Parents Please recommend your video camera/camera

[gymcricket]

So far, all of the video that DH and I have taken of DDs meets is grainy, too far away to see, and not worth watching again. Ditto for our pictures. Part of the problem is us : ) but part is that we don't have decent equipment. Do you have a video camera/camera you love to use?

Thanks!

 

[Iwannabemargo]

I bought a Hitachi Dzhv584efor £ 89 and its been great. I expect you can get one in the states. I like it because its the size of a phone and I keep it in my handbag.



'Margo

 

[Ingwe]

I have a Sony handycam HD. Super easy to use (which I need) and takes great video.

 

[gymgal]

For photos, it's not as much the camera as it is the lens. You really need one with an f-stop of 2.8 or better to handle the low lighting on the venues and the the quick action, nut these lenses can be very expensive.

For video, I have a JVC enverio. Takes great HD videos but o am not fond of the screen. The touch screen is not sensitive enough to touch and there are no other controls so you have to use it. Also, it is very hard to see the image on the screen in sunlight. I mainly use it indoors but at baseball games, its horrible. I had to by a viewer cover to cut the glare. But it takes great video so I am mainly happy with it. Stills from video are ok. I went with it because it is on the less expensive end for the HD quality, which is what I really wanted.

 

[GymBee97]

I hvae the sony handycam as well and it takes decent video. The photos are ok (better than a cell phone but not as good as a camera) but lately I've seen almost everyone with an iPad taking video (blocking everyone's view) and the folks that use it who post videos that I know seem to get good photos and video with it.

 

[rsm]

I have the Sony Handycam HD as well. Perfect for me as an amateur. Small, easy to use and takes good quality video at gym meets. Supposedly takes photos too, but haven't used it for that yet.

 

[Granny Smith]

I have a Kodak Playsport and I love it. If I paid $100, that's a lot and I did it about 3 yrs ago. It takes awesome videos, in HD no less. Lots of time, its not the camera but the SD card. I would not use a SD car that is below I think class 6, mine is a class 10 - which is the number that is in the little circle on the SD card. Once you get into the low numbers, your video will be iffy, at best.

 

[iwannacoach]

I've seen almost everyone with an iPad taking video (blocking everyone's view) and the folks that use it who post videos that I know seem to get good photos and video with it.

Imagine an olympic gymnast dismounting at the end of a gold medal performance to a deathly quite crowd......who are all holding their Ipads taking video of the momentous occasion. No applause and no faces, just Ipads staring with blank expressions........

George Orwell....... Whaddaya think about that!

 

[mylittlemiss]

We mostly use our Canon Vixia HD video camera and it's been great! We are big Canon brand fans, so even the point and shoots that take video are rather decent. We also have our big still camera, which shoots in HD. I have a small photography business, so mainly bought it for still photos, but it takes amazing HD video, it's the Canon 5D Mark ii, which by the way, takes awesome photos at meets, even in the crummy lighting in most gyms.

 

[GymBee97]

Imagine an olympic gymnast dismounting at the end of a gold medal performance to a deathly quite crowd......who are all holding their Ipads taking video of the momentous occasion. No applause and no faces, just Ipads staring with blank expressions........

George Orwell....... Whaddaya think about that!

We have been with dear old George for a long time!

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

For video we use the sony handycam as well. As for the camera, like a poster before me you need a lens with an f-stop of 2.8 or better. The lighting is usually pretty bad in most gyms so the faster the lens the better the picture. I have the canon 50D camera body with the 70-200 f2.8 lens (however it is pricey). It works very well but even still some pictures are grainy and out of focus....(user error usually). We also have the 85mm f1.8 lens and it is fantastic when we are not to far away from the action as it is a fixed lens and does not zoom at all but the price is much more reasonable. Good luck with your search!!

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

I hvae the sony handycam as well and it takes decent video. The photos are ok (better than a cell phone but not as good as a camera) but lately I've seen almost everyone with an iPad taking video (blocking everyone's view) and the folks that use it who post videos that I know seem to get good photos and video with it.

Maybe its just me but the video that I took with my ipad at a recent meet (did not have my camcorder with me) was so grainy. I also can never seem to take good pictures with my iphone or ipad. I am sure its just me but I am always so disappointed with those pics and videos.

 

[iwannacoach]

We have been with dear old George for a long time!

You got that right. Oh yeah, I'd like to compliment you on your choice of peanut butter...... and your hair looks really good that way!

 

[Gymmomwv]

We like canon as well. But it's all about the lens. There is another parent at the gym who has the long fancy pants lens attached to the same camera we have, her shots are AWESOME, professional grade. We plan to save up and put down more $$ on a good lens than we did on the camera unit to begin with.

 

[2G1B]

For still photos I use a Nikon D700 with a Nikon 70 - 200 2.8 lens (yup, not cheap all of the way around) and I can get good shots. You not only need the fast lens; but also a camera that can handle high ISO. I rarely shoot below ISO 2000 for a competition. You need for the lens to have a fixed ap throughout the zoom - a lot of the $500 or so zoom lenses will change the widest ap depending on your focal length. A lens like the 70-200 2.8 can have the wide open ap throughout the range. But you also are going to need to keep your shutter speed at 200+. To do that, even if shooting at 2.8, you also need to have a high ISO.

For video I have been using the video feature on a Canon G12 and it has been fine. Last year I used my little panasonic Video camera and it was always fine; but the battery stopped holding a charge and I haven't bought a new one.

 

[pirateslovebacon]

IMHO, ISO is the #1 low light factor. DSLRs are unquestionably the the best option, but they cost $$$ and come with a lot of baggage (literally and figuratively).

The Canon Powershot SX50 HS looks great at ISO 1600, just Google it. It also has a 50X zoom.

This review isn't all cotton candy and unicorns, which probably makes it fair:
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS Review: Digital Photography Review

Check out the pictures in this thread:
Best Low Light Super Zoom for Indoor Concerts? - Steve's Digicams Forums

BTW - My the video on my last Canon superzoom was unparalleled, mostly because of the sound quality.