I don't see us ever spending that amount of money on a camera to be honest. It's just not something we need or would properly use. If you have a very small group of characters or hosts and always have a dedicated cameraman it makes sense. We have a big group of guys, most of whom scrap together money to afford the gear they already have, and film themselves. I can't see Graf trying to self-film with a Red Dragon.
Definitely make sense. I don't get any less enjoyment watching footage shot by the variety of cameras the Pro Staff use vs. content shot on more expensive cameras. Sent from my Turbo 2.
I dont honestly think you can tell a differance with the webshow format anyways. Maybe big screen, or HD Tv yes...computer monitor...no. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
I have been using the Canon XA20 since they were launched. Basically the big brother to the Canon G30. Both are excellent for videoing hunts. Arguably the downside is they don't do 4K. But the XA20 has been a solid performer for me now for the past few years. However, I keep toying with the idea of the move to 4K. Kind of like that new shiny sports car on the lot when the older one you drive now will still get you in too much trouble. Justin ... I have a question regarding running the FDR-AX100 camera. I believe they have a mini shoe under that top cover ... correct? Are you using that for a shotgun mic like a Rode? I come from the mindset (basically because that is what I was taught) that XLR inputs are needed for quality audio and the analog audio controls like on my XA20 are the best fit for production purposes. BUT ... I am seeing more and more guys (including you guys apparently) going to a 3.5mm jack type of microphone. I use a Rode Video Mic with 3.5 input on my DSLR setup, but I always go back to my two channel XLR setup of a Rode NTG1 and Sennheiser wireless setups for my hunting setup on my XA20. I would love to hear your feedback on why you guys are not using XLR setups and if there is even a need for an XLR dual channel setup these days. It is always great hearing others who have professional experience as well give their thoughts. Actually, I'd love to cross paths at ATA and talk video equipment and strategies.
I can tell a difference primarily in dynamic range and low light capabilities. Hunting videos are shot in a lot of extreme lighting swings (hunter backlit, dark canopy cover, dusk, dawn lighting, light scattering through branches, etc.). Essentially, the camera that can handle the extreme lighting the best is where I notice it the most.
I filmed with the XA20 for a few years and Todd still runs 2 of them right now. It's a solid camera. I just personally have always preferred the quality of Sony's footage over Canon's. Sony seems to have much better color saturation where Canon just always seems "washed out". It can always be corrected in post, but why should you have to? Yes, there is a mini-shoe under the top cover. Like most things Sony it's a proprietary connection so I run a small adapter that converts it to a cold shoe and then run a Rode Videomic Pro on top of that. I feel the Videomic gets as good, if not better, audio quality than my NTG1 or NTG2 did, and it's half the size. A single lithium 9v battery in that little Videomic will last me every bit of a year or more. I gave up running a wireless lav in the tree years ago. I got tired of monkeying with that wire and mounting the lav itself, and of course going through AA batteries like water. I'm typically not narrating my hunt while I'm filming so it hasn't been an issue. You just need to make sure you're not swiveling your head around as you talk during an interview or the audio will drop off. Other than that I haven't had an issue. Turn it on, set it to auto, and talk away. Now I still own some Sennheiser wireless lavs and do use them from time to time depending on the situation. It's nice for off-season stuff or times when I'm with a cameraman as it does afford some additional flexibility. In that case a small XLR adapter mounted to the bottom of the camera works great. You can then run both your shotgun and the wireless in tandem.
While the AX100 is only 12X optical zoom, they offer Clear Image Zoom that is nearly lossless due to using an oversized sensor. In 4K you get 18X zoom using the Clear Image Zoom. Honestly, I use it just like optical zoom and can't tell the difference. I do run the PXW-X70, so I'm talking about apples and oranges, but they are basically the same camera except for the different codec and the professional audio of the X70.
