Video camera recommendations?
| # | Post |
|---|---|
| 1 | I'm posting this in both 'crafts and hobbies' and 'computing' as there isn't a separate group for filming and photography. I own a Canon Legria HF R806 video camera, which has an extremely detailed (and of course online only) instruction manual which makes me tired just looking at it. But I can't find an answer to my problem. I use my camera mostly for filming dancing events which are not repeated, so if I don't manage to film a complete dance (usually 4-8 minutes) there's no second chance. But lately the camera has unexpectedly stopped filming, making my efforts useless. It's definitely not the battery, by the way. A notice appears on screen but I can never remember what it says. And later, the camera starts filming again but of course it's too late. You may have suggestions ... but my main question is: Recommendations for a reliable video camera? My VHS camera years ago was reliable but of course they're not used these days, and the digital ones have the advantage of being easily uploaded to computer and online. Before this one, I used a Canon still camera which took really good videos, its only disadvantage being the batteries which had to be recharged quite often. This camera died (a natural death, perhaps) a year or two ago. So can anyone recommend something that will take good videos (and preferably with a wide angle lens, I've no interest in zooming) and which doesn't have a bizarrely complicated instruction manual? And dedicated video camera or a still camera that is also good at video filming? Thanks! venna2 - 2020-10-26 10:33:00 |
| 2 | venna2 wrote:
I have one.......... nice_lady - 2020-10-26 10:38:00 |
| 3 | Perhaps you can share your suggestion? it appears very briefly could be something about doing maintenance. In the middle of important filming? It's infuriating, as you can perhaps imagine. venna2 - 2020-10-26 10:43:00 |
| 4 | The suggestion is to read what the message says. vtecintegra - 2020-10-26 11:33:00 |
| 5 | vtecintegra wrote:
That is not helpful. venna2 - 2020-10-26 14:19:00 |
| 6 | venna2 wrote:
And it's not helpful if we don't know what the message says because then we can't possibly even begin to suggest any help ? As for video camera - it depends on the end result you are wanting to achieve. Any decent smartphone will do a reasonable 4K video. nice_lady - 2020-10-26 14:44:00 |
| 7 | The member deleted this message. venna2 - 2020-10-26 14:58:00 |
| 8 | Well, at least googling has proved helpful, and the site didn't need to know exactly what the message on the camera said. It seems a video camera can stop filming when the SD card is too 'slow'. The card I use is a 10' so it should be okay but I'll see if I can get an 'extreme' one. And thank you but I don't plan to use a smartphone for filming. venna2 - 2020-10-26 15:12:00 |
| 9 | A 10 should be perfectly fine. The reason we'd like the error messages if it isn't already obvious to you is that it will likely help tremendously. But you carry on. Edited by nice_lady at 3:28 pm, Mon 26 Oct nice_lady - 2020-10-26 15:26:00 |
| 10 | Yeah I'm out before I'm even in. My crystal ball just isn't up to the task. Edited by videomonkey at 11:18 pm, Mon 26 Oct videomonkey - 2020-10-26 23:18:00 |
| 11 | It might be a good idea to check this list of errors and what do they mean: flower_tears - 2020-10-27 03:22:00 |
| 12 | Thanks flower_tears, I did that via the online manual for my camera, but couldn't find anything that might help. But I'll check the link you've given. Thank you for not criticising me for not being able to give the wording on the screen when the camera stopped filming. It was a fraction of a second, disappeared and has not recurred, even when I filmed randomly around the house yesterday in case it happened again. I can't just make it appear. All I can recall is that it wasn't an 'error' message as such, it was something routine ... but I do NOT want the camera stop filming something that can't be repeated. That's why I'm thinking I might have to give it up and buy a different one. And it's very unlikely that the camera would have overheated in the minute or so before it stopped filming. I've looked at your link now, and no, it was none of those messages. It was not an 'error' message. I think the word 'automatic' came into it, and I've wondered it I should choose a different setting, although automatic is normally reliable. I'll take it into a shop and hope for someone knowledgeable. Edited by venna2 at 7:44 am, Tue 27 Oct venna2 - 2020-10-27 07:35:00 |
| 13 | The first thing to do is try a new SD card. they don't last forever. bitsnpieces2020 - 2020-10-27 07:55:00 |
| 14 | Try reset the camera to factory nice_lady - 2020-10-27 09:03:00 |
| 15 | And I don't recall any one critising you? nice_lady - 2020-10-27 09:03:00 |
| 16 | nice_lady wrote:
Second that. Factory reset is your best option to eliminate any setting(s) that may have been changed unintentionally. And, just in case you're looking at buying another camcorder, I bought one of these last year and can highly recommend it for a semi-pro videographer: flower_tears - 2020-10-27 18:46:00 |
| 17 | And if you want a new camera, then maybe try an action camera like a GoPro. Looks of mounts for them, very smooth and stable 4k or more footage. Would recommend them but... Downside.. huge files, need large fast SD-CARDs. And the software for my GoPro is awful. Had an bit of a battle with GoPro support as had major, clearly reproducible bug in the software which multiple people demonstrated. So GoPro just killed the application.. so no software now for a PC at all. One way to stop people reporting issues with software I guess. â˜¹ï¸ gblack - 2020-10-27 20:35:00 |
| 18 | If the message said something about "automatic" maybe it was telling you that the conditions weren't right for automatic to work well or something. I would get onto a photography forum and ask your question there. raewyn2 - 2020-10-27 20:59:00 |
