Help! Recs for cheap but decent GoPro-style action camera that can be powered externally (or has long battery) and can be mounted on a stand or bar stool or

smurfco

smurfco

Meatus McPrepuce
I have my little Zoom video recorder which works great and I'm going to use it to record the debut REMnant show on Sunday but I'd like to get one or two more angles going so I can edit the video into something a little more professional. I'm looking at the cheap-ish action camera GoPro knockoffs on Amazon ($50 - $100 range) but I'd love to know if anyone has direct experience with any and can recommend them as not being total pieces of shit. Big / easy to read viewfinder is a plus as is the ability to power from an external cable (or have a battery time of at least 90 - 120 minutes) so it will be able to capture an entire show. 4K is what my Zoom is and it looks like most of these are too. It doesn't need to be IMAX-level quality but if it's halfway decent and works well that's great.

Tell me quick so I can order in time for it to arrive SUNDY!
 
I was going to look into a Zoom or something that has good built in mics or connectors for bluetooth mics.

At this point, I just use my iPhone with different clip/stands including a stabilizing Osimo gimble arm that can be a stand or a hand held camera boom... but it can be set to auto-pan and follow you, and there is a thumb controller so you can re-aim the phone even when it's fully extended to 2 feel long.


It's pretty crazy when you are moving it around and there's no shake or wobble.
 
I'd rather not use my phone if i can help it, I want to catch the whole show and I don't think I will have enough space for that... thought I suppose I could figure that out.

I don't think live streaming is an option unless I just go live to YouTube or something from my aforementioned phone...
 
@smurfco I thought about getting one of these...


3ccaeb8f81jpOCVgoPvrOGi7IW5805SFAcbP12Jf.jpg


But now I see that Osimo also has a stand alone version of their gimble...

514LEUejXYL.jpg
 
baimun said:
@smurfco I thought about getting one of these...


3ccaeb8f81jpOCVgoPvrOGi7IW5805SFAcbP12Jf.jpg


But now I see that Osimo also has a stand alone version of their gimble...

514LEUejXYL.jpg
Click to expand...
I actually have the Q2N and it's great. That's what I'm going to use for the sound as well as the "full stage" angle (placing it center stage is where I assume it'll pick up the best sound). The only thing I don't like about it is that if you use batteries they only last about 30 minutes for high def recording, so you have to plug it into a wall if you want to record an entire show or rehearsal. But that's usually not an issue... great video and sound.
 
I came in here to recommend a zoom; I've got one but got it so long ago I don't remember how affordable it was.

I made a passable-for-YouTube video for my band with my phone as the second camera, but that was pretty short chunks and I doubt my phone could have recorded an entire show at that quality.
 
Anyone else in your band got any useful kit you could use?

Also, provided you have storage space and power available (battery, plugged in, or phone bank), modern mobile phones will do a reasonable job of grabbing some extra footage. I'd be surprised if your band didn't have at least a couple of decent phones available that could be pressed into service, even if it means using gaffa tape to hold them in place somewhere.
 
Depends on what you want to spend and what features you want. GoPros are the standard choice but DJI cams are gaining market share and insta360s are very popular for getting wider views from a single camera or used in a mix of GoPros. You'll find GoPros used more commonly then the others. Battery life is going to depend on the model, settings, and battery size but all of them should be able to be powered externally.

I've got an older GoPro hero 6 I would part with on the cheap if you want to experiment on a budget.
 
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