What's the best camera to shoot budget video (s/h is OK)
May 16, 2019 00:49:37 #
hobbit123
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
My son wants to buy a camera that will allow him to shoot quality video of the insides of homes (for real estate sales purposes) but he doesn't have a lot of spare cash. I get the impression Panasonic have been making superior cameras for this purpose for years but video isn't an area I've taken a lot of interest in. Can anyone suggest what we should be looking for in the second hand market? I tried my Fuji X-T1 but he turned his nose up at the average auto focusing ability. It should also have a jack for an external microphone. He will be using additional lighting. Thanks.
May 16, 2019 01:30:22 #
My Panasonic G85 does great video and I use an external mic to. As for focusing it seems pretty good, but a lot of people prefer pulling focus manually for video.
May 16, 2019 02:01:51 #
hobbit123
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
SuperflyTNT wrote:
My Panasonic G85 does great video and I use an external mic to. As for focusing it seems pretty good, but a lot of people prefer pulling focus manually for video.
Thanks but still a little expensive for his budget. I found one on eBay with a starting price of $620 but he still has to factor in the cost of a lens...
May 16, 2019 04:12:03 #
wdross
Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado
hobbit123 wrote:
My son wants to buy a camera that will allow him t... (show quote)
Contact UHH member Burkphoto by PM. I promise you will not be sorry. He can give you very practical advice for your needs. In this section of UHH, I consider him to be an expert in video questions and would be the first person I would personally contact if I had a video question.
May 16, 2019 04:14:48 #
hobbit123
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
wdross wrote:
Contact UHH member Burkphoto by PM. I promise you will not be sorry. He can give you very practical advice for your needs. In this section of UHH, I consider him to be an expert in video questions and would be the first person I would personally contact if I had a video question.
Thanks for the heads-up, I'll do that.
May 16, 2019 07:30:07 #
I don't think he would need 4K or shallow DOF for the purpose. I don't think he needs good sound recording capability either. The narration can be added in post. I bought a used Sony HD camcorder for $50. It shoot 1080p. Should be good enough for real estate purpose.
May 16, 2019 07:44:02 #
hobbit123
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
BebuLamar wrote:
I don't think he would need 4K or shallow DOF for the purpose. I don't think he needs good sound recording capability either. The narration can be added in post. I bought a used Sony HD camcorder for $50. It shoot 1080p. Should be good enough for real estate purpose.
Thanks for the suggestion. After some further thought I agree with you but the one thing I think he does need is an autofocus system that works reliably in video mode. I know a lot of people will suggest pulling focus manually but he's not an experienced photographer and I just know that's unlikely to get a good result. I've looked at a few cameras (DSLR and mirrorless) this evening and am beginning to think this might be mission impossible. Is the situation any better with camcorders?
May 16, 2019 09:14:41 #
hobbit123 wrote:
Thanks for the suggestion. After some further thought I agree with you but the one thing I think he does need is an autofocus system that works reliably in video mode. I know a lot of people will suggest pulling focus manually but he's not an experienced photographer and I just know that's unlikely to get a good result. I've looked at a few cameras (DSLR and mirrorless) this evening and am beginning to think this might be mission impossible. Is the situation any better with camcorders?
The camcorder I have AF quite good. In fact it would be rather difficult to manual focus with it. It only do video. It can do still but very low quality.
May 16, 2019 12:46:01 #
Lumix FZ80 bridge camera. It shoots 4K video in up to 8 minute segments and has auto tracking that is silent. It will autofocus in 1 to 3 seconds at whatever the camera is pointed at. Has a 20mm to 1200mm lens, is fully auto in video mode. No need for an external mic. If an external mic is needed, it's better to use a stand alone audio recorder like a Zoom, and sync the recorded track to the original audio in the video editor, and either mix both audio tracks or mute the camera audio track.
May 16, 2019 17:04:06 #
hobbit123
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
Bobspez wrote:
Lumix FZ80 bridge camera. It shoots 4K video in up to 8 minute segments and has auto tracking that is silent. It will autofocus in 1 to 3 seconds at whatever the camera is pointed at. Has a 20mm to 1200mm lens, is fully auto in video mode. No need for an external mic. If an external mic is needed, it's better to use a stand alone audio recorder like a Zoom, and sync the recorded track to the original audio in the video editor, and either mix both audio tracks or mute the camera audio track.
Many thanks. I'll see if I can find one on eBay or Gumtree. I already know the output is excellent because I've viewed some of your videos.
May 16, 2019 17:27:41 #
If he’s just gonna use it for video he really just needs a good HD camcorder
May 16, 2019 17:42:18 #
hobbit123
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
hobbit123 wrote:
Many thanks. I'll see if I can find one on eBay or Gumtree. I already know the output is excellent because I've viewed some of your videos.
Agreed but is the autofocus good enough? I know great strides have been made by Sony and Fujifilm in this area even in the last twelve months, have the camcorder manufacturers kept up?
May 16, 2019 18:09:39 #
hobbit123 wrote:
Agreed but is the autofocus good enough? I know great strides have been made by Sony and Fujifilm in this area even in the last twelve months, have the camcorder manufacturers kept up?
I don't know about camcorders. The FZ80 usually automatically focuses in a second or so while shooting video. Here's a couple of YT tests.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rNSxgiezYY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDBT2gdttd0
May 16, 2019 18:16:13 #
hobbit123
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
Bobspez wrote:
It's good enough for me. Usually focuses in a second or so while shooting video. Here's a couple of YT tests.
Thanks Bob, those are just what I was looking for. I'll show my son and see what he thinks. One more question - the lens (I presume it's fixed and is a zoom). How wide is it at its widest? He'll need something reasonably wide to be able to do justice to house interiors, 10 - 12mm would be ideal, but something a little longer could still work.
May 16, 2019 18:22:27 #
hobbit123 wrote:
Thanks Bob, those are just what I was looking for. I'll show my son and see what he thinks. One more question - the lens (I presume it's fixed and is a zoom). How wide is it at its widest? He'll need something reasonably wide to be able to do justice to house interiors, 10 - 12mm would be ideal, but something a little longer could still work.
The widest is 20mm FF equivalent focal length. Bear in mind that's the same field of view as a 13mm lens on an ASP-C (DX) camera.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.