Camera for self filming hunts

[bobby_bates]

Hey Guys,

I'm looking into self-filming my hunts. From looking at other "You Tube" hunt videos, I can say that I am looking for 2 different video cameras. One would be to mount on my bow, small and lightweight, with zoom and auto focus. The other would mount to an arm attached to the tree or treestand, small and lightweight, with zoom and a manaul focus feature. The manual focus is to be able to focus on the deer through the trees/branches and not focus on the branch itself.
I am not looking for a "Go Pro" or POV type camera, as these type of cameras just seem to be unable to get close enough to see the deer (or other animal) well enough. I've seen plenty of "Go Pro" videos where the individual shoots a deer and you see nothing but a shape in the forest run away after a shot. I really don't understand the point of publishing a video like that if you really can't see anything, but maybe I'm just too critical.
Any thoughts on either camera would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MrSimon]

I've thought about this a lot too. I've tried using a combination of my iPhone and GoPro, but like you said, lack of zoom is the trouble.

I've also found that trying to re-position a camera with a deer in range is next to impossible and still get a shot. Just too many things to handle at once. What do you do if the deer comes up from behind or something?

From everything I've seen on YouTube, the absolute BEST hunting videos have a dedicated cameraman. The combination of a fixed camera pointed at the shooter, and a cameraman constantly keeping the deer in sight and focus is the best option.

Do you have anyone who would do that for you?

 

[bobby_bates]

Hey Mr Simon,

I do hve someone that would film, but he doesn't get out as much as I do. And I totally agree that there are a ton of moving parts to get everything lined up for the video, and to be able to pull off an ethical shot.
I'd love to be able to try different cameras and such, but that would get way too expensive. We'll see if I can dig up some info on a decent camera, and get a setup that is both compact and good video quality.

 

[bobby_bates]

OK guys, I have it figured out. The answer is the TACTACAM video camera. It has both bow mount and gun mount available. One switch for record/off, and uses a Micro SD card. This camera video (in my opinion) is much better than the GoPro video in the fact that a deer looks 20 yds away when it is 20 yds away. With a GoPro, you can hardly see the deer in the video (at 20 yds). I only used it a handful of times last huntng season, but I will post some videos with the upcoming KY turkey season. Yet again, I am currently in the big sandbox to the east, but should be back in the US a few days before the season starts. Keep looking for updates, I'll get them there.

 

[RiverBottomOutdoors]

Yet to see anything out of a tactacam that didn't look like crap. If you want to see the shot, don't bother mounting it to your bow.

 

[richg99]

Years ago, I messed with cameras a fair amount. A lot of them didn't do movies, though.

One that did, and might be something to look at, would be an Ultra Zoom. Most camera makers still make them. Older used ones should be available for a song these days.

Their limitations were the time it took for them to recycle between shots....but that isn't an issue if you are running in movie mode. Also, they were not too good in low light situations. If you know anything at all about cameras, you know that true low-light lenses cost an arm and a leg. Everything has its trade-offs.

I still have my original Canon S3 i.s.. That model has a very long lens ( i.e. Ultra Zoom); Took decent movies; lightweight; has Image Stabilization and has a tripod screw mount ( that you should be able to attach to most auxiliary mounts).

There are all sorts of add-ons and gadgets that have been produced for this and other Canon Ultra Zoom cameras. i.e. Lens extenders; remote shutters and more. With a programming tweak, You can shoot RAW for the stills if you want maximum flexibility in processing your shots.

I only mention it because I own one and can speak from experience. It is one of hundreds of Ultra Zooms that do a good job and often get overlooked.

DPReview is an excellent camera site, with hundreds of cameras and camera models detailed by actual owners. Sample pictures; Good and Bad assessments; etc.

Here is one of the original reviews.

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons3is

If you were close to Houston, TX, or even Knoxville TN (in a month or two ) I'd let you take it out and see if it can handle your needs.

regards, richg99

 

[Johnny]

Disclaimer: I do not hunt anymore - I hung up my powder horn years ago.

Not commenting on any brand of camera.........
I watch a lot of hunts on TV and YouTube, especially bow hunting.
and I have noticed that cameras mounted to a bow only shows
footage up until the string is released, then the video goes straight
to the ground or up in the sky. The shooter is so pumped after the
shot he forgets all about the video.
Personally, I would rather see a head or chest mounted cam video.
or, mounted on the tree.
Just something to consider when you are ready to mount it.

HAPPY TRAILS !!!

 

[BigTerp]

I use an SJCAM SJ4000 WIFI to film my waterfowl hunts. It's a GoPro knockoff, but gets pretty good footage in 1080p. It's not the best in low light conditions though, and that would be about my only complaint with it. Another plus is it uses GoPro mounts, which are readily available. I wear mine on my head and then mount my buddies somewhere close to hopefully catch the action. Wearing it on my head it's always facing the action. The footage might get a little jerky, but you don't miss anything this way. Wherever I'm looking the camera is also looking. This was the first year using them field hunting geese and we experimented with the second camera placement. Right behind the blinds seems to be best. The only issue with the head mount is I sometimes forget to turn it on when birds are coming in. And leaving the 2nd camera constantly on runs the battery dead in about 1-1/2 hours. Missed some good shooting a few times with both cameras because of this. An external power bank that works for cell phones helped with not having to change batteries in the second camera. My buddy got a gun mount for his, but we've yet to get any good footage from it. Either on the head or setup close by to see what's in front of the shooter seems to be the best.

Here is a little video of our early goose season last year. This is shot entirely with the 2 SJ4000's and edited with Windows Movie Maker. Not the most fanciest video out there, but a cool little video to be able to share with everyone that hunted with us. Watch it in 1080p to get the best idea of how these cameras perform. Try not to make too much fun of some of my poor shooting either!! :lol:

[youtube]ISFMb7AiMYc[/youtube]

 

[Holatim]

You need too a good mount for your camera video camera, at the minimum you want to choose a model with a built-in zoom and 1920x1080 resolution. 1080 resolution is the current broadcast standard for most television and web-based content. You want to pay attention to the optical zoom, not the digital zoom. Digital zoom is worthless and should be shut off as soon as you turn on your camera. Most video cameras come with anywhere from a 10 to 20 optical zoom. The higher the number, the further out you can zoom. For quality, usable footage that still allows you to count the points on a deer, you add a zero to the end of the zoom to figure out the maximum yardage to film. For example, 10 power equals 100 yards, 20 power equals 200 yards, and so on. Yes, you can film beyond this, but your quality will start to diminish. I would go with something like the cannon xa10 not cheap but you'll get great shots from just make sure u have a good stable mount