In need of guidance before I invest into a couple of video cameras...

B

bushman

Hello all.

So I am hoping to begin filming an internet series based on the subjects of hiking and camping. I know for the more adventurous filming I will need a GoPro-type action cam, but I am definitely looking for a camera that can film from fixed positions as well as handheld filming. As it stands now I have a Sony DSLR 3200 and I will be using this for filming also, but I will probably buy a light and mic to attach and use this for fixed position filming. I have been crawling through websites and YouTube videos for days, but being that I am new to this it is a bit difficult to really know what I actually need.

So this is a general list of what I will need the camera for:

- day time and night time filming for indoors and outdoors, so the camera will ideally have ports for an infrared light assembly, external mics, etc.

- Naturally, full HD capable, maybe 4K

- a half-decent zoom, sufficient for filming the night sky such as the moon, and as outlandish as it sounds maybe even UFO's (we have witnessed a couple when wild camping in the middle of nowhere, but our cameras were terrible)

- Decent battery life.

As I am just starting off I do have a bit of a tight budget of up to £300 for one camera (I figure I will need at least a second one at some point, ideally I hope to have at least 3 cameras), but I do welcome any suggestions for more expensive tech, as if it is successful I will most certainly expand.

I look forward to your recommendations and welcome any tips and suggestions that some of you may have.

Bushman
 
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Not sure you'll be able to find what you're really looking for for under 300.

I'd recommend the Sony A7s ii. Great in low light which should come in handy if you're filming a lot at night.

Another camera to look into would be the Blackmagic Pocket camera.

But both of those are still wayyy over budget it sounds like. Seems to me like the bottom level, acceptable quality and professional settings camera out there was the Canon Rebel series. Which has run between $500-800. But maybe I'm wrong. Curious to see what others would recommend.
 
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Might I suggest that you simply use what you already have to shoot a "pilot" to see if the public will watch it. If the response is good, buy what you want. If nobody watches the pilot, perhaps you shouldn't invest more money in it.
 
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The closest camera to what you're looking for is probably a weather-sealed 4K Panasonic FZ330 with a mic input and a decent 24x f2.8 low light constant aperture zoom.

There's one on Amazon UK right now for £389.

Here is the 4K image quality this camera can produce (please watch at 2160p and your monitor's highest resolution:

https://youtu.be/6AzrltvaeJY

https://youtu.be/ZJHTYAjFg5Y

https://youtu.be/HrVGPs9iDHs

Amazing camera for the price.

Hope this is helpful, good luck with your series and best of the holidays to you and yours!
 
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