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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Good movie camera's for backyard birds, etc. (1 Viewer)

MarTay6

Active member
I've been trying to learn what are good choices in the under $300.00 range in the current crop of video cameras- and perhaps between $300.00-500.00 as well. I'm considering getting a straight movie/video camera, as opposed to the hybrid/DSLR camera. Looking for something with some optical zoom reach, don't need something that is ricidulous in reach. I just don't find much info- looking for something to use out to 50-75 ft. or so, birds/squirrels.
What are some of your favorites/recommendations??
Thanks.
 
We have had very good success with a JVC Everio HD camera. It works much better for video AND snapshots than both my Sony video camera and 7 mega pixel Sony Cybershot camera. Neither of the Sony's will focus on birds at all, so they are unusable. The JVC has a 20:1 optical zoom, with an 80:1 if you take it to the digital zoom as well. You can see a number of pictures that this camera has taken in the gallery uploaded by my wife DonnaDudley user name. All those pictures were taken by her simply pressing the photo button while videotaping, and are 2 megapixel resolution jpegs. Alternatively you can load the video up into a HD video editing software and pick frames to save as images, with I assume the same detail, but a bit more hassle. Software comes with the camera that allows you to write 30 minutes of the HD to a single laye4r DVD then play is as HD on some Blu Ray players. Cost at hhgreg was about $200.

Marshall
 
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