Hey guys, I want to get more into filming my hunts. I want a camera that is dependable, easy to use and reasonably priced, that is also easy to use while self-filming. Please give me your thoughts and opinions! Thanks,
Sony Action Cam. It's like a GoPro in that it's tough, small, waterproof, and reliable. It has equivalent video quality to the GoPro but it's less than 1/2 the cost. There's no zoom and no view screen on the camera which make it somewhat difficult to frame up your shot. However the app that you can download on your phone lets you sync with the came via WiFi and see what you're filming. I've found that the lack of zoom hasn't been a problem since most archery shots take place inside 40 yards anyway. By going with this option - you can mount the camera on your stabilizer, wear it on your shoulder/head, put it on a hunting camera arm that screws into the tree, or even leave it on the ground. One guy I hunt with bought 4 of them and he plants them all around his treestand. Using his phone, he can pick which ones will record the action and he can play back the shot immediately afterwards. It's really awesome because he has some hunts where he has 4 different camera angles of the same shot which makes reliving the hunt very theatrical.
Expensive ones.. lol I 2nd looking at the Sony.. Everything I have seen on them they seem like a nice little cam.
I personally wouldn't recommend the action cameras as a main camera.. There are several well priced video cameras out there that are much better for filming. You are very limited with an action cam.. As said above, what is your budget? There is more to it then just buying a camera..
With that type of budget, you're pretty limited to something like a POV action cam mounted to your bow, or maybe you can find a decent camcorder used on Ebay. If you are hunting from a tree stand you will need tree arm with some type of fluid head as wall as the camcorder. This kit would have pretty much everything you need to get started. A little over your budget though. Canon VIXIA HF R500 Whitetail Package
Going with the Sony Action Cam will allow you to get the camera and all the accessories you need for filming a hunt and keep you well-below your budget. I can't put a strong enough endorsement behind this option.
This is great advice and a great kit to start with...this season was my first season self filming and I based my set up off of this exact package. Worked out great for me to start out with, I def recommend it! Now that I am getting the hang of it more and more, I want to just keep getting better and better at it and am considering upgrading cameras already. Once you start doing it and are successful with it you'll be hooked!!!! You can search for everything included in that kit and find them much cheaper and even swap out certain things for better options, as I did. Good luck!!!!
Here's the thing with an action cam, be it Sony, GoPro, Tactacam, Rush Cam or any of the other offerings out there. They are a wide angle point of view camera. An object in a wide angle lens that is 10 yards away, looks like it's 30 yards away. If it's 40 yards away, it might as well be 200 yards away because you won't even be able to see it. Here's an example showing a deer shot at under 40 yards using a GoPro. I honestly couldn't even see the deer until after the shot. [video=youtube_share;dXr9AsAVAeQ]http://youtu.be/dXr9AsAVAeQ[/video]
I would have to say I definitely don't want an action camera for filming, knowing that I want to be able to have good footage and be able to see what I am filming. I do like the action cameras for viewing the hunter (how Todd uses his epic camera on the webshow) but for right now I just want to capture what I am seeing. I am thinking I may have to just buckle down and spend a little more money, knowing that I will probably more happy in the end.
I certainly understand where you are coming from. I started with a handycam and used it for a while before I decided I needed something more suited to getting quality low light footage, so I jumped up to a Canon XHA1s which was great except for it's size and the fact that it used DV tapes(PITA). Sold that camera and ended up with a Sony PXW-X70 and am very happy with it. My suggestion would be, even if you start with a lower end camera, make sure your accessories like the tree arm are rated for a bigger camera, because when you decide to upgrade, you won't have to change out your entire setup. Just the camera.
Definitely a valid critique, but you have to admit there's still a lot of bang-for-the-buck when it comes to the action cams. At the end of the day, if you're just trying to relive the hunt - the action cam is a very forgiving option for novice filmers. I forgot to mention before - but a fisheye lens will always stay in focus - so you won't miss the shot because a leaf flew in front of the camera seconds before you released the arrow. #justsayin
For the kill shot, they are better than nothing. I'll give you that, but they certainly don't make for riveting viewing. They are best suited for some type of second angle. One of my favorite uses is to place the action cam where you think you will get a shot. I've done this a couple time unsuccessfully, but I've seen it done a few time and it turns out awesome. The other issue with every action cam out there, and even consumer camcorders is audio. Audio is a huge part of video, and they just don't do well in that category.
