Dream Camera

[_Paz_]

I'd love to have a camera like the ones they use at golf tournaments that can pick out and follow a golf ball against a bright, sometimes white cloud background, keep it in focus as it moves, and do so for 10 miles long, or however long the pros' shots are! But a local TV cameraman let me hold his camera at one of the historical enactments and I can tell you that I wouldn't be able to hold it for more than a few minutes. His tripod worked like mine but was much heavier and sturdier. No way I could carry all of that in the field. In fact, I have a hard time carrying my own tripod. That's why I've been making so many adaptations to my monopod.

A while back I shot some video of a Great Blue Heron which was about 30 feet from me. Summer, his feathers were not gorgeous, but even so, I expected better clarity. ( I intended to post a still from my vid but I think that footage has already been transferred to a storage drive. I'll hunt for it. )

I wanted this kind of clarity:



So.... I guess either my best camcorder's lens (Leica) or sensor or something simply isn't capable of getting what I want to do even at 1080p.

I know my Canon 7D could make higher quality video but especially now that my eyesight is fading so quickly, I need for the camera to be able to auto focus and automatically correct for exposure as wild life moves. I'd LOVE to be able to get slow motion.

Suggestions for something Pro-Am? Under 10k, preferably under 5? What would you go for if you could have something fabulous and light that was really too pricey to even consider?

thanks,

Paz

[momoffduty]

Sorry, no suggestions. But, your photo is gorgeous!

[sidd finch]

Paz you might consider getting a Digital SLR adaptor for a spotting scope. (http://www.backcountry.com/brunton-digital-slr-adapter-for-full-size-eterna-spotting-scopes?CMP_SKU=BRU000N&MER=0406&skid=BRU000N-BK-ONESIZ&CMP_ID=PLA_GOc001&mv_pc=r101&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PLA&mr:trackingCode=0160D7E3-B564-E411-9BFE-BC305BF82376&mr:referralID=NA&mr:device=c&mr:adType=pla_with_promotiononline&mr:ad=79923401797&mr:keyword&mr:match&mr:filter=151124127157&gclid=CPHq5sbNiMgCFYVhfgodbl0B5Q&gclsrc=aw.ds) It allows for your DSLR to attach a monocular or spotting scope to your camera. That way you can get some pretty far away shots.

Sidd

[_Paz_]

Thanks, Mom, but that's not my photo.

Sidd,

I had not thought of a spotting scope nor did I have any idea they could be attached to a camera. There are several hunting stores in my area. I'll check them out!

I've moved my heron footage to a backup drive - looked for it last night and could not find it - but I have another example:

The quality I want: (NOT my photo)



The best I seem to be able to get - even with a 2X telephoto attachment: (mine)





In a video recorder what is the most important factor in getting really high quality? The lens? The sensor? The pixel count?

thanks,

Paz

[sidd finch]

In a video recorder what is the most important factor in getting really high quality? The lens? The sensor? The pixel count?

I think they all play a part in getting really high quality. If I had to rank them it would be 1) Lens 2) sensor 3) pixel count. The picture below is something I took with a Flip Ultra and a macro lens so for what the camera is I was quite happy with the picture it produced. This was a still pulled from a 720P 60fps video.

Sidd

[Ron Hunter]

The Sony A7R II is a low-light, full-frame mirrorless camera that is getting rave reviews, and it records 4k video in-camera. The original A7R was a low-light monster and should be discounted now that the newer version is out. A7R did NOT record 4k video in-camera.

Sony has a reduced-megapixel count version of A7R II, I think it is called the A7S. It specifically has a different sensor to improve its low light performance.

As it is mirrorless it should be lighter than either Canon 5DSR or Nikon D810. You won't have as good of a lens selection but the lenses that are available (Zeiss) are top quality. And you should be able to find an adapter for any glass you own.

Price of A7R II is in the neighborhood of Canon 5DSR, around $3200 I think for the body.

And keep in mind that if you want to shoot video at a long distance, a tripod will be an absolute requirement. As will a lens with IS.

[Ron Hunter]

Lens, sensor, and camera processor are key for a detailed image. High megapixel count can help for enlargements, but I don't think super high megapixel counts are all that important. I heard a podcast recently where the hosts were discussing how today's lenses cannot resolve enough detail to achieve the >50MP the Canon 5DSR is capable of.

For video, shooting in 4K is great because you down-rez in the timeline to 1080 and this provides more detail.

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

...I heard a podcast recently where the hosts were discussing how today's lenses cannot resolve enough detail to achieve the >50MP the Canon 5DSR is capable of.

Maybe it was just a throwaway comment in the days when a 3MP camera was the mainstream capability, but I remember reading about that time that still cameras would have to reach 25MP to match 35mm film. I don't recall there being any discussion of what ISO the film in the 35mm camera would have to be to make that comparison valid.

[Chris B]

Fortunately the original photo of the heron has some metadata in it so we can see what settings and get some idea of what equipment was used.

So the camera was a Canon EOS 7D with aperture priority. 1000th of a second (presumably because it was handheld) and ISO-200 with an exposure bis of -0.3 (presumably to prevent any highlights being blown out) but was auto metered. The lens claims to be at f6.3 at 300mm. The subject was 7.7 meters away- which is very close indeed to a bird of that size. The photo was since edited in Photoshop CS5 - We don't know the original format but I wouldn't mind betting it was RAW.

It would probably have been a significantly bigger photo (the 7D does 18 MP) that has been reduced in size - which increases apparent sharpness. Given the f stop that doesn't put the lens in the hideously expensive range (not to say it wasn't - it just doesn't have to be). However at a 300mm zoom (at least) and given it's attached to a 7D I doubt it was cheap.

Hope this helps.

[Bob]

According to the metadata, the lens was the Canon EF70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM, which is definitely not cheap.

[Chuck Engels]

Bob and Chris, are you guys private detectives?

[momoffduty]

I use Opanda to see metadata. That is an L series lens, very nice!

[Chuck Engels]

I expected it to be more expensive than $1400 USD, not cheap but not as expensive as many of the really great lenses costing 2 or more times that.

[sidd finch]

Paz depending on where you live you might be able to rent the lens to check it out and see if is something you like. I have a friend that rents the expensive lenses when they go on picture shooting vacations. Saves the cost of buying.

Sidd

[_Paz_]

I filmed this. Not happy. I'm pleased enough with the concept and the music I purchased for it - but the video quality of the hummer sucks.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8tvY8iw5zI[/youtube]


Then I found it IS possible! ( NOT mine:) High Speed Hummingbirds - Phantom v12.1


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLtJV4rsctY[/youtube]

Stunning, isn't it? Keeping in mind that as much as we might like to think so, nature is not kind.

So. What do they have that I don't have?

1. Captive subjects

2. $10,000.00 camera

3. Lights

They said they used lights. LOTS of lights.

So, I rummaged around and found a flood light metal reflector with a 60 watt Reveal (daylight color temp) bulb. It helped. Not enough. I bought another and put 100 watt Reveal bulbs in both. I've adjusted the bulbs all over the place. Right now they're clipped to a light stand near the feeder.

My hummer with lights:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZrwv3oeGHQ[/youtube]

Still not good enough. I've always used halogen hot lights for my portraits. Bright at 1000 - 2000 watts per bulb. HOT, HOT, HOT. Probably not good for the birds and actually, I've been surprised they've been willing to feed so close to these lights. (I may try the halogen out - I suppose it would be possible to correct the color cast in PrePro.)

Flash wouldn't work. They'd never come back. What kind of lights would work?

Paz depending on where you live you might be able to rent the lens to check it out and see if is something you like.

Funny you mention that Sidd. I came across some footage from "Borrow Lenses.com". They rent out photography equipment. Both UPS and FedEx ARE willing to come here. Fortunately for me, I lucked up and live on a paved road. There are more unpaved roads in my county than any other county in the State. So, yes! It looks possible!

I knew such things were possible but had never truly considered it. Makes sense before making an expensive purchase. Not that I have any immediate plans to purchase or ANY idea where the money would come from!

Nice lens on the heron. Wouldn't it be great to have a camcorder that could use interchangeable lenses?

And is it possible to get META data from video footage?

http://www.borrowlenses.com

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYrbalOLIB8[/youtube]