What I am looking for is a camera that will take video through my first floor kitchen window of squirrels and birds at the feeders hanging on my shed which is probably less than 20 feet away pointing down.
I tend to leave my bridge camera on a mini tripod and if I spot anything worth videoing with turn it on and zoom in. But it does tie up the camera hence a dedicated video camera.
You might want to look at last years models but, clearly, your budget is a limiting factor. I saw two Panasonics on Amazon, the HC-V260EB-K at £215 and the HC-V160EB-K at £220.
My choice would be the HC-V770EB-K at £369. This is last years model and at the time top of their HD range. I have the HC-V750 (2014) which has served me well and the 770 is the "son" of the 750 so it has some pedigree! I now have the HC-V800 which I like very much. Both these cameras have good low light response (I have said on other posts, I have recorded in very dark conditions (a Ghost Train) and the recording showed clearly with a little help from my video editor. The point is that all the detail was there)
The other point is that these cameras can be remotely controlled with an APP on a Smartphone. So the camera can be in standby mode, you will see the birds pictured on a Smartphone and start recording from the comfort of your armchair. It works well but (another Panasonic plus) I would power the camera from a USB power pack so would not run the battery down while is in standby.
Well I understood that but not 4 videos.
Compared to the Nikon Coolpix B700 the quality of the videos was pretty poor, I felt that they were not as sharp and seemed washed out. As I am not an expert or even an enthusiast they were not pleasing to my eye.
I quite like the idea of another bridge camera though rather than a camcorder, cannot find much in the way of detail reviews to your Praktica suggestion. I might see if I can find a camera on FB or Gumtree.
2-12-2019 02:11:55
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