Video camera for simple production? Cheap/used 4K

[chnapo]

Hello guys. I would like to buy best bang for the buck video camera to record some workshops. It should be as cheap and as good as possible. The GTX 1070 of cameras. Old, but still great.

 

Current state of affairs - all video recording is done using Redmi Note 8 phone. 

 

What I'd like: Something better than Redmi Note 8. Decent 4K would be nice. Ability to change ND filters would be nice. Audio input is a must (jack or xlr) as well as ability to run from an adapter. HDMI output in case it would be used to live stream. Ability to be used on a stand.

 

What doesn't matter to me: battery life. It will almost exclusively run from plug. OIS is nice to have but not all that important.

 

It can be used, actually I'd prefer used.

 

Price target: 300 eur. Can be less. Can also be more, but please persuade me that it's worth it. I don't want to buy GTX 1630 of cameras - new and rubbish.

 

I know little about cameras - what should I look for? How is for example Panasonic HC-VX 870 for 250 eur?

[Heliian]

If you shoot in fhd then you can get more features for your dollar as opposed to uhd. 

 

If you're dead set on 4k then I would recommend a better, more expensive camera. 

[chnapo]

4 hours ago, Heliian said:

If you shoot in fhd then you can get more features for your dollar as opposed to uhd. 

 

If you're dead set on 4k then I would recommend a better, more expensive camera. 

I am not dead set on anything, because aside from some main requirements, it all comes out of my very limited knowledge. But I would be glad if you could explain this a little more - what features, what will be the advantages?

EDIT:
What would look better, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema (original FHD one) or a consumer 4k camera such as Panasonic HC-VX 870? I could buy the BlackMagic for about 300 eur (without lens and equipment) or about 450 eur with (not expensive) lens, 128GB SDXC, extra batteries, adapter, or SONY HXR-MC2500E for about 600 eur (which is double my budget though).

[Heliian]

The bmpcc has a great sensor, check out some reviews on yt. Also, lense interchangeability is nice.

 

[chnapo]

1 hour ago, Heliian said:

The bmpcc has a great sensor, check out some reviews on yt. Also, lense interchangeability is nice.

 

But are we talking the very first one?

[YellowJersey]

I'd take a look at a used Panasonic GH4.

[chnapo]

On 6/7/2022 at 3:05 AM, YellowJersey said:

I'd take a look at a used Panasonic GH4.

Can it be powered via adapter or battery only? Because from what I have seen, battery only

[YellowJersey]

4 hours ago, chnapo said:

Can it be powered via adapter or battery only? Because from what I have seen, battery only

I think you can use a "dummy" battery connected to an external power source, but it doesn't look like it powers via USB direct to the camera.
 

 I came across this thing where you insert the dummy battery and then connect it to USB power device. https://www.amazon.com/ZTSHBK-External-Adapter-Panasonic-Dmc-Gh3/dp/B08ZHRYPTT

[chnapo]

9 hours ago, YellowJersey said:

I think you can use a "dummy" battery connected to an external power source, but it doesn't look like it powers via USB direct to the camera.
 

 I came across this thing where you insert the dummy battery and then connect it to USB power device. https://www.amazon.com/ZTSHBK-External-Adapter-Panasonic-Dmc-Gh3/dp/B08ZHRYPTT

Thanks. Also there are no limits as per video length?

[YellowJersey]

1 hour ago, chnapo said:

Thanks. Also there are no limits as per video length?

It originally had a 30 minute record limit, but there was a paid software upgrade that unlocked unlimited recording. If you're buying used, just make sure that the seller has that firmware installed. Alternatively, I believe you can also get unlimited recording if you use an external recorder like an Atamos.

[Vilacom]

On 6/5/2022 at 9:28 AM, chnapo said:

Hello guys. I would like to buy best bang for the buck video camera to record some workshops. It should be as cheap and as good as possible. The GTX 1070 of cameras. Old, but still great.

 

Current state of affairs - all video recording is done using Redmi Note 8 phone. 

 

What I'd like: Something better than Redmi Note 8. Decent 4K would be nice. Ability to change ND filters would be nice. Audio input is a must (jack or xlr) as well as ability to run from an adapter. HDMI output in case it would be used to live stream. Ability to be used on a stand.

 

What doesn't matter to me: battery life. It will almost exclusively run from plug. OIS is nice to have but not all that important.

 

It can be used, actually I'd prefer used.

 

Price target: 300 eur. Can be less. Can also be more, but please persuade me that it's worth it. I don't want to buy GTX 1630 of cameras - new and rubbish.

 

I know little about cameras - what should I look for? How is for example Panasonic HC-VX 870 for 250 eur?

Can you name the specific pain points you’re having with your phone camera?  What material do the workshops cover? Is this close up or just a classroom camera pointed at a podium?

If the main thing is ND filters then I would say look at something like this

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MZ4KRFQ?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_4PJCNAHFJ25V20M35FVT

Are they going to be amazing?  Probably not but they should serve your purposes well enough.  If you want something higher quality but still in the low end budget range your best options are likely still all going to be phones.  

The only camcorder on B&H website in the price range with audio input is this one, it seems to cover most of your requests 

 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1441156-REG/zoom_zq2n4k_q2n_4k_video_recorder.html



 

[Musty]

I came on to ask something fairly similar to this so thanks to the original poster!

 

I am planning on shooting live performances (musicals) with an orchestra and cast on stage.

 

I jumped in at the last minute to film our most recent show (as a better than nothing option), and was filming on a Sony A6000 (firmware flashed to add unlimited recording times).

 

I was on stage so the camera had to be a set up and leave alone situation with a single shot. 

 

The main problems are:

 

A) Audio quality (and lack of options for the the A6000 if I want to improve it).

B) Resolution: 1080p was fine for a single shot setup, but i'd like the possibility to do some panning and zooming since i'll be editing the videos in future, and it gives me a bit more flexibility if my initial setup isn't perfect.

C) Risk of overheating! I was filming in a relatively cold part of spring so I avoided this, but the A6000 is prone to overheating with continuous shooting so I'm nervous to rely on it. 

 

Like previous posters have said, the GH4 seemed like it might be my best option. But I already have a range of Nikon and Sony lenses, so delving into another ecosystem might be more expensive than I'd need.

 

Any thoughts appreciated!

 

[dalekphalm]

3 minutes ago, Musty said:

I came on to ask something fairly similar to this so thanks to the original poster!

 

I am planning on shooting live performances (musicals) with an orchestra and cast on stage.

 

I jumped in at the last minute to film our most recent show (as a better than nothing option), and was filming on a Sony A6000 (firmware flashed to add unlimited recording times).

 

I was on stage so the camera had to be a set up and leave alone situation with a single shot. 

 

The main problems are:

 

A) Audio quality (and lack of options for the the A6000 if I want to improve it).

B) Resolution: 1080p was fine for a single shot setup, but i'd like the possibility to do some panning and zooming since i'll be editing the videos in future, and it gives me a bit more flexibility if my initial setup isn't perfect.

C) Risk of overheating! I was filming in a relatively cold part of spring so I avoided this, but the A6000 is prone to overheating with continuous shooting so I'm nervous to rely on it. 

 

Like previous posters have said, the GH4 seemed like it might be my best option. But I already have a range of Nikon and Sony lenses, so delving into another ecosystem might be more expensive than I'd need.

 

Any thoughts appreciated!

 

For Point A), are you recording the audio of the musical? For a larger production like that, there's no inherent need to record the audio directly to the camera. If you're already recording audio elsewhere, just combine the two tracks and line them up in a video editor.

 

In terms of audio for a production like that, there are so many questions about the setup, unless you just want a simple single mic-in with a better mic than is integrated into the camera.

[Musty]

24 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

For Point A), are you recording the audio of the musical? For a larger production like that, there's no inherent need to record the audio directly to the camera. If you're already recording audio elsewhere, just combine the two tracks and line them up in a video editor.

 

In terms of audio for a production like that, there are so many questions about the setup, unless you just want a simple single mic-in with a better mic than is integrated into the camera.

 

At the time I just used what I had to hand (my old A6000's internal mic).

 

I actually persuaded a friend who had a better separate mic to bring it along so I could do what you suggested (record audio separately and align in the video editor), but unfortunately it was only there one night and a kid that sat right next to where he set it up seems to have enjoyed giving the stand a kicking. Where the audio is clean it is much better than my a6000, but there are so many audio bumps throughout that it isn't really recoverable. It also really LOVED the piccolo in the orchestra. Cuts through everything.  

 

Edit: He also brought his video camera which would have given me an alternative shot to switch to, but the lighting conditions were challenging / changeable and so a lot of the first act is unusable due to exposure issues. 

 

If a decent external mic setup could be achieved on a budget I'd love to try it!

 

It is an amateur group and we basically have no existing setup. We don't use mics on stage at all so I can't hook in to the mixing board to record. 

 

One theatre we use sometimes does have floor mics on the stage but that is about it. 

 

The fact I'm usually taking part on stage makes things more complicated. I can't monitor levels etc really, I'll just have to set it up and hope.

 

I'd probably be relying on other people to hit record as well (unless I set things going ~30-45 minutes in advance. I can't go front of house once I'm in costume).

 

Previous shows were all just recorded on a very basic old digital camcorder, so at least my current effort was a slight improvement on that!