1080p Camcorders overkill for YouTube?
I'm planning on upgrading my camcorder to an HD model but its only use is for YouTube videos(non-vlogging). I thought I would invest in the Canon HF S100 but maybe that's unnecessary for YouTube quality. Plan to capture skating and bmx events and such so OIS and fast AF is a must. I don't plan to view my videos on a HDTV set so maybe something with a smaller MP CMOS chip?
Pocket camcorders won't do because those are mainly geared toward vloggers. I need ones that capture action under different lighting conditions.
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4 Responses to “1080p Camcorders overkill for YouTube?”-
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I agree with both iridflare and xSoni…
But specifically with iridflare’s insight. AVCHD compression and fast action video capture will provide you with poor video. Least compression is advised. In the consumer environment, that would be HDV. Even standard definition DV (4:3 or widescreen) would be preferable. In the consumer environment, that would be miniDV tape. Canon HV40 is the entry point for HDV. If you don’t want to use a tripod or other steadying device (like a SpiderBrace), the shoulder mount Sony HVR-HD1000 is interesting (and it can also be used with a tripod or other steadying devices). If you want to stay with a small form factor, but a step up from the HV40, then the Sony HVR-A1U… then the leap to pro-grade starts. In either case, something like the GlideCam StuntBar might be interesting to you. If you stay in standard def, the Canon GL2 is worth a look.
If you are still convinced you need to be tapeless, then check what the bigger dogs use when they don’t use miniDV tape (or an external Firestore hard drive connected to their miniDV tape based camcorder): Sony HVR-Z7U, JVC GY-HM100, Panasonic AG-HVX200… No AVCHD.
And for fast action, increase the shutter speed to 1/500 or 1/1000. This will help with slow-motion playback or not-so-blurry frame grabs. You need good light, though…
I don’t think it is overkill to want the best available video quality. You can always downsample… but you cannot "up-sample". I record in 1080i and render to 720p for upload to vimeo and YouTube – that’s how the HD button can be useful and made available to your viewers…
720p is overkill for youtube xD But too much quality can never hurt right? The 1080p isnt really necessary but it would look nicer in 1080 so it all comes down to how much your willing to spend. The flip camcorders arent very expensive and they produce excellent quality videos. Heres a link if you wanna check em out http://www.theflip.com/store/
If I was buying a camcorder (specifically HD) id go with the flip.
The problem with most of the HD formats is that they use very highly compressed formats which don’t handle rapid movement or lighting changes very well. MiniDV is still king in that aspect.
Canon makes several models with Instant AF (auto focus). Any of those consumer models will be fine for the basic needs you listed.
The Canon camcorder models that have Instant AF are higher end consumer variants with more, better features than their cheaper siblings. They will cost a bit more, but they will be more capable of handling different lighting conditions. The only cameras that would do better are the professional models, but they don’t have Instant AF.
You may be concentrating on capturing action, but skaters have boards, clothing, and ramps with lots of very detailed graphics and insignias. An HD camcorder will be much better at capturing all the detail with the action, and If you don’t need the detail in your video, all HD camcorders will instantly output HD video to SD (standard definition).
Regardless of SD or HD video, you will need to make room or purchase hard drives for storage of your edited videos. We recommend a 500GB drive which are available for as low as $50 (large desktop size) and $100 (small laptop size that is pocket portable).
* Also remember that, if you do not use tape (which can save hard drives by storing original videos on tape) and you decide to record with a flash memory or HDD (hard disc drive) camcorder, you will need to purchase a large hard drive to store the raw videos as well as all the edits. For this, we recommend the Fantom Green 1TB external HD (with USB and eSata) from MacMall for $75.
The Pinnacle Video transfer device is also another option. http://motionpicturecentral.com/editing/video-transfer/how-to-connect-an-hdv-minidv-or-digital8-camcorder-to-a-computer/ It can simultaneously record to its hard drive while you camcorder records to tape, flash memory, or HDD. The advantage of the Pinnacle Video Device is that you instantly have a separate raw video copy that can be moved immediately to YouTube, iPhones, iPods, Sony PSPs, and other computers without editing.