Looking for a beginners camera to film my travels. What should I buy?
- Thread starter deploid
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DPStewart
Veteran
Well, it depends on exactly HOW MUCH pf a beginner you are.
First thought - DSLR's are NOT the tool you want unless you can buy the new $3,000+ Sony A7R mkII - because it has IBIS and IBIS is really good IN CAMERA image stabilization. But that price does NOT include any lenses. So add $1,000 more for those.
Without really good stabilization your videos will be so shakey you won't ever want to watch them. DSLR's are HORRIBLE for hand held video unless you have some very good image stabilization.
At the cheapest end I would suggest a Canon 8GB VIXIA HF R50 Full HD Camcorder.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1023204-REG/canon_8gb_vixia_hf_r50.html
For $329 it will give you surprisingly nice WELL STABILIZED fully Hi-Def video with great Canon color. It has a very good zoom range and it will give you WATCHABLE videos.
I just got one for exactly the same purpose as you - travel videos that I can shoot ANY TIME and that are actually watchable when I get home.
Note that this camera has only about an hour of video capacity before you have to offload the data to a laptop or other computer. It doesn;t use memory cards that can be swapped out.
It's also not a stills camera, only video. So if that is a big problem then there are other options, but they are going to be A LOT more expensive.
In the $800 - $2,000 range there are several DSLR offerings from both Canon and Nikon in their APS-C size sensor cameras (Nikon calls them DX). But you MUST get a matching lens that has Image Stabilization in the lens. Canon calls it IS and Nikon calls it VR (Vibration Reduction).
All of the APS-C / DX cameras from Canon and Nikon will give spectacular still photos and very nice video - make sure you get a matching brand lens because the cameras will do automatic corrections of things like lens distortion and color fringing if you use a matching lens. Nikon does it automatically and Canon just asks you to select your lens from a list in the camera software.
I also got a Sony RX100 mkII for travels stuff because it is really small - pocket sized - and does both video and stills, but the video really has to be done on a tripod or with the camera placed on a solid object to get watchable non-shakey video. That's why I got the Canon Vixia HF R50 camcorder.
First thought - DSLR's are NOT the tool you want unless you can buy the new $3,000+ Sony A7R mkII - because it has IBIS and IBIS is really good IN CAMERA image stabilization. But that price does NOT include any lenses. So add $1,000 more for those.
Without really good stabilization your videos will be so shakey you won't ever want to watch them. DSLR's are HORRIBLE for hand held video unless you have some very good image stabilization.
At the cheapest end I would suggest a Canon 8GB VIXIA HF R50 Full HD Camcorder.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1023204-REG/canon_8gb_vixia_hf_r50.html
For $329 it will give you surprisingly nice WELL STABILIZED fully Hi-Def video with great Canon color. It has a very good zoom range and it will give you WATCHABLE videos.
I just got one for exactly the same purpose as you - travel videos that I can shoot ANY TIME and that are actually watchable when I get home.
Note that this camera has only about an hour of video capacity before you have to offload the data to a laptop or other computer. It doesn;t use memory cards that can be swapped out.
It's also not a stills camera, only video. So if that is a big problem then there are other options, but they are going to be A LOT more expensive.
In the $800 - $2,000 range there are several DSLR offerings from both Canon and Nikon in their APS-C size sensor cameras (Nikon calls them DX). But you MUST get a matching lens that has Image Stabilization in the lens. Canon calls it IS and Nikon calls it VR (Vibration Reduction).
All of the APS-C / DX cameras from Canon and Nikon will give spectacular still photos and very nice video - make sure you get a matching brand lens because the cameras will do automatic corrections of things like lens distortion and color fringing if you use a matching lens. Nikon does it automatically and Canon just asks you to select your lens from a list in the camera software.
I also got a Sony RX100 mkII for travels stuff because it is really small - pocket sized - and does both video and stills, but the video really has to be done on a tripod or with the camera placed on a solid object to get watchable non-shakey video. That's why I got the Canon Vixia HF R50 camcorder.
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ROCKMORE
Veteran
I'm going for the Panasonic G7. It shoots UHD as well as 2K HD up to 60fps. The price is $800 with a lens and since they are interchangeable you can upgrade. Also can use the Metabones speedbooster so you can adapt Canon or any other lenses.Hello guys I'm going to travel to Europe next month and I'm wondering what DSLR camera should I buy. Any suggestions like brand or model and pricing as well?
Thanks a lot.rogar-BigGrin(DBG)
chrisbernard
Well-known member
I would say any of the RX100 series cameras are good (You can get nice deals on the Mark II or III right now. A bit bigger but just a huge bang for the buck is the A6000. You can pick it up with a serviceable kit lens and then pop for the APC 35mm or 50mm lens if you need a fast prime.
chrisbernard
Well-known member
You can get a RX100 Mark II used on eBay for around $400. They sell new for $600 or so.
If you are staying in hostels and don't want to worry about gear getting stolen get a really cheap camera. A twenty dollar camcorder might get the job done for you and allow you on less thing to worry about. I wouldn't think twice about leaving a twenty dollar hello kitty camera by my towel for a swim but a three thousand dollar camera. Good luck and have fun.
maranfilms
Veteran
What's the point of even attempting to take video with a 20 dollar camera, I don't see how it would even be worth the effort using a hello kitty camera? Pointless. Take DP Stewart's advice, it's good sound advice!
Depends on their needs. Fisher price pixel camera was a toy camera that many filmmakers used successfully. The sub 100$ cameras are better than many of the cameras that have been used on films that have shown at very prestigious festivals. Its easy to say I wouldn't be caught dead using a cheap camera or similar sentiments about. Thats fine, for others it might be the answer. Many projects have handed out very cheap cameras to impoverished people around the world and they've been able to document their world. Probably not pointless to them. It may not be the right answer for the op, I assume it won't be but I would rather have someone suggest a solution that I might already own or that I could pay for with the change in my sofa than much more expensive options. I know one feature film by a director with many oscar nominations could have substituted a sub 100$ camera and no one would notice (that film had many A list actors in the cast).best of luck to you all.
David W. Jones
Veteran
I own a few really nice cameras, but for vacation now I will likely use a new iPhone rather than carry a dedicated camera system.
David W. Jones
Veteran
If I were going to take a dedicated camera, I would probably take my GH4 as it is smaller than my other cameras. But I have gotten to the point in my life where I don't want to carry a camera and lenses and media and so forth when I'm on holiday. After all I'm there to relax and enjoy. I get enough cameras and lenses at work thank you. If I feel the need to take a few photos or videos, the new iPhone is more than adequate in that capacity. It fits in a pocket, does way more than what a dedicated camera would do, and if something happens to it I can replace it at any Apple store and reload my info. Just my thoughts.
All the best!
Dave