I have been doing a bit of research on my and other camcorders. Talking about frame rate, that is the number of picture frames taken in a second, which is different to camera shutter speed so don’t confuse the two
There are many easy to use camcorders on the market, I have one the Sony FDR AX53 which in itself is an excellent camcorder and also for stills. There is one drawback many have complained to Sony about is the frame rate. The highest,depending on settings is 50fps which really isn’t fast enough for absolute smooth panning shots. Panasonic such as the Panasonic HC-X1500E camcorder does 60fps which makes panning smoother. Of course this is comparing a £700 Sony with a £1450 Panasonic camera and those 10fps more do make a difference
There are several advantages as well with the panasonic which is only to be expected at a higher price point
If I had the choice now I would P/X or sell my Sony with all the extras and go for the Panasonic. Having said that there is nothing wrong with the Sony version its just me wanting that bit more from a camcorder
Neewer G2 4K WiFi Sports Action Camera
I decided on this instead of a GoPro because of price and because it does 1080p at 120fps which is fine for my needs. I also watched YouTube videos as to it’s quality.
I can sympathize on having to pay more and not for much of an increase in performance.
At least you’re not trying to get a Hasselblad. I nearly faint when I see their prices.
thre are a couple of other things with that Panasonic such as dual recording cards and built in filters. A few photographic shops are out of stock including my local one
I have a few bits and pieces to P/X as well like a nikon D800 - Nikon D300- Nikon 80-400mm lens -12-24DX lens which should pay for half of the panasonic at least.
I need to think about it and how often I would use it before deciding. Could pay right now that is not an issue, the issue is do I need all this camera gear?
I am very very fussy, even the lenses are kept in an air tight Peli case with silicone bags to remove any moisture together with Nikon D300. the other cameras go into other smaller peli cases
Decision made I am selling all the Sony FDR AX53 camcorder gear . including camcorder stereo sony mike various filter and numerous batteries and charger grip handle lens hood and lens covers on ebay in a fedw days time. Not familier with selling on ebay so Paul is advertising it all for me on his account. A you know I have only had this for a short time and never away from home.
Why you may ask it is an easy more or less point and shoot from the box. Ideal for those happy toust get a good video.
However I am fussy and a couple of things not right for me. first of all lack of setting controls ie set shutter speed and all other setting change automatically. Also the frame rate is not fast enough.It causes slight juddering when panning which most won’t notice but I do. Also there has been a lot of comments about it and complaints to Sony. My old panasonic camcorder ran at 60fps and in all the videos I posted the shots were smooth.
So it is a case of going back to Panasonic to get their Panasonic HC-X1500 as soon as the sony is sold. the panasonic has a couple of things missing like being able to take stills but has dual card recording as well as 4k and faster frame rate.
Well the Sony and extras will shortly be on ebay, not by me I hasten to add I am not clever enough to layout the advert/s it is all being handled by my son. he is doing the final bits and for me to approve and then it will go in.
Hopefully even if some of it sells it will help to pay for a new one a Panasonic HC-X1500 . This model was released last year so sould be more up to date than the Sony
I know how important it is to get gear that not only does what you want it to, but to also be comfortable with using it. Hoping the gear you’re selling gets you more than you bargained for, and that the new camera is a good fit.
Danny
The Sony is a consumer camcorder and has limited or restricted features to make it easy for Joe public to use. At the time of purchase it was within my price bracket that I could afford and seemed the ideal. One big drawback for me is the single card slot which can have 2 different formats on the same card so obvious issues can arise. Another annoying thing was the flip out screen switched the camcorder on as did the viewfinder. Seems pan juddering is common with this model, never had it before with the old camcorder Panasonics HC -X900M
Maybe I am thinking I have past that stage after 11 years of video making with my previous Panasonic camcorder, that would record on SD and internal memory, So I want to have more control on the setup.
Anyway the one I propose to get when the Sony is sold hopefully is newer Panasonic already mentioned which has 2x SD card slots that can be used in any combination. Also it comes with a hood with built in shutters and a seperate on/off switch. This is classed as “professional” at the bottom end of “professional” camcorders but within hopefully what I can afford. As far as I can tell it just needs an extra spare battery and charger to charge on while other on the camcorder.
Later on there is a top handle which is worth considering with light and mike ports and cold shoe. Strangely enough have kept 3 of the right size filters from I think it was the Nikon D70s my first DSLR way was back. A polorizing- UV and FLD so saved a bit of cash there
OK it is back to basics with a learning curve which will take some time but once setup with different settings one can preset on various buttons will make life easier.
So interesting times to come
