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 #1 Looking for a good crossover camcorder Posted 20/06/2010 @ 17:37 |
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Hi,
This is my first post, after reading and a little research..
I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a decent crossover camcorder, I've read a bit on here and seen people suggesting things like the GoPro HD hero, which do sound very good, but I need something that is also very good for general filming of family/ friends and even art stuff aswell as snowboarding, I'd guess an optical image stabiliser would be crucial as I can't stand wobbly clips, also I would be looking to do some editing on my PC too, my birthday is coming around within a month, so I need to get myself sorted out fairly soon, and my limit would be up to £250, all suggestions would be very welcome!
Thanks
Michael Knight |
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Nottinghamshire |
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| #2 Re: Looking for a good crossover camcorder Posted 20/06/2010 @ 21:47 |
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| #3 Re: Looking for a good crossover camcorder Posted 21/06/2010 @ 16:43 |
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Thanks for responding, it sounds like a pretty good camera, all round, I wonder how do you find the shake factor and clarity, I guess it would have to be a really decent digital stabiliser to handle snowboarding? |
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| Posts: 9038 |
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Nottinghamshire |
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| #4 Re: Looking for a good crossover camcorder Posted 21/06/2010 @ 17:07 |
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Here's a video I made using the Xacti VPC-WH1. Stabilization will depend a lot on the amount of zoom being used.
A day like today from Fatbob Films on Vimeo. |
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| #5 Re: Looking for a good crossover camcorder Posted 21/06/2010 @ 20:06 |
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That was a nice film, I enjoyed that, yeh the clarity looks good, and generally the shake doesn't seem to be a problem, a little bit at 3mins 30 something :-) but as you were saying it depends on how zoomed in it is.
I wonder if SD is hugely less clear, any thoughts?
Thanks. |
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| #6 Re: Looking for a good crossover camcorder Posted 22/06/2010 @ 08:22 |
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thats a good clip i have not seen on as good is that in a long time!  |
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| #7 Re: Looking for a good crossover camcorder Posted 22/06/2010 @ 10:26 |
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Revision #1 (Last edited: 22/06/2010 @ 10:27) |
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Yes SD is massively inferior unless you have a 3CCD semi pro camera which cost loads and even then the quality isnt as good as these cheap HD cameras. |
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| #8 Re: Looking for a good crossover camcorder Posted 22/06/2010 @ 14:16 |
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That's good to know, thanks. I wonder if there is anything you can buy or make that acts like a counter ballance, for the camcorder some sort of weighted handle that you could screw into the tripod mount, or anything that gives extra smoothness to the shots? |
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| Posts: 9038 |
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Nottinghamshire |
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| #9 Re: Looking for a good crossover camcorder Posted 22/06/2010 @ 14:21 |
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I think a lot depends on the skill of the user. The jerkiest part of my video is filmed by someone else and some of the riding whilst holding the camera is reasonably smooth. |
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| #10 Re: Looking for a good crossover camcorder Posted 22/06/2010 @ 14:24 |
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you can for proper full size camcorders but there wouldn't be much point for one of those little pocket sized ones, it would kind of defeat the point. With camcorders in general the bigger and heavier they are the steadier the shot you get. |
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| #11 Re: Looking for a good crossover camcorder Posted 22/06/2010 @ 14:36 |
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There are lots of steadycam gadgets but it's not really consumer stuff and I doubt that's what you want. I think there are "gadgets" which will claim to help you hold a small camera steady, but I doubt any of them really deliver much. You'll see lots of people shooting video at resorts, at all levels, but you're unlikely to see a steadicam rig.
If you're a decently smooth rider then it's not hard to get reasonable shots with a GoPro or ContourHD, although it gets old fast.
Otherwise, you don't really want operator and rider both to be moving, so it's not a problem most people need to solve. As someone said, bigger cameras are easier to hold steadily, and you'll be packing a tripod and stuff anyway. |
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| #12 Re: Looking for a good crossover camcorder Posted 22/06/2010 @ 17:52 |
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You said "If you're a decently smooth rider then it's not hard to get reasonable shots with a GoPro or ContourHD, although it gets old fast." I thought of these but thought they probably wouldn't work for normal filming outside of snowboarding or action situations, how are they for normal camcorder usage i.e. for family and friends and so on? Oh, and you say it gets old fast? Sorry I didn't follow that.
Thanks |
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| #13 Re: Looking for a good crossover camcorder Posted 22/06/2010 @ 18:06 |
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they're exactly the same whatever you're filming the quality is the same only downside of them is they dont have a screen for playback. |
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| #14 Re: Looking for a good crossover camcorder Posted 22/06/2010 @ 19:36 |
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Yeh I guess you can't zoom though, it looks like it only has a wide angle. Very cool though.
I am quite impressed by the Sanyo Xacti VPC-WH1 that fatbob was talking about, so that is an option, but I wonder if anyone else has any other suggestions? I have a max limit £250. |
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