loooking for advice for a camera that can take short video of;- I have a website that sells vases I wish to set up a motorised

[peterhawkins]

I have a website which sells vases, each one is unique, I want to try and get a revolving (motorised) table which I can put an item on do a short video of the item doing a full circuit, this is to enable prospective customers to see the product all around, as opposed to just a plain old front picture, I have little or no knowledge about cameras, have been told I will need at least a 1080 SLR, but there are so many of them, I would like to keep the price down

 

[popatim]

I use an Panasonic Lumix FZ200 to shoot videos (esp of my grandkids).
I find it does very well, even in lower lighting conditions (I'm sure you can find your own reviews of it) and can be had for around $400 brand new.

 

[Heinrich17]

Almost any camera will do including a cellphone for what you are doing. Most important will be for you to buy a few video lights and stands with soft boxes. The reason is that if you are showcasing something, you want as much detail as possible and in order to do this you need to shoot at an ISO in which the camera will have the best performance. This is always the native ISO, which is between 100 - 400 for most cameras. Without boring you with unneeded technical explanations, you want to shoot in very bright conditions in order to have the best looking video. Using your own lighting will make everything bright and reduce shadows. Soft boxes reduce the harshness of light and will prevent hot spots or clipped highlights.

The camera recommended by popatim is a good one. You can also consider the Panasonic G5 with kit lens which will run about $370. I would recommend however the Panasonic G5 with the Panasonic 20/1.7. This combo should run about $500 however the lens if very sharp and is great for capturing details. You would want to shoot at F2.8 (or F4.0) to get the best in sharpness and at this aperture, you will have a good amount of light gathering from the lens (much better than a kit lens). This will give you more options with lighting.

Overall, in importance you are looking at the following order:

1. Lighting - without good lighting your video will look like crap (maybe $300+ for a good setup)
2. Camera - this is not too important, as most modern cameras are very good in video
3. Lens - most lenses are very sharp however this still makes a difference
4. Tripod - important to have, but almost any tripod will do. You can pull it off with a stack of books too

Keep these things in mind when you are setting your budget. If you have a small budget, spend it on the lighting and use your cellphone (provided it does 1080p video). It will be adequate until you start making some money. I would then go for the $500 option in the G5 (or similar) and Panasonic 20/1.7.

 

[peterhawkins]

Almost any camera will do including a cellphone for what you are doing. Most important will be for you to buy a few video lights and stands with soft boxes. The reason is that if you are showcasing something, you want as much detail as possible and in order to do this you need to shoot at an ISO in which the camera will have the best performance. This is always the native ISO, which is between 100 - 400 for most cameras. Without boring you with unneeded technical explanations, you want to shoot in very bright conditions in order to have the best looking video. Using your own lighting will make everything bright and reduce shadows. Soft boxes reduce the harshness of light and will prevent hot spots or clipped highlights.

The camera recommended by popatim is a good one. You can also consider the Panasonic G5 with kit lens which will run about $370. I would recommend however the Panasonic G5 with the Panasonic 20/1.7. This combo should run about $500 however the lens if very sharp and is great for capturing details. You would want to shoot at F2.8 (or F4.0) to get the best in sharpness and at this aperture, you will have a good amount of light gathering from the lens (much better than a kit lens). This will give you more options with lighting.

Overall, in importance you are looking at the following order:

1. Lighting - without good lighting your video will look like crap (maybe $300+ for a good setup)
2. Camera - this is not too important, as most modern cameras are very good in video
3. Lens - most lenses are very sharp however this still makes a difference
4. Tripod - important to have, but almost any tripod will do. You can pull it off with a stack of books too

Keep these things in mind when you are setting your budget. If you have a small budget, spend it on the lighting and use your cellphone (provided it does 1080p video). It will be adequate until you start making some money. I would then go for the $500 option in the G5 (or similar) and Panasonic 20/1.7.

 

[peterhawkins]

Thank you everybody, I think I might be tempted by the Nikon D3300, seems to have a lot going for it, just need to find a cheapish but reliable turntable plenty out there but a lot from oriental sources which don't have good reviews lol

regards peter

 

[Heinrich17]

Peter, the Nikon d3300 is an excellent camera however it is over priced for what you are looking for and far from the best for the money. Take a closer look at Panasonic and Sony offerings. Both brands have much better video support on their cameras and have the ability to use almost any lens made. Do not blow your budget on the camera. Also the kit lenses on all systems are pretty much garbage for what you want and you are better off skipping a lens. The Nikon will work so if you do decide to go that way pick up a Nikon 35/1.8 DX lens as well. If you go Panasonic get the 20/1.7 and for Sony go for something in the 28-35mm range and remember the lens is always more important than the body so a good lens on a cheap body will always win against a bad lens on a good body.