Video camera recommendations

[N.E. Pyrotechnics]

I hope I'm not starting a thread that already exists. I did a search, and there were no results, so here we go...
As I'm prepping for my first "show" I am thinking about all of the videos that I've enjoyed watching. Until now we have been satisfied with cell phone video, but we have decided to get a video camera for several reasons.
I am a hobbyist photographer so I have a good understanding of still cameras and their nomenclature, but no real video experience. So I have 2 questions for the forum....

1) Can you recommend a solid video camera somewhere around or up to about a $500 price point?

We're not looking for all the bells and whistles in this camera. Something with at least water resistance, doesn't have to waterproof, and not something terribly delicate. And although it is a pretty common feature, it must have a body that will accept a tripod.

2) For those of you that have made videos... Do you have any "settings" suggestions for capturing good quality videos? I'm speaking of in camera settings that would optimize fireworks video.

One more question....

When making your videos, what has the best audio results? Are you relying on the built in microphone, or do you recommend external microphones?

Thanks in advance.

[krayg]

I'm not an expert but here are some things that may help you with video settings. I used these over NYE and it produced fairly good results.



Set ISO higher than 800 to as high as you can go without a lot of noise
Set shutter to 1 / (2 x frames_per_sec)
Depending on distance, you might need a wide angle lens. I can tell you that 50mm from 50 yards away doesn't work. :rolleyes:
Set the aperture to be fairly wide open
Manual/Auto-focus depends on what you're trying to capture
Use a tripod


Audio: Use a portal audio recorder if you can. Even if it's a pyromusical, the better audio helps in post-processing. If you can't, then no worries. No one will really care but you.

Here's a pretty cool cinematic video someone else created. I like the depth perception with the crowd and fireworks towards the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKnsZj4GYrM

The one issue with trying to get great video is that you're typically the one managing the fireworks, audio (if pyromusical), and video. Something has to give.

Edit: Someone else recommending settings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwMwOUsLAM4

[tmwjr]

I use a go pro hero 7. I'm thrilled with it with the fish eye lens and for the price. You can do 2.7k with the ultra wide angle lens. I leave it on the tripod and it catches most of the action. I believe thay gro pros are one of the most commonly used on here.

I posted this video a few weeks ago, but here it is again as a reference. It was shot with the hero 7 black using the camera microphone.

https://youtu.be/glrQjTMR9Iw

[Lonely Bros Pyros]

I also use the Hero 7 black and an older go pro session. I just use the camera mic as well. The 1st video is the 7 handheld and the second video is the session on a tripod at the other end of the field.

https://youtu.be/5PCqbARbasE hero 7 black
https://youtu.be/aIoGVAvMlXw go pro session

[N.E. Pyrotechnics]

Thanks for the suggestions. We have been looking (quickly) at Go Pros at one of the big New York camera stores. It's time to did into the details of the Go Pro line of cameras. I checked out all of the links that everyone shared. Thanks.
Krayg; That production piece is really a very exceptional video. I caught myself envisioning my family in a production like that... Great stuff from so many different perspectives.
I also enjoyed the links to the "back yard" shows. That is exactly what I had in mind. I want to mount it up on a tripod, set the autofocus to infinity, and go. I was really impressed with the color rendition in your video. Well done shoot as well. I'm using the same system with 24 cues currently. When I can I will start a board e-fired, and chain fuse the rest of the cakes. My solution until I buy more mods.

Thanks all. Much appreciated.

[DavidthePyro]

Honestly, I would rent a DSLR for the best video and audio. You can't beat it for the price, and if you know someone who has one you can probably save even more. As a guy who uses 3 go pro's year round, I always use a DSLR for filming shows. The one thing that I like is having the high quality native video file that I can bump the quality down on for sizing the file. If you do go with a go pro, don't go too pricey-- at some point its better investing in a camera as opposed to an action cam

[tmwjr]

For a more detailed and heated read:

http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/showthread.php?7531-Camera-tips-for-videos-and-photos&highlight=Gopro

[Rick_In_Tampa]

I use a Go Pro Hero5 Session and a cheap little tripod I got off Amazon. You can click on the link below to see how well it worked filming last years show. There are some programs out there that will allow you to overlay the sound track onto your video. I know less about that than I do quantum physics and I was able to figure it out a few years ago. The video in the link to last years show was just what the mic picked up from my sound system which was probably 30ft away.

[Berserker23]

I use a GoPro 7 with a rode mic or I use my iPhone XR which records just as good

[N.E. Pyrotechnics]

We just wanted to thank everyone again for your suggestions. We pulled the trigger on a GoPro 6 Hero Black. Found a nice bundled deal that included extra batteries, and a decent sized memory card. The deal included free expedited shipping also. Thank you all.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Awesome!! I'm sure it will work well for you. It should have a fireworks mode on it, so all you should have to do is hit the record button and forget about it.

Looking forward to your show video!!