3 outlets with the 3 colors. While other camcorders are provided with a proprietary outlet that needs a proprietary cable with RCA connectors on the other end of the cable. These cables usually come with the camcorder.

Make the connections on the camera and connect the RCA to the outlets of your Video Capture Card/device. Color codes on the RCA and the outlets are important. The yellow RCA is carries the video signal and should be connected to the "video in" outlet of the Video Capture Card/Device. The red and white RCA cables are the left and right audio signal. These can be swapped without any problems.

Sometimes the camcorder has a minijack or headphone jack for outputting sound. And, sometimes the Video Capture Card/Device also uses a minijack to capture sound. If this is the case, only the yellow RCA cable needs to be connected both to the camcorder and the computer. Use a minijack to minijack connector cable to connect the camcorder and the computer. The minijack cable replaces the red and white RCA cable. There is such a thing as a "Y-Cable". The Y-Cable is a minijack on one end and 2 RCAs on the other end. You can use this if the camcorder and the Video Capture Card/Device have different ways to connect audio signals. With all these complexities you don't have to worry about connecting the wrong cables because NOTHING WILL BE DAMAGED in case you make a mistake.

Once the connections are done you are now ready to capture the video on your computer. Video Capture Cards/Devices come with programs that allow you to capture video to a location in your computer. Captured video files are most of the times in .avi or .mpg format stored in your computer.

FOR CAMCORDERS WITH FIREWIRE CONNECTOR OR (IEEE) 1394 CONNECTOR OR i.LINK

New camcorders and new computers come with FIREWIRE or 1394 Connectors. These are more convenient to use. All you have to do is connect just 1 Fireweire (1394) cable to the camcorder and the computer. Turn on your computer and make sure all the programs that need to load during startup have been loaded. Connect the camcorder to the computer using the Firewire cable. Turn on your camera and set it to "play" mode. Not "record" or "camera" mode. Your computer should detect the camera and prompt you to open the associated program. Open the program and look for the "capture" button.

CAPTURE SETTINGS

Leave everything on default and you should be OK. Once you get the hang of it you can start tweaking some settings. Here are common settings that you might want to experiment:

Resolution - this refers to the number of pixel. A 320x240 resolution means 320 pixels horizontally and 240 pixels vertically. 320x240 is the advised capturing resolution for youtube videos. 352x240 is ideal for VCD. 640x480 is the ideal resolution for full screen computer videos. 720x480 is the ideal resolution for DVD.

Data Rate - refers to the amount of data allocated for capturing video(and audio). 300 kbps (kilobit per second) in mpeg-1 format is recommended for youtube. 1152 kbps in mpeg-1 format is for VCD. 2,000 kbps in mpeg-2 format is recommended for DVD. These numbers are here as reference. You will get a low quality DVD if you recorded in 300 kbps mpeg-1. Commercial DVD data rate is 4500 kbps in mpeg-2 format. Data rate also determines the file size of the captured video. The lower the data rate the smaller the file.

Compression - MPEG 4 is for ipod videos, MPEG 3 is for music, MPEG 2 is for DVD, MPEG 1 is for VCD. DV compression is the highest quality compression available to standard desktop/laptop computers. If you plan to capture a video for editing I suggest you capture in DV compression .avi file.

MAKING DVDs

You make DVDs by burning the DVDs in a DVD burner drive. DVD+R and DVD-R are now interchangeable types. Most commercial DVD players can handle both types. Open your DVD burning program. Most of the time DVD burners come with programs to make DVDs. Just follow the instructions on how to make DVDs and you're done!

There is a live discussion on how to capture videos and make DVDs at http://www.overdose.ph/index.php?board=1.0

what camera is good for recording a video game?

Q. the video game is SAINTS ROW 2 xbox 360 and am tryin 2 record and put it on youtube but i only have a webcam with bad quality i want the camera to focus on the screen only

CHEAP CAMERA

Answer
You don't want to use a camera for recording gameplay. You need a capture card. For standard definition you can use a Dazzle which are quite cheap.

For HD gameplay you can use a HD PVR but are more expensive.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

im looking for a new SLR-like camera around $400...any suggestions?

Denys

Answer
Ok you need a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 owner to actually set the record straight on the camera then a so called expert like flotoace. I got this camera over a DSLR for a few things that DSLR cannot do. First of all if you buy a DSLR camera you will need to buy about 3-6 Lens in order to get the zoom of what the FZ-50 can get you. the FZ-50 can go from 35-420mm, price out the lens for the DSLR lens and see how much you will spend. Yes the 50 can only go to F-stop 3.7 at 420mm where the DSLR can go to 2.8 at sporting events...at a heafty weight where you will need a tripod for it while the 50 can be handheld. Now the picture quality: Wow i say the 50 gives alot of the so called DSLR great cameras a run for the money in this. I have taken stunning pics with my 50 and have put them up against other DSLR in my photo club and i have walked away with DSLR owners grumbling under thier breath that they bought the wrong cameras. The quality of the pictures, colors, sharpness is just crazy. To look at pictures that at least 740 owners of the 50 have taken go to this site:
www.flickr.com
enter in Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 and you will see amazing pics.
I did not want to carry all this equipment that you would have to with the DSLR owners have to in order to just take a picture.
Another advantage is that the FZ-50 lets you grow into the camera, lets you learn and grow. Yes it has full auto, Scene mode, and you can have full manual control too...oh and can DSLR take video in either 4:3 or 16:9 mode? Thought not!
Here are some sample pics i have taken with the 50...enjoy:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2011/2068485133_495f337da3_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2270/2074447014_78b76f1ec8.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2035/2115574001_df1dd55587.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2124/2104367010_ec10d61acb.jpg
oh and if any DSLR owner ask...yes i have enlargeged some of my pics all the way to 30x36 with no problems in picture quality at all. good luck on you decision.

Camera and Camcorder Info?

Q. I want to buy a camera and I'm torn between getting a digital camera or an SLR camera. I also want a camcorder that can record in standard definition. The problem is, i don't want to spend a lot of money and i'm not sure where to go.

I want to go to best buy, but i feel like i might get a deal on craigslist or if i go to a non chain store or a store that isn't best buy.

Is craigslist a good deal?
Where else can I go to buy a camera or camcorder that isn't best buy, target, kmart, or walmart?
Any tips or hints to purchasing something new?

Answer
Check out the top rated and under $200 cameras that are also have video camera feature build in:
http://lovetosharethis.blogspot.com/2011/03/top-10-cameras-under-200-bucks.html

and this is the top rated camcorders that can take picture: http://lovetosharethis.blogspot.com/2011/06/top-best-hd-and-digital-camcorders-can.html

Video Camera at Night?

ryan2_2coo

I have a Panasonic SDR-S26 Video Camera and it doesn't have night vision. Is their some sort of Infra Red Light i can buy to use with it so i can be able to record videos in the dark?

Answer
well there should be light on the camera

How to record a video for 8 hours + night vision?

Cold Blood

I've been experiencing some poltergeist (noisy ghost) kind of activity in my house and I want to set up a camera in the most active room. I have a Canon EOS T3 Rebel, a memory card with 16GB space, and the standard battery the camera came with. What requirements do I need to reach in order to record a video that long as well as being able to see in the dark?

Answer
all dSLR type cameras have very limited continuous recording time. It doesn't matter how many GB are on your card, you only have 30 minutes before the sensor overheats in video mode and shuts off automatically. If you decide to use the highest video resolution of the camera, it will stop after recording 4 GB because that is the largest allowable file size, usually about 10 minutes. No camera battery is good for 8 hours of use, most cameras are sized for 2 hours operation with the standard battery.

what you need is a HDD type camcorder with an AC power adapter.

ghosts are camera shy, most likely they won't perform for you. If it is noisy, then you would be better off using a digital audio recorder which you could place in a room and walk away so as to not scare the poor poltergeist off. my olympus records for several hours on batteries.

Why the bridge or even snap and shoot cameras have better video/movie quality than DSLR cameras ?

Laith A

Hello
In most bridge cameras like Panasonic Fz35 , Sony HX1 , Canon SX20 IS or even compact like Sony T90 and others have better video / movie mode than DSLR cameras that have bigger sensors like Pentax K-x , Canon 500D/T1i and Nikon D5000 . The main problem confined in the ability of auto focusing during video mode and the no of fps.
Im wondering of the reason behind that especially we do find that even the smaller cameras like Sony T90 has very good quality of video mode that we could not find in most DSLR cameras.
In fact i do not see that is so important but i would like to add that i have used D5000 and have seen so many reviews on youtube , depreview ,camera lab , digital camera and others . Im interesting in D5000 , K-x , Fz35 and others ,also the new cameras :Sony HX5 , Panasonic ZS7 , Fujifilm F80EXR , Olympus Sp 800UZ and others. THE GOAL is to find a suitable camera for both video and photos.
What i mean the quality of video mode is related to both resolution and fps which include : sharpness , contrast and the movment of the action.

Answer
The higher the level of a camera, the more focused it is on best performance as a still image camera, and the less a manufacturer will care about side features like video. They are reserved for camcorders.

Instead of making compromises, that will diminish still image quality, in favor of better video, the high end cameras feature best possible still images, and only a so-so video. No serious photographer will use an SLR for video recording. So the more serious user they aim for, the less they care. The really high end SLRs have no video capability at all for the same reason.

LEM.

I want to buy a quality bridge camera with excellent video qaulity budget Â£200?

CameraMan

Answer
Consumer level HD camcorders have 4 problems. 1) Blurry, fuzzy, out of focus areas closely around people in videos taken by consumer level HD camcorders. 2) Any movement, even a wave or lifting an arm, while in front of a recording consumer level HD camcorder, results in screen ghosts and artifacts being left on the video track, following the movement. Makes for bad video, sports videos are unwatchable. 3) These Consumer level HD camcorders all have a habit of the transferred to computer files are something you need to convert, thus losing your HD quality, to work with your editing software. 4) Mandatory maximum record times - 1 hour, 30 minutes, 8 minutes, 3 minutes â four different times advertised as maximum record time for some consumer level HD camcorders. No event I have ever been to is that short. Either take multiple camcorders or pack up with out getting the end of the event on video. Not to mention, but the computer you upload your HD files to jas to have at least a 1 GB video card and a separate Audio card that can support Direct X 9 technology, you normal every day computer has massive troubles with HD video. Consumer level HD camcorders interpolate the video. This means they take one frame, make up the next 4 or 5 frames, take a frame and repeat this, over and over, for the remainder of the video, every video it takes is like this. With a MiniDV tape camcorder, record 60 or 90 minutes ( camcorder settings), 90 seconds or less to change a tape and record for 60 or 90 more and repeat till you run out of tapes.

You can get a Canon ZR960 for $250. It is a MiniDV tape camcorder, has a MIC jack. You will need a Firewire (IEEE1394) card ($25 to 30) for the computer and a Firewire cable (less than 10) to be able to transfer video to your computer. To say this is not HD, think about this. It would cost in excess of $3500 to get a HD camcorder that could equal the video Quality of a $250 Canon MiniDV tape camcorder.

http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/Camcorders/High_Definition_HD/HV30/index.aspx

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

A $250 Camera with good recording (for tennis)?

3993robert

Hi, as I dont have one now I'd like to buy a digital camera (either compact or megazoom is both okey)

Apart from taking pictures, one very important features for me is great 720 recording (i dont need 1080) so that I could record my tennis practice and then slow-mo it. Could you please give me some recommendations? Thank you in advance.

Answer
Although most contributors on this site would recommend a DSLR (digital single lens reflex that accepts interchangeable lenses. Your budget no where nears the amount needed. it is for that reason I suggest you look at Canon cameras known by photographers as "bridge" cameras. These cameras do not accept interchangeable lenses but have excellent zoom lenses which can effectively give you enough range to satisfy your tennis requirements. My first suggestion is the Canon Powershot SX30 IS or the Canon Powershot SX20 IS. Both are discontinued. The Canon Powershot Sx20 IS is an upgrade to the previous model and the upgrade is primarily "video" enhancement.
Fuji is also another maker I would recommend and probably falls into your price range better. It is the S2950 available on Amazon in your price range. Don't let people on this forum dissuade you from Fuji. I have had personal experience and found they back their cameras 100% better than the likes of a Sony!

What type of Camera would be good to record amateur movies, music videos, etc.?

Gustavo

Basically what kind of device (camera, slr,camcorder etc) one thats up to date with HD and all that good stuff. Short films for school/youtube and good sound as well. Forums online get too crazy and I know alot has to do with preference but I would just like some suggestions on the types of devices I should be looking for.

Answer
HD camcorders interpolate the video, which means of every 25 frames of video, 4 or 5 frames are taken by the lens assembly; the other frames in between these are filled in by the camcorder inner circuitry, thus giving you not true video. It looks like this -one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, one frame from the lens assembly, 7or 8 from the electronic circuitry, from front to back of the video. Near impossible to edit, even when you have the Multi port processor computer with the big 1GB Graphics card and a Sound card that is required to edit, view, watch and work with the files these camcorders produce.

Consumer level HD camcorders have 4 problems. 1) Blurry, fuzzy, out of focus areas closely around people in videos taken by consumer level HD camcorders. 2) Any movement, even a wave or lifting an arm, while in front of a recording consumer level HD camcorder, results in screen ghosts and artifacts being left on the video track, following the movement. Makes for bad video, sports videos are unwatchable. 3) These Consumer level HD camcorders all have a habit of the transferred to computer files are something you need to convert, thus losing your HD quality, to work with your editing software. 4) Mandatory maximum record times - 1 hour, 30 minutes, 8 minutes, 3 minutes â four different times advertised as maximum record time for some consumer level HD camcorders. No event I have ever been to is that short. Either take multiple camcorders or pack up with out getting the end of the event on video.

MiniDV is currently the most popular format for consumer digital camcorders. MiniDV camcorders are typically more affordable than their HDD and DVD counterparts. Each MiniDV tape will typically hold an hour of footage at normal recording speed and quality. MiniDV tapes are available for purchase at not only electronic and camera stores, but also at drugs stores and grocery stores, making them easy to find while your on vacation. There are literally hundreds of MiniDV camcorders available; both in standard and high-definition. And add the fact that to get a HD camcorder that could produce better video quality footage, one would have to spend in excess of $3500 for that camcorder that could produce higher quality video.

http://simplevideoediting.com/learn/part1_camcorder_choices.htm

http://simplevideoediting.com/learn/part2_connect_camcorder.htm

http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/camcorders/consumer_camcorders/vixia_hv40#Overview

Can I have my laptop camera record things without using skype or something?

Emma

I have a Dell from 2012 with a built in video camera. Can I use it to take pictures and video without using skype and sending it to people? If so, how?

Answer
Hi Emma,

I am Shuchi from the Dell Social Media outreach team.

In order to use the inbuilt webcam you need webcam central software for capturing pictures and recording Videos. Usually this software goes preinstalled in the dell system.

Please visit following link for more information regarding the same:

http://dell.to/1eJPKpm

The main screen of Webcam central software has two tabs:

Snap Photos: Pictures can be taken with this option. Further settings available are Photo Size (the default is max-640x480), Self Timer and Burst Rate.
Advanced options include File Format (.jpeg/.bmp) and options to add date and time stamps to pictures.

Record Videos: Videos can be recorded with this option. The settings available are Video Size (the default is max-640x480), Self Timer and Microphone Settings.
Advanced options include Video Format (.wmv/.avi) and an option limiting the video clip duration. When selected, .avi option also shows the audio and video compression options.

General Settings Tab. This setting has the following options: Picture Control - Flicker Control with frequency settings, and video control with backlight, brightness, contrast, Color & Gamma; Face Tracking - Enable/Disable Face Tracking with tracking speed adjustments; Pan & Zoom - Zoom control and Pan & Tilt options.

The tab "Show Todays Captures" has options to Upload pictures to Photobucket, Send by e-mail and Print directly. Another feature "Video Stitch" can be used to combine pictures which can be played as a video file.

The size of a picture when saved as a .jpeg is about 75kb and when saved as a .bmp is about 900k. The size of a 20-sec video when saved as a .wmv is about 2MB and when saved as an .avi with default compression is about 500MB. The Tray Icon has options to Launch the application, and set default options like Start Webcam Central when Windows starts, Enable Mini-mode viewer, and so on.

Please revert to this post if you have any further queries and concerns.

We would recommend you do not post your private information on a public forum.

Thanks & Regards
Shuchi S
#iworkfordell
(You can now follow us on you tube for online video support http://dell.to/13ijS47)

What would it take to make wearable video cameras on police officers mandatory for all departments?

Mtz

Im doing a research paper on police misconduct and the solution to it, my solution is wearable video cameras and i'd like to know what would it take to make it mandatory.

Answer
It would take a history of use showing what the actual effect of law dogs wearing body cams prove.

Wearing a Badge, and a Video Camera
THE Rialto study began in February 2012 and will run until this July. The results from the first 12 months are striking. Even with only half of the 54 uniformed patrol officers wearing cameras at any given time, the department over all had an 88 percent decline in the number of complaints filed against officers, compared with the 12 months before the study, to 3 from 24.
Rialtoâs police officers also used force nearly 60 percent less often â in 25 instances, compared with 61. When force was used, it was twice as likely to have been applied by the officers who werenât wearing cameras during that shift, the study found.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/07/business/wearable-video-cameras-for-police-officers.html?pagewanted=all&_r=5&

Rialto, CA Police Made to Wear Cameras, Use of Force Drops by Over Two-Thirds

When cops in a Rialto, California were forced to wear cameras, their use of force dropped by over two-thirds. Additionally, the officers who were not made to wear the cameras used force twice as much as those who did. This strongly suggests the majority of the time police use force is unnecessary. In other words, the majority of the time these officers used force they were simply committing acts of violence which they don't feel comfortable committing if it's captured on film.
He said he reminded them that civilians could use their cellphones to record interactions, "so instead of relying on somebody else's partial picture of what occurred, why not have your own?" he asked. "In this way, you have the real one."

Police love to say if you're not doing anything wrong, what do you have to hide, yet all over the nation police unions virulently fight calls to force them to wear cameras.

Fact is, most cops have everything and more to hide.

Their job is to enforce criminally idiotic and anti-human laws written by criminal politicians, from the drug laws to thousands of idiotic regulations on the books, their job is no longer to arrest violent criminals and thieves but to aggress against non-violent, non-criminals -- which turns them into criminals themselves.
http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=44427

Hhmmm seems to have a time termed effect, that being the use of force drops when the dog knows his action are provable. It seems to show that John Q walking into a dog house and complaining about bad doggy behaviors get dropped when John Q is shown the body cam recorded view. But dogs are wary, why? Because like their own concern for personal safety during their shifts, they are concerned with their own privacy from their superiors of what their doing while on the job. so basically the dogs don't want the public to know how they act and they don't want the big dogs to know how they feel, personally.

Officers fear body cameras raise privacy concerns
The lack of clear guidelines on the cameras' use could potentially undermine departments' goals of creating greater accountability of officers
And some rank-and-file officers are worried the technology might ultimately be used to derail their careers if, for example, an errant comment about a superior is captured on tape.
They say, however, that the lack of clear guidelines on the cameras' use could potentially undermine departments' goals of creating greater accountability of officers and jeopardize the privacy of both the public and law enforcement officers.
Equipping police with cameras isn't a new concept. For decades police have used cameras mounted to the dashboards of their patrol cars â initially referred to with suspicion by officers as "indict-o-cams" until they discovered the footage exonerated them in most cases.
http://www.policeone.com/police-products/body-cameras/articles/6976369-Officers-fear-body-cameras-raise-privacy-concerns/

Video camera recording to computer?

The Chaos

I have an Simo USB multi-cable with fire wire and a Canon Z3 100. I would like to record video straight from the camera to the computer. Is this possible? Without the use of tape, that is.

Thing is, my Canon for some odd reason is rejecting any videotape I put into it.

Answer
Your Canon is not a video camera!! It is a digital still camera!! What you want to do you need a camcorder or a webcam!! Still cameras cannot stream video!!

What is the best camera (or DSLR??) for HD video recording?

chono

I'm srry if what I'm saying sounds dumb or something because I'm totally new to like recording and cameras and pixels/frames/lenses, all that jazz. I really want to start making more quality videos for my youtube channel and I wanna purchase a new camera to do video recording with. i know that a lot of cameras have really good focusing/auto focusing (i dont know what its called). I'm looking for something around $300-600 (less than 300 would be awesome) In generally, I just need help finding a camera with good focus and takes quality- decent video for a reasonable price..
I know this is totally not specific but any recommendations will be appreciated

Answer
Most compact camera's will not do a good job in low light.
Most DSLRs will not auto focus during videos (because of the mirror which needs to be flipped for fast focusing) unless you buy a mirrorless camera which auto focuses.
You can buy a HD Camcorder which will do a pretty good job most of the time but the vidoes will not be professional looking. HD Camcorders will keep everything in focus most of the time (if not all the time) so you really can't keep certain things in focus and other things blurred. I mean selective focusing- similar to what we see in movies or nice videos.
Now if you are serious about decent quality videos and are fine to go with Manual focusing, you can take nice videos. Buy a Pentax K-01 body for around $300. Buy a Super Takumar M42 lens for around $100 with an adapter for Pentax. Once you get hold of the manual focusing, you will be amazed how beautiful videos taken be take on big sensors of DSLRs compared to any HD camcorders. If you want to use AutoFocus, your videos will keep getting that lens noise while it tries (and misses while)focusingg. Will be horrible when the light is low.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olFmdvhBagY
http://photography-with-any-camera.blogspot.com/2013/04/video-comparison-compact-camera-vs.html

Monday, June 16, 2014

how to record video & audio?

jay s

guitar

Answer
I use a Digital Video Camera, cheap Walmart Camera will do. For indoors, make sure the Camcorder you are using can video in "Low Light" conditions.

If you use amps, don't place the camera directly in front of the speakers or monitors. Acoustic, close to you is better to get the performer in frame, and pick up good audio. Keep the audience in mind, the microphone will pickup the background noise people make during shows.

The best spot is on stage with you and the band, facing the performers and away from the audience. External wired or wireless microphones are available for most cameras. This will let you keep the mic close to the band while the camera is further back for better videos.

Make sure your camera can download in a standard video format to your computer.

Outdoors is another concern. External mics work best, and should have a Wind Sock to limit noise on the microphone when recording. Even a light wind can ruin the audio outside. Of course if it's raining then it has to be kept dry. Zip Lock or Glad Sandwich bags work well in a pinch (Unless in the direct rain, then the rain noise is amplified on the microphone).

When outdoors, make sure the camera is also facing away from direct Sunlight. Stage Lights should also not be shining toward the Camera. If you can use additional lighting behind or on the camera, this is great. Stage lights or Spot lights on the performers is best for the video portion. Don't wear Red or White clothes. These two colors are the worst for video or TV.

If you are heavy metal or play with loud amps, keep in mind the microphones on most cameras are sensitive. It can be damaged by high output sounds from the amp and blow the mics out. This means even if you are using an external mic, the internal mic (even when off) can be destroyed in the camcorder.

Should I get a video camera to record myself playing guitar or is an Iphone 4 good with sound quality?

Brandon

I'm wanting to start recording myself while playing guitar and I don't know if an Iphone 4 is sufficient. I don't have my guitar with me because I recently moved.

Answer
obviously video camera. depends on your budget :)

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Cameras for youtube Music videos...?

Prince of

So I used to make solo music videos for youtube using my webcam. But now i've got myself into a band and we want to start making videos together. But we don't want to keep the same bad quality videos as I used to make. Basically we don't know what kind of camera to get. Preferably it would be HD. And obviously it would need to be of decent sound quality. We also are reasonably skint and although we could save for a bit we want to do this quite quickly so we don't want to have to spend to much. Anyone know of anything, thanks :).

Keep Smiling!

Matt McDonagh.

Answer
If you already have a digital camcorder (one that captures in Digital8, MiniDV, HDV, or any of the DVD formats), then you're ready to start shooting your masterpiece. Your camcorder will need some kind of direct connection to your computer, either to the USB or FireWire ports or by inserting the DVD you've recorded. Once you've downloaded the video from the camera, you can upload it to YouTube or bring it into an editing program to play with it some more.

If you have an analog camcorder (one that uses VHS, VHS-C, SVHS-C, 8mm, or Hi8 tape), you can still get your videos onto YouTube. It will require an extra step and some additional equipment, though, since these camcorders are not usually equipped with computer connections. You'll need to digitize the video with a converter box, which will convert the analog signal from the camcorder to a digital signal that the computer can understand. After the video has been digitized, you can manipulate it further or upload it. Regards!

Youtube, making videos?

Aimee

I have a youtube account and an ordinary digital camera, was new last christmas, can i still upload the videos from this? and what apps can i use to like edit it and upload it to youtube? even if anyone knows a website explaining it. Thanks in advance:)

Answer
Hi, if you want to edit and upload the digital camera recorded videos to youtube, that's easy, most digital camera have bundle cable which can be used to connect the digital camera and computer, then you can transfer the recorded videos from the digital camera to computer hard drive, then you can edit the recorded videos and upload onto youtube, you can follow me to use Youtube Movie Maker, it can edit and upload youtube videos from various videos, pics, songs, musics, texts/lyrics, words, etc, and it provides many video edit features, such as cut, crop, mix, merge, add special effect, etc. with it you can easy to edit your recorded videos and upload on youtube, you can download it from makeyoutubevideo.com, and view below channel for some online guides youtube.com/easymakevideo, hope it can help you.

Is the Nikon 1 J3 a good camera to use for HD video recording?

kayleigh

I will mainly be using the camera for recording videos, hence why I want it to be able to record in full HD. However, I will be using it to take pictures every now and again! What are you views on recording on this camera? Or is there a better camera which I could use? I was looking at the DSLR cameras, but I think they will be too bulky if I was just carrying it around.
Any help will be appreciated!

Answer
Yes, the DSLR is bulky to carry around, but they really impress people that you know what you are doing. Regardless of your skill level.

While a camcorder is better, the Nikon 1 J3 is a good camera for video. Here is a review of its predecessor.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikonv1j1/15

What is a good digital camera that can record HD video also?

hummer1745

Looking to buy a good, affordable digital camera (around $400 or $500) that can take at least 9 mega pixel photos and HD video, preferably 1080p, but 720p is okay. Good zoom and fps too. If anyone has a good camera they have used please write about it and let me know!

Or even if you know a good camcorder that take good quality still photos and 1080p or 720p with good specs...

Thanks!

Answer
No such animal .. the closest camera like that is the Nikon D90 with a 18-200 mm VR (not within your budget)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVQX1rC-fRA&feature=related

P&S cameras have continuous shooting rates of under 2 fps, video maybe you can find one with 720p quality .

Here are some possible cameras that have higher video resolution, but probably not what you want.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?page=2

There are no camcorders that can make quality still images other than okay 4x6 inch prints.

I want to buy a quality bridge camera with excellent video qaulity budget £200?

CameraMan

What is the best bridge camera with a video recording function?

Yuta_Kins

Hopefully I can buy a new camera and I cant afford a full on dslr so I leaned more on bridges. I was looking for a Canon or Nikon on a budget of $200-300, hopefully someone out there can help me. I googled some but I cant exactly find what am looking for or google isn't just showing me the right ones.

Answer
Canon SX30IS

What is the best camera (or DSLR??) for HD video recording?

chono

cheap, quality cameras.. for video recording?

luke brook

hello. i would love if someone gave me suggestions for cheap and quality cameras for video recording. and by quality i mean good lighting and colors. any ideas? :)

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