Topic: St***th Video, anyone?

[WiFiJeff]

Coming in November:

http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/19/sony-digital-recording-binoculars-look-like-military-spec-night/

Any thoughts?

Jeff

[nickee]

Great for low light shows?

These are more promising but they are still vaporware ($199 eventually):
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/04/insert-coin-eyez-720p-video-recording-glasses-video/?jsmobile=0


Our engineering team at ZionEyez is currently developing Eyez™, the latest innovation in personal video recording technology. Eyez™ embeds a 720p HD video camera within a pair of eyeglasses designed to record live video data and take pictures. The recorded data can be stored on the 8GB of flash memory within the Eyez™ glasses, transferred via Wifi/Bluetooth or Micro USB to a computer, or wirelessly transferred to most iPhone or Android devices. After a one-time download of the “Eyez™” smartphone and tablet app, users can wirelessly broadcast the video in real time to their preferred social networking website.

[desertsky]

I bought a pair of the Sony DEV-5 digital recording binoculars early this year.  I use them mostly for birding and other wildlife watching and sporting events.  I finally got up the nerve to bring them to a show Saturday night.  Van Halen was playing in town.  I had no problem getting them into the venue and filmed throughout the show from the first row of the lower section I was in.  No one from security asked about them.  As for the quality, pretty good!  Comparable to what you'd get from Sony's 3D consumer camcorder since these binoculars use the same lens and sensor.  I've posted the videos I shot to YouTube in 1080p.  Check them out on my YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/azsunsfan

 

[shoestringconcerts]

I bought a pair of the Sony DEV-5 digital recording binoculars early this year.  I use them mostly for birding and other wildlife watching and sporting events.  I finally got up the nerve to bring them to a show Saturday night.  Van Halen was playing in town.  I had no problem getting them into the venue and filmed throughout the show from the first row of the lower section I was in.  No one from security asked about them.  As for the quality, pretty good!  Comparable to what you'd get from Sony's 3D consumer camcorder since these binoculars use the same lens and sensor.  I've posted the videos I shot to YouTube in 1080p.  Check them out on my YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/azsunsfan

 

See all those LCDs in your video, those are people holding up phones and digital cameras to shoot pix and video.  You can buy a small quality digital camera for $200-$400 and just shoot video,  most shows dont even stop you anymore.  the trick is learning how to use your camera so the video looks good.

[Chrisedge]

I bought a pair of the Sony DEV-5 digital recording binoculars early this year.  I use them mostly for birding and other wildlife watching and sporting events.  I finally got up the nerve to bring them to a show Saturday night.  Van Halen was playing in town.  I had no problem getting them into the venue and filmed throughout the show from the first row of the lower section I was in.  No one from security asked about them.  As for the quality, pretty good!  Comparable to what you'd get from Sony's 3D consumer camcorder since these binoculars use the same lens and sensor.  I've posted the videos I shot to YouTube in 1080p.  Check them out on my YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/azsunsfan

 

There was no need to stealth VH. They are allowing video and pro cameras on this tour...

[tooldvn]

What's been the latest developments here?  Looking to get into the  game for video now as well.

[guitard]

What's been the latest developments here?  Looking to get into the  game for video now as well.

As ShoestringConcerts said - get a small quality digital camera (if you don't already have one) and shoot video with that.  And like he said - most shows dont even stop you anymore.

And the most important thing he said:  the trick is learning how to use your camera so the video looks good.

[robeti]

What's been the latest developments here?  Looking to get into the  game for video now as well.

And the most important thing he said:  the trick is learning how to use your camera so the video looks good.

indeed.

[carbuff]

[/quote]

You can buy a small quality digital camera for $200-$400 and just shoot video,  most shows dont even stop you anymore.  the trick is learning how to use your camera so the video looks good.
[/quote]

So can you share with us those tricks?    I just bought a Lumix DMC-ZS30 but seems you can't change aperture, ISO or shutter speed when filming, only when taking pics. I have read the user manual many times, also asked Panasonic, and all you can do is point and shoot, can't play with Manual Mode.

[guitard]

So can you share with us those tricks?    I just bought a Lumix DMC-ZS30 but seems you can't change aperture, ISO or shutter speed when filming, only when taking pics. I have read the user manual many times, also asked Panasonic, and all you can do is point and shoot, can't play with Manual Mode.

Don't worry about aperture, ISO or shutter speed when filming concerts.  As long as you set the exposure (maybe described as "EV" (exposure value)) - probably by knocking it down it few notches, keep a steady hand, and capture the show properly -- you'll be fine.

Having said that - very few people ever seem to really be able to do that consistently.

[robeti]

So can you share with us those tricks?    I just bought a Lumix DMC-ZS30 but seems you can't change aperture, ISO or shutter speed when filming, only when taking pics. I have read the user manual many times, also asked Panasonic, and all you can do is point and shoot, can't play with Manual Mode.

Don't worry about aperture, ISO or shutter speed when filming concerts.  As long as you set the exposure (maybe described as "EV" (exposure value)) - probably by knocking it down it few notches, keep a steady hand, and capture the show properly -- you'll be fine.

Having said that - very few people ever seem to really be able to do that consistently.

+ use manual focus
+ use zoom when needed. Not too much
+ keep a steady shot, use a (mini)tripod / monopod / bean bag if needed
DONT use image stabilisation

[tooldvn]

Any 4K PAS out yet?  I read another account of how 4K allowed the taper to zoom all around the stage as if he had different cameras and still output 1080p nicely.   

[Gutbucket]

Possibly applicable for st***th well, I've been considering attaching a car-cam to my open rig stand for outdoor festivals if I can find one with decent low light capabilities.  I just started looking at them on a whim before a festival last month.

Pros-
Typically a quite small and discreet "SD pencil-microphone like" 1080P camera  (designed to attach to the rear view mirror, but could be mounted with the mics).
Typically has a ~10' USB cable to small remote recording deck with SDHC card (put that in the recording bag with the audio deck at the base of the mic-stand).
Can be start/stopped at the deck or set to record continuously (no 30 min limit), writing gaps-less files of user defined length
Can be set to stop once the SD card is full or to continuously overwrite the oldest files on the card.
Can be powered by any 12VDC source, potentially using the same batteries as the audio rig.
Can be set to begin recording as soon as powered is applied.
Some appear to have displays on the remote recording deck.

Cons-
No zoom. 
Wide angle only.
Low light performance?


Could be good as a full-set long wide view shot, especially for those not interested in messing around with a camera.  Just set it and let it roll.

Thoughts?
Anyone use some of these things?

[2manyrocks]

You need to look for a lens of f1.7 or better for low light and that may be hard to come by in a little camera.

Wide angle won't make for good video without shooting close (unless you prefer the look of store security cam footage).



 

[guitard]

Possibly applicable for st***th well, I've been considering attaching a car-cam to my open rig stand for outdoor festivals if I can find one with decent low light capabilities.  I just started looking at them on a whim before a festival last month.

Pros-
Typically a quite small and discreet "SD pencil-microphone like" 1080P camera  (designed to attach to the rear view mirror, but could be mounted with the mics).
Typically has a ~10' USB cable to small remote recording deck with SDHC card (put that in the recording bag with the audio deck at the base of the mic-stand).
Can be start/stopped at the deck or set to record continuously (no 30 min limit), writing gaps-less files of user defined length
Can be set to stop once the SD card is full or to continuously overwrite the oldest files on the card.
Can be powered by any 12VDC source, potentially using the same batteries as the audio rig.
Can be set to begin recording as soon as powered is applied.
Some appear to have displays on the remote recording deck.

Cons-
No zoom. 
Wide angle only.
Low light performance?


Could be good as a full-set long wide view shot, especially for those not interested in messing around with a camera.  Just set it and let it roll.

Thoughts?

Exposure is what kills most concert videos and it seems like most (if not all) of these little cams don't offer any kind of manual exposure control.

[Gutbucket]

Both good points. 
Might look more seriously at some point with those things higher in the hierarchy. Thanks

[tardis71]

Get a Sony HX50v 30x optical zoom! 
Here's some examples! I'm pretty far away...about midway on the side of the arena.

Rod Stewart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3znMBTEXn7s

Steve Winwood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njEfqEbiStQ

Nine Inch Nails
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwwLoh4VNws

[bombdiggity]

To deal with distance (arenas) just get a quality telephoto lens to screw on the front.  Sony makes (or made?) a great one for the tape era cameras.  I still use it on my digital Canon (surprisingly the thread is the same size). 

^ For criminy's sake get a decent plug in mic too though.  I stopped buying Sony cameras (after over 20 years of loyal use) because they didn't make one you could plug a mic into (unless you wanted to drop $2K, which is totally unnecessary now). 

My recommendation is a Canon Vixia.  Real video camera (that can record hours at a time at true HD) with all the controls and the built in mic is actually up to most challenges (though I always plug a mic in). 

I do still miss the magic Sony exposure wheel control, but I don't think they offer it themselves anymore.  That was the best thing ever in the old days when the resolution and circuitry wasn't as good as it is now. 

[2manyrocks]

Some camcorders not only don't have a 1/8 input anymore but don't even have a thread to mount an external lens.  Got to watch out for that.

The Canons and the Panasonics seem to have an edge in low light recording over the other brands right now best I can tell.  It's so model specific that one needs to be really careful in what to buy.     

[guitard]

I do still miss the magic Sony exposure wheel control, but I don't think they offer it themselves anymore.

Had one on my Sony TRV-330 -- being able to control the exposure so easily made a huge difference.

[beatkilla]

im not sure what the magic exposure dial was but the sony cx550v has a front dial that can adjust exposure on the fly while recording amongst other things