dave's video camera

[cksa]

What video camera does dave use to shoot his videos?

[Kiriakos-GR]

I did this question too , few months back.
Its a Sanyo Xacti HD1010 .

And I was lucky to get the same , even as used.

But when I watched his latest teardown in a large TV screen ,
I noticed some sort of hot pixel problems at the right side of the screen.
It was no permanent problem but it was there.

It could be a  issue just caused of intensive heat, like if you take footage for long time.
But in my own camera I have not see any issues, probably because it had work lesser hours so far. 

 

[EEVblog]

Yes, it's a Sanyo HD1010, a very popular blogging camera.

Yes, there have recently been more of the "pixelation" problems (usually) in the dark areas on moving images.
I think it has something to do with my new extra lighting (which you'd think would make it *better*)

Thinking of getting an new one, any suggestions?
Preferably one with a huger battery pack.

Dave.

[ElektroQuark]

Canon 5D Mark II and battery grip. 

[Kiriakos-GR]

There is lots of HH HD cameras out there,
the HD1010 is still the number one , for what it does .

Probably near to Christmas time , we will see the fresh models for the 2012 .

I had benchmark my HD1010 with a Sony handycam (that one friend of my owns) .
They was in par , but the specific Sony ( Sorry I do not remember the model ) costs the double price ,
from the Sanyo like 780EUR , and it does not have a docking station.

This Sanyo docking station, its an truly smart idea , every camera should have one.     

   

[EEVblog]

I've never used the camera dock.

Any replacement camera has to have quality optics, large sensor, low optical zoom (high optical zoom = consumer toy), good macro focus, long battery life (with a backpack battery pack so you can plug in bigger ones), SD card, cold shoe mount, external mic input, and remote. Price, maybe $500-$600 tops.
Any suggestions?

Dave.

[ElektroQuark]

Again: Canon 5D Mark II.
It has a "dummy" battery you can plug to the AC outlet. 

[qno]

Hi all,

I have the Sony HDR-CX115.

It very good.
Good macro up to 10 cm.
Full HD
OPtical steadyshot

Ridiculous zoom (25x) without using digital zoom
Long battery life
Good low light sensitivity.
SD card

This is the version without al the extra connections to add ext. mic etc.
But the more expensive ones have that.

my 2c of advice

[tekfan]

low optical zoom (high optical zoom = consumer toy)

Why should a camera with a high optical zoom be a toy?

Digital zoom is for toy cameras not optical.
I've seen cameras with 3000x digital zoom. At this level the LCD screen is completely filled with a single color/shade.

[alm]

Why should a camera with a high optical zoom be a toy?

Because it's easy to sell to clueless consumers that higher numbers are better, just like pixel count. Not that extra zoom or extra pixels are worthless, but there are far more important factors, like optical quality.

The amount of zoom is basically inversely proportional with quality, especially with price/performance. There are cheap, high-quality objectives with a fixed focal length, there are expensive great objectives with either a fixed focal length or a fairly limited zoom range, there are fairly cheap super zoom objectives with mediocre quality and there are expensive super zoom objectives with decent quality.

[Kiriakos-GR]

Why should a camera with a high optical zoom be a toy?

The answer is simple , Dave uses the camera for a specific purpose,
and this is close up footage.

The camera that has lens with less optical zoom, can capture an wider area.
And also offers less geometric distortion.
geometric distortion of lens  =  the distorted projection of an square cube to the point that looks like a balloon.
Another gain of the less optical zoom, is that your lens are brighter , better response in low light,
plus faster auto focus response.     

With my HD1010 I do not feel limited , because I have invest buying expensive additional Olympus lens,
primarily for my Olympus digital camera that is has also 10X optical zoom.
And so I have actually two Wide-angle lens, that can be used in both cameras.

My own tip for Dave would be , what ever he gets to have threads on the lens barrel.
So to be able add additional lens, or hook up UV filters or lens hood.
 

 

[alm]

The camera that has lens with less optical zoom, can capture an wider area.

Please don't confuse zoom with focal length, they're two independent properties. Zoom is the ratio between the shortest and longest focal length, the absolute focal length doesn't matter for the zoom ratio.

[Kiriakos-GR]

The camera that has lens with less optical zoom, can capture an wider area.

Please don't confuse zoom with focal length, they're two independent properties. Zoom is the ratio between the shortest and longest focal length, the absolute focal length doesn't matter for the zoom ratio.

Hi alm , no I do not confuse zoom with focal length.

All that I am saying is , that large zoom lens are the opposite of the wide angle ones = narrow angle 

[EEVblog]

Why should a camera with a high optical zoom be a toy?

Simple optical physics.
A bigger optical zoom means a smaller sensor size and lower lens brightness for a given system size.
The better higher end cameras almost always trade off optical zoom for better image quality and sensitivity.
The really cheap consumer cams like to have a high optical zoom banner spec, so they optimise for that.
Digital zoom doesn't matter a rats arse, it's optical that matters.

Dave.

[Kiriakos-GR]

I truly love this forum , it is much better even than the Wikipedia ..  LOL

[EEVblog]

ARGH... it looks like all the new Canons come with a new "mini advanced hot shoe" that is NOT compatible even with existing cold shoe mounts? WTF!

Dave.

[Kiriakos-GR]

If you seek compatibility , you are doomed to search for an Panasonic camera.
Panasonic had take over the Sanyo HD cameras division . ( I found about it few months back, when I was searching for firmware update about the HD1010 for adding the Greek language on the menus ) 

CANON and NIKON and Olympus and SONY, they love to sell their specialized incompatible extras.
When I got my Olympus FL40 ( flash unit ) , instantly I got and a spare camera !!
In case that my main camera dies , the expensive flash unit, it will remain usable. 

[Zad]

The Canon EOS 500D SLR will record at 720p 50/60fps, but I think only 30fps in 1080 mode. It may well do tethered video too (connected to a PC). Batteries are pretty durable and easy to obtain. I think the 550D does full 50/60fps, but costs considerably more.

It is not a shuttered sensor though, so you will still get distortion or tearing with fast moving scenes, a common fault with almost all non-pro (i.e. reasonably priced) video cameras.

[EEVblog]

I want a proper video camera, not a DSLR.
Yes, I know the DSLR's are optically good, but they are just not optimised for video production.
For an DSLR to be viable it would have to have articulated screen, external mic input, and seamless video operation in recording and playback via IR remote without having to switch modes etc. Plus big battery pack support that gets several hours of continuous recording, motorized zoom, fast auto focus, and other video camera niceities like fluro light flicker reduction and all the manual modes available in video mode, not just in photo mode.

Dave.

[armandas]

I want a proper video camera, not a DSLR.
Yes, I know the DSLR's are optically good, but they are just not optimised for video production.
For an DSLR to be viable it would have to have articulated screen, external mic input, and seamless video operation in recording and playback via IR remote without having to switch modes etc. Plus big battery pack support that gets several hours of continuous recording, motorized zoom, fast auto focus, and other video camera niceities like fluro light flicker reduction and all the manual modes available in video mode, not just in photo mode.

Dave.

Did you mean to say that DSLRs are not optimised for video blogging? Because EOS 5D Mark II seems to be a rather good camera for film making. House and State of Electronics come to mind.

[EEVblog]

Did you mean to say that DSLRs are not optimised for video blogging? Because EOS 5D Mark II seems to be a rather good camera for film making. House and State of Electronics come to mind.

They are no good for general video work. Most DSLR's have poor or no autofocus as the zoom changes, that's just unusable for much video work.
I think the 5D MKII can do such a basic function, but I'm not paying that amount of money for something that even a $200 camcorder can do with ease.
The 5D MKII makes a fine HD film camera for professionals who have all the time in the world to tweak their shot and get it right, but as an everyday easy to use video camera, I think I'd rather use $200 camcorder.

If I'm wrong, and DSLR have gotten to a point that they can match the simplicity of and functionality of normal handycam, then I'd love to see it.

Dave.

[baljemmett]

Please don't confuse zoom with focal length, they're two independent properties. Zoom is the ratio between the shortest and longest focal length, the absolute focal length doesn't matter for the zoom ratio.

Hi alm , no I do not confuse zoom with focal length.

All that I am saying is , that large zoom lens are the opposite of the wide angle ones = narrow angle 

Yes, but unfortunately you're wrong.  The combination of focal length and sensor size dictates the field of view; the zoom ratio only describes the difference between the long and short end, not where either end actually is.

(If you want an actual example, consider the field of view and zoom ratios of a 35-105mm and a 28-105mm optic on a 35mm camera.  The one with the higher zoom ratio also has the wider field of view!)

[deephaven]

Please don't confuse zoom with focal length, they're two independent properties. Zoom is the ratio between the shortest and longest focal length, the absolute focal length doesn't matter for the zoom ratio.

Hi alm , no I do not confuse zoom with focal length.

All that I am saying is , that large zoom lens are the opposite of the wide angle ones = narrow angle 

Yes, but unfortunately you're wrong.  The combination of focal length and sensor size dictates the field of view; the zoom ratio only describes the difference between the long and short end, not where either end actually is.

(If you want an actual example, consider the field of view and zoom ratios of a 35-105mm and a 28-105mm optic on a 35mm camera.  The one with the higher zoom ratio also has the wider field of view!)

Maybe it's terminology confusion and Kiriakos-GR meant "telephoto" not "zoom"?

[Kiriakos-GR]

The truth is that I never had a camera with interchangeable lens.
And so I do not hold well all the theory about it.

I will agree that there is some analogy involved between the size of the sensor and the lens type.
Example the small pocket cameras with fisheye lens.

In my case, My Olympus came with Sony sensor 2Mp, and a amazing fixed Canon lens system,
with gyroscopic image stabilization, and lots of power at true 10X zoom, plus bright and all.
But all those glass like sixteen internal elements , forces you to move back in close range , or to use wide angle add on converters,
so to equalize the loss in wide range, that the telephoto lens takes away.

I have an major difficulty to use the HD1010 ( also 10X ) with out tripod ,
my Olympus with the stabilizer its so much friendlier to use ..
And I do not make plans to stop drinking strong coffee either.
But there is no way to sell the HD1010 , its has so amazing image quality,
balanced colors , almost fast enough auto focus.

I had download the teardown of the U1272 at 720P quality,
and watched it on my 32" HD 1080P TV ..

It was so great , like to was next to Dave ..
He has wacky eyes .. don you agree ?     
 

 

 

[RCMR]

I also have been looking for a decent video camera to replace my 8-year-old Panasonic 3CCD unit.

My requirements are a little different to Daves, but there is significant overlap.

I do a lot of videos like this:





for which an eyepiece viewfinder is absolutely essential -- forget about those fold-out LCD screens on a sunny day with the sun at your back!

However, I also do a bunch of "talking head" stuff on my other channel and that has other special requirements.

The old Panasonic is doing okay for a camera of its age (and given that it's only standard-def (albeit 16:9) but it's starting to give me white-balance problems so I've been looking for a decent replacement for quite some time now.  No luck -- at least nothing that's affordable.

What I have noticed (which is a trend endemic in the consumer-electronics market) is a shift away from delivering good, solid performance in the area of basic core functionality and towards some thing I call "rampant featuritis".  It seems that these days, bullet-points on the feature-list are more important than things such as basic picture quality, ergonomics and other things.

For example -- those LCD touch-screen-based cameras are crap -- unless all you want to do is point and shoot.  To do something as elementary as freeze the focus or iris you have to fart around stepping through  menus and shaking the camera every time you push on the silly fold-out LCD.  The older cameras like my Panasonic had all that functionality available through simple buttons on the outside which fell easily to hand while you were shooting.

And then, take a look at some of the crap being delivered in the area of picture quality.  The latest Panasonic 3MOS top-end consumer cams are a great example of this.  They cost about US$1,200 or more yet they have absolutely awful color rendition.  Take a look at this piece of footage taken with one of these spendy Panasonic cameras (note the color of the sky):



compare that with footage I shot using my 8-year-old non-HD camera the same day:



Notice how the latest Panasonic renders the sky with a greenish tinge while the older camera is far more accurate with its colors?

But hey, the new camera is HD and has a list of features longer than your arm so it must be better -- right?

It really pee's me off that rampant featuritis is ruining the value we get from something as basic as a good camcorder.

If someone finds a *good* affordable HD camcorder with an eyepiece viewfinder then  please let me know.  In the meantime, I'll struggle on with my 8-year-old MX500.

[Kiriakos-GR]

The HD1010 , it is designed as easy to use .
Anything more advanced than that , it needs other than long hands , a long learning curve.
And I had start to dislike, the new learning curves in my age.

 
 

[alm]

All that I am saying is , that large zoom lens are the opposite of the wide angle ones = narrow angle 

The opposite of wide angle is telephoto. The longer the focal length, the narrower the angle of view. Size has more to do with light gathering capability than focal length, ultra wide-angle objectives tend to be quite large compared to standard or moderate telephoto objectives.

Both 24-70mm and 70-200mm zoom lenses are a little under 3x zoom, but the latter has a much narrower angle of view than the former. Hence my assertion that zoom ratio does not determine angle of view or focal length.

[NF6X]

I hope that I don't incur any wrath for necro-posting… I was wondering if Dave ever upgraded from his Sanyo HD1010.

[mariush]

If you had bothered to at least watch some of his latest videos (especially the recorded version of one of the latest live broadcasts) you would have found the answer.

He has two Canon cameras, Canon HF G10 and the older one is Canon HF M400.

You can click on search above and enter "canon" and enter "eevblog" in the "by user" field and you'll find Dave's posts with details about the cameras, what he likes about them, what no, and so on

[NF6X]

Thank you!