Which camera should i get?

[squarepegs]

Hi! I have been using compact camera for video all the time. I have a Panasonic TZ30. I have decided to upgrade to a better camera. Recently I bought a Panasonic f200z. Although it is better than TZ30 but it still get out of focus once in a while when zooming in/under low light.

Which camera should i get that will stay focus all the time for video when zooming in and under low light for events like fun fair/dance shows/school plays?

Are Sony A6000 or Canon 600d good for making video?

Thanks in advance.

 

[motionstills]

Hi! I have been using compact camera for video all the time. I have a Panasonic TZ30. I have decided to upgrade to a better camera. Recently I bought a Panasonic f200z. Although it is better than TZ30 but it still get out of focus once in a while when zooming in/under low light.

Which camera should i get that will stay focus all the time for video when zooming in and under low light for events like fun fair/dance shows/school plays?

Are Sony A6000 or Canon 600d good for making video?

Thanks in advance.

If you can stretch the budget, consider Sony A7S or A7II.

 

[kandinsky]

Which camera should i get that will stay focus all the time for video when zooming in and under low light for events like fun fair/dance shows/school plays?

Hmmm... Unfortunately, the reality is that the most cameras, both DSLRs and MILCs (mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera) alike, will have the tendency to 'get out of focus once in a while' (aka focus hunt) with autofocus, if you are shooting moving subjects like people at a funfair/danceshow, even when it's not low light. Simply because no matter how good the auto focus is, it's limited by the fact that it can't read your mind and know what you want to focus on.

Would also note that not all camera systems have power zoom lens options (zooming in smoothly with a lever/switch like you are used to with compact cameras). Noticed that the A6000 does have power zoom capabilities with a 18-50mm kit lens. But note that this lens will give you approximately 3x zoom. Compared to the 24x zoom of your FZ200, you may find it limiting if you need the range.

IMHO, neither the A6000 nor the 600D will 'stay focus all the time for video when zooming in and under low light'. Those are fairly challenging conditions for any AF system, especially once you throw in moving subjects. If you must use AF, you will generally have to live with some focus hunting.

One suggestion, before looking to buy a new system, is to see if you are able to use manual focus for shots that are trickier for AF. Found this video shot with the FZ200 by a user using manual focus:

[video=youtube;2sBTFnzDJuc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sBTFnzDJuc[/video]

 

[squarepegs]

Hmmm... Unfortunately, the reality is that the most cameras, both DSLRs and MILCs (mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera) alike, will have the tendency to 'get out of focus once in a while' (aka focus hunt) with autofocus, if you are shooting moving subjects like people at a funfair/danceshow, even when it's not low light. Simply because no matter how good the auto focus is, it's limited by the fact that it can't read your mind and know what you want to focus on.

Would also note that not all camera systems have power zoom lens options (zooming in smoothly with a lever/switch like you are used to with compact cameras). Noticed that the A6000 does have power zoom capabilities with a 18-50mm kit lens. But note that this lens will give you approximately 3x zoom. Compared to the 24x zoom of your FZ200, you may find it limiting if you need the range.

IMHO, neither the A6000 nor the 600D will 'stay focus all the time for video when zooming in and under low light'. Those are fairly challenging conditions for any AF system, especially once you throw in moving subjects. If you must use AF, you will generally have to live with some focus hunting.

One suggestion, before looking to buy a new system, is to see if you are able to use manual focus for shots that are trickier for AF. Found this video shot with the FZ200 by a user using manual focus:

[video=youtube;2sBTFnzDJuc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sBTFnzDJuc[/video]

Thanks for the reply and the youtube video. Look like i have a lot of more to learn about camera and how they works.


Do you think camcorder will do a better job for videoing moving objects?

 

[squarepegs]

If you can stretch the budget, consider Sony A7S or A7II.

thanks for the reply but $2999 is over my budget.

 

[ElCarnicero]

I like the A6000 with XLR mic mount

But if you want better AF then you should use a SLT like A77

Because the pellicle will give proper PDAF

 

[daredevil123]

Like what kandinsky has mentioned, it is a lot more about how to properly handle a video setup. It is no surprise that most good video work is shot on manual focus... With video, pulling focus is actually a tool for you to use and you should control it manually.

[video=youtube;b5KXQw48SNk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5KXQw48SNk[/video]

 

[daredevil123]

A tutorial on focusing in video...

[video=youtube;GiLhT_NaXMk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiLhT_NaXMk[/video]

 

[kandinsky]

Do you think camcorder will do a better job for videoing moving objects?

For a beginner/casual user who doesn't want to bother with manual focus, it will probably do an 'easier' job. It won't necessarily do a 'better' job than someone who can manual focus well.

Most camcorders have two AF sensors, there's an additional AF sensor just below/beside the lens. Together with the smaller imaging sensor that gives you deeper depth of field, generally speaking, the AF should hunt less.

This is why all camcorders come with an autofocus device, usually an infrared beam that bounces off objects in the center of the frame and comes back to a sensor on the camcorder.

To find the distance to the object, the processor calculates how long it takes the beam to bounce and return, multiplies this time by the speed of light, and divides the product by two (because it traveled the distance twice -- to the object and back again). The camcorder has a small motor that moves the lens, focusing it on objects at this distance. This works pretty well most of the time, but sometimes you have to override it -- you may want to focus on something in the side of the frame, for example, but the autofocus is picking up what's right in front of the camcorder.

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/camcorder3.htm

The system employs an external AF sensor to compute the distance to the subject while detecting the contrast based on the image output from the CMOS sensor to deliver fast and accurate focusing performance. The use of two sensors to focus on the subject enables quick and accurate focusing performance.

http://www.canon.com/technology/canon_tech/explanation/dv.html

I'm not familiar with the A6000 at all, just did a bit more reading up on it. Sounds like the AF for videos is fairly decent... You can always go try it at a Sony showroom I guess, see if it meets your expectations of 'stay focus all the time for video when zooming in and under low light'.

[video=youtube;wAfvUk555bo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAfvUk555bo[/video]